St. Francis Church, Aruba

There are many beautiful churches in Aruba. I made this video of St. Francis Catholic Church in Oranjestad. With the church, I included shots of the nearby Catholic Cemetery. There are many fine statues there and a small chapel, too. It’s worth a quick look around. Here is the video:

The music is “Santa Maria” by Los Niños de Sara. As you can see, there are several fine stained glass windows in the church and a few notable shrines. I’ve seen the faithful come here on various occasions. The level of their devotion is impressive.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I enjoy visiting sites such as this, particularly when they are in use. Whether it be Spain or Aruba or elsewhere, it is an authentic experience to see the people of a particular place living their culture. Furthermore, when experienced “live” you get a better sense of the actual rhythm of daily life as opposed to what you might hear from a guide or read in a book.

Bon dia from Aruba.

Published in: on December 4, 2008 at 7:22 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Brilliant Photography

Regular readers of this blog will know that I’ve mentioned a few great photographers. I also post those old-time panoramic shots. Well, I came across this fellow Arnaud Frich. His website is www.arnaudfrichphoto.com. His photography is brilliant, both literally and figuratively.

In the first place, he photographs cathedrals, palaces, and open spaces with stunning clarity. His perspectives are interesting and insightful. He used panoramic cameras as well as others and the work shown on his website is consistently impressive. I particularly enjoyed his church interiors. He captures the weight and light of these structures as well as the sense of place that they impose upon the visitor. This is a photographic challenge few practioners of the craft are capable of achieving.

So pay his sight a visit. I’m sure you will be impressed.

Published in: on October 5, 2008 at 3:08 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Piedra Plat Church, Aruba

In the area known as Piedra Plat on the island of Aruba, there stands this handsome Protestant Church. The proportions of this building always seemed pleasing to me. It stands about a hundred meters away from the main road, on a small street of its own. Services are still held here on Sunday afternoons.

As the plaque shown indicates (in Papiamento), the Protestant congregation began in the middle 1800’s in the area of Canashito before building this church in 1899. The building was restored in 2000.

My previous posts included photos and brief discussions of a few cathedrals in Spain. At the same time, I wanted to mention structures such as this one, which have as much atmosphere as those larger ones, albeit in a different way. They are more likely to be intimate and charming spaces rather than domineering or imposing.

When traveling, I try to work in small stops like this, especially if they are an active part of the community. They teach volumes about the culture of the population and thus give greater insight into the area. Do you remember a favorite place that seemed insignificant at first but turned out to be more interesting than you thought it would be? Let me know.

Published in: on July 11, 2008 at 12:34 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Creating Atmosphere, Part 1

In the course of writing a book, one of the challenges is to create the atmosphere in which the story unfolds. The setting could be the frozen tundra or the tropics but simply stating where a character is doesn’t do the job. There are elements that have to be added to give a sense of the place, a mood, a feeling in the readers mind. The greatest writers do this without the reader realizing it.

I’ve always enjoyed visiting old churches be they big or small. Of course a cathedral is the epitome of the form and I’ve visited them in England, France, Spain, and the United States. Talk about atmosphere, these places are loaded with it. For example, while in Seville, Spain, I spotted this delivery of candles.

They weren’t going to the massive cathedral there, but rather to a much smaller church in another neighborhood. However, the size of these candles is impressive. Their light is more than the average taper. They will certainly cast shadows among the old stones, worn wooden pews, and gazing icons inside. The faint scent of burning wax, mixed with incense and old dust, will lurk in the sanctuary. Interiors like that are enough to make the goose-bumps pop. See Creating Atmosphere, Part 2 for a look at this first hand.

And that’s part of the fun of writing a story. The writer has the pleasure of creating the world. Of course, he also has to take responsibility for it and that can be a daunting challenge.

Published in: on July 3, 2008 at 9:07 am  Leave a Comment  
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