^ yep I went there too :) I should find my pics of the trip and post some

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In northern Europe it's quite easy to become blasé about the gothic style of church architecture; in London, there seems to be a soot-blackened example in every high street. Nevertheless, they were fabulous buildings whose principal aesthetic goal was to inspire awe by going as high as technology permitted.

https://img-aws.ehowcdn.com/750x428p...3/92122118.jpg

Notre Dame, Paris, was started in 1163 and encloses a huge high space with its cutting edge technology and elegant design. They spent 200 years on the building of it, but still didn't put the spires on the front. This is typical of the bl**dy French, who can't finish anything unless the Brits are helping them. ;)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...er_evening.jpg

^ And here is what an English spire looks like: St.Walburge's in Preston, Lancs. Though in fairness I have to mention that this is a Gothic Revival church, built in the 1860s, by which time they'd had 700 years more practice than the Notre Dame guys. Just with my thumb, it looks like the spire is three times higher than the body of the church. As was the intention, Praise the Lord! - or at least, Look heavenward and be amazed!

Of course another design goal for the gothic cathedral builders was to give church-goers a transcendent experience through the use of stained glass:-

http://www.a-sense-of-place.com/wp-c...ned-glass2.jpg

It was pretty effective too; short of going to church, it wasn't until LSD became available that adults would again whisper in wonder, "ooh look at the colours!"

Very impressive buildings. Especially the Notre Dame, which I haven't ever seen up close. I'd very much like to.

Yeah, it's pretty nice, but always full of tourists, which rather detracts from the sense of wonder. I´m sure there are some quieter gothic cathedrals near you that might make for a more rewarding visit.

Not really in my own country, but there are a lot of old, beautiful churches (and beautiful little towns and villages) in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, etc.

Yes, absolutely! I was once lucky enough to stay in a town right where the old East/West German wall hit the Baltic coast, so it can't be so far from you.

Lübeck, old and new:-

http://www.3viajes.com/wp-content/up...1e6.jpg?x88689.....http://www.hotelanno1216.com/web/ima...ch-566x680.jpghttps://t-ec.bstatic.com/images/hote...4/44442998.jpg

I like those spires. I might have been there once with my parents many years ago. It reminds me that I want to finally find out what that old, Danish turn of phrase is all about: "You look like death from Lübeck". Which is sort of like saying someone looks not well, or like they've just seen a ghost. What about Lübeck has something to do with death in particular. Now I want to know.

That's a curious expression. I'd be interested if you work out its origin. Where I live now they say, "The train to Peto takes me!" and as Peto is the last stop on a train before you reach difficult-to-penetrate jungle, it's pretty clear that it means, "That's too extreme to be bothering with!" For the literal-minded, here is the train at Peto, and the town's vibrant hub:-