Tag Archive: Shell Symbol


“So the last week of this amazing quest has begun and as we make our way into northern Spain and up into the beautiful mountains, we know that more extraordinary experiences await us”

 

DAY TWENTY FOUR: THURSDAY 17th APRIL: Leave Casa Zinda Rua do, Portugal for a long yet very scenic drive to northern Spain

Cathedral Beach northern Spain. (Playa de las Catedrales) Lugo:  Remnants from the past, a mix of carved cliffs, arches, and structures on the beach. A beautiful and unique beach and one of the most impressive and scenic sights on the north coast of Spain. There are towering arches here on the beach looking like flying buttresses of a Gothic cathedral. It is a spectacular scene which gets very busy in the summer. Interestingly these caves or the area, were once the dwelling place of an ancient civilization, the info of which seems to be lost in time. Its name was given by the tourism industry, and the original name is ‘Praia de Augas Santas’ (translated from Galician meaning ‘Beach of the Holy Waters’. The caves are accessible at low tide, and many folks were enjoying them on the day we visited.

Stay Casa Uría – Cam. Santiago. Berducedo. Spain, with mountain views

DAY TWENTY FIVE: FRIDAY 18TH APRIL: Colegiata de Santa María Magdalena: Cangas del Narcea, Asturias, Spain: Dedicated to Mary María Magdalena this church was built in 1633 CE. It rests in the oldest place in North-West Spain, is a baroque temple which gained the status of basilica in November 1992. We drove way up into the mountains, up very steep, windy and scenic roads. We wondered at the way civilization happened in these remote places, especially in our times, when all the trappings of modern life needs to be transported up and down the mountains. This church was an interesting site to visit, with something of interest to us occurring there too…
It was surprising to come across such a large town hidden amongst the mountains and we enjoyed a lovely walk around and a welcomed coffee, where in the coffee shop an observation did not go unnoticed.

“Out of the corner of one’s eyes is perceived a flicker, a movement, a figure? Someone is watching, waiting, observing, seeing all, telling all. Sometimes in the blink of an eye, a wanderer appears and then is gone….

 

Iglesias de Santa María de Celón. Lugar Celon,  Asturias,Spain: Original 1139 CE, fully restored in 1982, then further works in 1986. It is interesting to note that this place was once the point of landing for those from the past… It was quite a rainy day but the mountains looked shimmery and photogenic with a bit of  mist hanging around. This church was quite isolated up in the mountains, a peaceful spot though. The church is a Romanesque-style Roman Catholic parish church in the municipality of Allande, Spain and was was built in the 18th century on a previous building. There is a welcomed water point here, especially for hot days and for walkers on the pilgrim trail, of which we saw quite a few, even in the rainy weather.

 

 

DAY TWENTY SIX: SUNDAY 20th APRIL.  Mirador da Pena I Boi , Spain,  Asturias. A mountain viewpoint: The views were stunning and speak for themselves. There was also the remains of a building up there too, i think a chapel, so zoomed in to see it. Just when one thinks one is in the middle of nowhere, there is farm machinery – having got up there somehow!

Iglesia parroquial de Samartín. (San Martín del Valledor―Allande) Asturias, Spain:  Built in 1452 CE, this small church holds the key to a ‘secret place’. 4,500 feet high in the Astrias mountains amid the most stunning scenery you could imagine is the little church of Saint Martins, truly charming with a surprise around the back.

 

 

The views everywhere in this mountainous region of Spain are straight out of a fairy tale, every direction is stunning. Today we could not get where we had planed for the road all but disappeared into a mud track, unsuitable for a vehicle such as ours. I did get out and walk a way but the track only got worse with no sign of our destination. However the views were stunning and so green and lush, and i did come across a row of stones in a field.

And because it was my birthday week Karl treated me to a tasty meal in the village restaurant!

It had been a lovely few day here in this little rural community at the top of the mountains. There was a couple of little cafes or shops, the restaurant and places to sleep for pilgrims and travelers. This area was part of the el Camino trail and the little shell signs indicated to the pilgrims the way through the village, right past where we were staying. Mostly it was rainy up here but could have been because we were so far up in the mountains, in the clouds in fact. The only strange thing to have happened was that once again we ‘enjoyed’ the company of the existing ‘tenants’ of the property who insisted on ‘bang banging’ their way through the night. Clearly we were not wanted – well it was their home!

