The Clifton Suspension Bridge, spanning the beautiful Avon Gorge, is the symbol of the city of Bristol. For almost 150 years this Grade I listed structure has attracted visitors from all over the world. Its story began in 1754 with the dream of a Bristol wine merchant who left a legacy to build a bridge over the Gorge.
This is my own personal nomination:
The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco's renowned iconic symbol, is an engineering feat, spanning 1.7 miles and reaching 220 feet above the San Francisco Bay. Its magnitude dwarfs the ships and automobiles below.
This next photo reminds me of a time many years ago (following the Korean conflict) when I was living in San Francisco. I was taking the streetcar downtown, and ran into a fellow high school grad. Turns out he had been in Korea, and came back on a troop ship, sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. I asked him if it was something of a thrill to see that bridge. His reply: “Couldn’t see it at all -- it was fogged in.”
Fun:
An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor who was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor who said, 'Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.' The gentleman replied, 'Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!'
That is a beautiful bridge in a beautiful location. Did you read they covered Sydney Harbor bridge with turf and had a picnic for 6000 people there yesterday? Maybe you could push for the same thing on the Golden Gate. Try to pick a day that isn't so foggy.
ReplyDeleteDo you remember the 50th anniversary of the Golden Gate, when they closed it to traffic and invited people to walk it? It was solid people, and the thing FLATTENED OUT, totally freaking out the engineers! It held, though.
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