About a dozen years ago my travels took me to Switzerland, to a tiny village, whose name I can’t remember, in the Alps. We stayed in the lovely Beau Rivage Hotel that is set on an equally lovely lake whose name I can’t remember, either. (I do recall reading that a week after we returned, the singer Phil Collins was married there. I, thankfully, was not.)
Other than the loveliness, I remember the small village church, and the peal of bells that rang out on the hour, echoing off the pristine lake and the Heidi-like mountains. The sounds were soothing, peaceful, the kind that make you smile all day.
And now I have the Old Whaling Church.
The guidebook says it was built for the Methodists in 1843 with money from the whalers, a huge industry in Edgartown. The Greek Revival style, with enormous Gothic columns and a 92-foot bell tower, boasts a light inside the steeple that could be seen by sailors many miles out to sea. Today the church is used for lots of concerts, lectures, and community gatherings.
The best part is, from where I’m staying, each hour brings the comfort of the resonating bells.
Perfect.
Hey, look! When I took this pic it is almost 11:00!!! If you listen carefully, maybe you can hear them, too!