I didn’t dash out today with my camera to find a subject that would fit the title of Mystery because as soon as I saw the subject I remembered this photograph taken some years ago on a trip to Switzerland. There was no time to think about lighting effects, or exposure, or ISO ratings. It was enough that I had the presence of mind to take the photograph.
It was September and we had been driving with our Swiss friend, Werner, in the Bernese Oberland, searching for a farmhouse he’d heard about, where the mountain cheese was the best in the Canton – if not in the country – and which would be perfect for the planned supper.
The mist was heavy in the mountains, deadening all sound, and we could only see a few yards ahead at this point. We had parked the car and got out to peer over the barricade at the side of the road and to listen to the distant sound of falling water. No other sound broke the stillness, no dogs barked, no cowbells jingled, no birds sang: then came the faint, ghostly clip-clop, clip-clop of horses’ hooves and out of the mist that swirled around us, came the Victorian carriage and horses you see in the photograph below, four horses and two coachmen. Neither the horses nor the coachmen appeared to notice the three mesmerized people who stood by the side of the road, and it passed by, silently, and turned the corner.
My husband, a born sceptic, decided it was some actors from a film set, but I’m not so sure. We were, after all, just by the ReichenbachFalls…………
Switzerland – by the Reichenbach Falls
Photo by Mari Nicholson
This story is true and I remember it well. The recollection and telling of it can still send shivers down my spine.
I’m not sure if I’m posting in the right place. I had the email about the start of the new course this morning but it seems to have disappeared from my computer, completely! I seem to remember reading however, that the post should go as a Post in the normal site and would then be removed to a Photography 101 site. Am I right?
Anyway, in great rush as I am off on a short trip today until next Saturday when I’ll pick it up again. I will be able to take photographs but not post while I am away.
Meantime, this was home to some young birds during the winter but they have now flown away to warmer climes I presume. I have cleaned the birdhouse out and now it awaits a new family.
Bird House in my garden, home to winter birds and now awaiting a new family
Bird House in my garden, home to a family of over-wintering birds.
My new camera, the Sony A6000, has a brilliant inbuilt programme that turns the image from a basic photograph to one that can isolate one colour, say red or blue, leaving the remainder of the photograph in black & white; changes the image to one that looks like a water-colour with the tints bleeding into each other; and, my favourite, illustration which alters the photograph miraculously so that it looks like a graphic illustration. It is tempting to embark on designing a comic strip, or to illustrate an article with an illustration instead of an image.
Here I give you a few samples of Illustration, taken on a walk along my local beach the other day, a cold wintry day but with a blue sky lighting the day. I hope they reproduce in the blog as they do on my screen, best viewed very large.
Beach and Cliffs with People, Sandown, Isle of WightFishing Boat on Horizon at Sandown, Isle of WightBy the Pier a young lad kicks a football and two children play in the sand, at Sandown, IOW, on a wintry day.Blue skies, calm(ish) waters with the White Cliffs of Culver at Sandown, Isle of Wight.
Perhaps not the greatest interpretation of the challenge but I’ve lately been wanting to use one of the interesting tools in my imaging programme and thought this might be my opportunity.
This sculpture was done by marine woodcarver Norman Gaches, from a tree that was destroyed in the great storm of 1987, outside Barton Manor on the Isle of Wight, the then home of Impresario Robert Stigwood, who commissioned the work. At that time Barton Manor was producing wine and he wanted something to represent the grape. The result was a magnificent carving showing the family of Bacchus and these are just two of the photographs my husband took at the time. We followed the progress of the work with the sculptor over the months it took to finish it, and then did our best to interpret the art with camera and prose. A resultant article appeared in Woodcarving magazine and was subsequently syndicated in two other magazines.
Between July and November 2014, at the Tower of London, a magnificent display of 888,246 ceramic poppies filled the Tower’s famous moat to mark the centenary of the First World War. The number of poppies represented one for each British and Colonial death during the conflict.
