The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!
March’s writing prompt is about bridges… big or small, sturdy or wobbly, they keep us connected over rivers, valleys or other obstacles. Do you have bridges that are special to you, or which you’d like to visit?
Personally, a couple of bridges come to mind. I don’t really have a favourite bridge for architectural reasons, or because they’re particularly beautiful or in beautiful places. For me, as soon as you say “bridge” I think about the bridge over the Taff in Cardiff, which you cross immediately after passing Cardiff Castle and the Animal Wall (pictured! Image is by Keith Edkins) on the left. It’s really close to where my nan lived, so it’s familiar from years and years of visiting my grandparents. Cross that bridge in the other direction, and I’m walking to a second-hand bookshop, Waterstones, the library… It’s home, even though I haven’t lived in Cardiff for a while now.
I can’t really think of any bridges up here in South Yorkshire, but there are quite a few bridges in Cardiff, where my family are from, that I have nostalgic feelings about. Most of them are small bridges in a park, over streams which my grandad would have to (try to) stop me jumping into…
How about you? In your postcards this month, you can write about your favourite bridges, bridges you want to see, famous bridges in your country… and you can let us know here in the comments, too!
46 comments so far
For me the most beautiful bridge ever is Le Pont du Gard in the South of France. It is a Roman building, more than 2000 years old. Even if it is called „bridge“ (pont), it is actually an aqueduct, that provided the city of Nimes with water. A technological and artistic masterpiece!
There are many bridges that have personal meaning to me. For example, the Brooklyn Bridge, Golden Gate, Ponte Vecchio, and Rialto. But the Bridge of Sighs in Venice is especially emotional. It's totally enclosed limestone construction, diminutive size, and barred windows makes it especially sinister in appearance and feel. It was built in 1600 and connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. Its vibe is decidedly dark and sinister. When I walked through I could feel the sadness and despair of so many lost souls walking to their death on these well worn stones.
My Bridge : Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke in Wilhelmshaven in North Germany, Lower Saxony. It could be turned and lifted to let ships and boats through to reach a bay in a harbour near the city. It remembers me to my childhood when visiting my grandmother and my aunt, my uncle and my cousin and his wife.
living root bridge is a type of simple suspension bridge formed of living plant roots by tree shaping. They are common in the southern part of the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya. They are handmade from the aerial roots of rubber fig trees by the Khasi and Jaintia people of the mountainous terrain along the southern part of the Shillong Plateau. Most of the bridges grow on steep slopes of subtropical moist broadleaf forest . This is my favourite bridge
Living root bridge
We have the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in my area which is a 17 mile “over and under the water” bridge. It’s truly amazing when you hit the middle part and there is only water all around you. We have lots of others in our area too but that is the best.
When I was in school in Detroit “the bridge” meant the Ambassador Bridge that connected to Windsor, Ontario.
Now that I’m in the San Francisco Bay area “the bridge” is the Golden Gate, or maybe the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Echo Bridge in Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts has many memories for me. I grew up literally right beside it for several years in my childhood. It is a foot bridge across the Charles River. If you walk down under the bridge you can yell across the Charles River and hear your echo. Every Easter Sunday my church held Easter Sunrise Services on top of the bridge. I remember my little legs freezing beneath my new Easter dress.
After the service, everyone would walk back to the church and enjoy hot cocoa and donuts.
