Another DVD

Yes, I am a dinosaur.  One of the few pieces of furniture that I had shipped from Ohio when I made the move to Mexico was the cabinet which holds my collection compact discs of music and the DVDs of photos from my travels.

The top four shelves are filled with DVDs, each one of a different trip that I made. Before I moved, I bought a new DVD / Blue Ray player and a large supply of blank discs and cases in case those products should become obsolete.  I figure I have enough discs to last for my remaining years of travel.  Since my laptop does not have a disc drive, I bought an external drive so that I can burn new discs.  And, yes, every so often I will pull one of those discs from the shelf and watch it.

I recently finished another disc to add to the collection... one of our trip to England this summer.  I have a "video studio" program on my laptop to produce these picture shows.

I selected my best photos and video clips and organized them.  The program allows me to add musical background (which I select from my compact discs).  I have lots of music from Mexico, but selecting appropriate music for a travelogue of England is a bit more difficult.  For the grandiose architecture of London I used some pieces by Baroque composers recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra.  On another CD I have some pieces by the British composer Edward Elgar.  For lighter music, I used some cuts from a disc I have of the flautist James Galway.  (Yes, I know he is Irish, but close enough.)

After finishing, I then burned the show onto a disc.  Here's a snippet with pictures of the interior of the medieval Christchurch priory and music by Elgar. 

Now it's time to work on the photos of Switzerland.

A Medieval Church

On Wednesday Kevin and Sue took us to one of the most historic buildings in the area.  In the town of Christchurch there is the church of a medieval priory (or monastery) that dates back to the 12th century.  The large church rivals some English cathedrals in size.

By 1150 a basic Norman-style church had been completed, but over the centuries additions and renovations resulted in a mixture of styles.  We were unable to visit the entire church because services were being held in the Lady Chapel at the far end of the structure.  Nevertheless, it was a very impressive building.

One of the oldest parts of the church is this doorway with a Norman arch.  It is called the Prior's Entrance because this was the personal door to the church for the head of the monastery.  It probably dates from 1140.

This marble baptismal font from the early Norman period probably dates from 1200.

The wooden choir stalls are known as "misericords" from the Latin word for compassion.  They are not really seats, but they provided the monks, who had to stand through the services, a little bit of support.

They are superb examples of medieval woodcarving.

  Stained glass windows in the church