Created by artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper, the installation, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, attracted thousands, possibly millions, from all over the country and overseas, who queued for hours, often in the rain, to view the sea of scarlet progressively filling the Tower’s famous moat, between 17th July and 11th November 2014. The poppies encircled the iconic landmark, creating a spectacular visual commemoration, and although thousands wound their way around the magnificent display, it was noticeable that most people were given to inward reflection rather than discussion.
All the poppies that made up the installation were sold afterwards, raising millions of pounds, money which was shared equally amongst six service charities.
I was moved, as was everyone else who attended this magnificent tribute to the fallen, and the poppies that streamed from one of the windows or arrow slits in the wall of the Tower, recalled to mind the words of William Blake from Songs of Innocence and Experience:
“And the hapless soldiers’ sigh, Runs like blood down palace walls.”
These photographs were all taken by my friend, and London photographer, Steve Moore, who spent a couple of days there. Steve gave me a CD of about 150 pictures – it was not easy choosing images to represent the Photo Challenge as my mind kept switching to the reason for the poppy display, but I hope you like them. I wish I’d been there at night. There is something about that night scene that resonates deep within me.
Postman’s Park in London contains a simple but evocative Memorial to unsung heroes of the 19th and early 20th century, in the form of a collection of glazed Doulton plaques on a wall protected from the elements by a loggia. Each of these plaques commemorates someone who, in tragic circumstances, died a hero, trying to save the lives of others.
What and where is Postman’s Park in the City of London?
First the name: the park acquired the Postman’s Park name because during it’s heyday in the 19th century and before it became the site of the Memorial, it was popular as a lunchtime retreat with workers from the General Post Office in nearby Clerkenwell, long since demolished.
Situated between King Edward Street, Little Britain and Angel Street and just round the corner from St Paul’s Cathedral whose steps are normally crowded with tourists hugging backpacks and guitars and where the streets are full of bankers and financiers bursting with self-importance, it contains a gallery of tiled memorials to extraordinary people who were, nonetheless, just ordinary citizens.
St. Paul’s Cathedral – Mari Nicholson
The brainchild of the Victorian painter and philanthropist, G.F. Watts (1817-1904), a radical socialist who felt deeply about the dreadful conditions of the London poor, and who had twice refused a Baronetcy, it is now regarded as a Memorial to Watts who made no attempt to hide his dislike of the greed of the upper classes of the time.
About the Tiled Memorials
Plaque to one of the child heroes on the Memorial of Heroic Self Sacrifice in Postman’s Park, London – Photo Mari Nicholson
A long, high wall covered with Royal Doulton ceramic plaques, decorated in burnt orange and blue, names, ages, occupations and means of death engraved on the tiles – this is a wall before which people have been known to stand with tears in their eyes. Tragedy after tragedy told in a few simple phrases, bring to life drownings, raging fires, train disasters, and runaway horse accidents, in which these workers and children had saved someone’s life by giving their own.
There is seating under the plaques and the garden area of the park is a restful place with bright flower beds and a gently trickling fountain, interesting shrubs and flowering plants. Of special interest are the large banana tree, musa basjoo, which flowers in late summer, and the dove tree, davidia involucrata. In fact, Postman’s Park is a perfect place for a lunchtime picnic.
In 1887, Watts wrote to The Times to suggest the creation of a park to commemorate ‘heroic men and women’ who had given their lives attempting to save others. This, he said, would be a worthy way to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee year.
His letter to The Times did not stimulate any interest, however, but in 1898, St Botolph’s Church at Aldersgate purchased land that had previously been owned by the City Parochial Foundation, and they approached him regarding the Memorial. So, on the site of the former churchyard of St. Bolophs, there was erected a 50ft long open gallery along the wall of which he planned to place glazed Doulton tablets commemorating acts of bravery, each one detailing a heroic act.
One of Britain’s leading tile designers at that time, William de Morgan, agreed to work with Watts. Their collaboration, first unveiled in 1900, is what you see on the early plaques when you visit Postman’s Park.
