The bridges of two counties

[vilakins]

We went to Caerleon this morning to see the Roman ruins. At the museum I was surprised and delighted to find that the Second Legion Augusta had been quartered there--that's the one I'm in back home as a re-enactor. At the ampitheatre there was even a local re-anactor and I had a nice chat with him.


After that we went to Newport and went on the transporter bridge, then to England and Bristol via the second Severn crossing (such a prosaic name for a beautiful new suspension bridge) to see Brunel's wonderful old one. spacefall met us there and we walked across it, at least 400 feet above the 'new cut' on the Avon River gorge, which as 'avon' means 'river' in Welsh is a bit of a tautology. As an aside I can imagine it happening. Visiting Roman or Saxon, pointing at it: "What's that?" Laconic local: "A river, you berk."

Hey and I resisted all the jokes about Avon, his sarcastic and cutting remarks and his rising gorge. Oh, wait--no I didn't.

We then went up to the observatory above the bridge to see the camera obscura there. Also went to the equally Victorian loos nearby; large cubicles to accommodate the crinolines and no button to flush; took me a while to see the ancient chain hanging from the cistern way above in the ceiling.

Oh, and on the way to the Severn, hafren, we crossed the Pont Hafren. Interesting that the Welsh word for 'bridge' is the same as the French.

Off to Bath on the train tomorrow I think.


[Edit] linda_joyce just cooked us a wonderful meal including a leek and apple dish. We were amused though that the leeks weren't Welsh ones but Kenyan! However the potatoes (lovely little new ones) were from Jersey; at home 'Jersey' just means the type.

Comments

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Did you see the little alcove at the amphitheatre entrance where the gladiators waited to go on? Gave me the shivers, that did.

I think both French and Welsh got "pont" from Latin.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I did see that. I forgot to say, that was where the re-enactor was sitting so I didn't get the full impact I would have if I had been there alone and in silence.

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

My favourite Welsh place name is Pont-y-Pant. Moley loves it too...

You're going to Bath, yay! Tis gorgeous:). You're in my favourite part of Britain now, the South West and Wales:)

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

Was the weather good enough for the camera obscura to work? I love them and have seen ones in Chester, Edinburgh and just up the road here.
Hope you carry on enjoying yourselves

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yes, the weather yesterday was lovely. We could see the Clifton suspension bridge, cars and people on it, people walking in the park... Today in Bath was appropriately wet though.

[hafren.livejournal.com]

As an aside I can imagine it happening. Visiting Roman or Saxon, pointing at it: "What's that?" Laconic local: "A river, you berk."

I'm sure that is what happened, but I dearly want to know if it's true that "kangaroo" was also derived from the query "what's that called?" and is actually aborigine for "buggered if I know, mate".

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, Michael Keating asked me just that! I think it's apocryphal, sadly. Besides, there are hundreds of aboriginal languages and no-one even knows which one it was. Sorry.