The Central Park Fairytale

New York, New York, (so good they named it twice!); the most famous city on Earth, home to the world, epicentre of the American dream.  If anything happens, it happens here first in this cosmopolitan, metropolitan conurbation, where six-lane highways snake as living serpents through a dense high-rise of 17 million, destination Manhattan Island.  These are brash, macho, uncompromising streets, upon which many of the most iconic moments have occurred on the big screen, leaving an oddly familiar backdrop of yellow taxis and subway smoke drifting up from the sidewalks and into the misty morning air.

At the very core of Manhattan sits the city's most famous green space, if ever the terms "lungs of the city" applied anywhere, Central Park.  For us, unceremoniously unloaded at our Downtown hotel the previous night following an unprecedented wait at US Immigration, it's an obvious first stop, a place to refresh and recharge.  What is immediately striking is the peace of the park, for at the very heart of one of the planet's biggest cities sits a haven of plants and birds, with fresh spring flowers still very much in bloom.  We take the steps up to Belvedere Tower, built as a lookout in 1869, and now home to the New York Meteorological Observatory.  For a lookout tower, it's a romantically beautiful structure, and the views of the surrounding park and the city beyond are unbeatable.

Central Park

Belvedere Tower

Our early visit to Central Park is not entirely accidental.  From the tower, I spot a wooden jetty projecting out into a small body of water called Turtle Pond.  We find it and stay a while to take in the view, and whilst Lizzie is lining up the perfect shot on her camera, I fumble around in my pocket for the ring.  The result is a combination of bemusement, sniffles and (I hope) delight.  She said yes, anyway!  Arm-in-arm and newly-engaged, we stroll from here to the Shakespeare Garden, again lovely with the tulips and newly-unfurled ferns, through the winding woodland paths known as The Ramble, around The Lake and over Bow Bridge, down The Mall and through The Dairy, past The Pond and out into 59th Street.  There's a persistent drizzle at this point which is slowly soaking us, but we're on cloud nine, and Central Park has delivered the perfect introduction to the city.

She said yes, and I'm a happy man!

The Shakespeare Garden

Following a special lunch at the Park Lane Hotel, which sits three doors up from the very famous Plaza and has a restaurant overlooking the park and the horse-and-carriages that ply the street in front, we return to the gates of the park, to pay a visit to Central Park Zoo.  It's not the biggest zoo in the world, but it's certainly one of the most well-kept, with some astonishing habitats for the animals in their care.  Red pandas (you don't often see these active,) snow leopards and grizzly bears are undoubted highlights, as are the characterful and playful sea lions, stealing the show in the centre of the zoo.  A quiet day for a visit - being a rainy, out-of-season, Wednesday - but this really works in our favour, and there are moments where we appear to have the whole place to ourselves - just the way I like it.

Red panda

Snow leopard

The rain is actually setting in by the time we're finished and, still feeling a touch of jet-lag, we slowly head back to our lodgings, making an obvious stop off at the NHL store on nearby 6th Avenue, where there are plenty of jerseys from which to choose, yet only one real choice given our location for the next week - a vintage style New York Rangers jersey, bringing the dollars out for the first time.  There's more fun to be had in store, of course, and who wouldn't take the chance to lift hockey's premier trophy, the Stanley Cup?  It also sets us up nicely for the evening's play-off clash - this one is Nashville versus St Louis - watched on TV from the comfort of bed and ending what has been - in more ways than one - a very unique, especially memorable, fairytale day.

A true hockey champion

I love hockey!

And so, two weeks after the Winter Olympics began its crazy set of events in Sochi, we reach the climax of the Games – the men’s ice hockey final in the Bolshoy Ice Dome.  I’ve enjoyed ice hockey for a number of years, and it’s great to see it brought to British television, even if it is only once every four years.

Bolshoy Ice Dome, Sochi

So, who do we fancy for the gold medal?  It’s hard to bet against the defending champions, Canada, especially after their moral-boosting win over the USA in the semi-finals.  On the flip side, I’ve been watching the Swedish team with some interest – the Buffalo Sabres are well-represented here, with defensemen Jhonas Enroth and Henrik Tallinder both playing in yellow.  They're both cracking sides, each capable of winning gold so, like with all sports, it depends who turns up on the day.

Canada beat the USA in a thrilling semi-final

On the subject of colours, I had a brilliant find yesterday – this amazing Finland hockey jersey for only £16 from everyone’s favourite bargain store, TK Maxx.  Well, what’s a fella to do except buy it, especially when I have such a great collection to maintain; I’m hoping it will one day be as good as the sports shop in Banff!

