This place was almost as breathtaking as the Royal Palace with its tremendous structures and ceramics.
The Amazing Wat Pho Temple in Bangkok
The Reclining Buddha At Wat Pho Temple Bangkok.
Incredibly Strong Warriors Holding the Whole Edifices Up!
Dragons and Supernatural Warriors to ward off Evil Spirits
The Incredible Ceramics at the Royal Palace in Bangkok.
There is something very Asian about the gaudiness, fussiness and ostentatiousness of the Thai ceramics. I do not mean that in a derogatory way. Their use of colour and glitziness would seem wrong to Westerners I think. We tend to go for things that are a bit more muted and less fussy. It is almost too glitzy. But it works in Asia precisely because of that. I have felt the same about the temples in China, India and Sri Lanka. Yet I love them. They are full of bright vitality.
The Royal Palace in Bangkok.
Hadrian’s Wall
The Garrison of Vindolanda
In this season of building walls (Mexico and the US, India and Pakistan, Palestine and Israel) it is always salutary to look at past efforts.
Hadrian’s Wall was begun in 122 AD and extended across Britain from coast to coast between Tyneside and the Solway Firth (all in England – not separating England from Scotland). They chose a narrow bit that was only 76 miles long. The wall was up to ten foot wide and 16 foot high with a big ditch to make it more of an obstacle so it would have presented quite a challenge. It had Forts and Garrisons all along its length. It was the furthest limits of the Roman Empire and separated the Romans from the Barbarian Picts and Celts.
It had a number of functions.
The first was as a statement. It was a display of power and persistence. The Romans were here. They were mighty. They were here to stay and there was no point in trying to get rid of them.
Another was to stop the constant cattle raiding and nuisance raids.
Another was to set up a trade barrier with customs posts to control the exit and entrance.
It must have been quite impressive and had a great psychological impact on the tribes.
The Orkneys – The Broch of Gurness.
The Broch is an Iron Age tower that was ten metres high! It had religious significance, housed the clan leader and his family and served as a major defensive structure against attack. It dates back 2500 years.
Around the Broch was a whole Iron Village. It had a fantastic view out to sea and across to the land the other side.
More Views of the Orkneys and Wildlife.
The Orkneys – The Amazing Italian Chapel
During the 2nd World War a group of Italian POWs were stationed on the Orkneys.
They were given an old army Nissen hut to worship in and set about transforming it into a veritable cathedral.
They scrounged materials and paint and transformed the place into a work of Art.
One of the POWs fell in love with an Orkney girl and left his heart in the Orkneys forever.
