burning [Liverpool]

This chapter of the blog revolves around an area that had a glorious past but now just another district that calls for regeneration. Mostly, residential but with empty terraced houses, some dilapidated churches and empty streets howling with gentle winds.

"It is just one of those days, when you feel like doing nothing, when you feel wasted, when you just feel to be all on your own… and then you decide to take a walk in wilderness."

But… I decided to go to Liverpool 8. I guess, one of the most silent walks that I ever did during my stay in Liverpool. The time was somewhere close to the sunset… yes, fortunately the sun did shine for the whole day.

Theme of photography 

[ Losing Glory ] 

Photography tip - the idea was to photograph the area in silhouettes. The lens of my camera faced the sun directly giving me some wonderful images showing outlines of houses, trees and some people.

If talking conceptually - I believe the sun is a symbol of 'hope' in all of these photographs, highlighting that the area can rise to its full potential one day if the authorities are considerate enough to invest in regenerating its past.

[bidston]

12:52 hrs

Yellow: indicates the area that I covered by walking, 

while my visit to Bidston.

I had arrived in #Bidston. The most unattractive, smallest stations I had ever seen in England till now,  even the #Edgehill station did not seem to me so inadequate. I was a bit lost because there was nothing in between anything. I saw no houses around, no people, no cars, the only thing that I could see was the sign that said, "Temporary Ticket Office"and even that was closed.

Anyway I started walking towards a bridge that stood so lonely that I could even hear the whistling of air as it passed through the hollow bars. As I was standing on the bridge, I could see the lighthouse on a hill that was considered as the highest point on the Wirral Peninsula.
"It is going to take me ages to reach the lighthouse," this is all I could think of because in order to reach there I had to cross a highway and since I did not know anything about the place so had to find my way to it.

Why... always a lighthouse?? To me they symbolize 'hope'.

I decide to walk along the Hoylake road which met Worcester road on the right and lead me to Vyner road north. Yes, I was using the maps from my i-phone otherwise I would have been completely lost.

 The walk took me to the entrance of the Bidston Hill Park, a natural reserve.

The illustrated map at the entrance showed me a wind mill. 

"This brick built tower mill replaced a wooden 'peg' mill that was destroyed by fire in 1793, and was used to grind corn into flour for 75 years up until 1875. Although access was difficult for a horse and cart laden with sacks of grain or flour the top of the hill was the ideal place to catch the wind. In fact, it is believed that there has been a windmill on this site since 1596."

I knew I will not be able to find it on my own so I took help of a couple walking in the same direction. These locals of the place told me that a fifteen minute walk will take us to the mill. 

There it was, gorgeously standing in one of the remote areas in #England, I suppose. I was standing close to it in order to take the best shots from my camera. There was plenty of light but still I used long exposed techniques to take pictures using my tripod that I was carrying as well.

Ahhhh!!! there was some special essence in the moment that I was in, the smell of the bricks that were not adhered well with its surface, the texture of the mortar that I found extremely historic... seemed like I was not standing in 2013. 

This was not it... there was a walking track that led to an old observatory.

"The Observatory was built in 1866 when Liverpool Observatory had to relocate due to the expansion of Waterloo Docks. The building is made using the stone mined during the creation of the cellars, the deepest of which (36 feet or 10.97 meters) maintains a constant cool temperature.In 2004-5, the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory relocated to a new building at the University of Liverpool."

Behind the observatory was the Bidston lighthouse constructed in 1873. It is part of the observatory, not accessible at all.

"There has been a lighthouse on Bidston Hill since about 1771, when the first Bidston Lighthouse was built, further from the shore than any other lighthouse in Britain. The tower was octagonal, and the lamp room featured a massive parabolic reflector, 13’6″ in diameter, developed at the Bidston Signals Station. The present Bidston Lighthouse and Cottages were built by Mersey Docks and Harbour Board in 1873, after the original lighthouse was damaged by fire and demolished. The building is Grade-II listed and privately owned."

It was getting dark, so had to rush to the station. 

[ trekking Porto ]

Day 2

This day was marked for us to roam around our beloved sites for our crucial projects for the final year in architecture. The itinerary for the day was such that we observe the great Portuguese architecture. Well, whatever we can observe while walking towards our hypothetical sites.

0800 hrs
It seemed laziness had caught up with all my bones and it was really difficult to wake up in the morning. I guess the idea in getting settled down in a new city was making me tired already. I could imagine all the ruthlessness  that was coming our way in the coming days.
It was time for breakfast now, I could only see cereals. It seemed I had dived into a river of cereals and milk in which a loaf of bread was the only survivor.

0953 hrs
Me and a friend of mine leave the hostel early enough to meet with the rest of the gang... ummm!!! group mates. All of us had travelled from Liverpool to grab a bite of the areas that we were supposed to develop and then design architecture master pieces on them.
We both were the last ones to join others at Cafe Ceuta which was right in the middle of Travessa Do Carregal as far as I know. 

