Category: Churches (Page 2 of 7)

A Day in Cadiz

29 March 2026 / Juliet Stratton

After exploring our base of El Puerto de Santa Maria one day, the next day we took the small ferry boat across the bay into the relatively small city of Cadiz. A beautiful calm crossing there and back. It was so clear, we could make out the naval ships in the Spanish/American base of Rota, a little further up the coast.

The day started with breakfast of coffee and massive croissants in Plaza de Espana, the main square. Afterwards we meandered through its narrow streets to the cathedral, buzzing in preparation of the forthcoming Easter celebrations.

We then headed around the city edges to one of its old forts, for a drinks break. Lunch was tapas in the market before chilling in some cool gardens before getting back on the late afternoon ferry.

We managed to look inside one or two churches that are preparing for Easter.

Lombok, Penultimate Stop

24 December 2025 / Juliet Stratton

Early on another misty Saturday morning we arrived on the island of Lombok, one of the Indonesian islands. It has its own sleeping volcano, Mount Rinjani, and is a real mix of modern (huge glossy shopping malls), lush green rice paddy fields and ramshackle roadside villages reminiscent of the quieter parts of India.

Once again, we negotiate the services of a driver, a quiet lad called Choy. Firstly we head to the main capital Mataram, where we visit the city’s biggest Islamic centre. Again the island is 40% Islamic, 40% Hindu and the rest are a mix of Buddists, Christian and Catholic and they all live happily and respectfully together.

The Islamic building certainly was impressive, huge, symmetrical and so very clean. We didn’t fancy a tour as it meant donning head to toe tunics, not a great idea in 32c heat!

Next we visited a Hindu temple in the grounds of the Water Palace, the gardens were hosting the oddest combination of events – a tattoo competition and a classic/ modified motorbike display 😀. A very odd combination yet so peaceful!

The Mayura Water Palace was built in 1744, this palace included the former king’s family temple, (which is a pilgrimage site for Lombok’s Hindus on 24 December) around a cooling lake, with a pavilion in the middle. It all sounds very idyllic – the lake and the temple were once stunning but these days its a stagnant rubbish filled pond in a park used by locals and the buildings (once revered temples) are overgrown and unkempt. Sadly our guide, with his stories of good and evil and black and white couldn’t convince us that the temples were still in use, far too uncared for……

We stopped at a shopping mall for lunch in Pizza Hut, a huge cool modern place thats at odds with the rest of the town, glossy quiet and clean in a world of ramshackle chaos and mess. We opted for Pizza Hut as the other restaurants were more authentic, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and we really wanted something plain and familiar.

Finally we headed out of town through endless rice fields to a “traditional village” called Sade pronounced “sar-day”. Here we were taken around a living museum, 700 odd people living in houses built traditionally with straw roofs, clay floors (cleaned with cow shit, apparently the ammonia in it works wonders so forget about Flash!!), watched women weaving batik tapestries (Di & I were talked into buying a scarf each) and learned about the Love Tree, where local single men and women meet and where the men have to kidnap their chosen woman before declaring his love for her under said tree… all very old fashioned! Ah yes, and they have cats, chickens, dogs, kids all roaming freely amongst the dirt and chaos….

We headed back to the ship feeling amazed by this island, lush green, friendly, interesting history, and so calm and chilled. If only we had more time here….

Temples, Forts and Beaches

12 February 2024 / Juliet Stratton / 0 Comments

An afternoon trip out to visit a temple proved that men, after all, can look good in skirts. How? You may ask…..

The Shanta Durga Mandir (above) is dedicated to Shantadurga Goddess and was built in 1738. The Shantadurga Goddess is a mediator between Gods Shiva (the Supreme Being in Hinduism) and Vishnu (The Preserver).

Diane and I entered the Temple after covering our knees with a wrap we had previously brought with us. We had to purchase another to cover Di’s shoulders, £1 later, fully covered, we entered. Met a lovely couple from London who were there for a blessing to help them find their perfect holiday home in Goa! Saw the gold and crystal chandeliers and the gifts left to the God’s whilst David and Graham sat outside.

After exiting, we met up with David and Graham who were sitting outside chatting to a local. Graham decided he wanted to take a look inside so donned the wrap, and off he went. Very fetching indeed!!