 

DAY TWENTY SEVEN:MONDAY 21st APRIL:  Leave Casa  Uría – Cam.  Santiago Spain

 

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la  Asunción. Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain:  Built in 1198 CE, with completion in 1207  CE, some nine years of  construction. Built on the foundations of a previous Temple that was dedicated to Ataegina, whom ruled the underworld at that time.  (More info can be found on Wikkipedia but the English link wouldn’t work)

The cathedral and a stroll around the town before journeying onwards

 

A long drive through mountainous scenery to the Basque region to stay at Villa La Perla de Sonabia  Oriñón, Spain for  2 Nights

         

 

DAY TWENTY EIGHT : TUESDAY 22nd APRIL: A planned rest day but we went out to the Parish Church of  Santa Maria del Juncal in Irun, Basque Country, Spain.  An amazing church with links to the ‘Lady of the Lake’. The Church gets its name from Juncal, which means reedbed. For it is recorded that a small chapel existed in 1400 CE, on the riverside, with a statue of the  Virgin Mary within the reed bed.  Outside pictures of the constructed church from 1506 CE, which was completed on 1608 CE. A nice stroll around too, a relaxing day.

 

Then a stroll around the town, and a nice coffee too, ‘watched’ by a mysterious lady….
 DAY TWENTY NINE: WEDNESDAY 23rd APRIL: Leave Orinon for a journey through to France to Stay at Fougeres in France for two nights
       

DAY THIRTY: THURSDAY 24th APRIL:  A surprise visit, and very nice drive to Notre-Dame Basilica in Alecon. Normandy. France. This was a very special and poignant visit for me, as there were very important connections here to my Craft energy line, Craft heritage and to those whom went before me. The church is dedicated to Saint Therese. The current renovations are from 1513 CE, though a chapel stood here in 936 CE. Saint Therese was baptized on 4th January 1873, being the 9th Child of Saint Louis and Z Elie Martin, who married in 1859 CE. There are many interesting Craft symbols here and Karl was kept very busy with research for his up and coming book, ‘Timeless’ in 2026.

The town itself was very charming with some lovely old timbered building and a nice main shopping street. Interestingly for us English, just yards from the church were several shops legally selling that ‘funny green stuff’!

DAY THIRTY ONE: FRIDAY 25th APRIL;  Leave Fougeres  to catch ferry home a day early!
To summarize this epic adventure:
We visited: 23 churches, 4 cathedrals, 1 abbey,  2 sacred stones, 11 places of interest and went twice through the Euro Tunnel! We drove (or rather Karl did) approx. 5,2oo miles.

We connected to: the Craft energy lines of Cy and Ku, 10 and 2, of the Father and of Balance. To find out more about these ‘energy lines’ and what they mean, you will  need to read the books by Karl Neville, the latest one to be published next year is called ‘Timeless’ and will be on Amazon, or even come and join us in respect of our teachings.

“So there you have it dear friends, another amazing adventure comes to a close, many experiences were enjoyed, both physical and metaphysical and much learning and understandings in respect of Craft were acknowledged by myself. As always i grew in Craft understandings and i also grew in my understanding of myself in Craft’

Our Temple Master and renowned tutor of Craft is Mr Karl Neville details below:

My Chap Publications – all Karl’s books and more

You will also find our Quest videos and extra info here too.

