The Loch Ness Monster

Loch Ness, a giant lake in the Highlands of Scotland, is the largest freshwater lake in Britain. The loch is almost a thousand feet deep in places, making it the perfect place for a monster to hide. Taking a boat out on Loch Ness, you can see the strong currents and mysterious ripples in the water. It's easy to imagine the legend of the monster is true.

Sure, the most famous photo of the monster has been debunked. But it's still fun to imagine the possibilities in that deep, dark loch...

The ruins of Urquhart Castle at the shore of Loch Ness.

A postcard of "Nessie" the Loch Ness Monster.

The village of Drumnadrochit has a Loch Ness Monster exhibit, including a fake monster that moves along the surface of this mini lake. I first visited the loch and exhibit as a kid, but it's great fun regardless of your age.

--Gigi

Foggy Oxford

Kicking off Halloween month, aka October, here's some spooky fog. As someone who loves a good mystery, I love how fog creates a wonderfully mysterious atmosphere. It's one of my favorite things about living in the Bay Area, and it was one of my favorite things about living in the UK. Here are some images of Oxford, England, in the fog. Cobblestone streets are definitely more fun as the fog rolls over you.

Oxford makes a great setting for a mystery novel, which is probably why so many mysteries have been set there. One of my favorites from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction is Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers.

--Gigi

Mountain View Cemetery Angels Through the Seasons

Mountain View Cemetery is a beautiful cemetery in Oakland, California. Sharing a similar ethos to London's Abney Park Cemetery, Mountain View was created with the vision of being balanced with nature.

The cemetery park gardens were designed in the 1860s by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (designer of New York City's Central Park), who created twisting walkways lined with trees. You can't help but feel peaceful wandering along those paths on the sloping hillside.

My favorite angel at Mountain View cemetery in autumn.

Views of the angel in spring.

--Gigi

Cemeteries of London: Stone Angels of Abney Park Cemetery Part II

While beautiful, the placement of a few of the stone angels at Abney Park Cemetery in London feels rather ominous. Maybe it was just the type of day that it was when I visited, without a soul in sight and with the clouds rolling by above. But if you're a fan of Doctor Who, you might find the photo below reminiscent of the "Blink" episode with stone angels that aren't quite what they seem.

Below, a Celtic cross and a closeup of the details on the cross.

--Gigi

Cemeteries of London: Stone Angels of Abney Park Cemetery Part I

Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newingon, London is one of the "Magnificent 7" 19th century London cemeteries. It's a garden cemetery that was originally combined with an arboretum, and is now a park and nature reserve that offers a number of nature programs. I didn't make it to their stone carving workshop, but enjoyed the many beautifully carved stone angels in the garden.

--Gigi

Gargoyle Girl is Back!

I hope everyone had a great summer. Mine was pretty crazy, since it kicked off with a breast cancer diagnosis. But in the midst of everything, I also had some amazing experiences this summer, all because of the wonderful people in my life. From the doctors who caught the cancer early and saved my life physically, to the dear friends who enriched my life emotionally, this month's Gargoyle Girl photos are dedicated to those real life angels.

So today I'm posting a few of my favorite stone angel photographs. I'll continue with angels through September, before switching to some creepy gargoyles leading up to Halloween in October.

The Sculpture Garden of the Brooklyn Museum. This photo was taken before the garden was remodeled, back when many of the stone sculptures (salvaged from demolished New York buildings) rested on the ground in overgrown ivy.

Brompton Cemetery, London.

Highgate Cemetery, London.

--Gigi

Gargoyle Girl News

Due to some unexpected events, I'll be taking a short break from posting new photos to Gargoyle Girl.

I'll be back before too long, and at that time I'll also be making some updates to the site. Several people have told me it's been difficult to follow the blog with the current set-up, so I'll be adding more and better ways to follow the blog.

Have a great summer everyone, and I'll see you soon!

--Gigi