14 October 2024

Ponte Pietra across the Adige River in Verona (Italy)

I’d like to sing of Verona, at some point
in the night, when the moon rises:
when the woods that sleep but seem to run
in the dreams of boats following their fortune
behind the waters of the Adige, which goes
seeking for countries and cities…
And when all the whisper is over
mirror it down in the Adige, from the bridges,
and fix it myself, wall by wall,
strong in the circle of the mountains…

Berto Barbarini

Wooden Bridge over the Prosna River in the Zawodzie Archeology Reserve, Kalisz (Poland)



"Archaeology holds all the keys to understanding who we are and where we come from."

Sarah Parcak

08 October 2024

Aerial Lift Bridge over the Duluth Ship Canal in Duluth, Minnesota (United States)


“The foreman was a short, iron-jawed man. He had once made a trip as far as Duluth. Duluth was far across the blue waters of the lake in the hills of Minnesota. A wonderful thing had happened to him there.”

Excerpt from The Torrents of Spring,
Ernst Hemingway

Puente del Milagro (Miracle Bridge) over the Mora River in Mora de Rubielos, Teruel (Spain) painted by Julio Monzón


"In 1870 a great storm made the Mora River waters reach the height of the Old Bridge , destroying its stone parapets; in the middle of the turbulent waters, only the pylon of the Virgin of the First Sorrow stood out, immutable, and since then it has been called the “Pylon of the Miracle”.

Legend

07 October 2024

Bridges over the Susquehanna River between Havre de Grace and Perryville, Maryland (United States)

I′m sailing up the Susquehanna River
Got the wind at my back
It's the kind of day where nature fills in
Everything that my soul lacks
There′s a bright blue sky and white puffy clouds
And the water's so pure you would weep
Seems like a dream but I'm a man woke up
After 46 years of sleep

Susquehanna River Song
by JD Smith

03 October 2024

Morning Sunlight Bridge over the Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi (Vietnam)


Is it too long a week?
I feel the days are so long without you
in a Hanoi night full of autumn flower fragance
The stars with me turn towards the horizon
and cry

Poem by Bui Sim Sim

Avenida Bridge between Irún, Guizpuzcoa (Spain) and Hendaya, Pyrenées Atlantiques (France)


"This bridge is a symbol of the history of Irun and with this opening, it recovers its original function. The bridges are not designed to cut off communication, to act as a border, the bridges are designed to unite, to connect the two sides of the Bidasoa and in this case the two cities, Irun and Hendaia."

José Antonio Santano, mayor of Irun.

23 September 2024

Huangsi Bridge over the Tuojiang river in Fenghuan Ancient Town, Hunan (China)

 
The bird Fenghuang is made up of the beak of a rooster, the face of a swallow, the forehead of a fowl, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, the hindquarters of a stag and the tail of a fish. The fenghuang's body symbolizes the celestial bodies: the head is the sky, the eyes are the sun, the back is the moon, the wings are the wind, the feet are the earth, and the tail is the planets. Its body contains the five fundamental colors: black, white, red, yellow, and green. It is believed that the bird only appears in areas or places that are blessed with utmost peace and prosperity or happiness.

Decription of legendary bird Fenghuang
who gives name to this village

Adam Bridge over the Compton Pools in Compton Verney, England (United Kingdom)

"Campaign launched to save iconic 250-year-old bridge at Compton Verney in WarwickshireThe beautiful Grade II listed bridge has been the venue for many wedding photos...

...Installed in the 1770s as part of major changes to the park’s landscape by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the beautiful bridge is an important example of 18th-century architecture and is now Grade II listed."

Banbury Guardian,
4th Nov 2022

20 September 2024

Bridge over the river Restonica in Corte, Haute-Corse (France) painted by Marina Vandel


La mer, le sable chaud
On l'a attendu ohhh
Les couleurs de l'été, 
les cocktails genre mojito
On veut tous êtr bronzés, 
Avoir la peau dorée
S'fabriquer des souv'nirs
Ça nous fait tous rêver
Ça nous fait tous rêver
Mais l'été il est où?
Pour moi la Corsica
Jp'eux pas partir sans toi
Impossible, je peux pas
Impossible, je peux pas

Corsica, song by Monteur Baptiste

Gapstow Bridge over The Pond at Central Park, New York (United States)

Verdes y negras espesuras, parajes pelados
Río vegetal en sí mismo anudado
Entre plomizos edificios transcurre sin moverse
Y allá donde la misma luz se vuelve duda
Y la piedra quiere ser sombra
Se disipa Central Park

In Central Park 
song by Loquillo

19 September 2024

Maria Theresa Bridge (or Stone Bridge) across the Meuse River in Roermond (Netherlands)

 

"If I could wish for immortality on earth, it would only be for the power of relieving the distressed."