Folks,
A lot of people who first come to the Grand Canyon in Arizona envision a time when they can walk across to the other side. I have made the trip many times, and a welcome sight after 6 miles down the South Kaibab Trail comes the Black Bridge over the Colorado River. Just on the other side lies Phantom Ranch, with a canteen, water, cabins, campground, and rest for the 14 miles up to the North Rim. This is my bridge. Its history and earlier crossing attempts are here:
https://grcahistory.org/sites/colorado-river-corridor/black-bridge/
I especially like the lovely wooden covered bridges of USA and Canada. We have been there serveral times and got in love with them. We made real covered bridge tours - from one to the next. There are beautiful bridges in red, white, brown... so many different ones and I took a lot of pictures
The Millau Viaduct over the valley of the River Tarn in southern France is the tallest bridge in the entire world at 343 metres. I crossed it several times and it still impresses me al lot. It's used as a motorway, so you can forget walking across.
https://www.thelocal.fr/20160818/the-bridges-you-have-to-cross-in-france/
Ich liebe die Fehmarnsundbrücke am Fehmarnsund Ostsee in Ostholstein Schleswig-Holstein Germany.Sie wurde 1963 eingeweiht ,zum 50 jährigen bestehen gab es sogar eine Briefmarke von ihr
Uuu, such an interesting topic, one of the most interesting ones since I joined the community!
One of the special bridges for me is the Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam - I was selfish enough to squeeze in a visit to Rotterdam (on our way from Amsterdam to 's-Hertogenbosch) just to see and walk across this amazing bridge.
Secondly, since in the town where I currently reside a famous musician recently died, I heard some rumors that a bridge might be called after him - either one of the existing ones or one which is to be constructed in the future.
I'm impress with the "Tower Bridge" in London,UK. I love the architecture, color and you can walk in the bridge. I love the "Golden Gate Bridge". I know it's not golden but taking a picture from it, it's always colorful. In our city, Victoria BC in Canada we have "The Johnson Bridge". I like it at night when the lights are on.
The Golden Gate Bridge is in San Francisco, CA.
A bridge I like to visit is the "Alte Mainbrücke", which is the oldest bridge across the Main River in Würzburg, northern Bavaria. Construction was started in the 12th century. On each side are statues of patron saints. Today it's a bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians and it's also a landmark of the city. From the bridge, you have a great view of Fortress Marienberg and of tourist cruisers and freight boats passing the locks. When we're not in a pandemic requiring social distancing, there is a restaurant at one end of the bridge with a take-out window for beverages. Weather permitting, they sell local wine and other drinks by the glass and people stand on the bridge enjoying the views, meeting friends, or listening to nearby street musicians in the summer.
The Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, BC, CANADA which was built in 1938. I wish I could get a postcard of it with an Alaska Cruise ship passing under it.
Seven bridges in Porto my utmost favourite!
When I lived in NY I loved to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge. I don't think I ever thought of a "favorite" bridge before I saw it but it is definitely my favorite. It also shares my birthday. I don't remember ever seeing postcards of it though.
When I was growing up, a neighbor had a small stream in the front yard, burbling through pine trees and under a small log footbridge, maybe four feet long. With the darkness under the trees and the mossy rocks, that bridge was magical in my young imagination. I loved it there.
We have many bridges in Australia and of course the most famous is the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Every Year in January 1 it has the most incredible fire works that is seen by millions around the world. My favorite bridge is in Tasmania.
Ross Bridge, Tasmania
Four years in construction and built of stone quarried locally by convicts and completed in 1836, Ross Bridge, across the Macquarie river at Ross, is unquestionably one of the most picturesque and unusual bridges in Australia.
The ornate carvings on Australia's third oldest bridge are the work of Englishman Daniel Herbert, who came to Van Diemen's Land in December 1827 a convicted highway robber. He continued to live in Ross and died here a free man 1868 - he was buried in the local cemetery on a hill not far from the bridge - and he would have thanked Ross Bridge for his freedom, for it was his work on its construction that gained him a pardon and his release. James Colbeck, another stonemason who worked alongside Herbert, also received a pardon for his work on the bridge.
The very beautiful and fascinating Kandrour Bridge is 8 kilometers from Bilaspur on National Highway No-88 in Himachal Pradesh ,🇮🇳. It is across the river Satluj. Its construction was started in April,1959 and was completed in 1965.😊👍
I like bridges. I like the Movie: the Bridges of Madison County with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep
Also i am always excited about the bridges that words and gestures can build between people.
