I recently read:  “m’s annual Singles in America survey of more than 5,000 unpartnered Americans, I could almost feel her nodding over the phone. “The data is that people are having less sex,” she said, with a hint of mischief. “I’m a Baby Boomer, and apparently in my day we were having a lot more sex than they are today!” She went on to explain that the survey has been probing the intimate details of people’s lives for eight years now. “Every year the whole Match company is rather staggered at how little sex Americans are having—including the Millennials.”  Atlantic.

 

 

 

So based on this I thought that it might be fun to look at some new ideas for an appropriate vacation idea—and I came up with today’s offerings.

 

 

Oh the Pictures are from The Renaissance Building  in Mt Dora (FL).   It’s on the main (street level floor) and is called:  Fresh by Loft and offers smoothies, Acai Bowls, Vegan desserts, Frozen Desserts, Frozen Lemonade and Nitro Infused Cold brew coffee 

Phone: (352) 720-5168

• Address: 411 N Donnelly St,   32757

https://www.mountdora.com/business.php?id=236797

 

 

 

 

 

 

The monastery St. Gabriel is established in 397 AD and is situated in Tur Abdin, Souteastern of Turkey, the Upper – Aramnahrin, in the indigenous Aramean land “Paddan-Aram”. Tur Abdin means “mountains of the servants of the Lord” and is a part of the Biblical Paddan-Aram, the Indigenous land of the Aramean nation.

https://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Turks_Kurds_Aramean_monastery_St_Gabriel_28_2_2009.htm

 

 

• 

  Ruby Red Depression Glass 8 Places–16 pieces Vintage Cups and Saucers

  $145.59

  https://www.etsy.com/listing/647065348/ruby-red-depression-glass-8-places-16?ref=shop_home_active_2

   

   

 

 

 

Monasteries have always been intended as places of retreat, quiet—places to contemplate and pray,

 

 

 

Monasteries evolved from hermits seeking seclusion, where they could become more holy and closer to God

 

 

 

An Example of a still isolated monastery can be visited on the Scottish Island  of Ionia  (https://www.isle-of-iona.net/ )

and is of course Iona Abbey

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/iona-abbey-and-nunnery-p245521

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s thought that the world famous Book of Kells was made here, along with other great works of art. Iona’s Abbey Museum houses Scotland’s finest collection of early medieval carved stones and crosses.

The Iona Community, formed in 1938, has revived the abbey’s long tradition of work, worship and teaching.

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/iona-abbey-and-nunnery-p245521

 

 

 

• 

  1990 Safari Limited Gorilla Figurine About 5 inches High

  $10.00

  https://www.etsy.com/listing/647623980/1990-safari-limited-gorilla-figurine?ref=shop_home_active_9

   

 

 

 

 

St, Benedict and his order in the early 6th c. with their rule based on prayer and work was one of the early developers of Western monasticism and by the 12th century they had like a lot of the order that had been able to accumulate a vast wealth in property and goods.

 

 

 

Not all orders resided in the far away vales and islands of the world, some orders like the Dominicans and Franciscans shunned protective walls and hidden locations and placed their monasteries within the inner cities to administer to the poor and lost.  The Dominicans eventually would become noted for their involvement with the inquisition against heretics and deviants.

 

 

 

You can view a late Gothic Monastery

Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória

Batalha Monastery of Our Lady of Victory

Batalha, LEIRIA, Portugal

 

https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/mosteiro-da-batalha

 

 

 

 

 

The Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, widely known as Batalha Monastery, is a majestic building, declared World Heritage by the UNESCO. Combining Manueline and Gothic styles, it was built in the 14th century to carry out the promise D. João I did to the Virgin in case they won the Castilians in the Battle of Aljubarrota, in 1385.

https://www.portugaltravel.org/batalha-monastery

 

 

 

• 

  The BEACH BOYS Late 60’s early 70’s Program Excellent Condition

  $90.05

  https://www.etsy.com/listing/248253941/the-beach-boys-late-60s-early-70s?ref=shop_home_active_38

   

 

 

 

 

The Catholic Church was not the only church to have Monks and Monasteries.  The Orthodox churches had them as well.  For instance the Greek Orthodox Church in the 6th century developed them in many areas with large communities in Greece as well as Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania.

 

 

 

And of course Christians were not the only ones to have monks, several Eastern countries had extensive establishment including Hindu, Buddhists, Jain, and Islamic monasteries.

