This beautiful Church is less than a minutes walk from my front door...

The church clock religiously chimes the hour and the half hour, day in and day out - setting the rhythm of my days, and sometimes my nights. The church bells ring out on Sunday morning in a gently chiding manner - reminding the believers to come and kneel in quiet reflection, while assuring the non-believers are awake at the very least.

A wanderingly circuitous walk took me past the side door of this beautiful building today - and in a happy moment of serendipity the door was invitingly unlocked and visitors were 'welcome'.

Originally built in the 15th century, restored in the 17th century and improved upon in the 18th century, it is simple in it's perfection. The atmosphere was tranquility personified. As someone with a horror of 'organised religion' and all that is often associated with it I usually enter religious buildings in a slightly defensive manner, wishing to be left alone to believe in my own way, in my own time - today I need not have worried.

Two beautifully elderly life time residents of the village greeted us with such joy and enthusiasm - I think we were the first, and probably only visitors of the day. Although the lady told me with a note of pride that they often get quite a rush on - up to twenty visitors a day at times...I should add at this point that the church is only open, outside of services, on a Tuesday morning. The gentleman was quietly proud of his extensive knowledge of the history of the church, and seemed delighted to be asked questions. We all resorted to English, for which I was very grateful. My Dutch is poor at the best of times, and architectural features and religious history are way beyond my conversational abilities. We even discovered that the icon in the silent prayer room was not an ancient artefact as I had assumed it was - being so reminiscent of the icons in the Greek Orthodox churches in Damascus - but in fact a beautiful modern interpretation painted by non other than the very gentleman standing next to me. He was utterly delighted that his craftsmanship had fooled us - I think it will make him smile to himself for quite some time...

As we said our goodbyes and our thank you's, I said to the lady how lovely it was to learn a little something about the church and the village. She smiled and said yes, it was wonderful that the gentleman was so knowledgeable. She said sitting with him on Tuesday morning was like being back in college when she was a girl - he knew so much about so many things and loved to talk.

"But", she said, with a wicked twinkle in her eye ( - so out of place in a church! - ) "Sometimes he just doesn't shut up!"

And that parting comment, my friends, made my day!

Life is good...x