The Old Bridge( UNESCO) in Mostar, Bosnia is our the most beautiful landmark.
The Old Stone Bridge in Regensburg, Germany - whenever I see a picture of it, it feels like a touch of home. :-)
My favourite bridge is our Müngstener Brücke, which is the highest railroad bridge that overstretched two pranged between Solingen and Remscheid. The recent idea is to make a cycle path under the track.
In Sabah the most well known bridge is Jambatan Tamparuli (Tamparuli Bridge) located about 45 minutes from the Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of SABAH. It is a suspension bridge across the Tuaran River connected Tamparuli town with the other side. It famous with the local song, Jambatan Tamparuli written and sung by Kadazan Dusun song writer, Justin Lusah in mid 1970's. Anyway the suspension bridge that stand today is not the real bridge in the song because it was destroyed by the big flood in January 1999 but it still famous among tourist who came visit Tamparuli.
Here I share the song Jambatan Tamparuli as on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/e4A9zcNCnzY
In London, we have " The Wobbly Bridge!
Proper name "The Millenium Bridge ! It was opened by the Queen on the 10th June 2000 and closed 2 days later as whilst it's an amazing Bridge it began to sway with regular oscillations in a rather alarming fashion. There was a lot of head scratching of Engineering brains! It finally reopened after the installation of baffles ( think shock absorbers ) in Feb 2002. 80,000 people crossed it on the first day with 2000 on it at any one moment! It's a great bridge with great views, you can read all about it here.
https://londonist.com/london/features/millennium-bridge-trivia
Best Wishes Derek
So fascinating! I loved hearing about the Animal Wall! I'd love to visit the covered bridges of Madison County in Iowa someday. Not far from where I live, we have Wisconsin's last covered bridge. I also love bridges in Japanese gardens, natural rock bridges, and the bridges that cross the Mississippi River in the western part of our state of WI.
The most amazing bridge for me is the DNA helix in Singapore
The Charles Bridge in our capital Prague of course!
I like also the Most SNP (Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising) in Bratislava / Slovakia and Széchenyi Lánchíd (Széchenyi Chain Bridge) in Budapest / Hungary.
Bridges are great. And there are so many!
When I think about it right now, I actually think first : bridges connect people! They shorten distances. Give us an idea of what people can create. Often you even have a good view from a bridge. . . as a grandiose side effect, so to speak. And who hasn't balanced on tree trunks or stones (over streams) as a child? Swinging on ropes over precipices?
My favourite bridge is the "Hohenzollern Bridge" in Cologne, which carries trains, cyclists and pedestrians across the river Rhine. People who are connected in love or friendship hang their security locks with their names engraved on the metal fences on the bridge . . . and then throw the keys into the river. Eternal love and connectedness. How many times have I walked there and looked at this beautiful picture...😍
Facts of this bridge for technical enthusiasts:
Type: six-track railway bridge with walking and cycling paths on both sides
Construction: three side-by-side half-timbered arches
Year of construction: 1907 to 1911,
reconstruction: one bridge each 1946 to 1948, 1956 to 1959 and 1986 to 1987
Spans: total 409. 19 meters
Total width: 26. 20 meters
Owner: Deutsche Bahn AG
I also like watching the many ships from this bridge. Then, when a train rolls over the bridge, you notice that it immediately starts to move. Right at one end is Cologne's main train station and then...you're already in the city centre.
Well, whatever bridge you like best in this world. . . let's build more bridges to each other, no more walls.
Melanie
For me the most beautiful bridge ever is Stone Bridge in the style of Russian classicism in my native town Kaluga (180 km from Moscow). The bridge was built in 1785 and this is the oldest stone viaduct in Russia.