MyChapPublications (Karls youtube channel)

 

Please do get in touch if you are interested and feel that this path is for you and in the meantime we bid you a warm farewell…

 

Please contact me here for further details ‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

‘Keeper of Scrolls’ ‘Grail Guardian’

Updated August 2025

Chilling out on the ferry with a lovely espresso, then an interesting first glimps of a seemingly far away Estonia…

DAY TWENTY THREE: Wednesday 1st May 2024: After a peaceful two hour journey in a modern well laid out ferry with all expected amenities on board, we arrived upon the far away shores of Estonia. I had never been so far from home before and so near to the  Russian border too, that i truly wondered what adventures lay before me…

Church of St Nicholas of the Waterfall. Harju County. Estonia: This Medieval fortified church was possibly built soon after the city of Tallinn was established in 1230 CE. The pulpit (Tobias Heintze), with it’s Baroque iconostasis (17740) , a painting entitled ‘The Entombment of Jesus’ (Otto Zoege von Manteuffel), as well as wheel crosses set in the church wall and churchyard. All worthy of a look, sadly the church was closed but i did ‘squeeze’ a photo through the locked wrought iron doors. The actual area around the church and the countryside was beautiful and peaceful  with it’s carpet of flowers and flowing river of pure clean water.

It truly was a tranquil spot

Grail Bloodline connections of Karl Neville:

  • Sir Simon Woodchurch. 23/08/1241-06/05/1317. Woodchurch. Kent.  22 x Great Grandfather.

SA Ajakeskus Wittenstein. Jarva Maakond. Estonia: A sunny drive through beautiful Estonia found us at this interesting castle ruin, now a local museum and arts site, which included an outdoor theater. There was a good info board which i will post below informing that construction of the castle of the Livonia Order in Paide started under the leadership of the ‘Grandmaster Conrad von Mandern’ in 1265. Later on when this defense was no longer needed it became a park and outdoor museum. It was a very pretty well-cared for park in a lovely area.

DAY TWENTY FOUR: Thursday 2nd May. Rest Day! A short stay-over in Estonia, for a well-deserved rest day in Tartu. Then to leave the area to travel onwards into Latvia.

DAY TWENTY FIVE: Friday 3rd May. Driving into Latvia:

“A riddle of time was given to me
A riddle of time near the deep blue sea
For i was to see that which no-one else saw
The riddle of time on a sandy shore…”

 

Driving through Estonia to Riga Cathedral

Then time for a lovely lunch just outside the cathedral!

 

Riga Cathedral was huge, set in a lovely square with many historic buildings all around and a very popular place with tourists. I took so many photos, it was a challenging deciding on what to share here! The cathedral is also known as The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, and is the Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of Riga. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Latvia and has been featured in many paintings and photographs. It is often called the Dome Cathedral. It was built near the River Daugava in 1211 by Livonian Bishop Albert of Riga from Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany. It is considered the largest Medieval church in the Baltic states. More info can be found here:

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

Grail Bloodline connection of Karl Neville:

  • Peter Clarke 16/09/1291 – 21/01/1368. 20 x Great Grandfather. Woodchurch. Kent.

Riga Ghetto and Latvian Holocaust Museum: To be honest there was not much there to be photo worthy as such, not because of the subject matter, but i think for many visitors it was a place for contemplation and for being with their personal memories.  Though i did find this in one of the exhibits which i rather liked:

A two night bungalow stay in Zubites, Latvia.

DAY TWENTY SIX: Saturday 4th May. St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church. Tukuma. Tukums. Latvia: We spent two nights in Riga and headed out to this Russian church on the Saturday.The Russian influence is very pronounced in this area, in the buildings, the churches, the culture and the peoples; were were after all not far from the Russian border. The church was built in the year 1871. Its interior design is luxurious and unusual. In the church you can see several icons from the 18th and 19th centuries. Particularly noteworthy is the Virgin Mary icon of the year 1971 with an icon setting. The church was ‘over seen’ by some very protective ladies whom ‘bustled’ around splendidly being ‘in charge’! But the interior was truly amazing!

Grail Bloodline connection of Karl Neville:

  • Henry John Clarke 05/10/1900 – 14/10/1982. Edmonton. Middlesex. Great Grandfather.

Then time for coffee, lunch and a nice wander around.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH: Courland, Talsi. Latvia: It was such a lovely drive to get to this lovely whitewashed church, through some very picturesque, almost fairy-tale like landscape. The church was hidden up a windy hill surrounded by rather quaint and old rural buildings, it was all very charming. It was originally built in 1567 and then several times after that. It is believed, very appropriately, that the name ‘Talsi’  is derived form an old Livonian word meaning ‘secluded place’. The church stands on a hill and dominates the old town. Sadly we could not get inside, so enjoyed the beautiful scenery just outside.

