QUEST 39: ‘PLAYFUL LINES’ THE CLARKE LINE. WEEK TWO

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February 14, 2025

“Week two and here we are safely arriving in Finland after an overnight and comfortable sea voyage. Sometimes it’s hard to believe exactly where we are and just how far we have come – both on an earthly and also metaphysical level” 🙂

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DAY NINE: Wednesday 17th April: Arrive safe and sound at Helsinki. Finland!

Uspenski Cathedral. Helsinki Finland: Completed in 1868, situated in the Katajanokka district of Finland, the largest orthodox church in western Europe. With it’s golden cupolas and redbrick facade, the church is one of the clearest symbols of the Russian impact on Finnish history. It is in an elevated position (a pyramid maybe?) and is one of the first buildings one sees after disembarking from the ferry. It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary). Its name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word uspenie, which denotes the Dormition.

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

The cathedral was full of beautiful and luminous artifacts, yet sadly the altar and surrounding area was cordoned off, a sign of church control which should have long gone…

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

John Clarke 18/09/1746 – 07/06/1789 Farway, Devon. Karl Neville’s 5 x Great Grandfather

Time for espresso in an amazing ‘Art Cafe’

Helsinki Cathedral. Helsinki Finland. The church was originally built from 1830 to 1852 as a tribute to the Grand Duke of Finland, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. It was also known as St Nicholas’s Church (Finnish: Nikolainkirkko, Swedish: Nikolajkyrkan ) until the independence of Finland in 1917. It is a major landmark of the city, located in the neighborhood of Kruununhaka and possibly the most famous structure in Finland as a whole when viewed across the Earth. It is located way up high again with amazing views across the city and can be seen from miles around too.

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

The cathedral is peaceful and spacious with some beautiful artworks on view. Although access was restricted when we arrived, the ‘barriers’ did eventually come down so we could stroll around inside.

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

John Clarke 18/09/1746 – 07/06/1789. Faraway. Devon Karl Neville’s 5 x GGF

Arrived safely in Hanko for a fourteen nights stay in a luxury waters edge apartment.

DAY TEN: Thursday 18th April: My Birthday!

Out for a gorgeous pizza and a wander around Klaukala

“Thank you Karl for my delicious treat!”

DAY ELEVEN: Friday 19th April: Rest Day!

“Enjoying our lovely apartment with it’s scenic sea views & strange magnetic occurrences, & then it snowed!”

DAY TWELVE: Saturday 20th April: Somero Church. Finland: A very snowy and cold day in Finland – who would have guessed it in April! But even so everywhere looked totally stunning and photogenic. Somero is set in a rather hilly Finnish landscape but on a day like today a good day for photography even though very cold! An earlier church was built in 1490 CE. However this existing church is from 1859 CE, built on a hill to the south of the old cemetery. When the new church was completed, the wooden church of Somero, built in 1668, was demolished in 1864.

We couldn’t get inside this church so please enjoy the snowy scenes. As always click to enlarge.

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

Thomas Clarke 18/03/1375-02/06/1446 Forde Hall, Wrotham Kent.

Forssa Church. Forssa Finland: Built in 1917 in the middle of the civil war to a district called Kallomaki. It was inaugurated in 1918. The style of the church is gothic and was designed by architect Josef Stenback. It has many beautiful decorative features both on the inside and out but again we could not get inside, so we will never know. The church tower rises all the way up to 45 metres and one speciality of the church is that the altar is facing west.The glass paintings on the altar are widely known representing the birth, cruxifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Grail Bloodline Connection:

Henry John Clarke 05/10/1900-14/10/1982 Edmonton Middlesex. Karl Neville’s Great Grandfather

DAY THIRTEEN: Sunday 21st April: Hanko Front Museum. Near Hanko Finland: It was still a very cold day here in Finland. The snow had set in and the sky was heavy and dull and although both museums were closed we had a good wander around in the snow outside each of them. I can’t tell you much about the museum in Hanko but the cold weather and snow did lend an authentic atmosphere to the War Front Museum just outside of Hanko, near the old borderlines.

“The Wartime Museum, above in Hanko, Finland was sadly closed…”

The Hanko Front Museum is located in a culturally and historically significant place, where the border between Finland and the Soviet Union ran from 1940 to 1941, when the Soviet Union occupied the Hanko penisula. The museum’s permanent exhibition ‘Hanko in Foreign Hands’, which we did not get to see due to the museum being closed, describes the historical events of the Hanko front. The museum grounds are interesting for you will find authentic looking running and battle trenches. The are some good replicas of wartime tanks and vehicles outside, which looked almost as if we had stepped back in time with the snow upon the ground one had a real sense of actually being there. The ‘energies’ of the area added to that too.

