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What's the most.............?


nowtelse2do

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It's a bit slack on here so let's have a few answers. It might inspire a few others

 

What's the most impressive man made construction you have seen on your journeys through (Europe only) with the M/H .

 

Mine is the Pont du Nord. Eve says going over the Millau Viaduct (It frighten her to death) :-D

 

Dave

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I find all bridges in France more elegant than those we build here in the UK. With the possible exception of the Second Dee crossing.

 

I have not crossed it yet but it is on my list of things to do - but the Millau bridge in Southern France has to be the most awesome for me.

 

I look forward to going on it.

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It makes me wonder what the Romans would have been capable of if they possessed todays technology........A tunnel from Taranto to Alexandria perhaps.

 

The Millau Viaduct is a magnificent bit of engineering. If anyone is interested in a bit of wild camping, if you are traveling North on the E11 come off at La Cavalerie just 3 or 4 Km on the South side of the Viaduct. Take the old road to Millau (D809) this is now a dual carriageway in part's. It would be best to Google because there is no sign's going North and you need to be on the Southbound side so look for an opening to cross over or carry on to the Fermes du Larazac, Nord Est turning which is 2 Km further on.

 

If you are still with me, (lol) you are now traveling South on the D809. Look for the small sign...Fermes du Larzac, Nord Ouest, Aire de Visions du Cap de Coste. and no it's not a coffee house.

Follow this road, it's called Chemin De Brunas for 5 Km and you come eventually to a biggish car park which overlooks Millau and the Viaduct, great views from here. One problem is that after the car park the road going down to Millau is a 3.5T limit. I had a Duetto so it was ok for me. There are small passing places but can be tight in some area's, so google and have a look.

 

Dave

 

Yes he was a British Architect, I think his surname is Forest or Forester. (!)

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CliveH - 2013-09-12 8:19 AM

 

I find all bridges in France more elegant than those we build here in the UK.

 

MORE ELEGANT !!!!!!!! What's more elegant than Chelsea bridge, Brunel's Clifton Bridge. Telford's Menai bridge, Tower bridge and the big bruiser The Firth of Forth Railway bridge.

 

Come out of the forest, and open your eyes 8-) :D :D

 

Dave

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soarer - 2013-09-12 2:25 PM

 

same here millau very impressive...

 

and i'm sure someone told me it was a british architect who designed it .

 

I have to agree with the Millau Viaduct - and the British architect who designed it was Norman Foster (now Lord Foster) who was also responsible, among other things, for the new Wembley Stadium, the "Gherkin" in London and the Sage in Gateshead - brilliant guy!

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nowtelse2do - 2013-09-12 3:08 PM

 

CliveH - 2013-09-12 8:19 AM

 

I find all bridges in France more elegant than those we build here in the UK.

 

MORE ELEGANT !!!!!!!! What's more elegant than Chelsea bridge, Brunel's Clifton Bridge. Telford's Menai bridge, Tower bridge and the big bruiser The Firth of Forth Railway bridge.

 

Come out of the forest, and open your eyes 8-) :D :D

 

Dave

 

All those bridges are supremely elegant Dave. But the problem is that their respective dates of opening are as follows:-

 

Chelsea bridge - 1937

 

Brunel's Clifton Bridge - 1864

 

Telford's Menai bridge - 1826

 

Tower Bridge - 1894

 

The Firth of Forth Railway bridge - 1890

 

What we produce now looks similar to the bridges produced in the old Soviet Block. Drab slabs of concrete that stain and look awful.

 

If you google UK Motorway Bridge Images and then google French Motorway Bridge Images you will see the difference.

 

It is not that we cannot design supremely elegant and functional large structures - we can.

 

The problem has been those who sign off the designs.

 

 

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Yeah well - I suppose when driving through France - it is best to to avoid the river and canal bridges (lol)

 

I just see what the French do with a bog standard run of the mill M-way bridge and compare it to what we have here in the UK.

 

No comparison.

 

Which is a shame given our history and obvious ability to produce and design elegant structures.

 

 

 

 

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CliveH - 2013-09-12 8:19 AM

 

I have not crossed it yet but it is on my list of things to do - but the Millau bridge in Southern France has to be the most awesome for me.