1035 hrs
We are all set to leave now. We walked through paved streets. Some were broad but most of them very narrow. We walked through some of the posh areas but then most of the houses were in a very poor condition. It was raining and was gloomy but the bright colours and the glazed tiles made these houses look arrogantly shimmering. 

And something amazing that I hit my eye on...

It was not the nicest of the areas of Porto that we were roaming around but then the red pitched roof houses with ornamental tiles at their exterior made the environment quite attractive. Well to be honest, no offense but tiles that are designed of such caliber are usually used in toilets in my home country. Well since I have said that architecture varies from region to region in the world. A material that can have significant value in one place might not have the same in the other.

That is the sculpture of the Portuguese rooster... famously Cock of Barcelos in Portugal. I always thought that this rooster had significance because of Nando's but there I realized that it was actually a symbol that had some sort of a relation with the Portuguese culture.

While walking on the northern bank of River Douro I came across some amazing views that could be photographed. However, since the since was hiding behind the clouds that day therefore it was not the best time for it. 

 The whole area seemed to be neglected by everyone except for the owners of it but then was not this the buffer zone for the UNESCO Historic Centre of Porto. This meant in order to save the heritage zone this area was not to have major development schemes.
These were surely the reasons why UNESCO was to include Porto in its World Heritage list in 1996. This classification also extends to the left bank, taking in the Ponte de D. Luis, the city's emblematic iron bridge, built by a disciple of the famous Eiffel, the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar and the wine lodges that line the river bank in Gaia, where that great ambassador of the city's name, Port Wine, is left to age before being sent to all corners of the world, bringing great pleasure to all those who drink it. 

And when I am talking about Gaia, the southern bank of Douro, this area is mainly used to store the port wine. Sometimes people mistakenly consider it as Porto as well, probably because of the laying out of the houses and road/street networks.

That is the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar (Serra do Pilar Monastery) at the Gaia side that you can walk through a bridge. 
About that bridge I will narrate in my next issue. The second day does not just finish here. It is just that I am feeling sleepy now.


Cheers

[ shimmering Porto ]

Day 1

1516 hrs

I am getting late for the airport. And I also do not know where to catch the bus from because I have never been to John Lennon Airport in Liverpool. Anyway I grab my bag (supposed to be a cabin bag) and start running towards the train station. Guess what? It leaves quite late for the South - Parkway Station from where I have to again hop on a bus to reach the airport so decided why not to catch a bus at the first hand and #86A made my day.

Therefore I stand on Renshaw Street and start waiting for it. The bus arrives after almost 20 minutes that seemed like a decade of me standing there and I get in.

Patience is required now that is all I could think of because it was a long journey towards the airport. After an hour's journey I finally reached and rushed towards the check-in counter. The location of the airport seemed to be lovely but it was not as happening as the name suggested.

Very calm and quiet... John Lennon was not even near these two feelings when he was at his peak. But then it was just another airport. I saw others (my friends/colleagues) roaming around here and there, some were standing in the queue and some waiting to get in. Trust me it was the easiest check-in that I ever did in my whole life till now. The woman at the desk was looking at me surprisingly when I said "Is that it?"... yeah these words came out of my mouth a little loud. Yes, it was because I was not sure that what was coming next.

The gate to our flight opened 40 minutes before the departure time. All of us walked towards the gate and the time came when good time started to make me worry a bit. 

It was my first time flying with #ryanair and I did not know their rule... lets say I knew them but did not wanted to believe them, which was a big mistake. They were weighing and then measuring the dimensions of the cabin bags that people were taking along with them for free. And guess what... my luggage was under weight but my bag did not fit in the suggested dimensions and they simply asked me to pay 60 pounds on the counter. Wow!!!! what an event to start the journey with. All this time the easy check-in got paid off with this remarkable aftermath. 

I was the last one to enter the plane and then sat quietly and waited to arrive at the #porto airport.

2039 hrs

The flight took off and after almost two and a half hours we landed at the Francisco de Sa Carneiro Airport in Porto (Oporto), Portugal... named after Francisco, the founder of the Portuguese Social Democratic Party in 1974. The airport to me looked 'chic' and made me wonder why people say that Porto as a city is deteriorating.

All of us took the metro and #trindade station was the one where we all were supposed to get off and search for our hostel. The hostel where most of us will be staying for the rest of the week. It was drizzling... shucks!!! that not I wanted for a start. I guess that is what none of us wanted.

2300 hrs

Seems like we have settled down. The hostel seemed quite cozy and comfortable. And it was time for me to take some photographs that I did. Have a look:

 Hmmmm!!! not a bad idea to upload these pictures... well this is how I felt of #porto that night. There will be some actual photos that I will be posting later or you can check out my Facebook profile to have a glimpse on the rest of the album.

Cheers.