Monday. Again.

🤫

Happy Birthday to the patron saint of Social Media.

History can always find a precedent for dealing with a troublesome royal brother.

Another Lent. Time for fasting and reflection ahead of renewal. Peace and love to you all.

cc @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social

Monday. Again.

Here’s something for the #Byzness What were the Greek names of the seven hills of Byzantine Constantinople? I can’t remember the source the last time I went looking for the answer.

Bliss.

The Warriors turns 47 today.

Monday. Again.

Discuss. digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/2334/re...

To paraphrase Enoch Powell, while all political careers end in failure, not all end in a pair of baggy whitey’s.

Mrs TheHillpaul enjoyed Schönbrunn Palace more than I, it felt like Versailles in the snow.

And I know; relics, relics, relics, yadiya-di-ya. But the Holy Lance aka the Spear of Destiny has such a cultural depth in literature and the arts I imagined I felt a breath across the back of my neck and the hairs on my arms stand up when I saw it.

For anyone in the #Byzness the highlight of the Imperial Treasury in Vienna has to be this: the Imperial Crown of the HRE (late 10thC). Consciously modelled on the Byzantine Crown, gold, cloisonné enamel, precious stones, pearls. It took my breath away.

I nearly forgot the unicorn horn!

The purse of St Stephen and (a well-used) sabre of Charlemagne; both early 9thC and the Imperial sword of state (the sword of St Mauritius), 12thC.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, the Imperial Treasury in Vienna. These two beauties made it up from Sicily; the coronation mantle of Roger II and a tunicella. Both made of samite and sadly not available in a 2XL.

Monday. Again.

Drinking sherry and nibbling on almonds in front of the fire and watching old James Bond films on a grey Saturday afternoon. Bliss.

Weltliche und Geistliche Schatzkammer (Treasury) Under the stairway to the Burgkapelle, you will see the entrance to the Secular and Sacred Treasury; originally assembled by Ferdinand I (1521-64)

Owld Faaaver Tems.

Up renewing my reader card and time to top up on vital bodily fluids on a trip down memory lane.

A balanced and generous obituary of the magnificent David Abulafia in today’s @thetimes.com cc @theresthistory.bsky.social

Monday. Again.

A sad loss, I enjoyed The Great Sea immensely. www.cai.cam.ac.uk/news/david-a...

Happy #BurnsNight to all my North Welsh chums.

The Franziskanerkirche in Vienna, also known as the Church of St. Jerome to whom it is dedicated. Built on the site of an earlier church in 1584, the Baroque portal is crowned by the figure of St Jerome with cardinal's hat & lion, flanked by two angels.

Opening words of the King John Ladybird book.

Explaining to my staff that ‘of the same substance’ is not to be confused with ‘of similar substance’ at the Monday morning meeting. (Gratia @northumbriana over on TwiX btw)

At the Zentralfriedhof with Mrs TheHillpaul

Minoritiekirche, Vienna. Lighting a candle for Bernie Gunther and still missing Philip Kerr.

One light day in fifty years. To put that into perspective, the nearest star is 4.5 light YEARS away.

The three most depressing word in the English language: ‘An adaptation of….’

Playing hide-and-seek after dark with Mrs TheHillpaul in Vienna.

Mrs TheHillpaul paying homage to one of her musical heroes.

I am honestly too fagged out after a marathon walk around Vienna in the snow for anything other today than Karl Georg Merville’s altarpiece in Vienna ‘s Michaelerkirche Rococo depiction of the archangel casting out the rebel angels.

I am honestly too fagged out after a marathon walk around Vienna in the snow for anything other today than Karl Georg Merville’s altarpiece in Vienna ‘s Michaelerkirche Rococo depiction of the archangel casting out the rebel angels.

Putting in the hard yards in Vienna

To Vienna!

Anybody know if this is coming out in .epub format as an ebook? My reader can’t cope with .pdf

Personally, I prefer reading about those dead who ‘Didn’t Suffer Fools Gladly’, or were ‘A Confirmed Bachelor’, ‘A Tireless Raconteur’, ‘A Character’, ‘A COLOURFUL Character’. Someone ‘Larger Than Life’, who ‘Lived Life to the Fullest’.

Monday. Again.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery RIP David Bowie. youtu.be/J06yQb4lbPk