Wonwell Beach Gothvos Laura Denning

On May 18th I participated in a walk through the Somerset Levels led by Laura Denning in pursuit of Hydroethnic rivulets and pools , sweet rack wooden roads, the remnants of islands in the levels unlike the islands at the other end of the Dumnonian peninsular awash in the Atlantic, these isles were met by the Severn, and for the very first time a definite site for a Greenstone Axehead courtesy of Fay Stevens, a site I can return to and delve.

This is where a Greenstone Axe was recovered, (not on May 18th) presaging the cult of relics it was put here and now that its been retrieved I must surely be able to view it and find out a little more information about the space between the Axehead, its place of origin and its place of committal, certain norms are that the presence of water seems to prevail, on an island thats not difficult to imagine, even on an erratic island, it probably looked a bit like this one:

I expect it looked nicer as most are superbly polished after many hundreds of hours polishing by hand, possibly a ritual in itself consisting of story telling and speculation.

I asked Laura if she would place a Gothvos stone as a scenographic response, she accepted a Greenstone axe shaped pebble that I had taken from the Gwavas Lake shores of Newlyn and Wherrytown with the word Gothvos written on it, Laura placed her stone on Wonwell Beach.

Wonwell Gothvos among the Kelp

Mentioned in the Ravenna Cosmology The River Erme is a very significant part of the Gothvos trail,  42 tin ingots were found in the mouth of the estuary on the north side of the West Mary Reef. These date from between 500 BC and 600 AD. Tin mining was in existence on Dartmoor from an early date. Dartmoor tin-mining would have been a major part of the Dumnonian economy throughout its history and into Devons history, nearby Mothecome belies its former celtic pronunciation as Muddicome.The Hydroethnicity drifts on...

So Jungs' Journey to Art and invisible Cultures.

06.05.2018. Belvedere Palace, Vienna, Austria. - Salzberg - Hallstatt.

Does anyone need to justify a visit to Salzberg, Hallstatt and Vienna? Such a rich array of cultural objectives and activities await the traveller there. My visit was to be an adventure with the main purpose of Photography and a personal curiosity of all things cultural, to achieve some good photos of me, some perhaps in interesting locations, I focused on a simply planned excursion without specifics in the itinerary. But for this excursion I became increasingly influenced by some of my more favored accounts of art history.

I became more familiar and at ease with the architecture and the urban feel of the city by looking through the work and style of the artists I had studied, particularly through the work of the artists I knew to be "inhabiting" those Vienese galleries. I could easily conclude that they helped me enjoy that city. I seriously believe that I got to know how to feel my way around the city through the spirit of some famous artists combined with my appreciation of art and aesthetics. For me the most important artists are Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. To be honest, I hadn't felt really mesmerized by any art work to such a strong degree from any gallery before, even though I'd already experienced quite a few art museums including Paris Louvres and National gallery in London and so on.. But when I saw some of the art works from Schiele or Klimt I couldn't pass by easily and I just gazed at them for a long time because I had become so familiar with the artists' story and background, so my impression was that much more informed.

So Jung Travels

Belevedere Palace was so huge and there were a lot of things I could see but I concentrated on those two artists' works, comparing theirs. Therefore, I was satisfied with what I experienced even if I narrowed my field of vision, I did so to intensify my enjoyment of very specific parts of the galleries. Now I'm looking forward to visiting other different galleries all over the world, with the same attitude of mind, I'll research the stories and the background of each important artist before I visit a city!!
'One’s destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things.' said someone..
10.05.2018. Salzburg, Austria.


http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/cultural-history-of-ireland/hallstatt-celtic- culture.htm#definition

When the departure date of my trip was just around the corner, I was very excited, I was so tired of the fickle and gloomy weather in London at that time, by good fortune the weather was sunny in Austria! To me, it was a trip; not only for the cultural heights of art and architecture but also a moment to avoid the rain and recharge my batteries with the warmth of the sun. When I arrived in Salzburg, where I enjoyed open scenery more than the architecture and art in the beautiful museums, I felt supreme happiness in the warmth of the sunshine. But, when I went to Hallstatt, a small town near Salzburg, the weather deteriorated and was not as good as I thought it would be. It took quite a bit of time and effort to get there
and I was really looking forward to going so I became a little bit disappointed about that. Also, I don't think there was anything particularly special compared to its popularity. 

