Beautiful pictures; fascinating words. Some of these details even I still didn't know yet, and I was right there with you.

I remember I was just transfixed by all the carvings; the age and diversity of them and how they seemed to tell a bit of your history. Some were carved in that old German-style Latin script; some of the more recent ones were in Cyrillic, and so on. Some as you mentioned seemed to be elaborate crests of important people and families, while many others were simple carvings with names and dates; some were only lovers' initials and maybe a year. The real amazement set in when I saw year numbers starting with "17". After a few moments' thought, I realised that not only are those who carved such dates certainly dead, but so are any children they had. In fact, it didn't take me long to figure out that for a great many of these carvings, anyone who could have met the person who did them is no longer alive. It hit me in a different sort of way, that's for sure.

Thank you for sharing this part of your homeland with me. I have wanted to visit for a long time, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity. I was stricken by its beauty then, and again now looking through your lens. I hope I can return soon and that you will show me more then.