 

I look forward to going on it.

 

Crossing the Millau bridge is okay, the beauty is in the structure as you cross, if you are expecting some lovely views forget it, it has been designed in such a way that you won't see anything much of the surrounding countryside as you drive along it as that would be dangerous. It is by far best viewed from a distance as you get to really see the marvellous structure it is.

millau.jpg.72862c857d066125e6b2d318be6f9dee.jpg

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Guest pelmetman
nowtelse2do - 2013-09-11 7:47 PM

 

What's the most impressive man made construction you have seen

 

My recycled double glazed self watering green house B-)....................or is that a bridge to far :D....

 

P1000658web.jpg.3f080623d68810aacfbf4b49dde029b1.jpg

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Guest pelmetman
nowtelse2do - 2013-09-13 4:41 PM

 

Very nice Dave but I think I would be bored standing and waiting in the queue for an escorted tour of it. Is it a World Heritage Site and how much to enter? :-( :-D

 

Dave

 

Its alright Dave ;-)....................We don't just have the greenhouse B-)....................for a small fee I'll let people watch my grass grow :D..................providing they don't walk on it 8-)

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Well I'm a bit disapointed, I thought we would have had a better response. I was looking forward to see some of the architectural building's and places that some of you must have been in awe of. I was pretty certain that the Millau would be high on the list and deservingly so. Anyway it looks like old and new bridges, aqueducts plus the "Hanging Gardens of Lincolnshire" (to expensive me thinks) are top of the lists.

I had hoped that there might have been Cathedrals, Little gem's of Churches, Museum buildings, Opera Houses, Amphitheaters (Pula and Verona are good one's) Castles etc. Looks like I will have to go and seek them out myself *-) (lol)

 

Dave

 

Just as an after thought, lets include natural places also, such as the Plitcvie Lakes etc.

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Guest Peter James

Millau may be the most impressive - and best viewed from down below it.

But when you take into account the technology of the day, based on the skill of the builders, I would choose the Roman Aqueduct at Segovia. Built of huge Granite Blocks - without mortar (think about it - how difficult that would be to get huge granite blocks to fit so precisely without wobbling, to be so perfectly vertical, and it has curves to go round corners!!)

With no mortar to degrade its stood without maintenance for 2,000 years and looks as good as new.

Segovia.jpg.3714c26127cee37267c5129a91afea67.jpg

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Guest Peter James
nowtelse2do - 2013-09-16 5:56 PM

 

Very impressive Peter, will keep that in the 'must see' folder. I've never been to Southern Spain for holidays only a couple of times when I was driving and as far as Elche which isn't really south is it. I'd like to see Ronda & Cordoba. Will get there one day.

 

Dave

 

Had a day in Ronda, not seen Cordoba.

Guess it depends on what you look for... I taught Bricklayers so still tend to assess things by the skill of the builder.

If it was assessed on beauty I would go for the Three Graces http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-three-graces/ But then I do have a thing about women's bums :$

649667805_ThreeGraces.thumb.JPG.14a1b8589a62e62bb0ec1fa54c3a0329.JPG

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Peter James - 2013-09-18 5:12 PM

 

I taught Bricklayers so still tend to assess things by the skill of the builder.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-three-graces/ But then I do have a thing about women's bums :$

 

I quite agree Peter. Women bricklayers have great bums but I do wish they would stop whistling at me when passing them. 8-) :D

 

Dave

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Guest pelmetman
Peter James - 2013-09-18 5:12 PM

 

nowtelse2do - 2013-09-16 5:56 PM

 

Very impressive Peter, will keep that in the 'must see' folder. I've never been to Southern Spain for holidays only a couple of times when I was driving and as far as Elche which isn't really south is it. I'd like to see Ronda & Cordoba. Will get there one day.

 

Dave

 

Had a day in Ronda, not seen Cordoba.

Guess it depends on what you look for... I taught Bricklayers so still tend to assess things by the skill of the builder.

If it was assessed on beauty I would go for the Three Graces http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-three-graces/ But then I do have a thing about women's bums :$

 

Very nice Peter ;-).....................Looks like the work of that well known Italian arstist...............

 

 

Botty Totty :D

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