In 2018 we visited Ironbridge, site of the eponymous iron structure. Unfortunately at that time the bridge was being refurbished and swathed in plastic. Last year on our way further south from Gladstone’s Library at Hawarden we returned. Lo and behold the bridge was revealed in all its splendour. A delightful sight.

The iron bridge at Ironbridge (Ironbridge War Memorial to right; see first link above):-

Closer view:-

Reverse view of bridge:-

River Severn from the iron bridge (looking east):-

(Looking west):-

Ironbridge village from the iron bridge:-

River Severn to west:-

River Severn looking to bridge from west:-

Sadly earlier this year the River Severn rose – not for the first time – and overwhelmed the temporary flood barriers that had been erected in an effort to prevent damage.

Rhyl is only a few miles from Prestatyn so we popped along the coast a bit. It’s a seaside town so naturally there’s some Art Deco.

Former Burton’s. Typical Burton’s Deco style:-

Art Deco style clock tower on East Parade. Nice bridge behind:-

Then there was this building still with its original Critall windows:-

The Premier Inn on East Parade has something of the look, horizontals, verticals but no rule of three:-

The Royal Border Bridge, Berwick was built between 1847 and 1852 to carry the railway over the River Tweed.

From north bank:-

Southern part:-

From Tweedmouth:-

Tweedmouth’s War Memorial stands at the southern end of Berwick Bridge almost in the shadow of the newer Royal Tweed Bridge.

From Berwick Bridge (Royal Tweed Bridge in background):-

The Memorial’s inscriptions are, “In ever grateful and proud remembrance of the brave men of Tweedmouth who fell in the Great World War 1914-1918 and of the men and women of Tweedmouth who lost their lives in the Second World War. They were a wall unto us both by night and day.” “Erected by the inhabitants of Tweedmouth and other friends.” There is also a dedication to 2nd engineering officer Paul A Henry GM, 8/6/1982, aboard RFA Sir Galahad, at Bluff Cove – Falkland Islands. Below are the dates “1914-1919” and “1939-1945” and “To the memory of the men and women of Tweedmouth who have fallen since 1945.”

Memorial from west:-

Reverse of memorial:-

Behind the Memorial on the wall bordering the River Tweed are some shields installed to remember those whose names were not included on the Memorial itself. From left to right: Civilian Personnnel, Royal Air Force, The youth of today remember the youth of yesterday. This last has the furtehr information, “These shields were requested by the children of the area In Memory of the Fallen.” “We do not forget.” (Royal Tweed Bridge and Berwick Bridge in background.)

There are two more shields to the right of Youth of today; Royal Navy and British Army:-

Tweedmouth War Memorial and Berwick Bridge from Royal Tweed Bridge:-

I have posted pictures of Berwick’s bridges before, in 2010.

Berwick’s old bridge was built between 1611 and 1624. Previously wooden bridges had spanned the river but were variously destroyed by floods or military action.

From Tweedmouth side:-

From newer bridge (to west; stitched photo):-

From northwest, on new bridge (stitched photo):-

Annan is a town in Dumfries and Galloway. It is named for the river which runs through it:-

That bridge is well-proportioned:-

View from bridge looking north:-

Somewhere in the park beyond is the remains of Robert Bruce’s motte and bailey castle:-

A statue of Bruce adorns the Town Hall:-

The Town Hall itself from a different angle:-

This is the view south from the bridge. Another bridge (a footbridge) can be seen to top centre right:-

We walked down to get a closer look (and eventually walked over it):-

The footbridge gave a good view of the old railway bridge over the River Annan. the railway is now disused:-

We passed under the Oresund Bridge (Öresund or Øresund Bridge depending on whether you live on the Danish or Swedish side) on the way from Stockholm to Aalborg.

I had thought we would do so when sailing from Copenhagen to Warnemünde but we seemed to turn north out of Copenhagen (I could just about make out the bridge in the southern distance) and then west. At that point we had to go in to dinner so I assumed the ship travelled down the west side of Zealand then instead of passing under the bridge.

Unfortunately it was about one o’clock in the morning when we passed under the bridge – and dark; so the photos aren’t much cop.

Video. (It was quite windy):-

Closer appraoch:-

Eastern support tower:-

Video. (I don’t know whose the voices are. Other people were also enjoying the experience):-

The coach had dropped us off near Gamla Stan – old Stockholm, well worth a wander round. (In pre-coronavirus days anyway):-

Art Nouveau-ish Building, Gamla Stan, Stockholm:-

Church and bridge round corner from Gamla Stan:-

Traditional architecture:-

Gustav II Adolf (Gustavus Adolphus) statue and building opposite Riksdag and Opera House, Stockholm:-

More modern Swedish style:-

Next stop on the Baltic cruise was Stockholm for our fifth day in a row of shore excursions. We were getting a bit knackered by then but Stockholm is a stunning city and made up for that. Being built on islands there is water everywhere and loads of bridges.

Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) and bridge. What a lovely aspect:-

This was by the other side of the Riksdag:-

Two for one here, foreground and background:-

This rather less elegant one was near the ship’s berth:-

When I first glimpsed this tower I had hoped it might be Art Deco but it’s not. Looks like a communications tower:-

Or leaving St Petersburg (as it is again.) I liked the alliteration though.

I snatched these through the coach window on the way back to the ship’s berth.

An old bridge over a waterway:-

This one I realised later is on the corner of Nevsky Prospekt at the Anichkov Bridge over the River Fontanka and I had photographed it from the street:-

A Fire Station:-

This is the bridge almost hidden behind the building under construction I photographed from the ship’s prow:-

And this is the one between the ship and the Zenit Arena (aka Krestovsky Stadium) – see same link above:-

Bridge and Krestovsky Stadium:-

Krestovsky Stadium/Zenit Arena plus part of the bridge, also two blurred birds:-