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Abstract

to-climb-uluru-before-ban-takes-effect">masses flocked</a> to do just that before the ban took place in October 2019.</p><p id="78f0">I like that this symbol is a part of the natural world and a significant part of life and spirituality for the indigenous community. It is not a human-made feat of engineering but an incredible natural feature that many around the world might recognise.</p><figure id="319d"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*Efe5u1KFJAW7XPnE"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ondrejmachart?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Ondrej Machart</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><figure id="47ac"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*8S0xpIuN-rB4b3p5VGfc6Q.png"><figcaption>Nobody in Adelaide knows these are called ‘The Spheres.’ (Photo: <a href="http://teaandtechno.blogspot.com/2013/03/adelaide-city-of-churches-and-two-clubs.html">TEA</a>)</figcaption></figure><p id="f598">I spent several decades living in the city of Adelaide, in South Australia. Ironically one of the most popular and iconic symbols there are two huge shiny balls sitting atop one another! The 4m tall structure, known officially as ‘The Spheres’ by Bert Flugelman, is in the middle of the city’s pedestrian-only mall, with “meet you at the balls” a very normal expression in Adelaide. They photograph wonderfully, reflecting the mall and surrounds in a wonderful fish-eye way. They’re occasionally graffitied but mostly, people enjoy the reflections. Slapping them also makes a pretty weird sound too!</p><p id="1176"><b>I now live in Europe.</b> So many big cities here have iconic symbols. I happen to live in a very small city now, only 11,000 inhabitants.</p><figure id="251d"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*aCoGnArbkEzVIgjvs2slGA.jpeg"><figcaption>Pommern (photo: author)</figcaption></figure><p id="62b8">The City of Mariehamn has its own significant symbol — the sailing ship Pommern, synonymous with this place I now call home.</p><p id="23dd">Built in Scotland in 1903, the four-masted barque Pommern sailed the world (including to Australia) as a cargo ship before making her final journey in 1939. Since then she has been in the harbour at Mariehamn on the Åland Islands in Finland.</p><p id="e0d5">She has been a museum ship since making her final journey, donated to the City of Mariehamn by the shipping family who owned her at the time, the Eriksons. The people who live here love her. Many have relatives (no longer with us) who have worked on her.</p><p id="c9dd">She is the first thing people see when they leave the ferry terminal in the Western Harbour. Her stately masts and fine lines a glimpse into the past for those arriving in this smal

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l city, even at night as they are lit for all to enjoy.</p><p id="f3fe"><b>She is a “must-see” experience to anyone visiting. And an iconic symbol for this little city.</b></p><figure id="140c"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*1NTQ5O3KPBFd9yjTCIqgCQ.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="8bc3"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*niPT7ZCUDj_8CjPxhMSYBA.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="ee33"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*dklBHDx146Nad2-fTdnmRQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Pommern, Mariehamn, Åland Islands (photos: author)</figcaption></figure><p id="5898">What’s your city’s symbol or icon? Is there something special about the place you live? How about sharing it with the world!</p><p id="06d7">~~thanks for reading~~</p><p id="e299"><b><i>Lisa writes poetry and other things from her home in Finland. She loves to travel, write, read, sing in her rock band, and cook, amongst other things. Check out <a href="https://lisanbolin.substack.com/">Northern Notes</a> if you’d like to keep in touch.</i></b></p><h2 id="20be">You might also like these:</h2><div id="2426" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/what-language-should-i-speak-a1ba0e891007"> <div> <div> <h2>What Language Should I Speak?</h2> <div><h3>Forgetting the country you live in speaks another language</h3></div> <div><p></p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*9XvXrYjnnJb-6WmUIsFCeQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="8959" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/my-bookish-window-to-the-world-b368db0e01d8"> <div> <div> <h2>My Bookish Window To The World</h2> <div><h3>A few books that have stayed with me</h3></div> <div><p></p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*DylTu6OyCVHoHVqE_uCEHA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="3e8e" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/souls-intertwined-e8318417c3a8"> <div> <div> <h2>Souls, Intertwined</h2> <div><h3>A poem</h3></div> <div><p></p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*kF7ppe81GMTy55L8)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

City Symbols

Does your city have a symbol?

Tower Bridge, an iconic symbol of London (photo: author)

I happened to find a great publication by Arjan Tupan called Le Giroflier Royal. Based in Europe, he writes about all things European, refreshing for those of us who happen to live in Europe yet write on this very US-centric platform.

He wrote about city symbols. The iconic features of cities (or countries) that are quintessential of that place. Of course, the Eiffel Tower in Paris was on his list! From my recent travels, I would include wonderful structures like Tower Bridge and Big Ben in London and Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh. There are many others, of course.

Photo by Shiraz Khan on Unsplash — I had a similar little statue for many years after my first (and so far only) visit to Paris when I was 12. I must have lost it in the many moves I have made since then.

Coming from Australia, the Sydney Opera House is the first iconic city symbol to come to mind. Its beautiful habour home, stunning white facade reminiscent of shells or sails, is recognised worldwide. Of course, that’s all fine and well, but what if you don’t live in Sydney? For those Australians who don’t (and that’s about 21 million people), it’s just another, “Oh yeah, Sydney gets all the limelight” moment.

Uluru is another iconic Australian symbol. A natural wonder in the middle of the desert, courting controversy this year as the Aboriginal owners banned climbers on their beautiful spiritual place. Why would you want to climb something that is so important to the spiritual culture of another group of people? Unfortunately, that’s just what happened as masses flocked to do just that before the ban took place in October 2019.

I like that this symbol is a part of the natural world and a significant part of life and spirituality for the indigenous community. It is not a human-made feat of engineering but an incredible natural feature that many around the world might recognise.

Nobody in Adelaide knows these are called ‘The Spheres.’ (Photo: TEA)

I spent several decades living in the city of Adelaide, in South Australia. Ironically one of the most popular and iconic symbols there are two huge shiny balls sitting atop one another! The 4m tall structure, known officially as ‘The Spheres’ by Bert Flugelman, is in the middle of the city’s pedestrian-only mall, with “meet you at the balls” a very normal expression in Adelaide. They photograph wonderfully, reflecting the mall and surrounds in a wonderful fish-eye way. They’re occasionally graffitied but mostly, people enjoy the reflections. Slapping them also makes a pretty weird sound too!

I now live in Europe. So many big cities here have iconic symbols. I happen to live in a very small city now, only 11,000 inhabitants.

The City of Mariehamn has its own significant symbol — the sailing ship Pommern, synonymous with this place I now call home.

Built in Scotland in 1903, the four-masted barque Pommern sailed the world (including to Australia) as a cargo ship before making her final journey in 1939. Since then she has been in the harbour at Mariehamn on the Åland Islands in Finland.

She has been a museum ship since making her final journey, donated to the City of Mariehamn by the shipping family who owned her at the time, the Eriksons. The people who live here love her. Many have relatives (no longer with us) who have worked on her.

She is the first thing people see when they leave the ferry terminal in the Western Harbour. Her stately masts and fine lines a glimpse into the past for those arriving in this small city, even at night as they are lit for all to enjoy.

She is a “must-see” experience to anyone visiting. And an iconic symbol for this little city.

Pommern, Mariehamn, Åland Islands (photos: author)

What’s your city’s symbol or icon? Is there something special about the place you live? How about sharing it with the world!

~thanks for reading~

Lisa writes poetry and other things from her home in Finland. She loves to travel, write, read, sing in her rock band, and cook, amongst other things. Check out Northern Notes if you’d like to keep in touch.