Tag Archives: bruce peterson

Southwold Pier

Located in the coastal town of Southwold, this old school pier is a little like a step back to a more innocent time. Originally built in 1909 the pier has suffered many ups and down having been destroyed by storms in 1937, 1955 and again in 1979 reducing it to a length of 60 ft. After much renovation, today’s pier extends 620 ft into the North Sea.

Southwold Pier

English Sunbather or Crime Victim. You decide.

Bench Armrest

The Under The Pier Show

While many classic English seaside piers have been in decline the Southwold Pier is enjoying renewed popularity, partly due to the “The Under The Pier Show” which features a range of automata, machines and games designed by Tim Hunkin, an English engineer, cartoonist, writer, and artist living in Suffolk. They are about the most peculiar arcade games I’ve ever seen.

Storm the super yacht and get even with the super rich.

Sit in the chair and travel on holiday, moved by the magic carpet. After manic flight and coach ride, arrive in tropical paradise and get brief suntan from heatlamp.

Sit on the fly’s proboscis and experience a fly’s eye view of the world. Stop to eat for as long as you dare, but beware of the fly swat.

Place hand in dog’s cage and hold it there for as long as you dare. Dog pants, dribbles warm saliva and other disgusting things.

I’ll let you work out where the finger goes.

Sit with head half inside processing chamber and watch through mirrors while your scalp is removed and your brain is scrubbed clean. Made by Will Jackson.

Turn the dive lever and descend to the seabed. After witnessing many marvels, get swallowed by a giant fish which causes the craft to leak. Fortunately reverse thrusters are provided for escape.

Start training for your future today! Cross the motorway using the zimmer frame.

Hold stethoscope again chest and let the doctor diagnose your complaint and write out an illegible prescription.

Wendi’s favorite. Stand on the treadmill, hold the dog’s lead and go for a walk. Includes stops at several interesting sights.

Quantum Tunneling Telescope – Focusing time and space to bring you everything you could possibly want to see through a pier telescope.

Beach Huts

These bright colored Beach Huts are small wooden boxes just above the high tide mark. Many were former fishermen’s huts and boat sheds that are now used as shelter from the sun or wind, changing into and out of swimming costumes and for the safe storing of some personal belongings most incorporate simple facilities for preparing food and hot drinks by either bottled gas or an occasional generator.

Southwold Beach Huts

You cannot live in these and the length of stays is closely monitored. They were originally offered for hire at £12 10s per year, now they can sell for £40,000 or more.

The Walk of Mirrors

The Green Children of Woolpit

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The legend of the Green Children of Woolpit recounts the tale of two very green children appearing in the village of Woolpit in Suffolk, England sometime during the 12th century.

One day at harvest time, the villagers discovered two children, dressed in very peculiar clothing, beside one of the wolf pits that gave the village its name. The brother and sister appeared relatively normal except their skin was green, very green. They spoke an unknown language and would only eat raw beans. The villagers taught them English and got them to eat other food. Eventually they lost their green color, but the boy got sickly and died soon after he and his sister were baptized. The girl adjusted to her new life, but she was considered to be loose and wanton in her behavior. After she learned to speak English, the girl explained that she and her brother had come from Saint Martin’s Land, a subterranean world where everything is green.

The Queens

Boudisca

Anne

Victoria

Elizabeth

The Case of the Missing Martyr

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The Strange Tale of St Edmund – Mayhem, Murder and Martyrdom In East Anglia

In 869 the Viking’s Great Heathen Army descended on East Anglia and demolished everything in their path. Apparently King Edmund refused to renounce Christ. On the orders of Ivar the Boneless and his evil brother Abba, the King was whipped, shot with arrows, stabbed with spears and finally beheaded.

I say apparently because almost nothing is known about Edmund’s real life, the Viking Army having destroyed any contemporary evidence of his reign. Legend has it that after his decapitation, the head was taken into the forest by a wolf that kept strangers at bay until the Monks could retrieve the head and bury it with his body.

It is said that wolves have not been seen in East Anglia since that day.

The Wolf Stands Guard Over St. Edmund’s Severed Head

Upon exhumation it was discovered that all the arrow wounds on his corpse had healed and his head was reattached and his skin was still soft and fresh as a daisy. A Saint for sure.

In later years writers realized the inherent PR value of having no factual record of Edmund’s reign and quickly began producing accounts of a life filled with miracles. But creating a Saint out of whole cloth is no easy task and just like a great rock band it requires outrageous tales and a lot of touring. The Benedictine Monks lugged the bejeweled box containing his remains all over Southern England, regaling tales of heroic deeds and miracles to anyone with a few coins. It is said that between 900 and 1000 AD, Edmund’s remains did far more traveling then he ever did during his lifetime. They understood very well that saints mean pilgrims and pilgrims mean money.

The Abbey Tower

During the 11th century the shrine at Bury St Edmunds became one of the most famous and wealthy pilgrimage locations in England. For centuries the shrine was visited by various kings, many of whom gave generously to the abbey. The town arose as the wealth and fame of the abbey grew.