The Southernmost Point of Finland: Uddskatan, Hangö: Ancient site of the ‘Kwakali’, an absolute must. Not far from where we were staying, this beautiful beach was almost deserted yet it held mysteries and energies shown only to a few… This peaceful area is located in the Uddskatan nature reserve which is part of the Tulliniemi bird sanctuary. On the southernmost tip you will find nature trails, forest, meadows and high points from which there is a view, and a rich bird life. The Uddskatan water area with its beaches was placed under protection as a valuable bird spot already in 1933. And yet it also holds a secret with its mysterious rock placement on the beach….

” A beach, nature and a rock…”

Video: Hanko Beach. Finland

DAY FOURTEEN: Monday 22nd April: Church of St Lawrence: Lupajantie Perniö, Finland: A pretty little church both inside and out, the Perniö Church was built in the 15th century, in 1460. It is dedicated to St. Lawrence, as are many medieval churches in Finland. The interior contains mural paintings made by the school of famous artist Petrus Henriksson, from the end of 15th century. There are also seven limestone tombs inside the church. The belfry was erected in 1746. From a Craft point of view the church did share an interesting revelation previously unknown to me… Hiding in the photos you will find the answer.

“More clues unravel here at this pretty church”

Video: St Lawrence Church. Finland

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

Sir James William Clarke: 09/12/1485 – 02/08/1544 Forde Hall, Wrotham, Kent Karl Neville’s 13 x GGF

A nice tasty lunch before venturing on…

Turku Cathedral: Tuomiokirkonkatu Turku, Finland: The cathedral was originally built out of wood in the late 13th century in 1276 CE, and was dedicated as the main cathedral of Finland in 1300, the seat of the Catholic bishop of Turku and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It was considerably expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries, mainly using stone as the construction material. The cathedral was badly damaged during the Great Fire of Turku in 1827. It is considered to be the most important religious building in Finland, having borne witness to many important events in the nations history and a very recognizable symbol. There is a lot to see inside, many side chapels with altars dedicated to various saints. From a Craft point of view i found it to have a very ‘demonic energy’ which also from a Craft perspective i quite liked and yet still very beautiful… There are quite a few notable people buried here too.

Turko Cathedral Finland has a very dark beauty…

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The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

Sir Simon Woodchurch: 23/08/1241 – 06/05/1307 Woodchurch, Kent. Karl Neville’s 22xGGF

DAY FIFTEEN:Tuesday 23rd April: Rest day as very thick snow all around! Literally snowed in – we were not expecting this!

Video: What lies beneath… Hanko. Finland

DAY SIXTEEN:Wednesday 24th April: Ekenäs Church: Stora Kyrkogatan Ekenäs, Finland: After being snowed in it certainly was good to get out and about again and what a contrast in the weather. Today was bright and crisp with clear blue skies! Ekanas is a very pleasant and vibrant seaside town near the coast with some interesting shops, an ‘old town’ area, eateries and coffee shops. The whole area was glowing in the crisp sunshine and befitting the nature of the quests we had an interesting encounter with a shop keeper there. A well as the church there is a very interesting old wooden chapel to see. The town had a good uplifting energy, unlike many parts of Finland which are just the opposite.

The construction of the Ekanas church was started in 1651 and carried out to the 1670s. The initiative to build a stone church in Ekenäs came from earl Gustaf Adolf Leijonhufvud but it is unknown who designed the original baroque church. The church was ravaged by fire in 1821 and renovated by architect Charles Bassi between 1821 and 1839 and it is this design we see these days.

A wander, a coffee, an old wooden chapel and a nice lunch in Ekanas

Video: The Old Wooden Chapel. Ekenas. Finland

Dagmar’s Spring: Leksvallvägen. Raseborg. Finland: Dagmar’s Spring is found in the Dagmar Park nature reserve. It is said that the waters here are that of the Divine. The park is also known by the name ‘Kallviken’, the area is a popular day trip destination, especially among locals. At the centre of the park is the spring named after the Danish born princess Dagmar. Dagmar’s life became intertwined with Finnish history when she was made Czarina of Russia, Maria Feodorovna.

Dagmar’s spring winds it’s way down to the sea at Kallviken, near a popular beach, flowing down from the mountains, said to have formed in the ice-age. There is also a stone monument at the spring, commemorating the visit by the Czar and Czarina. The spring water here is clear and fresh and used by the locals whom have no need of shop bought water! We saw several folks collecting water while we were there.

The interesting aspect here from a Craft point of view, are that the ‘energies’ here, hiding in the trees have a blue-mist kind of appearance that often appears in photographs – look closely to see them in my photos. It was quite icy and slippery here underfoot and it was challenging to walk safely, so sadly i did not get as near to the spring as i would have liked, yet I was able to admire it and it’s beauty from a distance.

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

John Clarke: 18/09/1746 – 07/06/1789 Farway, Devon. Karl Neville’s 5 x Great Grandfather

On a lighthearted note, seen on day fourteen. A sweet little robot courier swiftly and accurately negotiates the lunch-time traffic as it happily wends it’s way amongst the traffic. I was impressed!