A bargain buy!

Sports shop in Banff, Alberta (2011)

I’ll hopefully be enjoying a really good hockey final today, and as my photo might suggest, I’ve decided to nail my colours to the mast.  Not that it will go down ever so well with our resident wolf dog, Diefenbacker, a proud Canadian from Alberta. 

Diefs

Divided loyalties at home

Good luck Sweden, and all the best Canada!  Now let’s play hockey!

History, Hockey and Habakuk

Salzburg, Austria, home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, setting to the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical classic, The Sound of Music, capital of the Salzburg region, and arguably Austria's cultural centre, a perfect winter wonderland for Lizzie and I to do some pre-Christmas exploration.

Our first impressions are good.  Austria is a new one on both our lists (although I've technically been before, cutting through the country on a non-stop sleeper train to Rome), and our first faltering steps through the sludge and the snow and into the city's New Town reveal a city of sobriety and taste.  Incidentally, the beautiful new town is supposed to be the uglier part of the city centre, but it is new in name only, dating as far back as the 14th century, although several houses had to be rebuilt following the great fire of 1818.  

In Salzburg's new town

Sunday morning and time for breakfast.  We pick a cafe called Habakuk, situated in the heart of the New Town, enticing passers-by with its dazzling number of window cakes.  What follows for us are two very reasonably priced breakfasts, unlike anything we've quite had before.  Orange juice and delicious hot chocolate, two fresh bread roles each, then three-tiered stands - one each! - laden with ham, cheese, cucumber and cream cheese.  By now, the table is full, but the food keeps coming - eggs next - and it is clear that we have the attention of nearly everyone in the cafe.  It is, however, the perfect set-up for a cold and busy day ahead.

Lizzie gets busy with breakfast

Salzburg's New Town is divided from the old by the Salzach River, a tributary of the River Inn that for several miles forms the Austrian border with Germany.  The most convenient crossing point is the massive Staatsbrücke - "State Bridge" - the dark history of which can be found in the slave labour of the Second World War.  On the opposite bank ones enters the historic and atmospheric way of life of Old Town Salzburg.  In its current form, this heart of the city dates back to at least the 700s, with the foundation of St. Peter's Abbey and the Nonnberg Convent.  The several squares, archways, winding streets, churches and towers are crammed in, every inch of the place a cultural hotspot.  No wonder it is recognised by the United Nations; Salzburg's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The River Salzach from the Staatsbrücke

Our destination is the city's history museum, which gives a colourful overview of Salzburg's long life.  Human activity in the area can be traced back some 6,000 years to the Neolithic, when a settlement was established on the nearby Rainberg hill.  In the Bronze Age, the Illyrians settled here to take advantage of the surrounding copper resources, but in the following centuries the region would become better known for its salt mining industry.  The Roman army marched into the area in 15BC and built the city of Juvavum, which was awarded the status of municipium in AD45.  Juvavum became one of the Empire's most important administrative centres in the coming centuries, but was eventually laid waste by the Bavarians around AD500.

Fast forward to 696, and Bishop Rupert of Worms, who was granted an area of land including the remains of the Roman city.  Rupert founded the Monastery of St. Peter and the Nonnberg Convent, both still active today, and both the oldest surviving communities of their kind.  Salzburg became a bishopric in 739, quickly rising to become one of the principal sites outside of the Vatican.  In 996, Salzburg was awarded a town charter by Emperor Otto III, and a century later its iconic Hohensalzburg Fortress was built, to protect the town after it took the side of Pope Gregory II in a power struggle with the Holy Roman Emperor.

Otto III from the Gospels of Otto III (source: Wikipedia)

Hohensalzburg Fortress remained heavily fortified, although it was unable to prevent Frederick Barbarossa setting fire to the town in 1167.  The town was rebuilt under Archbishop Konrad III, who also started work on the first cathedral.  Salt mining, meanwhile, was providing the town with much wealth, allowing the Salzburg archbishops to wield great power in the region.  Tensions between the Bavarian and Austrian royal houses came to a head in the early 14th century, and the two powers went to war.  Salzburg, which technially belonged to the Duchy of Bavaria, sided with Austria and, although Bavaria won the decisive battle, they were forced to concede Salzburg's independence.  It was now an autonomous state, sandwiched between the two much larger neighbours.

Salzburg suffered as much as any other European city in 1348, losing one third of its population in the plague. In the centuries that followed, the town grew in importance, with the addition of many new merchants' houses and improved fortifications at the fortress.  In May 1525, the peasants of Salzburg rebelled, seized control of the city, and negotiated terms with Archbishop Matthaus.  In the aftermath, the Archbishop took a hardline approach, eventually defeating the peasants in 1526.

