Archive for the ‘History’ Category
- In: Doors | History | Travel
- 96 Comments
Since the seventh century, there has been a place of Christian worship on the site of the present York Minster. The bulk of the building we see today was constructed between 1220 and 1472. York Minster is the second-largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe.
The Minster stands majestically in the centre of York and can be seen from most locations
A side entrance to the York Minster
A door on the grounds of the York Minster
It had been years since I was inside the magnificent York Minster, and on my latest visit, I decided it was time for a revisit. Viewing the original medieval stained glass windows and elaborately carved stone work is worth a visit alone.
One of the many exquisite stained glass windows.
The door leading into the chapterhouse
The amazing ceiling of the chapterhouse
Inside the octagonal chapter house was magical, surrounded on all sides by stained glass windows. Chapterhouses, usually part of a cathedral or monastery, are typically for holding meetings. Imagine attending a meeting in this glorious room! I would have trouble concentrating.
Intricate medieval stone work inside the chapterhouse.
The impressive organ in the Minster’s Quire dating from 1829, when the previous organ was destroyed in a fire deliberately set by a disgruntled member of the church.
An adorable little door in what is now the gift shop! I’m so glad they kept it.
A side view of the Minster from the gardens
Stonework trimming a window outside
Carved gargoyles outside to keep the rainwater away from the stones. They are a bit spooky.
This structure holds so many stories. I’m so glad I returned to spend time exploring it.
I found some great doors on my recent visit to York. I’m happy to share them here on Dan’s Thursday Doors, a weekly challenge created by Dan Antion for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments on Dan’s blog post. Check out all the other amazing door posts.
Copyright ©2026 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
A Walk Around Stratford-Upon-Avon
Posted on: March 17, 2026
- In: History | Travel
- 110 Comments
It has been my wish to visit this market town, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, for a long time. A few weeks ago, I made it happen. I shared some doors last Thursday. Here are some other pictures from around the charming town and inside the Bard’s house.
The town’s most famous citizen is at the head of the main street. Some well-known quotes, like the one above, surround the statue.
A statue of Young Will by Lawrence Holofcener. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, stands behind it.
The Swan Theatre, the first Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.
Both theatres face the River Avon
A swan graciously posed for me.
A stone bridge crosses the river Avon
The back of Shakespeare’s birthplace has lovely gardens that feature many of the 175 plants mentioned in his plays.
Inside the home, a cosy parlour, furnished as it would have been 450 years ago.
The hall where the family ate their meals
The pantry or larder.
The children’s bedchambers and most likely the birthing room.
A replica of the wallpaper. A piece of the original is in the British Museum.
An evening stroll took us to the Avon Canal, which often has canal boats travelling down it and through a set of locks.
From the stone bridge, we spied a cosy-looking pub called The Pen & Parchment
So we decided to check it out.
I enjoyed a delicious mushroom-and-Gorgonzola pie with fried mashed potatoes and pesto sauce. It was excellent and in the perfect setting. A fitting end to a day in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Robert Burns Day
Posted on: January 26, 2026
On January 25, 1759, Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. A poet and lyricist, he is regarded worldwide as the national poet of Scotland. He passed away at age 37 on July 21, 1796. His birthday has been celebrated around the world since 1802. If you have ever attended a traditional Burns Night Dinner, you know how much fun they are. I have only attended once, but it was memorable.
He was born in a house built by his father and was baptised in the Auld Kirk the following day.
Robert Burns spent most of his life as a farmer, despite writing 700 poems during his lifetime.
I was fortunate to spend an afternoon in Galloway. Throughout the village are quotes from the famous author.
At the Auld Kirk there are paving stones with quotes from his most famous poem, Tam o’Shanter. The church is featured in the poem.
At the museum is the desk of Robert Burns, where he penned many of his works, including Auld Lang Syne. A song many of us sing at midnight, when the new year begins. It always brings tears to my eyes.
Whether you celebrate Robert Burns Day or not, take a minute to say Happy Birthday to a farmer and a poet who has stood the test of time.
