The Hounds of the Lord

A few days ago I was in Dunedin, two and a quarter hours drive away. I could live in Dunedin. I love university towns but unfortunately it is the only city in New Zealand that has this quality. Students bring so much texture to a culture.

Dunedin's architecture is so intact, relatively anyway. It's a joy to wander around to gaze in awe.

This is a Dominican convent, now empty. (Sorry about the vehicles, especially the SUV) When I was a young man and not too mature I lived for two years in Aquinas Hall in Dunedin, a Dominican run university hostel. I used to go to Mass most days.

In those days I was a believer, in fact I was a fervent Catholic. Hard to believe now especially that I understand more about how Dominicans were are at the forefront of book burning and torture during The Inquisition. Savonarola was a Dominican hero. I'm sorry to say that I am glad that he got his comeuppance one day in Florence when he was hanged and burned. (Some records say that the hanging bit was skipped.) Below is a photo of where it happened.