Haunted History of #theDakota ~ #NYC #NewYork #Travel #paranormal #ghosts

View of the Dakota from Central Park

Because I have a strong fascination with all things spooky, I tend to seek out haunted places to visit when we go on trips.  When we spent a day in Paris during a London trip, I insisted on exploring the Catacombs.  We also spent a day at the Tower of London, which is surely home to some restless spirits.  In Maryland, I've explored the abandoned Glenn Dale TB Hospital.  Closer to home, I've taken tours of the Old Jail (oldest wooden jail in the entire country), and haunted locations around Barnstable Village. 

More recently, between Christmas and New Year's this winter, we went to New York City to spend some time with our best friends again...with our family in MA, and theirs in VA, NYC is an excellent--albeit expensive--half-way point.  And there's so much to see packed into such a small area!

Looking up from the street...I can believe this building is haunted

When I looked up a list of haunted places in NYC to see what would come up, I was intrigued by The Dakota.  This is an exclusive apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side, built in 1884 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The list of celebrities who have lived--or currently live--here is very long, but one of the most well-known residents was John Lennon of the Beatles, who was murdered at the entrance of the building in 1980.  Some claim to see Lennon's ghost, but John Lennon himself apparently spoke of some supernatural encounters in the building before his assassination.  He mentioned an encounter with an apparition in the hallway, who he dubbed "the Crying Lady Ghost".

Site of John Lennon's assassination

Another frequently seen spirit is a little blonde girl dressed in early 1900s clothing, sometimes bouncing a ball.  There have been reports of other apparitions, including a figure resembling Edward Clark, head of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, who built the Dakota but died before the building's completion.

Residents and employees have reported seeing objects move on their own, including things too heavy for a person to lift.

The exterior of the building is a Gothic blend of gables and dormers, arches and balustrades, with ornate iron details.  It is imposing and intimidating enough to have been chosen to represent The Bramford in the horror movie Rosemary's Baby, in which a Satanic cult in the building try to impregnate a new resident with the Devil's baby.  Thankfully, that is a fictitious tale created by Ira Levin in his book of the same name.

This intricate & somewhat sinister ironwork goes all the way around the building

I would have loved to explore the interior of the building, but as I mentioned, it's the home of many famous and affluent residents, and there is security at the entrances.  But I took plenty of photos of from outside, and while I don't think I caught any ghosts on camera, it did give off a spooky vibe that sent a few shivers down my spine.

This was as close as I could get...at one time,
these arched entrances allowed carriages inside.
A Christmas tree was still on display in the courtyard.

History of #StPatrick #StPatricksDay #StPatricksWeekend

I love learning more about the meaning of our holidays and traditions--I've done posts on Celebrating New Year's Day, St. Nick and Santa Claus, the Origin of Halloween, and Finding Easter's Date.  This year, St. Patrick's Day is taking on a little more meaning, because I recently got my DNA results back from 23andMe (an awesome birthday gift from my hubby) and I discovered I have a lot more Irish blood in me than I thought!  I did know I had a Sullivan on my father's side of the family a few generations back, but the results say I'm 61% British and Irish.  I've always enjoyed taking part in the holiday fun--wearing green, drinking beer, and serving a traditional Irish meal. You'll notice I said "serving", not "cooking"...cooking is not one of my strengths; however, writing is.  So rather than offering a recipe, I'm dedicating this blog post to some facts about St. Patrick and his holiday.

As a teenager, Patrick was captured by Irish pirates and taken from his home country of Great Britain to Ireland as a slave.  A rough start, for sure, but although he escaped after six years and returned home, eventually he went back to Ireland as a cleric.  The exact dates of his life are uncertain, but it is generally agreed that Patrick was an active missionary in Ireland during the second half of the 5th century.  He was also an ordained Bishop and eventually became the primary patron saint of Ireland.  St. Patrick's Day became an official Christian Feast Day in the early 17th century, observed on March 17th, the date of Patrick's death.

The day not only commemorates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, it also celebrates Irish culture and heritage. There are parades and festivals to mark the occasion, as well as religious services.  Because the church lifts Lenten restrictions for the day, drinking alcohol has become a custom associated with St. Patrick's Day.