In 1587, Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau was elected, bringing with him a new vision for the city, overseeing the architecture of modern Salzburg.  Down came the 'undesirable' buildings, and in came open squares, grand residences, and the Mirabell palace, built for his mistress.  Reconstruction continued with his successor, Markus Sittikus, who laid the foundation stone for the imposing cathedral we see today.  He in turn was followed by prince Archbishop Paris Graf von Lodron, whose greatest acheivement was to keep Salzburg out of the Thirty Years' War raging between Catholics and Protestants all over Europe. 

Paris Graf von Lodron (Source: Wikipedia)

The dominance of the Archbishops came to an end in 1800, when Napoleon defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo, whilst another French army captured Munich and Linz.  In the ensuing struggle, Salzburg was bounced back and fourth between its lager neighbours, eventually being incorporated into Austria when the Great Powers - Austria, Prussia, Russia and Britain - re-drew the map of Europe at the Congress of Vienna, following Napoleon's defeat.

Salzburg was left more-or-less to its own affairs for the next hundred years or so.  With the outbreak of World War I, 49,000 Salzburgers were conscripted to fight, although the city itself saw no battles.  Following the war, Austria was formally declared a Republic and twenty years later, the country was annexed by Nazi Germany.  During World War II, the city escaped the worst of the conflict again, but was bombed several times as the war reached its conclusion.  In May 1945, American troops entered the city, overseeing reconstruction for the next decade.  In 1967, a preservation order was placed on the Old Town.

We leave the history museum a little wiser as to the story of the city.  Around the next corner, standing tall and imposing, is Salzburg Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg.  Carolers gather on the cathedral steps, carefully avoiding the sheets of ice that have melted just enough to slide from the rooftop in the weak winter sun.  In the cathedral square - Domplatz - the hustle and bustle of the famous Christmas markets is infectious, an assault on the senses of the eyes, the ears and the nose.

Domplatz and the Cathedral

The interior of Salzburg Cathedral

In the increasingly chilly afternoon, we take a brisk walk to St. Peter's Cemetery, a stone's throw from the cathedral, but a much quieter part of town.  The site dates back to 1627, making it the oldest cemetery in the city.  The sprinkling of snow over the wrough-iron grave markers is very beautiful, as is the entire setting, nestled in the shadow of the Mönchsberg, one of the mountains shaping Salzburg's townscape.  Within this mass of rock, early Christians carved out their catacombs, accessed by a narrow and precarious set of crumbly stone steps.  Inside, a few simple rooms, an alter, some murals and inscriptions belie what would have been a phenomenal achievement - a true testament to the fact that faith can, afterall, move mountains.

St. Peter's Cemetery

Catacombs built into the rock face

In the rapidly setting sunlight, we stroll along the Salzach, admiring the riverside properties and picking the ones we would most like to live in.  We're on our way to the Eisarena, home to Salzburg's championship-winning ice hockey team, the Red Bulls.  A fast-paced, ferocious contest against the Linz Black Wings ensues, with the visiting fans bringing a partizan atmosphere to the arena.  Three times Linz take the lead, three times the Red Bulls pull the game back, before a succession of Salzburg goals prove decisive in the third period, and the home team skate out 6-4 winners.

Salzburg Eisarena, home of the Red Bulls

Salzburg Red Bulls v Linz Black Wings

Later in the evening, now below freezing, we return to the Christmas markets for a browse and a pretzel.  The variety at the stalls is fabulous - candles, decorations, bath salts, glassware, wooden gifts, lace - not to mention the myriad food choices of sausages, pastries, chocolate, fruit punch and the famous Glühwein.  We opt for hot fruit punch in the end, which is both tasty and hand-warming in the bitter evening air.  It may make the walk back to the hotel a little wobbly, but its a winning winter warmer to round off a packed-out introduction to Salzburg.

Enjoying a late-night pretzel

Treasures of Life

I've spent the day cleaning and sorting out my pad!  For me, this is always a refreshing activity as it give me the opportunity to clear out the rubbish that inevitably collects during the course of my everyday life - the pile of magazines that I read months ago, the clothes with holes in that I've been keeping out of sentiment.

It's also a great activity for reassessing the things that you really do want to keep.  My room is crammed full of objects that have great personal value, and although they're mostly of little monetary worth, to me they each have a story, a link to my life and the things I have done.  They're all around me as I type, so here are ten of the best...

