Britta's Letters from her life divided between city-life in German's capital Berlin and life in a Bavarian village

Saturday 20 June 2015

A Plunge into Monks' Work

©Brigitta Huegel

Dear You, 
I'm back from my utterly gorgeous holidays. First almost two weeks in New York, then almost two weeks in Crete.
I will tell you soon about it, I have many adventures to sing about, and many photos to show.
But since I'm back I felt somehow overwhelmed when I thought of all that I want to talk about, and refrained. Kept my mouth shut (very unusual for me).
Then I looked at the photograph of the frontyard in Kapsa's Monastry on Crete - and found the answer to the "Why?" for my reluctance to write.
It seems like work to me - and (real) work I have enough at the moment.
As always I need more patience. 
So I will start and put one little stone after the other onto the ground - not all at once.
"Monnik-werk" - "monk's work" this kind of floor is called, a Flamish translator on Crete told me.
And if one is very diligent, something beautiful might become of it.
So I'll start - otherwise I'll might stare at my heaps of beautiful little stones - and keep silent forever, overawed.

©Brigitta Huegel



19 comments:

  1. I don't want you to keep silent. The stones remind me of Torcello, Venice, I made a cut out picture of a church floor like this. Is Crete somewhere Venetians went? I have missed you. xxx

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    1. Dear Rachel, your words taste like honey from Crete - thank you! Yes, the Venetians have been in Heraklion (I might write about that :-) :-) ).
      At the moment I am more incined to write a protest note about the 12°C we have in Berlin, shudder, and that rain...

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    1. Britta... Yippee! ... A thoroughly American response to seeing that you are back!!! Just eat that little blog-elephant one bite at a time and dish out bits and pieces as you choose! Just delighted that you have enjoyed yourself... You were missed. Smiles...Susan
      P.S. Auto correct is terrible and I didn't catch what it changed... So delete and try again!

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    2. Dear Susan,
      I liked "Britanny"! And thank you for the warm welcome (in America I enjoyed the very kind way people had). When I forget to change my smartphone from "German" to "English", I found the strangest auto'corrects' by that system - and sometimes it is even quicker in sending a message away than I want :-)

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  3. But monk's work is for good and glory, so another reason not to be silent. At least tell me more about the pattern in stones; where you found it. How large are the stones; we only see the edges. They are laid in such a regular braided pattern. I am in awe of the patience. Monk's cloth, which I have woven, inspires the same idea of patience.

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    1. Dear Joanne,
      I believe that the monks had to be silent :-)
      I will make my next post about the place where I found that patter. And I will be on the look-out for your woven monk's cloth (is it on your Facebook-page?)

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  4. My how beautiful. In the first picture I thought I was looking at some sort of stitchery. After I read what it is I am left speechless by the painstaking artistry.

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    1. Dear Emma,
      thank you! It must have taken such a long time to find, sort and then lay the stones. Beautiful.

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  5. I love Crete and I am glad you are back. I made a floor just like that for Hampton House Grotto at Hampton Court, years ago (not the Palace, the other side of the road.)

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    1. Dear Tom,
      when I was at Hampton Court I should heve known that before! I don't even know whether I saw House Grotto. But there will be another chance (this year maybe I'll be a week in London; and with certainty at a trip on a narrow boat in September).

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  6. The stones are beautiful, and I highly endorse sharing as you can, a few stones at a time, so it never feels like work, for I know what you mean and have "been there" too. After all, it's summertime!

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    1. Dear Sue,
      I feel very much understood, thank you - and yes, though I am utterly glad with my adventures I am living in the 'Here and Now' mostly, as the gurus say :-) I'm still looking for summer in Germany - it should have started today, but punctuality doesn't seem to be a German summer-virtue anymore...

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  7. The designs are fascinating --mosaic with geometry informed by pebbles. A form of meditation as well as beautiful. Wonderful to hear from you again!

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    1. Dear Geo., thank you! I love the meditative aspect too (it was well represented in my whole stay in Crete). Patience is a lesson I still have to learn...

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  8. Welcome back from your travels Britta ….. what an exciting time you've been having.
    I look forward to seeing your photographs and hearing all about it. XXXX

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    1. Dear Jackie, thank you! Yes, I will tell soon - in the meantime I try to catch upt with all the interesting posts by bloggers here.

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  9. You always convey your experience with such a vivid and individual enthusiasm, Britta, that we very much look forward to the laying out of your stones.

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    1. Dear Mise, that is very kind! I have to make a list what to do first (am back to the weight-gym, and am repeating Italian - my muscles only needed 6 weeks of leisure, to forget completely how to keep strong, and my brain thinks that is a lovely role-model :-) Ha!

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