ANTIQUE CLOCKS

It seems every city has a major clock somewhere within its boundaries. I’ll relate a few that I’ve found interesting and have enjoyed in my many travels.

VENICE, ITALY—St. Mark Sq

This clock near the palace is several hundred years old. It strikes on the hour and the roman numerals move every five minutes. It’s fascinating to watch the little people up there strike the bell. The slowly rotating bell is struck in a different place each time.

VIENNA Anchor Clock, Ankeruhr.

Built between 1911 and 1917 it is situated at Hoher Markt, the oldest square in Vienna. The Art Nouveau designed clock forms a bridge between two parts of the Anker Insurance Company's building. The clock itself is adorned with mosaic ornaments. In the course of 12 hours, twelve historical figures or pairs of figures move across the bridge, Joseph Haydn and Empress Maria Theresa among them. Music from various eras accompanies the figures at noon each day as they all parade by. This tourist spectacle is a special kind of Viennese High Noon.

WERTHEIM, GERMANY:

The tower clock at the 1383 Gothic church is rather unusual. The tower was added 40 years later. On the town side is a normal clock with both minute and hour hands so workers would work to the last minute. But only an hour hand is on the clock facing the castle, as the rulers were only interested in the hour, not the minutes.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

There is a marvelous hanging clock in the center of the foyer of the QVC building in Sydney, Australia. Every hour on the hour loud trumpeters announce the display of a series of mechanically moving tableaux of British kings and queens. The exhibition ends with the beheading of Charles I. It is interesting to watch.

HALIFAX'S Citadel

On the harbor side of Citadel Hill is the Old Town Clock. Prince Edward, father of Queen Victoria, commissioned it in 1803. The clock on each side is a different size. The population in each direction, N,E,S,W, determined the clock size. Staring at this unusual four-sided clock all I could say was, “Amazing.”

MUNICH'S glockenspiel

Late morning we hurried to Maria Square to join a large crowd gathered to watch the 10-minute performance of the century old glockenspiel. In the tower of the new City Hall, which looks like a big Gothic church, the glockenspiel plays at 11:00 AM and again at noon. The figures in the 1908 clock are about six feet tall. The bells ring first, then the figures move around in a circle. It is over when the rooster at the top crows three times.

Departing the square for lunch I said, “ What a fun performance, but I expected the rooster to move forward when it crowed.instead of flapping its wings.” 

VANCOUVER Steam clock

The famous antique steam clock is the first built in the world. Douglas Smith was the engineer who built the clock over a steam vent at a cost of $42,000 in 1977. Ray Saunders, a well-known inventor and clockmaker designed the 16.9-foot clock. Weighing two ton, steel weights go to the top and then drop by gravity. Every quarter hour Westminster chimes are heard, and on the hour a large whistle belches from the clock. The steam pipes are all underground and also heat many of the buildings as well as running the clock.

One evening at a nearby Japanese restaurant we listened to all its chimes and whistles while enjoying a delightful dinner.

Since the city of Reykjavik is totally run on an underground steam system it would be a great place for a steam clock.

YORKMINSTER

On one wall in York, England’s Yorkminster is a charming 400 year old clock. Oak figures strike the clock every fifteen minutes. The clock movements date to 1749. The 15^th century screen is decorated with statues of fifteen kings from William I to Henry VI.

PRAGUE

On the front of the Old Town Hall in Prague’s old square sits an astronomical clock that chimes every hour on the hour from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. The clocks shows the year, month, day and hour as well as the rising and setting of the sun, east and west, the noon and the signs of the zodiac. But crowds gather on the hour to see the 1410 clock’s animated movements. The clock was restored in the 19^th century. When the hour approaches the window opens and the apostles move by.

Flanking the clock are statues representing the values of the day. The fellow looking in the mirror representing vanity perhaps saying he who spends time before a mirror has a poor life; he who helps others has a rich life. The miser represents greed saying spend your money, enjoy life, and have fun. The skeleton representing death says, enjoy life, it is short.. I don’t have you now, but I will. Finally is the Turk soldier representing pleasure and entertainment and not such a good life under them.

This astronomical clock is the third oldest in the world and the oldest still working. The legend is that the builder of the clock was blinded when his job was finished, so he could never duplicate his fine piece of work. I have heard this same legend about other artists being blinded in at least a couple of other places.