Copyright ©2026 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
Happy Birthday, Jane Austen
Posted on: December 21, 2025
- In: Books | History | quotes | Writing
- 81 Comments
One cannot have too large a party. ~ Jane Austen, Emma
On December 16th, we celebrated Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. I’m sure she never dreamt people would be reading and discussing her books two hundred and fifty years after she was born. She is one of my favourite authors, I have read her books many times over and have seen all the movie and TV adaptations. Hubby says I could speak along with the characters and I often laugh before the clever lines are spoken. Like this, one of my favourites.
An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do. ~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
I am a true Janeite and have been a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, attending interesting and informative conferences where we discuss her work and times. I’ve been fortunate to meet Joan Austen-Leigh, a great-great-grandniece of the famous writer. Visiting Jane’s cottage in Chawton and her grave in Winchester Cathedral have been among my highlights, and viewing her writing at the British Museum sent chills through me.
Besides her books, I’ve read many biographies of Jane Austen, her published letters, and her juvenilia. I don’t have a favourite Jane Austen novel as I love them all, for different reasons.
Rebecca Bud is running a series of posts on the gifts Jane has given us. Please check them out as they are excellent. https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2025/12/20/jane-austen-at-250-pride-prejudice-and-the-power-of-wit/
One of my favourite quotes: My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company. ~ Jane Austen, Persuasion
Do you enjoy reading Jane Austen? What is one of your favourite quotes? Why do we still enjoy her books?
Copyright ©2025 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
Thursday Doors: Istan, Spain
Posted on: November 28, 2025
- In: Doors | History | Spain
- 76 Comments
Southern Spain is well known for its charming white villages, so we decided to visit one a few years ago. Instead of the more popular, touristy places, we ventured into the Andalusian Mountains to find the village of Istán. Originally a Moorish settlement, Istán is a town with a rich history dating back to the 14th century.
Following narrow, twisting roads up into the mountains, we never knew what we would find around each hairpin turn. Thinking we had to be on the wrong road, we were about to give up when we rounded one more bend, and there before us appeared the historic white mountain village of Istan!
Here are some doors and buildings of Istan:
Delightful outdoor cafes.
And cosy courtyards.
Istán is 15 kilometres inland and is one of the few Moorish villages that survived because of its distance from the coast. After the Christian reconquest of the Iberian peninsula in the 15th Century, Arabs were barred from living within 10 kilometres of the shoreline to prevent them from communicating with their kinsmen across the straits in Morocco. Today, not much remains of Moorish Istán, only the crumbling ruins of a tower hidden in a side street.
Like many mountain villages, where the means of transportation were the mule and the packhorse, Istán’s streets are narrow and unsuitable for vehicles, so we parked the car on the outskirts of town and explored on foot.
The old lavadero, or wash house, is situated in Calle Chorro, surrounded by white houses covered with bougainvillaea and other flowers. The fountain has six jets, which are still fed by ancient Arabic water channels. The water flows into the washing area decorated by brick arches and tiles.
The old wash house where everyone washed their clothes.
All that walking made us hungry and thirsty. We found a cute restaurant located on the ground floor of the old hotel.
The friendly host led us to a veranda at the back overlooking the gorge, where we enjoyed a delicious tapas lunch. A perfect day in every way!
Thursday Doors is a weekly challenge created by Dan Antion for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments on Dan’s blog post. Check out all the other amazing door posts.
Copyright ©2025 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
- In: History | Travel
- 82 Comments
Alloway is a village in Ayrshire, 45 minutes south of Glasgow. It’s where Robert Burns was born and lived until he was seven years old. During my recent visit, I enjoyed walking in the well-known poet and lyricist’s steps and envisioning him living there as a child.
The cottage where Robert Burns was born, on January 25, 1759, was built by his father.
The back of the cottage, where there would have been a small garden.
The kitchen where the family ate, and where his father gave him lessons.
The bed where Robbie and three of his siblings were born. He was the oldest of seven children.