But as we all know, fate can be cruel and in 1539, during the English Reformation and the subsequent Dissolution of the Monasteries, all the abbey’s property was seized by the Crown. On November 4,1539 the abbot and his monks were expelled and the abbey was dissolved, but before Cromwell’s troop could arrive the Monks dug up Edmund’s casket and reburied it in or near the abby grounds. For centuries historians have searched for the location of the venerated saint’s holy remains, but all their efforts have been in vain and the secret is still secure.

On the Green

Tower Door

St Edmundsbury Cathedral Ceiling

Abbey Fountain

Putt Putt Golf on the Abbey Green

St Edmund in the Courtyard

A private home on the Abbey grounds

The Portland Journal _ F8

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NW Neighborhood Stuff

The Northwest District is a hugely eclectic area full of distinct neighborhoods, the Alphabet District, the Pearl, Slabtown, Nob Hill, King Heights, Chinatown and probably a few more. It’s densely packed with Craftsmans, Colonials, hillside mansions, small, medium and large apartment buildings, mid-century professional buildings, ultramodern office buildings and sleek new condominiums. The Portland Streetcar’s first line (the NS Line) terminates here, connecting the district with Downtown Portland, Hillsboro, SE Portland, PDX and the rest of the world.

This is where we are staying at 1223 NW 24th Ave, in a great one bedroom, a block from the street car and close to all kinds of cool stuff. Check it out on VRBO.

NW 24th Ave

24th Street Waiting For Rehab.

NW18

An Artist’s Backyard

NW13

Hillside Garage – NW Summit Ave.

This is the Bruce House. Really.

Garage2

NW17 NW14

GarageDoor2

NW Cumberland Ave.

The Alano Club

Doorway1

1332 NW 21st Ave,

This dive is not actually a cellar, and nobody seems to remember Joe.

NW Thurman St.

NW 24th Street & NW Northrup

NW7 NW9 NW8 NW10

Useless Fact #233: Several characters in Portland native Matt Groening’s television show The Simpsons have names based on the alphabetically named streets in the Northwest District: Ned Flanders, the bully Kearney, Reverend Lovejoy, Mayor Quimby, Milhouse Van Houten (actually in North Portland), and possibly C. Montgomery Burns[ide] (also named for the large neon Montgomery Park sign).

24th Ave & Northrup

Streetcar Dog

The Portland Journal _ F5.6

1 Reply

Important Messages

Anyone who writes on a wall or puts up a sign is convinced that they are sending an important messages out into the world. Messages that will attract business, change our attitude, alert us to some unforeseen danger or just make us smile.

Journey

WetPaint

Panties

Reincarnation

EverythingMustGo

InternetBusinessCenter

Israeli

StreetMeat_15

Wall11

Vicky

Capax

BlazerWall

Wall4

Wall6

Wall9_15

MrPlywood

The Portland Journal _ F2.8

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Portland’s Public Stairways

I saw a OPB documentary on Laura Foster’s book “Portland Hill Walks” about the public stairways that were built in the 1920’s along the city’s hillsides to allow easier travel between neighborhoods. These were invaluable for kids going to school and people going work or shopping. I went exploring in the Northwest Hills from the western end of NW Northrup to the top of Kings Heights and back down to NW Overton. This is what I found.

Walkway6

Walkway3

Walkway12

Walkway8

Trailhead1

Walkway17 Walkway16 Walkway14 Walkway7 Walkway4 Walkway15

Walkway11 Walkway10 Walkway9

Portlands Stairs and Public Paths

My route was,

NW Northrup St. Stair

Connects NW Northrup Street and NW Cornell Road.

NW Summit Ave. Stair

Connects NW Summit Ave and NW Westover Road.

156 stairs 3 flights with landings between, each flight has 52 stairs.

NW Fairfax Terrace Stair

Connects NW Fairfax Terrace and NW Shenandoah Terrace.

NW Cornell Rd Stair

Connects NW Cornell Road and NW Summit Ave.

NW Overton Stair

Connects NW Cornell Road and NW Overton Street.

The Portland Journal_ F2

1 Reply

Shadow |ˈ sh adō|

Something insubstantial or fleeting, a region of opacity, an inseparable companion, to follow and observe closely.

Shadow11_15 Shadow8_15 Shadow7_15 Shadow5_15 Shadow4_16 Shadow3_15

Runners

Something keeps you coming back to that shadowland, And so did I for the mysteries

Boz Scaggs

The Wendi Files – Norse Sagas

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Viking Attitude

I’ve wandered through Scandinavia like a bit player in the Norse Sagas, those timeless myths filled with blood, battles and debauchery. Only my voyage consists of beer, buses and bargain basements. Maybe not as dangerous but just as exhausting. At this point in the trip I’m downright tuckered out. I have been trudging around after Wendi as she’s pillaged her way through Iceland, Norway and Sweden for weeks. I’m always a couple steps slow and a few beats behind like a bass player that can’t catch up to the rest of the band. It seems she is always looking back at me with that “will you hurry up” look on her face.

