Norwich Cathedral

I suffer intermittently with migraines - not very often, thank goodness, because, when I get them, they're pretty debilitating.   The first thing that happens is that I lose my sight, which is scary enough, but it's the thought of what comes next that galvanises me into action.   People start to look like Picasso paintings, faces just become disjointed features, and then I know the pain won't be long after.   So as soon as I get the tell tale signs, I pop the pain killers.  The next thing that happens is that I lose my speech.   The first time my work colleagues witnessed all this, they thought I was having a stroke.  It's not nice for me to go through or for others to watch.  And I now seem to be getting another symptom of losing my balance - falling over twice on one day in the office.   In the past three weeks, I've had three migraines - two on consecutive days - which is quite unusual, but pretty stressful all the same.   I don't think I've ever had one start up in an evening or at the weekend - the common denominator is that they all start at work.   Which kind of makes me think that they're work related - my job is really busy.  It's not particularly difficult, but there is just a huge volume of stuff to get through.   And, of course, my brain is always working over time outside of work too, with all the little plans and projects I have on the go, or want to start.  

And so it was I found myself in Norwich Cathedral - to try and find a little peace and tranquility.  I had planned to go and see the Yarn in the Cathedral exhibition anyway at some point, but decided that I would visit sooner rather than later, and spend some time not thinking, if that's possible for me!  

I didn't read any guidebooks, so can't write here any history, or interesting facts.   I wanted it to be a "brain-emptying" and "feeling" experience rather than a "learning" experience - I don't need any more interesting, but ultimately useless, information clogging up my poor little brain, causing more headaches!

The day I went was beautiful - really sunny and very warm - and the light coming through the stained glass windows was breathtaking.   I'm not sure how they've done it - this is probably where a guidebook would have come in really useful! - but they seem to have used some sort of film for three of the windows, which filters through, lighting up the stone and the woodwork.   It was quite eerie seeing it from a distance, wondering what on earth was going on, but it was gorgeous.

The windows producing this light trickery aren't terribly exciting - very abstract, but the effect they make is so much more interesting than the windows themselves.

The other windows are all traditional stained glass, but also produce some beautiful light effects on the floors and the woodwork within the cathedral.

I definitely had chosen a fab day to go and visit - I'd have missed all of this on a gloomy day.