So you want to hear about my adventures this weekend? Shut up, yes, of course you do! Well, things got a little monastic yesterday, when I went and played a game called 'Where the @#£& does this U-Bahn go?'... /1 
So, I live in, well, *this* bit of Stuttgart, so I figured I'd hop on the U8 and see how far out of town I could get. The answer? Surprisingly so! /2
I hit the end of the line and ended up in Nellingen. Five minutes walk away was the Klosterhof of St Blasius. This was like a 'franchise' monastery of a larger one in the Southern Black Forest.
Inside a low wall, half-timbered houses surround a (locked) 12th century church. /3
Inside a low wall, half-timbered houses surround a (locked) 12th century church. /3
Nellingen still has its fruchtkasten. These are surprisingly well-fortified stone buildings to keep your harvest in.
It makes total sense when you realise a stolen or spoiled harvest could starve you. /4
It makes total sense when you realise a stolen or spoiled harvest could starve you. /4
One lovely little thing about Nellingen is that they've turned the little monastery churchyard into a labyrinth for contemplation.
As the monastery is on a major pilgrim note, the area is decorated with the traditional pilgrim symbol of a scallop shell. /5
As the monastery is on a major pilgrim note, the area is decorated with the traditional pilgrim symbol of a scallop shell. /5
Having noticed on Google Maps that there was *another* monastery - Kloster Denkendorf - nearby, I walked across fields in glorious sunshine! /6
I'm glad I did! The monastery church of St Pelagius is quite a site at the top of the hill upon which the village of Denkendorf sits.
It's old too, founded by a returning (first) crusader, who gave his lands to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, who promptly sent out monks. /7
It's old too, founded by a returning (first) crusader, who gave his lands to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, who promptly sent out monks. /7
The crypt of the church of St Pelagius is special. It has an empty tomb that the brothers used to pray at. Since the founders were from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, it became a pilgrimage spot for miles around. /8
Behind the altar in the crypt, you can find 15th century wall-paintings, dating from the period when funds were flooding in to the monastery - the Duke of Württemberg was a knight of the Holy Sepulchre, this was his 'team'. /9
The monastery church at Denkendorf also has some outstanding medieval stonework, that managed to avoid destruction in various wars and tumult. /10
Local notables did everything they could to be buried in the church in ornate tombs - one donated an altarpiece in the early 16th century. He's down the bottom somewhere. /11
After spending an hour or two in the monastery, and then sitting by the pond thinking about stuff, I went home and lifted moving boxes while @PretzelEmpress tried to find mystery cat poop. THE END. /FIN
I hope you enjoyed that. More to come...