1. 1958 Penguin Books copy of The Great Gatsby

This is one of my most recent acquisitions and was passed on to me by Lizzie's mum, who was having her own clear-out.  I have been trying to get my hands on the older Penguin editions of my favourite books (to no great success), so this is a real gem to me, and now sits proudly on my bookshelf with my other Fitzgerald novels.  One of my favourite books, from my favourite author.

2.  Childhood teddy bears

These two guys have been around my whole life, making them my oldest friends!  The panda was given me by my grandma when I was very young, whilst the tartan bear was given to me as a replacement for another bear that I dropped from my pushchair one careless day in town.  If they were alive, they'd know me better than anyone, and if they could talk...

3.  German smoker man

I call this guy Herman.  He comes from a wonderful Munich shop called Max Krug, purveyors of traditional German and Black Forest souvenirs.  I bought him when I was inter-railing in 2008, being one of the few things in the shop I could afford.  What really attracted me to him was his sales tray, beer and gingerbread men.  I was so happy with my purchase that the I almost forgot I had paid with a 50 euro note... The lady behind the tills had to chase me down the street to give me my change!

4.  Beethoven

Another find whilst I was inter-railing, Beethoven entered my life when I was in Barcelona.  I was staying in a hostel just off La Rambla, home of the Liceu opera house.  Their shop window display was interesting, and when I stopped to look in it, this little guy was staring back at me.  The best thing about Beethoven (except his cuffs, tails and cravat) is the key on his back - wind it up, and he plays a lovely rendition of Moonlight Sonata.

5.  The Savoy Cocktail Book

The greatest book ever written on the subject of cocktails was Harry Craddock's 1930 masterpiece.  Craddock, the chief barman of the Savoy Hotel, created cocktails for every occasion.  "But where, Oh, where is the book that gives the earnest student all?  Every beautiful and perfect Wine, each with its own special and perfect occasion, and every cocktail known?" asks Craddock.  "We searched, and found it not, so thought it as well to sit down and get it put together."

Of course, the 1930s original would be impossible to find nowadays, but I was given this (rare enough!) facsimile by my friend Tristan, on my 25th birthday.  It's the only cocktail book I'll ever need.

 6.  Lakota-Sioux Bison

In the summer of 2004, I was part of a university group which travelled to South Dakota for an archaeological dig.  We were examining a Native American village that had been abandoned about 1,000 years ago.  The dig was open to the public and had an accompanying museum and shop, in which all the products had been handcrafted by Native American people.  Since I had been digging up ancient bison bones for nearly a month, I bought this little wooden bison to hang in my room.  Nine years later, it is still here.

7.  Treasure Island

Aside from the remarkable tale of piracy, this book is one of my biggest treasures because it was awarded to my grandma by Wolborough Senior School, Newton Abbot, at Christmas 1937 for an essay she wrote on Temperance.  She donated it to my book collection a few years ago, and I love nothing more than flicking through its pages, smelling its musty book smell, and enjoying its lovely illustrations.

8.  Buffalo Sabres pennants

In a country where ice hockey memorabilia is scarce, these two pennants of my favourite hockey team seem all-the-more special.  I bought the smaller of the two in a wonderful sports shop in Banff, Canada, last year.  The longer one was given to me on my last birthday by Lizzie.  How she went about finding it, I still don't know, but it was a wonderful surprise when I ripped off the wrapping paper!

 9.  Rue de Saintonge street sign

I spotted this genuine Parisian street sign on eBay four years ago and immediately loved the idea of having piece of the historic city in my room.  It fell into its previous owner's hands after it was replaced by a newer sign, and now sits happily (if not entirely well-fitting) on the end of my shelves.

A year after I bought it, I made my second visit to Paris and went off in search of Rue de Saintonge.  As it turns out, it's a tiny little street in the Les Halles district, home to apartments and one or two shops.  Hardly a memorable road, it nonetheless has acquired meaning to me.

 10.  Nutcracker

Anybody who knows me will know I'm a collector of nutcrackers.  Most of the nutcrackers in my collection are only about a foot tall, and only come out at Christmas.  This guy, who I call Wilhelm, stands at about four foot, and has acquired a year-round presence in the corner of my room.  My dad gave me Wilhelm as a birthday present a couple of years ago, after buying him from a shop in Lincoln.  Wilhelm was not actually for sale at the time, but was being used as a Christmas display!

So there you have it - ten treasures of my life, from my room.  They're certainly not the only things I could have included here, but they perhaps best represent the myriad objects I have acquired over the years.  Everything has a story to tell - it could be the place it was made or bought, the weird and wonderful way it was acquired, or simply the fact that it has become an intrinsic part of your life.  So why not cast your eye around your own room and see what stories you can find...