A few random photos

I've also figured that a few photos from my travels would not come amiss. Just make sure you give the proper attribution to the pics.

First, here's a photo of the Hildegard abbey at Eibingen, on the east bank of the Rhine. A very beautiful spot, and a very wonderful place. Lots of vineyards, peaceful. The original abbey was apparently on the other side of the river, and is now built over. The small Hildegard museum has a model of the conjectured layout. This picture comes from my first trip in '05, but I try to visit this place whenever I am back in country.

Many people write off this castle as a tourist trap, but aside from some over-priced icecream, I have to disagree with them. Haute Koenigsbourg is one heck of an impressive fortress (though that didn't prevent the Swedes from obliterating it around 1635). Our art library actually has the 1908 folio volume produced by the German chap who restored it. Bodo Ebhardt was his name, and, as was rather common in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century, he was somewhat creative with his restorations. It is a very fine museum, however, and the view over the Rhine basin and across the Vosges is wonderful. My little brother had told me that he would stay in the car if this was another hiking slog (since we had just climed the mountain to Ortenbourg, across the valley). No worries, the road led straight to it...

Round up of random medieval headlines...

Edward III has been in the news over the last couple days...

Excavations at Hampton Court:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3216583/Hampton-Court-medieval-hall-was-burned-down-after-Edward-III-knees-up.html

And another take on the foundations:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1078477/Archaeologists-discover-earliest-foundations-Hampton-Court-Palace-800-years-ago.html

And here is a short article which appeared in the Times on October 2, by Sir Anthony Clarke, the Master of the Rolls:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article4860276.ece. He makes several interesting points, and the article in general is suggestive of several ways in which medieval history still has relevance to current life and affairs...

Is anyone familiar with this author?
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article4961567.ece
The Times seems to think she's very talented, but I've developed a skeptical outlook on "medieval" novels. Bernard Cornwell is sort of an exception to that skepticism...Just don't get me started on Umberto Eco's Baudolino--that book has more to do with the way Eco wishes the MA were, rather than the way sie eigentlich gewesen waren.

Germany in the news...

One of my minor fields is modern Germany (as you can imagine, rather a large minor field); thus, I often scan the news for Germany-related articles. This stellar example of German sensitivity came up this morning...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122410947451238107.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

Cardiff Center for the Crusades, call for papers

I figured that I should probably post this, although many of you have probably received the call for papers by now. This is the updated call, with a deadline for proposal submissions.

[Apologies for the condensed format--I copied and pasted the Word document. If you want the actual form, see the SSCLE's website, under "conferences."]
____________________________________________________
Cardiff Centre for the Crusades

The Military Orders: Politics and Power
3-6 September 2009

The fifth conference will be held in Cardiff University from Thursday 3rd – Sunday 6th September 2009. It will follow a similar pattern to the previous meetings held at St John’s Gate, with three plenary sessions, and parallel sessions for communications.

If you wish to offer a communication of 20 minutes at this conference, please complete the table below.

Name

Address

Email

Proposed title of paper

Abstract of paper (50-100 words)

Audio/visual equipment required (e.g. Powerpoint, Overhead Projector)


Please return this form before 3 March 2009 to the conference administrator, Mrs Claire Rees:
By email: reescl@cardiff.ac.uk
or at: Cardiff School of History & Archaeology, Cardiff University, Humanities Building, Colum Drive, Cardiff CF10 3EU, Wales, UK.

Back again...

So...September went by with only one post. Call that "submerged with work and student papers as soon as I got off the plane" syndrome. I'm still submerged with the same, but what the heck. Honestly, I've had some heavy semesters, as we all have, but this one is definitely a Category 5. Never had anything like it. Perhaps teaching four courses will do that to you. Not a lot of students, on the whole, but being responsible for everything in four classes will take its toll. Good experience, I guess. The key, I'm learning, is to get at least one thing done every day; don't try to do too much, and concentrate rather than spread your efforts.

That being said, I'm about to break that rule for the next fifteen hours or so. Heh heh...And don't ask me what I'm doing up at 3:00 a.m., because I'll probably throw things at you. Just kidding. Well, maybe not.

Oh, and one last note...My profile is no longer accurate, since I've stopped karate completely (various reasons), and actually put my fencing gear in the basement yesterday. Medieval longsword is on hold as well, until the work is under control. Good times. I admire and wonder at people who can maintain several activities in addition to their work! I am not one of these...

Can I go back to my Dr. Pepper and papers now, pleeease??

Medieval news...

Turns out that today's high roads are as dangerous as the medieval ones. Who would've guessed?

http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Safety-measures-leave-road-travel.4596448.jp

It's also interesting to see the Sword Brothers order get some attention, when you least expect it:
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/21556/

Here's a letter to the Times of London by some poor sap who needs some kind of shakabuku treatment (you have to have seen Grosse Pointe Blank to get this reference) and a good book by Warren Hollister or R. W. Southern...Apparently, medievals "[found] evidence an embarrassment and [saw] little value in human rights." Amazing. But then again, just google "dark ages" and see what you get. We're in an uphill battle, people.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article4943986.ece

And here's one of those nice stories of discovery. Keeps up your hopes of being the lucky one to find a hitherto lost manuscript, or perhaps a whole trove of manuscripts!

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED12%20Oct%202008%2020%3A37%3A15%3A400

Coming home

Well, I wound up dropping off the cyber map for the last week, since the conference wound up being more involved than I thought (it always is, right?), and in was only on Friday that I discovered, courtesy of Charles Bowlus, that the university was actually offering wireless access...so, look for more posts after I get back to the States, God willing, in about 8 hours or so. This has been one heck of a trip, extraordinarily challenging, but also very rewarding. And, although I feel like a racecar driver thanking his corporate sponsors, I have to say that without the help of many people, this would not have happened. Thanks from the depths of my heart. You know who you are!

See you in the states...