And It Makes Me Wonder

Andreas said that he knew the minister of the church in the center of Unna, and naturally I said that I'd like to climb the bell tower.

When I met the minister she asked if I had a good heart and that it was 122 steps to the balcony. I told her that I hope my congregation realizes I have a good heart. No, she told wanted to know what my doctor thought about my heart! I told her that my Mom was nearly 92 and that satisfied the minister.

"Let's go!" I said.

"I've been there many times. I'll just sit on the bench over here. It's such a nice day. You go." She replied.

She did. And we did.

She handed us the keys to the bell tower door.

We unlocked the door and were inside.

It was soon apparent that we trod where many had gone before, but we were just tourists. Through the centuries these steps were for the workers and the faithful who needed access to the upper reaches of the church or the bells or the roof for repair work.

At some point, all stone circular stairs in the towers give way to wooden stairs. Some are rickety and some are sturdy. These were somewhere between the two.

Here was one of the three bells. We walked all around the steel structure for the bells. They survived being melted down by the Nazis probably because they are not copper. And...you've got to want the bells pretty badly in order to engineer their removal. The bells survived and we hastily checked whether we were close to the noon hour and whether we would lose our eardrums so we kept climbing.

With each additional level we check around the corner for Quasimodo. 

Until we reached the end of the stair on the upper level and all that remained was an inaccessible latter to the top of the conical tower, so we approache the bell tower balcony door.

And stepped outside.

We glanced up....

And down....

The gargoyle on the corner leered and laughed at the people below.

The railings created footstep-shadows on the walkway.

We gazed at the marketplace from which we could smell food and hear music and watch the locals as they went about their day off.

Time to return.

No matter what your age...it's always nicer to walk down, letting gravity assist you.

We emerged onto the city street.

I never tire of bell towers in ancient cathedrals and churches. You can read about history but when you climb the circular stone stair cases of these magnificent structures, for just a moment, you get to live that history.

Peace,  Bob