In Prague’s old Jewish Center on the Old Jewish Town Hall is a clock with Jewish numerals and the clock runs counterclockwise. Was the builder left handed? No, he was just following how Hebrew is read, from right to left. I really don’t know a lot about the clock, other than it is unique. Above it is a smaller clock with Roman numerals.

ZAGREB, CROATIA

Wandering around the capitol city I spied a wall with an unusual sun dial clock on it. A little over a half circle in size, it was divided into 12 pie-shaped sections with a roman numeral at the end of each pie. It was a most unusual clock and I have never seen another one.

YORK TRIVIA

MORE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT YORK

York, England city’s medieval wall was built on top of the old Roman wall using it as a foundation, a fairly common practice, in those days throughout Europe. Every-thing remained inside the walled city—garbage, bodies, everything. Eventually the ground and the city level became elevated.

Although the wall was level we could see areas where its height was shorter on the inside due to the inside ground level.

            Years ago the ancient wall was naturally in need of repair, and the city wanted to simply tear it down. Some wise and concerned conservationists said NO, and the end result was that the wall was saved and repaired. In some areas a couple rows of stones were removed and a concrete cap added, but the wall remains. We walked part of it—just because.

The Shambles, now a tourist section of the city, was once a market area. Shambles referred to a meat shelf, later it came to mean a meat store or butchery. As time went on the non-edible parts of the meat trade were thrown into the street (alley) to rot and thus shambles now means a mess.

            A red devil sits on the corner of a building on the corner of Stonegate (street).  He’s a pretty cute little devil, all red and grinning.  It seems years ago a printer set his type and when absent or  his back  was turned youngsters would rearrange some of the letters. (Boys will be boys) The printer would scold the boys and call them little devils.

Now Stonegate, the ancient through-way alley, is a pedestrian mall where visitors can shop and enjoy a rich medley of medieval and Georgian architecture.

The Castle Museum occupies three huge multi-story buildings. One can view and walk in recreations of British life over the past 300 years; many of the displays extensive.  Victorian Kirkgate is the oldest recreated street in any museum in the world and offered  great  19^th century window-shopping.  The Half Moon Court offered insights into Edwardian life. Prison life 200 years ago? It was there. I’ve walked many a cobbled street, but never one in a museum.

            We found the chocolate exhibit fascinating. We even lifted up all the answer panels meant for kids. The UK spends a staggering 360,000 pounds (dollar equivalent) an hour on chocolate! It has the largest chocolate consumption in the world.  I’ve heard other such claims but the above is a huge expenditure

INTERESTING ENGLISH CITY

YORK, ENGLAND

The first thing we learned in York, England  was that the ancient gates to the city are called bars because they bar anyone from entering the walled city.

A local docent told us, “Bootham Bar is the defensible  bastion for the north road. Micklegate Bar on the south was traditionally the monarch entrance, and the place where traitor’s heads were displayed. Monk Bar, the last bar built, is the tallest and has kept its portcullis (iron grating) in working order. It has a couple of levels and each one is defendable. A tax door is at  street level as  everything entering the city was taxed. Walmgate Bar is the only town gate in England to have preserved its barbican, a funnel-like approach forcing attackers to bunch together.

            “York’s streets are called gates from the Viking word. So gates are bars and streets are gates, some people find this confusing.”

We walked a good part of the three mile ancient wall surrounding the inner city. The population inside the walled city is 2000, the city’s population reaches 60,000 and greater York approaches 150,000. Romans were in the area from 71-400s when the city was a Roman military center. Anglo Saxons followed, Vikings appeared 866-1066 and then came the Normans.

The rivers Foss and Ouse flow through the city. William the Conqueror took the River Foss for his private fishing pond. Quirky as it may seem, use of the river still belongs to the Queen, and the city of York pays three pounds fifty annually to the crown for the use of the river. This amount has never been increased, but the Queen keeps the money which today equals approximately $6.

St. Leonard’s was a hospital built and run by monks and nuns in 937. At the time it was the largest in Europe. It not only accommodated the sick, but  it was also a haven for the aged and poor---ancient social security. William the Conqueror took care of all that, and eventually alms houses were built for the needy.

St. William’s College, 1465, was built for poor chancellor priests of the York Minster. These priests came to the church as children for food and shelter. However, when they became adults they decided they did not want to be celibate. They were locked in the residence each night where the windows were very small. Legend says that the street of the residence was nicknamed Little Alice Lane. Apparently Little Alice was wee enough to make it through the window in the darkness of night!

