Cathedrals are absolutely choc full of little carvings to marvel at. Though we've been somewhat aware of this for awhile, this fact has largely gone unnoticed to our eyes in all of our cathedral exploring. When you walk into one of these medieval fortresses, you can't help but be swept away by the vastness and grandeur of the place. The columns lining the sanctuary remind us of the giant sequoias in California, for instance. What was different this time?
One of the standard items we try to remember to pack when we forge out into the wild world of tourism is a pair of binoculars. We've used them all over the world, and have seen all sorts of exotic animals and plants through them. When we were in this cathedral, Mark happened to have a pair of binocs, and it changed our lives! There was a small exhibit on some of the carvings located within the cathedral, with photos on the ground floor for us to look at. We immediately started to look up in order to identify the same carvings above us. Mark realized the binocs would help with this, and WHAM, the secret life of the cathedral was suddenly unveiled for us to perceive. As we scanned the columns and walls, up, up, up to the highest highs of the building, we found little faces of a time long-past staring back at us. Creatures of the zodiac, monsters spewing out foliage, little priests with flowing robes, animals, worshippers, hell beasts, saints, Christian and pagan symbols alike. They were everywhere, and it gave our experience within those walls an entirely new level of meaning.
And so, the next time you are in a cathedral, bring a pair of binocs, and focus on what's small. It's like opening the lid to a treasure chest.
No comments:
Post a Comment