The shamrock as a symbol comes from legends involving St. Patrick using the three-leafed plant to describe the Holy Trinity--the concept of three persons in one God. Obviously, shamrocks are green, but the phrase "The Wearing of the Green" comes from an Irish ballad of the same name.  The song refers to the persecution of those who supported the 1798 rebellion against British rule. The lyrics state, "They are hanging men and women for the wearing of the green" - the color adopted by the revolutionary United Irishmen.

Some stories credit St. Patrick with driving all the snakes from Ireland; however, all scientific evidence suggests no snakes ever existed on the Emerald Isle to begin with.  Another legend related to a serpent involves St. Patrick killing a large serpent in a lake, thus turning the water red with blood and creating the name "Red Lake" or Lough Derg.  It is said that God showed St. Patrick a cave or pit on an island in the lake, revealing the spot as an entrance to Purgatory.  St. Patrick's Purgatory is now an ancient pilgrimage site which still draws pilgrims annually.

Upon his death, the struggle over possession of the saintly corpse gave rise to the Battle for the Body of St. Patrick (according to the Annals of the Four Masters - chronicles of medieval Irish history).  He is said to be buried along with St. Brigid and St. Columbia at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, but this has never been proven.

I've never been lucky enough to visit Ireland, although I did get to London and Paris last year.  But it's absolutely on my list of places I desperately want to see--a trip there conjures up images of ancient castles, mystical stone circles, and lush, rolling countrysides.  In fact, it sounds like the perfect setting for a novel! One of my favorite Nora Roberts' trilogies (Irish Jewels) is set in Ireland: Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, and Heart of the Sea.  The romance is flavored with Irish folklore and intriguing myths.  While my novels are all set in the States, they also contain haunting elements...so if you like a little spooky suspense with steamy romance, give one of them a try...a good book goes well with a slice of soda bread and an Irish coffee :) Links are all along the top tabs or with the book covers along the right side column. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

#London Visit ~ The Tower #TowerofLondon #LondonTower

I’ve been so busy these last few weeks since we returned from our London trip, I never got around to posting about our fabulous visit to London Tower on our last day.  My excuses include gearing up for a new release (HAUNTED SOULS is out in 7 days!  Electronic formats are up forPreorder – do you have your copy ordered?) and participating in a multi-author book signing weekend (all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 – 8!) at the Artist Shanties at Hyannis Harbor. 

View of The London Tower from the tube station

But I did want to share pictures and facts about London Tower, since I learned so much!  It was especially interesting to me since I was in the middle of reading a fantastic trilogy on The Wars of the Roses by Conn Iggulden, so seeing the actual places where some of the events happened was surreal.

We arrived at Tower of London via the Tower Hill tube station right in time for a tour by one of the Beefeaters (the nickname of The Yeoman Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London), which was very informative and entertaining.  After that, we did some exploring on our own, even leaving for a while to have lunch at Borough Market and returning for more.  I’ve included photos of some of the highlights, although there is too much to see to record it all!

The paved area with the circular glass
monument marks the spot where Anne
Boleyn and other royals were executed.

A monument sits on the paved area on the green where Anne Boleyn was executed. Executions inside the Tower walls, away from the public spectators, were reserved for royalty and nobility found guilty of crimes. Another of Henry VIII's wives and Lady Jane Grey were also executed here by decapitation.

Nearby, the White Tower still stands, originally built by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century.  Inside, there are four floors to explore...the Royal Armouries collection includes incredible displays of arms and armor.  On the top floor you'll find a block and axe believed to be the one used in 1747 for the last public beheading, up on Tower Hill outside the fortress. 

The White Tower, built 11th century

The Tower ravens are kept here as well, in the area known as the Mews, although some were wandering the grounds.  Legends say six ravens must be on the grounds at all times or the Tower and the entire Kingdom will fall. They keep two extra just to be safe. We were also able to view the Crown Jewels, but no pictures are allowed of that display.  Needless to say, it’s a truly amazing sight.