A GORGEOUS CATHEDRAL

Yorkminster

York, England is on my list of places to return to, not only because it’s a fun interesting city but because of it fantastic cathedral of which we only had a cursory visit. Like Westminster and Salisbury one should pick up a docent to really appreciate the wonderful features of these churches.

 During a walking tour we walked around the outside of the cathedral as our local city  guide told us, “This cathedral is the fourth building on this site and was built in 1220 in stages until completion in 1472. It is the largest medieval structure in England and the largest Gothic church north of the Alps.”

            The Minster contains 128 stain   glass windows and one half of all the stain glass in England. John Thornton created the east window in 1405-08. It is the largest stain glass window in the world. Its 117 square panes represent 1680 square feet and is the equivalent size of a tennis court! It is truly a gorgeous window. Thornton’s work surely was a labor of love as his payment was 50 pounds.  The five sisters window, completed in 1260,  consists of five lancets, each of which is fifty feet high and five feet wide, and contains more than 100,000 pieces of glass. It.is the oldest window in the Minster.

            The Chapel house  built in 1280-90  contains fine carvings and medieval glass. The central tower of the 15th century is built in the perpendicular style. The original tower collapsed in 1407 and was rebuilt in the form of a lantern tower.

            The ceiling wood in the nave is painted to resemble stone, and it sure fooled me.  On one wall, 400 year old oak figures strike a charming clock every fifteen minutes. The clock movements date to 1749 and the clock needs to be wound every two days. The 15^th century screen is decorated with statues of fifteen kings from William I to Henry VI.

St.  Stephen's Chapel is dedicated to healing and peace.  A short healing service is held here at regular intervals. A portrait bust of Mother Teresa of Calcutta is in this chapel. It also houses a terracotta reredos (the decorative screen behind the altar) which depicts the first hour of the Crucifixion. 

Prince William of Hatfield's Tomb is the only royal tomb in Yorkminster. Although the tomb figure is that of a young boy, William, the son of Edward III, actually died as a baby. The tomb has been moved several times. It was placed here in 1979, in what is thought to be its original position.

There are two fonts in the Minster: a permanent one in the eastern crypt and a movable one in the nave. Traditionally a font is placed near the western door of a church to symbolize entry into the Christian faith.

            The 1291 nave, in  Decorated-Gothic style, is the widest Gothic nave in England. Nave is derived from the Latin navis, meaning a ship and compares the Church to a ship in which the faithful will be saved. The pulpit commemorates Archbishops Temple and Lang. The brass eagle lectern has been used for bible readings since 1686.

There are many points of interest within the magnificent Minster.   

INTERESTING CURIOSITIES

FUN TRIVIA

Pack Horse Bridges

While hiking in England we walked over the 400 year old Slater’s pack-horse bridge. These beautifully arched bridges over becks (small streams) are very narrow. There are many of these quaint 300-400 year-old bridges in good condition still standing in England.

Arched lumber was laid and anchored over the stream. A key stone was placed on the center top, then rocks were laid to the edges. When the wood was removed the rocks locked themselves in place. The pack horse bridges we passed over were very narrow requiring single file so it was hard to imagine a horse dragging a cart ---2 wheels vs. 4 on a wagon--- passing over them. These bridges are so sturdy I wonder if they could even be torn down.

Stile Gate
This is not really a gate, but a built-in mechanism to climb over a stone wall. We climbed over a few of them in England. We were told they were ancient stiles using cantilevered stones as steps. Large stones are left protruding out of the wall to be used as steps. A one shoe-wide hole in the top of the wall is used to place your foot and pivot to climb down the cantilevered stones on the other side to reach the ground. The first time maneuvering these stiles  was a bit of a challenge.

Coffee Shops and Cafés
In Amsterdam, Holland you might like to know that a coffee house and a café are not the same thing. You drink coffee in a café. You can legally buy up to 5 grams of pot in a coffee shop/house, but not drink coffee there.

A Bar
In Italy a bar is a sidewalk sandwich shop. One stands at a small round table, often surrounding a support pole, to eat a sandwich. By the way Italy seems to be totally unaware that we like condiments on our sandwiches. A piece of bread, slice of cheese and meat just needs a bit more to taste really good. Individual packets of mustard, ketchup, mayo and relish go with me on my next trip to Italy!

In the old ancient walled city of York, England, a bar is a gate and a gate is a bar. How’s that for confusing when seeking directions?