About the Tiles and Plaques
Plaque to William Goodrum, a 60-year-old Hero, honoured on the Memorial wall in Postman’s Park – Photo Mari Nicholson
The plaques could easily be overlooked in the somewhat hidden corner of the park, but these beautiful hand-lettered tiles hand-painted at the Royal Doulton factory, when once you see them, live with you forever. Each one tells the story of a boy or girl, man or woman, who died trying to save another at the expense of his own. Told in a few poignant words, they nevertheless manage to paint a picture of a life unfulfilled that ended in tragedy. Take, for instance,
the young Alice “daughter of a bricklayer’s labourer who by intrepid conduct saved 3 children from a burning house in Union Street Borough at the cost of her own young life”. Or
William “drowned in the Lea trying to save a lad from a dangerous entanglement of weed”.
The stories seem almost Dickensian until the very real tragedies these plaques represent hit home and one realises that this was real life, not fiction. Life was harsh for those who didn’t own land or property of some sort in those days: violence and disease were everyday events. Prostitution and child abuse were rife in late-Victorian London, and these children who died, many of them orphans or ‘indentured workers’, each and every one of them would have been working at some poorly paid job.
Reading the tiles one is struck by the occupations that don’t exist any more and the causes of death that remind one of nothing so much as a Victorian engraving – a runaway carriage of four with a child trampled beneath the horses, a boy in the Thames (probably a mudlark) attempting to swim to land with his friend in his arms.
London’s Child Heroes, 10-year-old Harry Sisley, honoured here in a Doulton plaque on the Memorial in Postman’s Park, London – Photo Mari Nicholson
G.F. Watts and his Reasons for Erecting the Memorial
GF Watts wanted to use his art as a force for social change and his intention was to build a memorial that honoured ordinary people, people who would not have had a burial tomb at Highgate, Brompton or even St. Pancras & Islington Cemetery.
Watts had for many years collected newspaper reports of heroic actions and the plaques were based on these cuttings.
It was planned to have one hundred and twenty tiles in place for the opening, but sadly, it was only possible to erect four. By this time Watts was too ill to attend the unveiling and only nine more were added during his lifetime. His wife Mary, took over the work and added what she could before her death. Then, 78 years later, in 2009, the Diocese of London added a new tablet to commemorate one Leigh Pitt who rescued a nine-year-old boy from drowning in a canal. The plaque reads:
Leigh Pitt, Reprographic operator, aged 30, saved a drowning boy from the canal at Thamesmead, but sadly was unable to save himself. June 7, 2007.
Today you can see rows of blank spaces, although no doubt there were unsung heroes in the intervening years who were never commemorated.
This wall of tiled plaques to these forgottenLondoners is one of the city’s most moving Memorials and in 1972, along with other key elements in the park, it was Listed as a Grade ll site.
Postman’s Park in Recent Film
The BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning film Closer which stars Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Clive Owen (based on the play of the same name by Patrick Marber) references Postman’s Park in that the character Alice Ayres (Natalie Portman) fabricates her identity based on Ayers’ tablet on the Memorial which the film character had read.
It seems a shame that King Alfred, the man who defeated the Danes and united the English, has gone down in popular history merely as the man who burnt the cakes. But the city he made his capital does the man proud and it is impossible to stroll through the ancient streets of Winchester and not be aware of how “the Great” came to be added to Alfred’s name.
An unspoilt city and England’s ancient capital (the Court was mobile during the Anglo-Saxon period but the city was considered the capital of Wessex and England at the time), the cobblestones, buildings and monuments of Winchester, just an hour from London, ring with history. If you like big bangs and all things military, it is also home to a host of museums dedicated to all things warlike. Surrounded by water meadows and rolling downland, it offers the best of city life – modern shopping, quirky open air events, and great entertainment and it can be covered in a day (although a couple of days will show more of what is on offer and allow trips into the surrounding villages).
