The mission was founded November 1, 1776 by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order. Early missionaries as well as native inhabitants of the Juaneno tribe are also buried here. We are standing in front of the altar of the Great Stone Church, was nearly decimated by a great earthquake in 1812.
The "things" hanging are our necks are handsets for the audio tour we took. The tour was really great as it enabled us to roam individually or together and we learned so much. We spent more than two hours at the mission - on a cool, cloudy, overcast day. Perfect!
The gardens were lovely. Loved this purple statis and California poppy combination.
Hollyhocks. Reminiscent of my childhood when we made hollyhock dolls.
California oranges. Need I say more?
A local painter, wearing her Padre hat, found this overcast day to be perfect for her plein air painting (painting outside).
Our son, Jeff, loves taking photos of doors. They have an invitation, what is behind the door, what do they lead to, there's a spiritual meaning in the Jesus is called The Door. So Jeff, this is my take on doors of this mission.
I wanted to capture the beautifully colored fish and water lilies in the koi pond. It wasn't until later when I scrolled through my photos did I realize I captured a reflection of the clouds and the nearby trees. This is my favorite photo!
Calla Lily. So pure, so elegant, reminds me of the calla lilies in our yard in our Newbury Park home. Ahhh!
Everywhere we went, the bougainvillea was abundant and brilliant. We especially loved the watermelon color
Inside view of the Padre's living quarters. Would you say it's rather sparse?
This would be the bedroom with a writing desk and chair and the bed is the "table-like" piece on the right, with a white ceramic chamber pot below it. Hardly speaks of a life of comfort.
Mission San Juan Capistrano is known for the "Return of the Swallows" on March 19, also known as Saint Joseph's Day. Remember the song, "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano"? Here we see four mud nests swallows made just under the roof eves.
Another lovely day spent with lovely friends.
CJ, your photography is beautiful and so professional!
ReplyDeleteSister, dear, you are too kind!
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