This helped me conclude that planning a visit simply because the location is popular is not always a good strategy.

 But I just looked at the peaceful lake and the not so grand but attractive church for a long time. And I placed a Gothvos inscribed Greenstone from Kernow: Cornwall U.K. the stone hints towards the hidden culture of Hallstatt Celtic cultures for someone who went there because of its historic associations but lost interest immediately (like me), hoping someone may like to find a little bit of fun when seeing the stone.

The Masque and Spectacle of Hollywood - a Forest of Pavements

Where in 1922 The King of Hollywood, Douglas Fairbanks enacted to pursue the rich to pay the poor as Robin Hood, posing as the ultimate Cuculatti.

Now my beloved, step down from your chariot, and let not your foot, my lord, touch the Earth. Servants, let there be spread before the house he never expected to see, where Justice leads him in, a crimson path.

"I am a mortal man, I cannot trample upon these tinted splendours without fear thrown in my path".

(Agamemnon to Clytemnestra)

The Uncarpeted Reality.

The carpeted space is veneered with the colour of our interior, outwardly accessible and yet isolated from the location of its common ground, the inhabitants and their mutual gaze occupy a shared totality. 

Secular temples; The Ineffable Space (Courbusier) and the Tabula Rasa of the cinema screen.

"Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present controls the past,"

On Malibu Beach by Alpha Lima Hotel

An old Collie Dog with a (rich or poor) Dude,

Lived in a house or lived on the beach - 

Can"t tell

Well, his dog stared at me for a long time,

then he came up behind me

and poked me in the bum.

It was very funny, the man apologised.

Davids Morning stroll.

On uncarpeted ground, a Rebus in Beverly Hills accompanies the local news, where the news vender wanders the poiesis slumbers,

Una postal on es veu la cara d'una vella i, mitjançant un sistema d'incisions en persiana, en estirar una llengüeta, apareix la màscara del diable. Al darrere llegiu amb faltes d'ortografia que de nit no us heu de mirar al mirall amb un llum encès a la mà. El dia a dia, 1988-1992  Every Day - Joan Brossa

Una postal on es veu la cara
d'una vella i, mitjançant
un sistema d'incisions en persiana,
en estirar una llengüeta, apareix
la màscara del diable.

Al darrere llegiu amb faltes d'ortografia
que de nit no us heu de mirar al mirall
amb un llum encès a la mà.


El dia a dia, 1988-1992  Every Day - Joan Brossa

Under a Violet Moon with Abby Cheng in Rothenberg

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany (27th Dec., 2017) 

Travelling has become an important element in people’s lives. 
Before travelling, people get excited in anticipation of their planned journey and, look forward to sampling new sensations. I was close to completing an intense English Language course and I was looking for comfort and hospitality rather than excitement. 
When travelling, people can forget their pressures and enjoy being in unfamiliar places.

After travelling, day to day, one reflects and contemplates precious memories of destinations. 

A Gothvos Greenstone brings more peace to Rothenberg

Abby's Memory Lane

I went to Rothenburg very close to Christmas holiday which is my personal favourite holiday. The houses there were so colourful and full of the christmas spirit that we felt like we were in a fairy tale town. The town seemed full of Christmas cheer. (I got into the spirit of the holiday I even bought a Santa Claus doll hahaha). Moreover, people we met there were incredibly friendly, the host of our accommodation, the waiter in the restaurants, and shopkeepers… etc. I could feel that the people who live in this tiny town live simple, uncomplicated lives and seem satisfied with life generally, I hope they were. My friend and I thought about opening an Airbnb here in maybe 20-30 years time. You could really feel relaxed here.


The train journey took us over seven hours from Dusseldorf, I'm glad we persevered, our patience really payed off, it was totally worth visiting! If you want to encounter somewhere that is simple, honest and superbly relaxing, visit Rothenburg, you will not be disappointed, you can discover so much more among those charming streets and pretty houses. 

It was a perfect getaway for me. At the moment I cannot think of a better location to retire to it’s so absolutely suitable for living a relaxed carefree lifestyle away from the distractions 
It has become one of my precious memories, and I will cherish it forever. 