Fulling Mill Cottage and River Arle
To get a panoramic view of the streets and buildings laid out according to the original Saxon plan, a good starting point is St. Giles’ Hill (a great spot for a picnic), from where you can pick out Hamo Thorneycroft’s famous statue of King Alfred. Then follow in the King’s footsteps from the walls erected to keep out the Danes to what is the largest medieval cathedral in the world. Famous for its treasures, from the sumptuously illustrated 12th century Bible to medieval paintings and a 16-metre stained-glass window 66% of which dates from medieval times, Winchester Cathedral is that much-overused word, awesome.
One of the Gormley statues in the Crypt of Winchester CathedralThe Crypt, Winchester Cathedral
The newest acquisition is Sound ll, the Antony Gormley sculpture now permanently installed in the cathedral’s crypt where it looks particularly striking when the crypt floods which it frequently does. Even if you don’t make a habit of visiting cathedrals, do make an exception to view this magnificent Gormley work.
The Cloisters, Winchester Cathedral
Fans of The Da Vinci Code will be interested to know that the cathedral’s North transept doubles as the Vatican in the film of the book, but those of a more classical bent will head for the tomb of Jane Austen which can be found in the nave where there is also a stained glass window to her memory.
Jane Austen Plaque in Winchester Cathedral
The novelist died in Winchester on 18 July 1817 and is buried in the cathedral. While in this part of the cathedral, take note of the black font which depicts St. Nicholas of Smyrna giving an old man three bags of gold for his three daughters, said to be the forerunner of the pawnbrokers sign of three golden balls.
Continuing in the footsteps of King Alfred you could then head up the High Street to the Great Hall, all that remains of Winchester castle, and which for 700 years has housed the legendary Round Table. Old it certainly is, and round, but it hangs on a wall where with its red, black and white colouring it resembles an enormous dartboard. According to myth, the original was created by the wizard Merlin, but carbon dating in 1976 proved that this particular table was not made in the Arthurian 6th century but in the 13th, and this use of HyperPhysics sadly put paid to the legend.
The Round Table, High up on the Wall
Just outside the south door of the Great Hall, is Eleanor’s Garden, a re-creation of a medieval herbarium with turf seats and a camomile lawn, named after Eleanor, wife of Henry III, and Eleanor, wife of Edward I. All the plants you see would have been grown in the 13th century, when floral symbols had priority over design. The rose, lily, iris and strawberry plants represent aspects of religion while the greens – the grass, ivy, bay and holly represent faithfulness.
The oldest continuously running school in the country, 14th century Winchester College which became a model for Eton and for King’s College, Cambridge is nearby. You can join a guided tour for an intriguing glimpse into the medieval heart of the college, the 14th century Gothic chapel with its early example of a wooden vaulted roof, the cloisters (where graffiti carved into the stones during the 16th and 17th centuries is still visible) and the original scholars’ dining-room. As a complete contrast, you could later check out medieval Westgate, a fortified gateway which served as a debtors’ prison for 150 years and where prisoners graffiti is also still intact, albeit rather different from that of the scholars!
Westgate
One expects to find ghosts in most ancient cities and Winchester is no exception. The most famous haunted Inn is The Eclipse in The Square, where the spectre of Alicia Lisle haunts the corridors. Seventy-one years old when she was found guilty of harbouring rebel cavaliers and sentenced to death by Hanging Judge Jeffreys, she spent her last night here in 1685 listening to the scaffold being erected for her hanging.
Old Prison Gate
At the Theatre Royal in Jewry Street, a wandering apparition haunts the dress-circle and gallery looking for her long lost lover while in the 18th century High Street offices formerly occupied by the county newspaper, the rattling chains of a woman dressed in grey has been known to rattle the staff on more than one occasion.
Streams and waterways punctuate the streets of the city giving it a homely atmosphere – especially when you see someone hauling a fine trout out of the river – and the Bikeabout Scheme means that you can tour around for most of the day for the small registration fee of £10. Reflective jackets and helmets are also available.