Maria Theresa of Austria

New Bridge over the Meric River (or Maritza River) in Edirne (Turkey)

A strong king who ruled over the Meriç River made a great celebration for her daughter birthday.  But in the middle of the party the princess was attacked by a big serpent that was gliding through the air. To save the princess, the monarch requested aid from the river god. The river god emerged from the water's surface in an effort to fend off the serpent. The river god was hurt by the serpent but was able to push the snake into the waters of the river with his last strength. The princess was still grasped by the snake. The river god, in response to the king's begging offered himself as his last chance to put down the serpent in the depths and change the river's direction. But as a result of this offering, the river god vanished, and the river was given the name Meriç in his honor.

Legend of the Meric River

Russky Island Bridge over the Eastern Bosporus in Vladivostok (Russia) painted by Roman Bayánov

 
"The arch span is 380 metres, which makes it the biggest in Europe. The arch design is unique, with metal contour and shrouds inside it."


Albert Koshkin,
president of this bridge building company

11 September 2024

Lupu Bridge crossing the Huangpu River in Shanghai (China)

"A soaring box-arch bridge with a record span, clean impressive lines and innovative use of the side spans of the arch and the deck to resist the thrust of the main arch."

Lupu Bridge, described at reception of
Outstanding Structure Award


Bridge over the Maurian Creek in La Grave, Isére (France)



"A century ago, all the major peaks of the Alps had been climbed. All except for one, the Meije. This citadel of ice and granite put up even greater resistance to the efforts of assailants than the Matterhorn…"


Henri Issellin

Bridge over the South Pond in the Lincoln Park of Chicago, Illinois (United States)


"My favorite thing about Lincoln Park is its location. You’re a mile from downtown and right on the lakefront. The neighborhood itself also has so much personality and charm. I think Lincoln Park has got something for everyone."

Justin Moore, president of the 
Wrightwood Neighbors Association

07 September 2024

Maling Gorge Arch Bridge spanning the river Malinghe in Xingyi, Guizhou (China)




"Guizhou is a beautiful and romantic place with fresh air, clean water and lush mountains. It is also a place of culture with unique music and poetry passed on by various ethnic groups from generation to generation,"

Haim Dotan

Bridges over the Saone River in Lyon (France)

Lyon, est-ce bien toi que la France abandonne,
Toi, la plus belle fleur de sa noble couronne ?
Toi, qui de ses rivaux fixes l'œil envieux ?
Eh ! de quoi punit-on ce peuple industrieux,
D'une liberté sage adorateur sincère,
Qui la sut conserver même aux jours de Tibère ;
Qui, paisible, mais fier, chérissait à la fois
Et son indépendance et le nom de ses rois ?

Excerpt from the poem Lyon en 1793
by Amable Tastu

Washington W. King Bridge over the Stone Mountain Lake in the Stone Mountain Park, Georgia (United States)

Won't you meet me there
At the old covered bridge
Over frulen ridge
That we used to go to

Well it's been a while
Since you've been so far away
And the redwoods just don't sway
Like they used to

Lyrics from Old Covered Bridge
by Riverside

05 August 2024

Painting of the Ponts Couverts over the river Ill in Strasbourg, Alsace (France)

Dès qu'il la vit, il fut séduit
Par ses grands yeux et ses vingt ans
Un beau soir, en Alsace, au printemps
Il s'approcha, elle lui sourit
Il l'invita, elle lui dit : "Oui"
Un beau soir, en Alsace, au printemps
...

From Printeps d'Alsace
song by Line Renaud

Zwierzyniecki Bridge over the Oder River in Wroklaw (Poland)

 


"A bridge is a meeting place . . . a possibility, a metaphor."

Jeanette Winterson

23 July 2024

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge over The Narrows strait in New York (United States)


“Would Giovanni da Verrazano think being eaten by cannibals a reasonable price to pay for having his name attached to a toll bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island? I suspect not.”

Bill Bryson

Corbiére Viaduct over L'Estaque village in Marseille (France)

"Marseille isn't a city for tourists. There's nothing to see. Its beauty can't be photographed. It can only be shared. It's a place where you have to take sides, be passionately for or against."

Jean Claude Izzo

Spina Cavaddu Bridge over the Rizzanesse River in Sarténe, Corse du Sud (France)

In un scornu di lu mondu,
Ci hè un locucciu tenerezza
Ind'u mio core, maestosu,
Imbalsama di purezza
Ghjuvellu di maraviglie,
Ùn ne circate sumiglie,
Ùn truverete la para ;
Ghjè ùnica, sola è cara.
Corsica.

Lyrics from Corsica
song by Patrick Bruel