Read more about the church here: https://visittalsi.com/en/where-to-go/talsi-en/talsi-evangelical-lutheran-church/

Talsi itself is famous for its beautiful landscapes, lakes and unique architecture, old wooden houses with tiled roofs blend perfectly with nature.  The city has a great promenade along Lake Talsu (Martinelli) for walks at any time of year. This is a boardwalk leading you around the lake with a fountain in the middle of the basin.

Read more about Talsi here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talsi

DAY TWENTY SEVEN: Sunday 6th May. Cathedral-Basilica of St Peter & St Paul. Lithuania: So another day and as we  left Latvia and made our way towards Lithuania, the countries seemed to be magically flying by underfoot or beneath our wheels! The exact date when the first Gothic style church dedicated to the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul was built here is unknown, but it was first mentioned in written sources in 1413. The first parochial school in Kaunas at the St Peter and St Paul church was mentioned in 1473. The construction works were concluded only in 1624.  It is now a Roman Catholic Cathedral of epic style and proportions, despite suffering from military campaigns and renovations.

It is also a site on the popular modern day pilgrim trail ‘Camino el Santiago’ trail and is the largest Gothic church in Lithuania. I will write more about the pilgrim trail in the next quest write up, the trail is marked by the iconic ‘shell’ symbol that one sees near certain sites. However the use of this symbol at these sites is very much connected to Craft in a way that has nothing in connection to this modern day path and the interpretation of it. The cathedral itself is beautiful inside with lots of stunning paintings, artworks and decor of a symbolic Craft nature.

Read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaunas_Cathedral_Basilica

The area that surrounds the cathedral is very popular with tourists and pilgrims alike, with its town square, old streets and lots of cafes, bars and shops to browse around. Infact a lovely delight.

 

A two night stay in Latvia

DAY TWENTY EIGHT: Monday 6th May. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary: The first small wooden Catholic church in Palanga was built around 1540 at the behest of Grand Duchess Anna Jagiellon. Another cross-shaped church with a tower and a belfry was built in 1590 at the initiative of the then rulers of Lithuania.In 1767 the wooden church was reconstructed and stood for 140 years.

 

Inside the church are the most beautiful and symbolic windows, adorned with meaningful Craft symbology. The church is set in well cared for grounds with some unusual items to see including some very old stones, some wooden sculptors and a mysterious guardian cat patiently keeping vigil (or is it something else?)

See more info below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Assumption_of_the_Blessed_Virgin_Mary,_Palanga

 

Grail Bloodline connections of Karl Neville:

  • Sir James William Clarke: 09/12/1485 – 02/08/1544. Forde Hall. Wrotham. Kent.

Palanga Sculpture Park. Lithuania: One can easily spend well over an hour here wandering around this beautiful park admiring all the amazing sculptors displayed here. Palanga Sculpture Park which was established in 1982 in the city centre, is an open air museum, open 24 hours. Presently , the park is decorated with works of the famous Lithuanian sculptors Kazimieras Kisielius, Bronius Vyšniauskas, Leonas Strioga, Bronius Zalensas, Alberts Donatas Belevičius, Vaclovas Krutinis, Aloyzas Toleikis, Antanas Žukauskas, and Daliutė Ona Matulaitė. There are also sculptures by Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas, a famous Lithuanian artist who worked in exile, and multiple valuable works by sculptors from Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, and Armenia. Here you can also play a game of giant outdoor chess. A peaceful park with stunning flower displays too, amongst which the sculptors are set.

 

And so we bade a fond farewell to Lithuania to board an overnight ferry to Germany. We had two inside cabins booked, departure was 10pm to arrive in Germany at 5pm the next day.

DAY TWENTY NINE: Tuesday 7th May: Arrive in Germany for a two-night stay in Fereinhaus, Hemoor, Germany.

