QUEST 37: ‘SOLID ROOTS’ WEEK ONE:

The MidKnight Garden; Knights of the Red Order, & Midknights Tellings (my poetry & photography)

2 years ago

So here we go once again! Quest 37 into Sweden and Norway via road & ferry with many adventures ahead!

“Like all the Quests we venture on, it often takes time for it all to sink in once back at home and time needs to pass to know what has really stuck with me. I do remember the heat and trying to constantly dodge it, but it was unusually hot for the time of year. I remember the hours and hours of traveling, the expansive views from the car and never really knowing where i was, which was half the fun! I remember the vast green fields, the beautiful crystal clear waters, and the never ending forests. I remember the little white-washed churches sitting pretty in their manicures graveyards, all lovingly cared for, although we very rarely saw anyone around and ‘those’ we did see were really keeping an eye on us…“

Before we start….. Let Janis give you a taster of the Quest ahead!

DAY ONE & TWO:

QUEST 37: We stayed the night last night in sunny Clacton-on-Sea, in an old Victorian property, less than a minute from the sea. So to be all ready to board the early morning ferry to the Hook of Holland. The crossing was good and we were able to have a sleep in the cabins on board. We arrived in Germany, after a long but on the whole very calm journey across the North Sea, and through the Netherlands into Germany. After a late start in the morning for a good recharge, we visited our first church of this quest. We were staying at Werlte in Lower Saxony, a quiet area of Germany, for a couple of nights.

Werlte, a pretty & peaceful area of Saxony where we stayed for a couple of nights

DAY THREE:

St Bartholomaus Church. Oldenburg: Our main focus of interest today is St Bartholomaus Church, a Evangelical Lutheran church just a short drive from where we were staying. Interestingly we happened to be here on the German Ascension Day, where it seems almost everywhere is closed for this ‘religious holiday’ and all is very silent…

The church here has good energies and dates back to the 7th century, it is said that a ‘jewel’ is hidden within the walls of the church, and in the area in general (from a Craft aspect) some say that there is a little known, yet significant void, and further research may be suggested. Anyone interested in Templarism and our quests will pick up on some good clues here, the ‘picture’ on the wall was certainly of interest, within it’s distinctive and symbolic setting. We were certainly not alone here on this occasion, as is often the ‘norm’ on our quests, for ‘those whom see and observe’ are often not very far away. Maybe on this occasion the older lady with a walking frame was more than she seemed and was most certainly keeping a ‘watch’ on us… We had a rather nice stroll around the adjacent area too.

St Bartholomaus Church. Oldenburg: Lovely energies with some beautiful symbolic artworks and even ‘someone’ to watch over us….

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Lutheran_Church_in_Oldenburg

Let Karl show you more of this church!

So on day four into five we bade our farewells to Germany this morning, to embark upon a very long days drive into the north of Denmark. The weather was gorgeous but the scenery, although lovely was a far cry from those scenic mountains of Spain we so enjoyed. There was a lot of construction work going on along the way and i dozed a lot! We arrived in Saeby in Denmark, to spend the night in a very upmarket motel, all very clean with all one would need to spend the night. So in the morning, it’s up early again and on the road to catch our ferry into Sweden. It will be another very long day, but once there we will stay for well over a couple of weeks with lots to see and do…

Into Sweden via Denmark: Construction, motorways, sleep and ‘bikers’ like us waiting for the ferry….

We boarded the ferry into Norway, at Hirtshals to Kristiansand, which was lovely with comfort class seats and of course espresso to delight the senses! We finally arrived at our lovely destination in Gustavsfors, Sweden for a seventeen night stay, after a very long journey. Our new home seemed to be a delightful lodge/chalet set in a lovely wooded area with a lake view, with day six being a well-earned rest day!

Sweden, a new land full of new experiences and amazing surprises that await, with many views along the way…

DAY SEVEN:

Karlanda Kyrka: (Karlanda Church) The original medieval church was dated 1480, and many parts of that original building were used in the building of Karlanda here in 1776. Sadly the church was closed today as many of the beautifully looked after churches here in Scandinavia were, but the energies were very peaceful and the grounds or graveyard kept immaculate, as was the whole area. There were some significant items in the church, but not to be seen today…

Karlanda Kyrka: beautifully kept with stunning views all around

The bloodline connection is: Princess Groa Thorsteindottir – Karl’s 32nd x GGM 873 – 914 (whom we will ‘see’ more of in Iceland on our next quest)

Askim Church. Norway: Timber church constructed in 1877. Some items from the earlier church remain. The medieval stone church on the same site was demolished in 1876 and also many of the old items were destroyed in a fire in 1690. Although the church was closed when we arrived, Karl managed to track down the church warden in the nearby admin/reception building, whom very kindly unlocked the church for us! Some lovely significant symbols inside, especially when one studies in detail the two large windows. A very peaceful energy inside too.

A beautiful church both inside and out….

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Askim

Upon these stunning windows are to be seen many Craft/Templar connections

Let Karl take you round…

The bloodline connection is: Princess Groa Thorsteindottir – Karl’s 32nd x GGM 873 – 914 (whom we will ‘see’ more of in Iceland on our next quest)

Rakkestad Church. Norway: A Medieval stone church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, in a lovely peaceful and well looked after setting. Dating from 1200AD and renovated in 1875. A clock in the tower is all that remains of the medieval fittings, but sadly we could not get in to see as the church was closed. The altar piece is from 1696 and the baptismal font and the pulpit from 1700, both have been preserved, but all others replaced in 1875, sadly we shall never know, so another case of looking on the internet for photos. Good energies and a peaceful feel though with a pretty chapel nearby too…