Half-timbered hous in Winchester
You don’t need to cycle of course: there is a good transport system from Winchester to the picturesque villages of the Itchen and Meon Valleys, handsome Georgian colour-washed Alresford (pronounced Allsford) for instance, home of the famous Watercress Steam Railway where you can make a childhood dream come true by riding on the footplate. Later, stroll down the town’s elegant streets with their antique shops, and discreet fashion boutiques or along the riverside where the thatched timber-framed Fulling Mill straddles the River Arle. Alresford is the home of watercress farming in the UK, so expect to sample gourmet dishes made of the green stuff – watercress pudding, watercress quiche and even watercress scones with afternoon tea – in smart bistros, tea rooms and old-fashioned pubs like the Wykeham Arms with its award-winning menu.
If there are children in the party, then don’t miss Marwell Zoo. Home to over 200 species of animals and birds, from meerkats to sand cats, and some of the world’s rarest big cats including the Amur leopard and the snow leopard. There are volunteer guides around the park to help visitors and to explain and illustrate the efforts the zoo is making to rehabilitate endangered animals back in their habitat.
And after all that history and ancient stones, Winchester can still surprise you with its pedestrian-friendly streets, colourful markets and exquisite boutiques nestling beside large-scale stores. The High Street – once the Roman’s east-west route through the city – is home to stylish shops with Regency and Elizabethan bow-fronted windows, while The Square offers quaint pubs and restaurants after your exertions, and everywhere you’ll find bronze and stone carvings, many by famous sculptors. It lies just one hour by train from London, 40 minutes from Portsmouth Ferry Terminal, and 15 minutes from Southampton Airport.
Very Old Barn, NB date of erection in grey bricks at bottom of building.
Winchester’s a winner, and whether you taste runs to real ale or English wines, pub grub or gourmet dining, Goth outfits to designer chic, you’ll find it all here amidst the quiet stones that hold history’s secrets.
Although the UNESCO listed Bayeux Tapestry that depicts the 1066 invasion of England by William the Conqueror dominates Bayeux, this Normandy town has much more to offer than just the tapestry (actually an embroidery stitched on linen).
Section of the Bayeux Tapestry in Bayeux Copyright Ville de Bayeux
The splendid and beautiful Norman-Romanesque-Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux, consecrated in 1077, in the centre of this very historic city is well worth a visit, as is the Bishop’s Palace which stands next to it and which is now a museum.
Les Amoureux de Bayeux Cathedral. Photo courtesy of Bayeux Tourist officeGrand Hotel dArgouges
Many of the buildings you will come across in the old town were former monasteries, as Bayeux was once an important religious centre, but in the streets adjoining, most of the historic houses have been converted into designer boutiques and fine restaurants.
Bayeux, The Cathedral. Copyright Mari Nicholson
Bayeux offers the tourist excellent sightseeing, from its War Museum, British and Commonwealth war cemetery, and the D-Day Landing beaches which lie close by, to the surrounding countryside with grand châteaux and abbeys and the lure of Calvados producing distilleries.
The Bayeux Tapestry
Section of the Bayeux Tapestry. Photo provided by Ville de Bayeux
Although the Bayeux tapestry has its home in France, it is believed that it was originally made in southern England. The graphic tale of the invasion and the battles that took place are at the centre of the canvas that measures over 70 metres (230 feet) in length, in fifty-eight action-packed scenes of bloody battles. Severed limbs and decapitated heads graphically explain the ongoing carnage, while religious allegories and illustrations of everyday life in the 11th century make up the borders. The panel-by-panel audio guide which is included in the entry fee is a great asset as you view the tapestry
Bayeux Museum Ticket
Bayeux in World War II
Bayeux, The River Aure. Copyright Mari Nicholson
Bayeux is the only town in Normandy to be left completely undamaged after World War II and had the great good fortune to be quickly liberated by the Allies after the D-Day landings. For a brief period, it was the capital of Free France after General De Gaulle arrived hot on the heels of the Allied forces in 1944 and set up his government in the town.
