January 2, 2007

• Grotto of the Redemtion

  I began trying to get all the pics in here several months ago.  I decided to go ahead and post what I had done and not even update the time stamp… so you could see how long ago I began this.  lol  I hope if anyone is in the area for a vacation or live within a short drive, that they’ll go see this.  The photos do not do it justice.  Enjoy and link to the Grotto’s site.

  When leaving Ruthven, Iowa, we went past Shawn’s Grandfather’s old place.  Then we went on to see The Grotto of the Redemption.  The link will give you more info, but let me just say before the pics I took, it was an awesome display that my shots cannot do justice.  If anyone lives near it and has not gone to see it, or if anyone plans a trip to the area, this is a place to spend a little under an hour.  We stayed about 30 minutes I guess.  It was before opening, so we didn’t go in the gift shop nor take a tour.  We just walked through looking… and thinking, ‘wow’ or ‘this had to take some real patience and determination to complete.’

  

   

  The first pic is from the parking area, a shot of what you can see at a distance…

  There is a lake in the foreground, though after the lake we just left before going here, this seems more like a pond to me.

  The next is a close-up of the area you can see in the first pic which announces the place as what it is and thus we begin our trek…

   

  I guess I’ll post the pic of the sign at the parking area that shows the areas and layout of the place…

  I know, silly Deb, takes pics of the display signs… oh boy am I goofy.

  Oh well… that’s what makes me so loveable… right????   I hope a few of you are nodding… heh

  We didn’t follow the flow since we weren’t sure where to begin, so we took the pics in a sequence that might make less sense, but still, you can see the entailed focus and labor of love of the Catholic Father who’s pic will be last.

  The first one here is the announcement of the Blessed Baby’s birth and the angel proclaiming it.  The detail is unbelieveable, but doesn’t show in the shot… the seashells, crystal and such materials used is a wonder in itself.

  Please read about what was brought to complete this work of art.  It is indescribable! 

  LOOK UP!  Yeah, in the circular area of the angelic announcement is a ceiling that has angels and is lovely to see.  This place amazed me in the intricacies and entailed work all the way through it.  I hope to not be overly redundant and repeat this too often, but I was wowed.

  OK, the Sermon on the Mount, and ALLLLL the Beatitudes are in this pic.  The lettering was about an inch in height I think, though me and measurements are not close friends… hee hee

  Either way, it took lots of planning to get this to be legible… and the more I think of it… durable.  It seems to me that the fact that it still looks so fabulous is a miracle in itself!

  A jewelled and stone/crystal/shelled wall surrounds the place.  Here is one of the pics showing it’s height and beauty.

   

  I have a number but this gives the idea pretty nicely. 

  Ahead of this pic is the courtyard area that shows the 14 sufferings of Christ.  Not being Catholic, this was an area Shawn was able to shed some light upon for me.

   

   

  • 1:21 pm
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