We saw the actual room where the young princes (and heirs to the crown) were held captive by Richard III. They disappeared, and their fate is a mystery, but Richard III was then crowned King.  Also recreated was a replica of the medieval chamber of Edward I. Wakefield Tower, 13th century.  We also saw the spot where Henry VI was killed.  He was imprisoned in the Tower during the Wars of the Roses.

Replica of the chamber of Edward I in Wakefield Tower

It was another long but incredible day!  Our others adventures are chronicled in my posts Stonehenge and Soccer, The Churchill War Rooms and London Eye, and The Catacombs of Paris and Eiffel Tower.  There’s so much to see and of course we didn’t manage it all, but I think we made the most of our five days there!  

#Paris Visit ~ the #Catacombs and #EiffelTower #thecatacombs #Eiffel #France

On our fourth day in London, we took an early train to Paris.  Although we would only have one day there, it was definitely a memorable one!  We tried to make sure we had something for everyone in the family on this trip, and the one thing I insisted on, as an author of ghost stories and a fan of haunted places, was to visit the Catacombs of Paris.  I first learned of these ossuary tunnels when I did a blog post on graveyards for a Halloween blog hop, and I found the story of the Catacombs both eerie and fascinating.  Apparently I’m not the only one, as the line to get in was very, very long.  But I had booked a guided tour in advance, so after lunch we met our guide outside the entrance.

One of the incredibly detailed limestone carvings done by
Decur from 1777 - 1782 - A Palace in Minorca

The way down is via a very narrow spiral staircase that leads 64 feet below the ground.  We were treated to some of the initial history of the network of 187 miles of tunnels beneath the city: how they were created initially to excavate lime, how the city was built from what was mined, and how eventually, in the 1700s, Paris was in danger of sinking into the earth due to the collapsing tunnels.  Workers were sent down to reinforce the mines.  During this time, a quarry inspector named Decur carved this Palace in Minorca from his memory of being held captive in a fort across from it. He did this (and other carvings) from 1777-1782 and eventually died down there in a cave-in.

"Stop!  This is the land of the dead."
The sign above the entrance to the
ossuary areas in the Catacombs.

Around this time, Paris was experiencing another crisis—the overcrowding of cemeteries was endangering public health. Bodies were literally overflowing, disease was spreading, and there was no room for new burials.  Moving the bones became a priority, and there was plenty of room in the newly repaired tunnels.  Over six million bodies were moved, the product of 1,000 years of burials (often in mass graves) in Paris.  This effort took two years.

It’s difficult to describe the sheer volume of bones down there…it goes on and on and on through the tunnels, and while some walls are displayed artistically, the bones stretch back from there in deep piles.  Obviously it was impossible to keep bodies together or add much in the way of identification, but sometimes headstones were brought down to add to the designs, and there are a few signs indicating which cemetery the remains are from. 

A monument added to the design.

After two hours down there (and one medical emergency involving a member of our group—especially scary down in the dark, surrounded by bones, with no emergency exits or even normal staircases…it took medics a long time to get to us), we climbed another spiral staircase and emerged above ground.  Even since, my mind has been spinning with ideas for a new story!  I came up with the idea for my upcoming release HAUNTED SOULS after a ghost tour in historic Barnstable Village, so we’ll see if the Catacombs can inspire a new plotline!

A quick snack and then we went in the other direction, up above the city, the entire 921 feet to the top of the Eiffel Tower.  We had a gorgeous day and beautiful views. 

It wasn’t long before we had to make our way back to the train station and head back to London, but we had more adventures to look forward to.  London Tower is coming up in the next post, and if you want to see Days 1 and 2 (Soccer and Stonehenge) or Day 3 (London Eye, London Dungeon, and Churchill War Rooms), I’ve linked those posts in this paragraph as well (colored titles).  Thanks for stopping by, and check out my books for some spooky ghost stories mixed with steamy romance!  HAUNTED SOULS releases June 1, 2016, but it’s available for Pre-Order on Kindle and Nook, and both SILVER LAKE and GULL HARBOR are currently available in the meantime.  And if you want to see some more pictures of the Catacombs, visit my Pinterest board!

Obligatory Eiffel Tower selfie with
the Seine River below!