The biggest British cemetery in Normandy is found in Bayeux with 4,648 graves. For those who have come to look at the D-Day landing beaches, a visit to this cemetery, Bayeux’s own War Museum, and the vast cemetery for over 10,000 US troops in Omaha, puts in focus the sacrifices made in these parts.
D-Day Landings at Arromanches
Bayeux is the perfect place to choose as the point from which to tour the beaches of the Normandy landings as they are all within easy reach of the town. I wouldn’t advise doing them all on the same day, but a couple of beaches and a Museum are quite possible. Before heading for what are actually quite beautiful beaches, a trip to Arromanches 360 is recommended. This is a circular cinema, unique in France, that immerses you in the Battle of Normandy, allowing you to see everything “in the round” over 360 degrees in a 35-minute session. Original archived images from Canada, Germany, UK and French collections retracing the 100 days of the battle, are shown on nine screens to give the 360ᵒ effect. This is a fine tribute to the allied soldiers and the more than 20,000 civilians who died to free Western Europe, and whose personal stories are told in interviews: a very special museum. Prices are given below.
The Mulberry Harbour and beach at Arromanches:
Mulberry Harbour on Arromanches Beach. Copyright Mari Nicholson
From the beach at Arromanches you can see the remains of several pontoons. The artificial Mulberry Ports A and B were prefabricated in England and towed into place at Gold Beach at speeds of 5 m.p.h. from June 7th. Seventeen ships were sunk at sea to form a breakwater called Gooseberry and a huge 10 miles of roadway was then created. Mulberries were, and still remain, a terrific technological feat.
By the end of the 100 days in which it was used, the completed harbour had become more efficient than either Cherbourg or Le Havre, and during this time it disembarked 2.3 million men, 500,000 vehicles and 4 million tons of equipment and supplies.
Pillboxes on the cliffs of this small fishing port helped the Germans defend and control the town so the fighting to capture the cliffs and advance into France was fierce and bloody.
After a visit to Arromanches 360 and seeing the beaches and cliffs which the combatants had to scale after landing, one has a much better idea of the hell that is war.
A Section of the over-10,000+ Graves at Omaha Beach Cemetery
Just back from Normandy where I’ve been touring the beaches and cliffs of the Normandy landing area where the invasion of France that led to the end of the 2nd World War took place. It was an emotional trip even though no one close to me had died in the horror that was unleashed that day, but one cannot fail to be moved when confronted with a cemetery containing 10,500 white crosses each one guarding a fallen combatant.
It was June 6th, 1944, when the assault on the French coast took place. Every type of transport at the Allies disposal was thrown into the battle and incredible ingenuity allowed Bailey bridges and the Mulberry pontoons to be shipped across the Channel without the Germans knowing. Horsa gliders towed by ‘planes carried the British 6th Airbourne Division across the channel to storm the bridges at Ranville-Bénouville (known today as Pegasus Bridge). The most intensely fought over sands, the six-mile-wide Omaha beach, largest of all the five beaches on the coast (Gold, Juno, Sword, Omaha and Utah) was to be taken by the US 1st Army led by Omar Bradley. The plan was to land infantry troops alongside armoured amphibious Sherman tanks, but the Shermans never made it. The tanks were released from their landing craft too far away from the beach as there was a much greater swell further out to sea than the Americans had bargained on and all but two of the tanks sank shortly after leaving their craft. Many units landed in the wrong place due to the strong tides and winds carrying the landing craft away from their positions.
Omaha is most remembered for the casualties the Americans took there as the German machine gun fire tore into the troops as they tried to sprint across the beach to the seawall. It was a massacre, a terrible loss of life.
Although Hollywoodish, the film The Longest Day, gives a very good impression of what that day in June was like. I watched it before I departed for France and again on my return a few days ago when I was able to recognise some of the places I’d visited. The weather didn’t favour the invaders, nor did it favour me as I walked in their footsteps: Normandy is famous for its changeable climate.