On the whitewashed walls are old Scottish words, translated into modern English.
The village has many sites honouring its famous citizen, including this sculpture from Tam O’Shanter, his best-known poem. A summary of the poem: “Tam has spent the evening in a pub getting drunk with his friends and on his way home on horseback encounters the devil and a crowd of witches cavorting inside the auld Kirk of Alloway. Careless with drink, Tam disturbs the witches and flees towards the nearby bridge over the river Doon – with the witches in hot pursuit.”
If you wish to hear the entire poem superbly read by Brian Cox, check it out: https://www.nts.org.uk/collections/themes/poems-and-songs#tam-o-shanter-read-by-brian-cox
His quotes are found everywhere in the village.
Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know I love old churches and graveyards (and often feature them in my books). The Auld Kirk (old church) in Alloway was fascinating.
I loved this old graveyard and church ruin.
Robert Burns’ father and one sister are buried in this graveyard. Burns wrote the eulogy on the back of the gravestone.
Some of the stones are quite spooky. It’s easy to see how Burns was inspired by this graveyard. Superstition was rife in rural Scotland at the time. As a child, the future poet would have been influenced by fear of the devil, hell and its demons. Surrounded by an eerie graveyard full of ancient gravestones, Robbie’s imaginative mind would have been full of ghosts and other supernatural creatures.
A walk along the Poet’s Path passes through beautiful gardens and past many sculptures representing his poems, like this one of two dogs. (from his poem “The Twa Dogs”)
The path leads to the Burns Monument, built between 1820 and 1823, set in lovely gardens.
I climbed to the top of the monument and was rewarded with this gorgeous view!
The next stop was Brig O’Doon (the old bridge over the river Doon)
The River Doon winds its way through Alloway.
I also visited the interesting museum, which holds many of the poet’s belongings, including his mahogany desk and original scribblings of “Auld Lang Syne.”
By them I was tired and in need of refreshment, so I stopped at the Brig O’Doon Hotel and had a relaxing cup of tea overlooking a view of the bridge. As luck would have it, a wedding was taking place!
Tea with a view. I felt like I was in heaven.
These wedding guests kindly stopped and let me take a picture. After all, it wouldn’t be right not to have a photo of a man in a kilt while in this awesome Scottish village!
This is a day I will treasure forever.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne? – Robert Burns
Copyright ©2025 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
- In: Books | Family | History | reviews
- 57 Comments
I was jumping for joy when I saw this amazing review of You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie on Colleen Chesebro’s blog site, along with reviews of other wonderful reads. I like how Colleen recognised some shared history in my book. Please check out all her reviews and pick up some great summer reads.
Colleen ends the review with this: I read this book in one night. By the end, I felt like I had been wrapped in a blanket of love and warmth. This made my author’s heart want to burst. Thanks, Colleen.
Until July 31, You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie is on sale for $1.99 at Smashwords. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1757676
- In: Doors | History | Spain | Travel
- 123 Comments
Cuenca is a unique city tucked away in the mountains of Castilla-La Mancha,140 kilometres southeast of Madrid. It’s famous for its casa colgadas, or hanging houses, perched on cliffs surrounding a deep gorge carved out by two rivers. Due to limited space, the former inhabitants of the old city built their houses close to the edge of the rocky mountaintop. Over the centuries, the relentless wind eroded the limestone cliffs, leaving some houses clinging precariously to the edge. A few balconies actually jut out over the ravine.
The hanging houses are the draw to this remote city, but the old part of town itself is worth exploring.
Interesting buildings in Plaza Mayor
The Cuenca Cathedral, Catedral de Santa María y San Julián de Cuenca, dates from 1177. The impressive three arches of this Gothic Anglo-Norman façade were the first of its kind in Spain, with construction on the cathedral continuing for 300 years and never quite completed.
The medieval cobblestone streets wind past old stone houses with heavy wooden doors.
A typical restaurant in Cuenca.
It was a memorable visit to Cuenca.
