Tres Riches Heures is an illustrated calendar and prayerbook that was commissioned by Jean, Duke of Berry, around the year 1413. The illustrations and illuminations for the book were created by the Limbourg brothers. Additional illustrations were later added by the artist Jean Colombe.

The book begins with a calendar that includes a full-page illustration for each month of the year.

Illuminated pages follow which are decorated with contemporary and biblical scenes and elaborately decorated lettering and margins.

Brought to you by The Chawed Rosin

(Click for enlargements)

Suomenlinna (The Castle of Finland) is a large complex of fortifications built on six small islands just off the coast near Helsinki. The earthworks and fortress walls were built over many years in the last half of the 18th century, when Finland was still part of the Swedish empire, and were intended to protect Finland from a Russian attack. I visited there on a very windy, rainy day last week. The islands are very pleasant in the summer, but I thought the bleak weather suited the landscape well.

More photos

Brought to you by The Chawed Rosin

These are photos that Rick and I took on our trip to Turun Linna (Turku Castle). I had been to Turku before and seen the castle from the outside. Frankly I wasn’t that impressed with it. You hear “castle” and you think of a sort of mad king thing with lots of cute towers and crenelations and stuff. Turku Castle is very plain looking, expecially from the outside.

But you need only step into the courtyard, and you think, this looks just like a real castle.

The castle is made up of the oldest part, which is the building in the middle of the courtyard, and the renaissance part, which surrounds the courtyard. Pretty much the entire thing is a museum, and it takes hours and hours to go through all the labyrinthine passageways and chambers. We found it so interesting that we went there two days in a row.

The rooms are arranged in the style of different periods when the castle was used for different functions, from when it was first built more than 700 years ago until the 1800s.

I can’t resist also mentioning that inside the castle there is an entire miniature castle, full of miniature objects and people. You can also play dress-up.

More photos

Brought to you by The Chawed Rosin