There are many wonderful Museums, and I’ve appended photographs of their leaflets below, but if there is time for only one or two, make it (1) The Memorial of Caen in the town of the same name and 2) Pegasus Museum. The Memorial of Caen, as well as artefacts, has lots of cinematic clips and chairs on which to rest while you watch – a boon for many people. It also has a great restaurant and a good snack bar/cafe. I was there for 4 hours but could have done with 6, and I didn’t have time to tour the bunker, nor to visit The Cold War Exhibition which I was told was excellent. Pegasus Museum has the bridge, a replica of the glider that landed just a few yards from it, and another glider in the grounds into which you can climb for an exploration of the conditions in which the parachutists made that journey across the channel. In the area also is the original cafe in which Major Howard set up his HQ shortly after he landed, and where the tea and coffee are pretty good.
Major John Howard’s Headquarters immediately after landing at Pegasus Bridge. Today known as The Pegasus Bridge Cafe it i still in the hands of the family who owned it in 1945.
I hope to blog about individual beaches in due course.
Bratislava sits on the banks of the Danube backed by the forested hills of the Small Carpathians, and with less than half a million inhabitants, it contrasts beautifully with both Vienna and Salzburg which are near neighbours. Instead of sophistication and modernity, Bratislava offers an old-world charm and courtesy, and a way of life that allows time for relaxation in the coffee shops that are as ubiquitous here as in Vienna, and evening entertainment in the form of opera, ballet, classical music and jazz, drinking in traditional old pubs or dining in a range of classy restaurants.
Local Transport
It could be Europe’s most relaxed city as well because it has retained its human scale having been spared the development and urban sprawl that afflicts other parts of the continent. One need not spend time poring over maps on street corners, or hours finding one’s way in and out of metros or looking for the right bus to take one on to the next ‘must see’.
All this, plus the Danube, which is one of the city’s main assets, makes Bratislava my current favourite capital.
The Danube with Pleasure Boat
The city has a long and proud history that dates back to pre-Roman times and although much has been destroyed there are still traces of some of the people who lived here, Celts, Romans, Germans, Hungarians and, of course, Slovaks. Their influences can be seen not only in the architecture but in the cuisine and the startlingly good wines on offer. On the edge of the city, the vineyards on the hillsides have been producing wine for centuries and quite close to Bratislava are wine towns where you can taste the wines before buying.
Bratislava Square (Copyright Slovakia Tourist Board)
In its small historical centre the charm is concentrated. Some ten years ago they started to renovate the streets and the houses (although some are still awaiting an overhaul), and that their efforts have paid off is obvious in the multitude of cafes, bars and restaurants that have sprung up alongside souvenir shops and fashion stores. Most cafes have outdoor seating on the pavement and on warm days the tables will be bustling with life, giving the city a very Parisian atmosphere.
Centreville, BratislavaRoland’s Fountain, Bratislava
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Awaiting Restoration
The Old Town is the place to stroll the narrow pedestrian streets lined with 18th-century buildings: many have been beautifully restored, but some are still in the process. The many sidewalk cafes that lie under the gaze of the Stone Age city castle (high up on a hill from which are great views over the old town and the Danube) are great for people watching.
The main square, a picturesque 13th-century quadrant, is flanked by pastel-colored houses and hosts the 15th-century Old Town Hall: nearby are Roland’s Fountain (the most famous fountain in Bratislava as well as one of the city’s important landmarks), St. Michael’s Gate (the only remaining gate of the medieval fortification of the city), and the 14th century St. Martin’s Cathedral which saw the coronation of 11 Austro-Hungarian monarchs. A feature of the Old Town are bronze sculptures, but not as one imagines sculptures, these are quirky works, workmen emerging from the pavement, soldiers standing supporting lamps, and figures leaning on benches (see below).