Another day, we drove down the coast to an old hilltop Fort, Cabo de Rama, in use until the 1950s as a military Fort and subsequently a prison. Within the grounds is a small Chapel, the only remaining useable structure, but the walls and entrance gate are complete so it’s possible to walk all the way round. However, on this particular day, 35c sunshine meant we visited the main viewpoints only!

Graham and Di in the shade of a banyan tree

Further on down the road we stopped at a viewpoint and WOW, what a stop! A fully sustaining eco resort perched on the side of the hill, with individual thatched bedrooms leading down to a stunning beach, and a restaurant with amazing views! We checked out the prices and availability and not surprising, it was pricey and well booked up!

Old Goa Churches and Crocodiles!

23 January 2024 / Juliet Stratton

Mad dogs and Englishmen went out in the midday sun to look at two important churches in Old Goa (town) before heading to an island for a ride out with Jake the Snake to search for real life crocodiles.

It was a long busy day, not the sort we are used to where we have chores to do or shopping or maintenance but we packed in such a lot that it truly tired us out!!!

We started with breakfast on the beach, poached eggs, French toast, fresh fruit juice and a Full English for some (greedy Graham no less), washed down by fresh coffee and a dash of a dancing dolphin. The dolphin was considerately right in front of us so we didnt have to move too much from our table!

We then had a frantic drive around town negotiating the scooters, cars, busses and cows before heading inland, stopping occasionally to top up our religion intake, before making our way onto an island to meet up with Jake the Snake.

Our Lady of Pilar Church was being renovated when we visited….Still beautiful.

We then visited Old Goa, to stop at the Bom Jesus Basilica a Baroque Catholic church completed in 1605.

Across the road was a 17th century large Catholic cathedral built by Portuguese colonialists and still in use for worship today. It claims to be the largest Catholic church in Asia.

We then drove a little further onto St Estevan’s Isle to meet up with Jake! Slathered on mozzie spray before departing!!

Jake was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and led us upriver for at least an hour, diesel engines puffing away, pointing out dangerous wildlife – by that I mean real wild crocodiles – and beautiful birds before leading us back downriver to the safety of the island and our car.

The following photos are just a selection of the 100s taken of Brahminy Kites (brown with white heads), brown kites, eagles, sleeping fruit bats, peacocks and peahens, egrets, sandpipers, cormonants, brown common kingfishers, tiny blue kingfishers, and the 6 or 7 crocodiles that we saw, they ranged from 3m to 7m in length, some resting on the bank, some in the water.

Our “stressful day with dangerous animals” meant we really needed a drink to calm our nerves, so to the beach we headed, for another fabulous sundowner, of course 😁

It’s been a hard day!

23 January 2024 / Juliet Stratton / 0 Comments

We’ve had an afternoon out to two Goan tourist attractions, not quite the level of the Tower of London, Madame Tussauds or a UK museum but still informative and imaginative, just on a much lower level.

First stop was a guided tour through Casa Alvares, a Portuguese lawyer’s ancestral home built around 250 years ago and lived in until 1960s. It housed several private collections: 2500+ statues of the Lord Ganesh, 500+ icon cards in a private Chapel, a small collection of handmade smoking pipes, old wine bottles as well as a collection of ancient farming implements.

The mansion was traditionally constructed around a cool inner courtyard and had its own chapel in the middle. It was furnished with European antiques and old photos, each room has been preserved as it was centuries ago, including the kitchen filled with traditional implements and a primitive cooking range, water well and inside WC and shower house.

The house was advertised as having a state of the art “light and sound” tour, this equated to a young girl talking (very quickly) and turning on lamps as she went along 😁. The tour was advertised as being 23 minutes long, no wonder our guide kept saying “hurry along, move along, stand here please……” she was on a timer!!!

Next stop, Big Foot. This was an open air model based walk through story about the historical evolution of rural trade and culture in ancient Goa, and the legend behind a large footprint embedded in a rockface. There was also India’s largest laterite (red clay type rock) sculpture on display and a well cared for bird collection.

The story goes…..a wealthy man called Mahadar was so good natured that he was conned into giving away all his wealth, and eventually his house, making him and his wife homeless and living on the streets. The wife died from sickness and stress, and he still kept on helping others, never losing his faith in God. God eventually approached him and asked what reward he would like, his reply was simply he wanted a small place to stand and pray for mankind, so God gave him a rock in Goa, where Mahadar stood for years on one leg and prayed. He left behind only a footprint and those who stand in that same footprint are granted their wishes.