 

 

Berkeley Ca, has its own Buddhist Monastery which might interest you

Berkeley Buddhist Monastery

http://www.berkeleymonastery.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Classes (to name a few) at Berkeley

 

Traditional Taoist and Yogic contemplative techniques to cultivate integration of body, mind and spirit, and to foster blissful clarity and healing. The time spent practicing these simple and remarkably effective techniques will be returned and multiplied by your growing ability to overcome challenges, live fully–even in the face of uncertainty–and experience balance and well being. For additional info, please check the site or email ameliab@berkeley.edu

Weekly readings and teachings on the ‘Buddha Mind,’ with applications in both formal meditation practice and ordinary life issues. Brief refresher lessons in traditional Buddhist mind training will also be built into each class to highlight the Buddha Mind presence.

 

 

 

• 

  Solid Wood Wine Bottle Rack for Table Top or Wall Hang

  $35.60

  https://www.etsy.com/listing/548496862/solid-wood-wine-bottle-rack-for-table?ref=shop_home_active_45&cns=1

   

 

 

 

 

The monasteries developed differently in different areas where they resided.  In Ireland for instance a character of many of the monasteries is a tall free standing tower with its door access high enough require a ladder for access.  This is due to a group of unwelcome  visitors–the raiding Vikings (who settled extensively in Ireland and even found the city of Dublin).  An excellent example of this is

Glendalough

Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

in county Wicklow—the reported site of St. Kevin’s hermitage—it is built between lakes in a lush valley and is a large area covered by church,  burial area and much more—it originally was the habitat of more than a thousand persons.

 

 

 

Lindsafarne

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Lindisfarne/

on the north eastern coast of England was actually credited as the first recorded Viking raid.  Originally settled by monks—the island was given to them by an Anglo-Saxon King who wished them to introduce Christianity to his people.  They did so and in the process produced a wonderful gospel which can now be seen at the British Library in London.  https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/lindisfarne-gospels   

When the Normans conquered England the island was given over to the Benedictine Monks (called Black Monks for the color they wore) in 1082.  Today the Island still contains the ruins of their monestary—the earlier monk’s monastery is gone,  but there is a wonderful ancient parish church there.  Oh and Lindisfarne

is an island at high tide, but can be reached by road at low

 

 

 

With changing times and religious beliefs monasteries lived, died or changed all over Europe.  In England these changes came in the name of the reformation, but as is often the case with human kind were more to with making the powerful richer, in this case Henry VIII who used the orders obvious inconsistencies:  Claiming to live in poverty while holding outrageous riches made them an easy target for the crafty king who was pulling away from the church not because of religious differences but so he could become it’s head and grant himself a divorce from his first wife Catherine to marry his current flame (who was followed by 4 more) Anne.   He started with the smallest and worked his way up—he sold some, gave others to people he owed favors or monies…..keeping some in tact to be come homes  Fonde Abbey for example https://www.fordeabbey.co.uk/  

or in many cases he destroyed them all together to a just have the land.   If course one of the most famous:  Westminster Abbey  https://www.westminster-abbey.org/

which was left in tact–with its shrines and other trappings removed—probably because of it’s burial site of his father and mother the first of a rather short line of  the Tudors.

and for an active (one of the few) Benedictine Monasteries check out Buckfast Abbey  in Devon   https://www.buckfast.org.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 

  BEATLES SCRAPBOOK from th 1960s

  $115.00

  https://www.etsy.com/listing/248105255/beatles-scrapbook-from-th-1960s?ref=shop_home_active_53

   

 

 

 

 

And that’s it for today—stay tuned as I’ll have a part two with more monestary facts and things to do and like that….

 

 

 

 

 

The tower of Glendalough is considered by scholars to be the most finely constructed and beautiful tower in all Ireland. Situated in the cleft of a steep and thickly forested valley, the 30 meter tall tower is built of mica schist with a granite doorway. Glendalough was an ancient gathering place of pre-Christian hermits and the first Christian monastery was established by St. Kevin who lived in the enchanted valley from 498-618 AD. Clustered about the base of the tower are remains of a 1200 year old cathedral and the first functioning university in the western world. Nearby the tower is the healing cross of St. Kevin. A local legend states that if one encircles the cross with one’s arms and makes a wish concerned with healing, that wish will be fulfilled according to the depth of one’s love of God.

https://sacredsites.com/europe/ireland/tower_of_cashel.html’

 

 

 

 

• 

  Vintage Standard Size China Tea Pot with Removable Tea Holder

  $26.69

  https://www.etsy.com/listing/599423744/vintage-standard-size-china-tea-pot-with?ref=shop_home_active_77

   

 

 

Seen with a friend on 4th St. Mt. Dora, Fl

why don’t you stop by this town in Lake Co.

and see what you might glimpse.