Bronze statue with touristBronze sculpture of man emerging from groundStatue of Man with Hat at Srtreet Corner
In the middle of the main square is Schokocafe Maximilian, an elegant coffee-chocolate house with a reputation second to none. I had read about the famous chocolate served in this establishment and was looking forward to my very special ‘hot chocolate’. That is exactly what I had, hot chocolate, but oh, how disappointing. Maximilian’s hot chocolate is not a drinking chocolate as we know it, rather is it a chocolate pudding, a mousse (but more dense), so thick that I could stand my spoon up in it, literally. I ordered cream in an effort to thin it down but this didn’t work either.
Coffee in MaximiliansCoffee with Creamm in Maximilians
Take my advice and have a coffee, admire the glorious wall to ceiling chocolate counter and the Art Nouveau interior or sit outdoors and admire Roland’s fountain and the old Town Hall, just two of the places to see and photograph. And if it is raining, or the weather is cold, then add a dash to the coffee of one of the local spirits such as the herbal liqueur Demänovka, or the gin-like borovička or the more famous slivovica which is made from plums for warmth.
Traditional pubs are a feature of Bratislava and most socialising is done in these places, some of which are large and noisy, some small and intimate and some very modern. I liked the ones housed in the city’s ancient cellars, the really traditional ones, as these are dying out in many parts of the continent. Just look for the beer sign and then head down the stairs. Several are housed in the city’s ancient cellars – look for a sign advertising beer, and head down the stairs. And although the beer is of high quality, its wine producing means that good wines are always available even in the brashest pub.
Beautiful facade of buildings
But Bratislava is not only about café-culture. It is also the sporting capital of Slovakia with the country’s biggest football and ice hockey teams and a purpose-built white-water rafting centre on the Danube.
Popular with walkers and cyclists, its location on the slopes of the Small Carpathian hills mean there is a wide range of hiking opportunities within the city itself and in the surrounding area where forested hillsides comprise almost one-quarter of the city’s area.
Interior of Maxamilians
For mountain-bikers the region if filled with trails but even if you are not a biker, a network of sealed walking and cycling paths through the woods leads to historic towns such as Stupava and Sväty Júr. Best place to start is the Železná Studienka valley, a short way out of the town which can be accessed by train from the main railway station (to Bratislava- Železná-studienka station) if you prefer not to negotiate the town. A trail leads up the tree-lined valley, passing several lakes and at the top a cable car connects the top of the valley to the hill-top at Koliba. Or, take the number 203 trolleybus from Hodžovo námestie (in front of the Presidential Palace), in the direction of Koliba. Go right to the end and walk up the hill in front into the forest and the trail emerges at a clearing dotted with bars and cafes.
Bratislava with the Danube Copyright Slovakia Tourist Board
The River Danube that winds through town is one of Bratislava’s great assets and it is a magnet for walkers, cyclists, inline skaters, and strollers who come to watch the commercial riverboats that cruise the river and the high speed catamaran that links Bratislava and Vienna several times a day during summer. For cyclists, a particularly popular ride is out to the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum at Čunovo from where it is possible to catch a boat back to the city.
Lace Work and Embroidery for sale at a stall in the Old Town
Bratislava may be a small capital city, but it offers a lot to the visitor. Slovakia has a particularly rich folk culture, and this can be seen in the local woodwork, ceramics, textiles and music. The people are proud of their heritage, and several shops offer a range of locally produced, quality goods, ranging from the distinctive blue and yellow pottery to hand embroidered children’s clothes and houehold linens, modern glassware and traditional wooden items.
The best time to see traditional hand-crafted goods is at the Christmas Markets but go anytime to this lovely city and enjoy the produce, the crafts and the hospitality – but watch out for the chocolate.
My Favourite Spot. A Piano left under an archway for practice purposes for students who had no instrument of their own.
©Steve Moore
©Steve Moore
©Steve Moore
MARI'S TRAVELS WITH HER CAMERA 