Thursday Doors is a weekly challenge created by Dan Antion for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments on Dan’s blog post. Check out all the other door posts.
Copyright ©2025 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
- In: Doors | Events | History | Spain
- 112 Comments
Spain is a fascinating country with many colourful Fiestas based on age-old traditions and legends. La Noche en Vela, or the Sleepless Night, is a unique festival held every August in the medieval village of Aledo, tucked high in the Sierra Espuna mountains. I was fortunate to visit this town during the Sleepless Night.
A bus took us through dense pine forests and climbed winding roads to a fortified hilltop town in the province of Murcia, offering gorgeous vistas overlooking the valley.
We waited in anticipation at the gates of the old town, since only a certain number of people are allowed in this World Heritage site at one time. Once inside the ancient walls, we wandered up to the imposing castle tower and the cathedral of Santa Maria la Real in the town square.
The castle tower
The cathedral of Santa Maria la Real
The doors and patios were all decorated for the yearly event.
Also known as Candle Night, the streets of Aledo´s old town are lit by over four thousand candles. As the sun sets, the village takes on a supernatural glow. The citizens, many of whom have lived there for generations, proudly showed off their candlelight displays.
It was a magical evening with music, dancing and poetry readings to entertain us.
We watched a flamenco dancer in front of one door
And listened to a duo sing a soulful Spanish melody in front of another.
As the night wore on, candles flickered on the castle walls, demons danced along the narrow streets, and children sang. Spirits of the past, inhabitants from prehistoric times, as well as Romans, Moors, and Christian knights, mingled with those of us in present times. I was mesmerised and didn´t want the night to end.
The town has a rich history due to its strategic location and the role it played in battles for supremacy between the Moors and Christian knights. The legend believed to be behind this festival is that of a Princess who lived in the tower and fell in love with a soldier. Every night, she waited for him to return from battle. He lit a candle upon his return to let her know he was alive. She would stay up all night waiting to see the candle flame.
Every door displayed decorations. A night I will never forget!
Thursday Doors is a weekly challenge created by Dan Antion for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments on Dan’s blog post. Check out all the other door posts too.
I’ve joined BlueSky and would love you to follow me.
@darlenefoster.bsky.social
Copyright ©2025 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
Thursday Doors: Denia, Spain
Posted on: March 27, 2025
- In: Doors | History | Spain | Travel
- 109 Comments
A few years ago, we spent an enjoyable week in the coastal town of Denia, on the Costa Blanca, halfway between Alicante and Valencia. It’s home to a large fishing fleet and ferries to the Balearic Islands. Like all Spanish towns, it has a colourful history and interesting buildings.
There are many outdoor bars and coffee shops where you can relax and enjoy the sunshine. Denia has an average of 325 days of sunshine a year!
A great place to relax and forget your troubles.
We even found a tapas bar that served sushi, run by a Canadian girl!
Like all Spanish towns, there were several churches.
I love blue-domed churches.
The doors of this church are open welcoming people to an evening service.
Another view of that fabulous blue-tiled dome. In the background are the mountains of Montgo
The best thing for me was a medieval castle with more than a thousand years of history, in the middle of the city!
One of the doors to enter the Castle of Denia
The Moorish gateway into the castle, which is open to the public.
A fabulous door I found in the castle.
The door to the museum on the site of the castle.
Photo of Denia Castle from https://visitcostablancaspain.com/denia-castle/
The castle provides incredible views of the Gulf of Valencia and the surrounding area. It stood as a defence against various invaders and Berber pirate raids over the centuries; and represents the many cultures; Iberians, Romans, Muslims and Christians, that make up this part of Spain.
A close-up of the door to one of the churches.
I love these towns full of history and charm.
Thursday Doors is a weekly challenge created by Dan Antion for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a lin
@darlenefoster.bsky.socialk to your post in the comments on Dan’s blog post. Check out all the other door posts too.
? I’ve joined BlueSky and would love you to follow me.
@darlenefoster.bsky.social
Copyright ©2025 darlenefoster.wordpress.com – All rights reserved
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