Let’s Go

And hats! What’s with the hats? Every silly hat from Reykjavik to Stockholm has magically ended up on her head, coupled with a goofy grin. She doesn’t want to bring them home so, I suppose, that’s good.

Regardless of her proclivity for wacky chapeaus, Wendi’s enthusiasm is undeniable. She is clearly a woman on the move.

At the Opera House in Bergen, Norway

A stroll in Bergen

Shopping in Stockholm

On the way to the Moderna Museet in Stockholm

On a ferry in Vestlandet

On the fjord ferry.

With family in Stavanger, Norway

A walk in Bergen, Norway

Shopping in Reykjavik, Iceland

Armed with her Stockholm Card.

On the way to Fotografiska.

Subway station photo bomb.

On the way.

Hotorget Flea Market

City Food Market

The Royal Palace

On the Flambana in Norway

She does have quiet moments of self reflection, albeit few and far between and usually after extensive shopping or while jet lagged.

DK Department Store – Stockholm

One of twenty H&M’s in Stockholm

Jet lagged at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland

At the Moderna Museet in Stockholm

Wet Bottom.

With Olav, Wendi’s Viking Friend.

On the ferry in Stockholm

She did take time for a little work.

Gamla Stan, Stockholm

At Skudeneshavn, Norway

Haugesund, Norway

Rosendal, Norway

That’s all for now.

That’s All Folks.

See you soon.

Stockholm – Hustle & Bustle

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Let’s start with a travel tip. I’m always a little leery of package schemes and deals aimed at visitors, but the Stockholm Card is the exception and a great deal. This is a real godsend, which, if you keep busy, offers significant savings. It is also hugely convenient to not have to dig for cash or use a credit card everywhere you go. Besides giving you free passage on all of Stockholm’s public transportation you also get free access to over 75 major museums and major historical sites.

Our public transportation map after 6 days.

Stockholm is a big and busy city, not big and busy in an otherworldly sense like Hong Kong, New York or London. There are no skyscrapers and the church spires are still the tallest structures in town. There are no giant cloverleaf overpasses like arteries in some huge beast, but Stockholm is spread out over 14 islands with a complex overlapping transport system that incorporates ferries, buses, trams, subways, bridges, walkways and roads that tie the whole thing together.

The City Food Market

The City Food Market

Shopping on Drottninggatan

In Blasieholmen

On the ferry to Djurgarden

In Blasieholem

On the ferry to Djurgarden

On the dock in Skeppsholem

Hotorget Square

Across the water towards Ostermalm

Across the water towards Ostermalm

Kiosk in Djurgarden

Clock near Kungstradgarden

Old Tram Sign

Building in Ostermalm

Walking in the old city.

Near T-Centralen

Outside T-Centralen

Gamla Stan

Gamla Stan, or “Old Town”, is our favorite part of the city. It is situated on the island of Stadsholmen and is one huge warren of narrow medieval streets and heritage sites. The Royal Palace, museums and 17^th century churches are just steps from each other. The entire atmosphere is of a bygone era.

Stortorget was the site of the old Stock Exchange is now a lively square in the heart of the old town but in 1520 it was the site of the Stockholm Bloodbath when the Danish King tricked the Swedish Regent and beheaded more then 80 Swedish noblemen in this very square.

Stortorget

The Hotorget Flea Market

No trip would be complete without a flea market. The square at Hotorget is a flower and produce market all week but every Sunday it transforms to a great little second hand market. Just try to keep Wendi away. I dare you.

Sinking Expectations or The Very Short Voyage of the Vasa

When the Vasa was designed by two Dutch brothers in 1628 it was the largest and most heavily armed war ship in the world. With this vessel the Swedes hoped to strike fear in their enemies and control all trade on the Baltic Sea. Unfortunately, there was no engineering, as we know it, at the time and all construction was essentially done by trial and error. The massive ship proved to be just a whisper too tall and slightly too narrow. It was a lovely sunny day on August 10^th in 1628 when the Vasa set out on it’s maiden voyage. In a slight breeze it listed a little to starboard, took in water through the gun ports and sank to the bottom of Stockholm harbor where it lay until being rediscovered in 330 feet of water in 1956. After a complex salvage operation and a 17 year conservation project the Vasa now sits proudly in it’s own especially designed museum.

http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/The-Ship/Life-on-board/

Vikings With Spray Paint

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So, a Viking walks into a bar with a can of spray paint…….

Graffiti Beginner Kit

I was a little surprised with both the volume and quality of graffiti we’ve seen in Scandinavia. Reykjavik has a huge amount of young people, so I get that, but Norway is a very squeaky clean country, with strict rules on driving and public behavior, and people like it like that. We have discussed the very large quantity of graffiti, wall paintings and assorted art stickers plastered about with a couple bartenders and have been informed that it is not really thought of as graffiti, but more “Street Art”. Which is kind of cool, it raises the bar a little and opens it up to a variety of media, i.e. paint, neon, stickers, posters, etc. Let’s walk around a little.