Abby Cheng 11/03/2018

Rothenburg has appeared in several films, notably fantasies. It was the inspiration for the village in the 1940 Walt Disney movie Pinocchio. It was the location for the Vulgarian village scenes in the 1968 family movie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It is sometimes mistaken as the town at the end of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971); that town was Nördlingen. The town served as a loose basis for the fictional town of Lebensbaum ("life tree") in the video game Shadow of Memories (Shadow of Destiny in American market).^[6] Pictures of the town were used in some parts of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, and in the trailer for the film the camera flies over the town from the direction of the valley towards the Town Hall.^[7] A plaque exists on the rebuilt town wall to commemorate this. Filming was done in Rothenburg for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and Part 2 (2011).

Robert Shackleton's Unvisited Places of Old Europe contains a chapter, "The Old Red City of Rothenburg", about the city and its history. Rothenburg is the primary location for Elizabeth Peters's mystery novel, Borrower of the Night (1973) about the search for a missing Tilman Riemenschneider sculpture. The town featured as the location in the Belgian comic book La Frontière de la vie (The Frontier of Life, 1977) and it inspired the look of the town in the Japanese manga and anime series A Little Snow Fairy Sugar(2001).^[8]

Rothenburg's famous street Kobolzeller Steige and Spitalgasse is depicted on the cover of two Blackmore's Night albums, 1999's Under a Violet Moon and their 2006 album Winter Carols. The same image was also used as the town center of Mêlée Island in the 1990 point-and-click graphic adventure game The Secret of Monkey Island.

The video game Team Fortress 2 features a map titled "Rottenburg", a play on the original's namesake along with visually similar architecture.

The southern part of the marketplace is prominently featured in the video game Gabriel Knight 2 depicting the fictional town of Rittersberg.

Venice with Bells on by Abby Cheng

"When a man is riding through this desert by night and for some reason -falling asleep or anything else  -he gets separated from his companions and wants to rejoin them, he hears spirit voices talking to him  as if they were his companions, sometimes even calling him by name. Often these voices lure him away  from the path and he never finds it again, and many travelers have got lost and died because of this. 
Sometimes in the night travelers hear a noise like the clatter of a great company of riders away from the  road; if they believe that these are some of their own company and head for the noise, they find  themselves in deep trouble when daylight comes and they realize their mistake. There were some who,  in crossing the desert, have been a host of men coming towards them and, suspecting that they were  robbers, returning, they have gone hopelessly astray....Even by daylight men hear these spirit voices,  and often you fancy you are listening to the strains of many instruments, especially drums, and the clash  of arms. For this reason bands of travelers make a point of keeping very close together. Before they go  to sleep they set up a sign pointing in the direction in which they have to travel, and round the necks of  all their beasts they fasten little bells, so that by listening to the sound they may prevent them from  straying off the path."

---- Marco Polo, Travels

Gothvos stone from Mounts Bay Cornwall placed and photographed in Burano Venice by Abby Cheng

Venice was one of my destinations for my first solo trip. Even though I spent the least time here, it truly became my favourite place I’ve ever visited. 

Actually, from the first moment I arrived in Venice airport, I had no special feelings for this city cos' my luggage wasn’t delivered!. I was told it was impossible to get it that day. Here’s the problem: I wanted to stay here for one night only,  which meant, the entire period I stayed in Venice, would be without any of my belongings… It was ridiculous…and unbelievable! But the best thing I could do was to accept the fact and take a boat to the main island…

However, this wasn’t the only mishap that happened to me... When I noticed there were fewer and fewer people on  the boat after 20mins or so, I realised that I’d taken the wrong boat. It went to the opposite direction… It was nearly 9pm I felt exhausted, and again, unbelievable…. 

Then when I looked outside, I found the scene was astonishingly beautiful. So I turned to make myself enjoy Venice.

 The night time in Venice was quiet and peaceful. It’s a very touristic city, there were always loads of people

 so I didn’t feel unsafe. Instead, I enjoyed it a lot. I was touched when I heard the bell rang in St. Marco square.

 I felt relaxed when I walked around here. People I met were extremely nice and hospitable. I love strolling in this fantastic Floating City. And eventually, I actually felt quite thankful that I didn’t need to worry about my inconvenient huge suitcase. Because of that, I could go to another island (Burano) on the next day. And because of that, I could deeply immerse myself in this scenic place.

I always remember that one of my friends told me ”Every unexpected thing is the most memorable in our trips

.” Thanks to these mishaps l fell in love with Venice. 
So I decided to leave my first Gothvos stone in Venice to mark a time and place where I made and found my true inner peace. 

Abby Cheng 
21 Janurary,2018