DAY THIRTY: Wednesday 8th May. Kirchengemeinde Basbeck/St Michaelis. Henmoor: The present church building is the third one at this site. The first one was built from 1647 from 1669. It became the church of the new town (Neustadt) which was created in 1625. The church was set in beautifully manicured grounds, but sadly shut, it was a stunning day though and we had a nice look around.

Grail bloodline connections of Karl Neville:

  • John Clarke 18/09/1746 – 07/06/1789. Farway. Devon. 5 x Great Grandfather.

Johannes-der-Täufer Church. Loxstedt. Germany: With stories of glowing priests and moving objects this church is worth a visit, but it was shut when we were there, but a lovely little church set in natural surroundings.

 

DAY THIRTY ONE: Thursday 9th May, leave Fereinhaus, Germany for a two night stay in Ostend, Belgium, near the sand dunes and sea.

DAY THIRTY TWO: Friday 10th May. Yser Towers. Diksmuide. West Flanders Belguim: Built in 1828 CE for the ‘Flemish Movement’ at that time in 1917. By WW2 Hitler invades Belgium 10th may 1940. Yser Towers made into a Nazi icon and the ground was made for  main Nazi ceremonies. It was demolished in 1946, only to be rebuilt on the original foundations in 1952, completion in 1965 CE, the re-labelled a ‘Peace Gate’

Then time for coffee, cake and shops in the photogenic town of Diksmuide, Flanders.

LAST DAY AND LAST VISIT OF QUEST 39! Vladslo German WW1 War Cemetary. Belgium: 25,644 Soldiers are marked here.  Run by the German War Graves commision. 1931.  There are statues of the ‘grieving parents’ placed in the cemetary to mark the Oct 1914 death of Peter Kollwitz. The beautiful touring carved statue of the archangel Michael was also there, almost as if waiting for us… The cemetery is full of poignant and profound artworks and was really worth visiting.

Then back to our apartment near the dunes ready for the journey home via Euro Tunnel on Saturday 11th May – wow what a trip! 8,955 Miles all told!

16 Churches. 8 Cathedrals. 5 Ocean crossings. 14 Places of interest.

 

Family Links: Full marks within the ‘Clarke’ Line: 

Henry John Clarke: 05/10/1900-14/10/1982. Edmonton, Middlesex. GGF.
John Clarke: 18/09/1746-07/06/1789. Farway, Devon. 5xGGF.
Sir James William Clarke: 09/12/1485-02/08/1544. Forde Hall, Wrotham, Kent. 13xGGF.
Thomas Clarke: 18/03/1375-02/06/1446. Forde Hall, Wrotham, Kent. 17xGGF.

 

The K.e.y to the Timeline:

Peter Clarke:16/09/1291- 21/01/1368. Woodchurch, Kent. 20xGGF.
Lord Tescellin: 29/06/1005-02/03/1072. Fontaine-lès-Dijon, France. 31xGGF.
Sir Simon Woodchurch: Woodchurch, Kent. 22X GGF.
Fredemundus Desposyni: 10/01/375-19/08/423. Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. 52xGGF.

 

“My last thoughts on Quest 39: This was certainly a challenging quests on many levels both physically and mentally, but i would not and could not have missed it for the world. The whole experience bought many profound things into focus for me, things that will stay with me forever and beyond and which will forever increase my understandings of my reality and this world. Thank you Karl for sharing all you share with me and for your patience and understanding of me, of all i am and of all i strive to be…

Take me down to the darker side
The darker side of life
Take me down to the waters edge
Where time and tide collide
Let me hear the ripples
Of another life
Another time
A reality unspoken of
In this mundane world of time
Yes take me to that darker life
Where the unknown becomes the known
Let the winds of change surround me
And let rose scent fill the air
Take me out of time and tide
So i shall always see
The truth which so surrounds me
No more riddles will i see.

 

Please contact me here for further details ‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

‘Keeper of Scrolls’ ‘Grail Guardian’ Updated July 2025

 

Our Temple Master and renowned tutor of Craft is Mr Karl Neville details below:

My Chap Publications – all Karl’s books and more

You will also find videos and extra info here too.

MyChapPublications (Karls youtube channel)

 

Please do get in touch if you are interested and feel that this path is for you…..