This photo was taken underneath the famous Bridge of Sighs in Oxford England. Now, I bet you thought that the Bridge of Sighs was in Venice, Italy. Well, you are right…there is one there also. It is probably far more famous than this one. But, in fact, this one is the more attractive of the two.
Why, you ask? The Bridge in Venice is almost all white and has a flat bottom…whereas the Oxford version is more colorful and has a rounded bottom. You have to be on a water taxi or a gondola to go under the Venetian version. Whereas you can walk under the Oxford bridge as it is built over a street: New College Lane.
The Venetian Bridge of Sighs (Italian name: Ponte dei Sospiri) got its name thanks to Lord Byron, the English Poet. It connects the prison on one side of the canal to the Doge’s Palace. The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. According to Byron, the prisoners would sigh when they crossed the bridge.
In Oxford, when a student is thrown out of the University (called “rustication”), he must cross the bridge for one last view of this fabled college town. Actually, that is not true. I just made it up. Although it has been called the Bridge of Sighs, the real name of the bridge is the Hertford Bridge as it connects 2 separate buildings of Hertford College. It is just a walkway.
While I did photograph the whole bridge from a distance, I think this underneath view is far more interesting. Someday, I will share the full view with you.
By the way, just around the corner from the bridge is one of my favorite pubs in Oxford, The Kings Arms. Nice place for a pint and a snack and to hang out with the students. Just opposite the bridge is the world famous Bodleian Library. Next time you are in London, take a short detour north and visit Oxford. Well worth it.
(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)
To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com
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