For me, the most memorable bridge, is one I watched my children build from the river's edge to an Island. We had traveled north ( "going north" as we say in Michigan U.S.A.) to see our friends and stay in their cabins, on the Au Sable River. The spring rains had been fierce that year and as the river receded from flood stage it had left a six foot channel along the bank, creating an island that begged to be explored. My children, along with our friends children, spent a mud filled, gloriously wet, weekend scouring the woods for logs that would span the distance from shore to island. They then covered the two spans with shorter logs and claimed the island for their own.
One of my favourite bridges has collapsed during this winter time. It had been built in the year 1965. In English Lemmensilta is The bridge of love: https://visithaapajarvi.fi/nahtavyydet/lemmensilta/
THe Bridge over the River Kwai (which is not the original river Kwai thanks to a marketing trick, check it out ) in Kanchanaburi, which I have so many memories of. Visited at least 6 times - it is like ravelling back in time in this hippie town of Thailand I would be so happy to see it again at least one more time.
One of my favourite bridges is the Rakotzbridge at Kromlauer Park. I also like the Oberbaumbridge in Berlin and the Geierlaybridge.
Did you hear that Canada Post is sending every household a blank postcard in March, for use within Canada?
Exciting!
I hope it gets many more people in Canada interested in postcards and snail-mail correspondence.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/canada-post-postcard-campaign-1.5926728
"The Canada Post Write Here Write Now campaign aims to help Canadians connect through letter writing."
my favorite bridges are :
- in literature "a bridge over the Drina" by Ivo Andric
-and on the way to St Santiago de Compostela that of Puente la Reina.
I like very much the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco which I visited in 2019 for the first time.
My very favorite, and first bridge to experience as a child, has got to be the historic Aerial Bridge in Duluth, MN, USA. It is an unusual and distinct landmark for the city and the state.
(As I child, I also remember an "imaginary bridge" I crossed when becoming a Brownie Girl Scout)
Overall, bridges remind me of connections...and Postcrossing has indeed been a favorite "bridge" as well.
I watched Alfred Hitchcock's "39 Steps" last night but did not need to see it to remind me that the Firth of Forth Bridge in Scotland is one of my favorites. I used to collect postcards of the first bridge over the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Other favorites are the Calatrava pedestrian bridge in Bilbao, the Vasco de Gama Bridge in Lisboa, all the ones in Paris, the Brooklyn Bridge, and all the bridges on the Camino de Santiago.
My favourite bridge is over troubled water. Song by Simon & Garfunkel <Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water>.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlotbrug
Koedijkervlotbrug is in my area. It is thrifting flooting on the water. In the past you could cross by car one by one. Now only for cyclists and on foot.
China is the hometown of Bridges and has been known as the "country of Bridges" since ancient times. It developed in Sui Dynasty and flourished in Song Dynasty. Bridges all over the land of China, woven into an extensive traffic network, connecting the motherland in all directions. Many of the architectural arts of ancient Chinese Bridges are pioneering works in the history of bridge construction in the world, fully demonstrating the extraordinary wisdom of the working people of the Han nationality in ancient China.
Chaozhou Guangji Bridge, Zhaozhou Bridge in Hebei, Luoyang Bridge in Quanzhou and Lugou Bridge in Beijing are known as the four ancient Bridges in China.
The science and technology of bridge in ancient and modern China used to be in the forefront of bridge construction in the world, and many bridge styles continue to exert an influence on modern bridge construction in the world. At the same time, it is a living cultural relic treasure, recording a lot of precious data.
Oh my!
Come to think of it; there are so many bridges that I've seen in my life, from the gondola ride under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice to cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge, seeing the Brooklyn Bridge, passing over the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls countless times, walking the Tower Bridge in London, taking the bateau-mouche on the Seine River in Paris and going UNDER the bridges and many, many more! What great memories...............
When I think of bridges I think of the Second Severn Crossing, or the Clifton Suspension Bridge here in Bristol. I also know the bridges over the Taff well, as I went to uni in Cardiff (the bouncy one by Pontcanna Fields is my favourite!).
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