Wednesday 5 October 2011

Italian Chapel, Lamb Holm

On Sunday we crossed the Churchill barriers to explore some islands to the south.

We saw the Italian chapel, built by the Italian prisoners of war.

















It is built out of two Nissen huts and concrete and felt and bitumen and stuff and is beautifully painted.

















It is as spectacular, in a small way, as any of the godstuff we saw along the Silk Road.






















Poor buggers must have been cold and miserable. They were building the causeways between the islands. It is super cold inside the chapel now, in October. I hope they didn't have to spend too many winters like this.


















There was a concrete St George slaying a concrete dragon.


















We also went to see Tomb of the Eagles. I was not expecting much, but there was a great little museum and, if you followed that link, you got to touch all the stuff in that first picture. You could feel how comfortably the tools fit into your hand, asking to be used, and you could feel the spectacular craftsmanship. Then we walked out through the sheep paddocks and then along the cliffs and went into the tomb itself. You could just go right into it and look and pretend you were 5000 years ago.

It is called Tomb of the Eagles because of all the eagle talons they found among the remains. They are excavating another one a little further round the coast and there are a lot of otter bones, so it is being called Tomb of the Otters.

















On Monday there were showers alternating with gale force winds.

















Tuesday, I finished off a tea cosy for a friend from the truck. Hopefully I will get to catch up with him and his girlfriend in the next couple of weeks.
















Life has slowed down here and I am feeling much more relaxed than when I arrived.

2 comments:

Jayne said...

I was surprised at how interesting the tomb of the eagles was as well. The chapel made me all teary... beautiful and poor bastards.

Ceels said...

I was mainly just cold. I now feel a bit heartless. I just thought 'poor buggers' and was glad I didn't have to do it.