Helen Glynn Jones

Wednesday Wander – Bridge of Sighs, Venice

My wander this week is to Venice, Italy. I’ve written a little bit about Venice before, but this time I wanted to focus specifically on the famous Bridge of Sighs, so called because it was the bridge over which prisoners were taken before being executed or exiled from Venice. It is said their sorrow was such at their last view of Venice that they sighed, giving the bridge it’s name.

The bridge was designed and built in 1600 by Antonio Contino, and connects the interrogation rooms at the Doge’s Palace with the prison. Made from white limestone, it is ornately carved – even the bars on the small window are made from stone. As for the name… to be honest, and hopefully I’m not bursting too many bubbles here, if I were being taken to be executed I think I’d be doing more than sighing. Also, sandwiched between two buildings as it is, I wonder how much of Venice could be seen. I suppose it was one last look at the blue waters, at sunlight and fresh air, before being taken to their final destination – that, I can understand.

However, further research definitely bursts the bubble – apparently, by the time the bridge was built the days of interrogation and summary execution were over, so it was mostly small-time criminals heading over the bridge to spend short stints in the attached cells. Apparently Lord Byron, among others, is to blame for the more romantic notion, inspired by the beauty of the bridge on his travels to Venice in the early 1800s.

There’s also a Bridge of Sighs at Cambridge University, built in the 1830’s – whether there’s a similar tradition there, I don’t know.

There is a sweeter tradition associated with the bridge – that if you kiss someone while standing under the bridge at sunset (which you can only do in a gondola) you will love them forever. Perhaps the romantic setting has something to do with it. It is possible to tour the Doge’s Palace and cross the bridge and perhaps, even, sigh a little. However, the short time I had in Venice meant I missed out. Sounds like the perfect excuse to go back…

Thanks for coming on another Wednesday Wander with me – see you again next time!

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

The Wyrm and the Wyrd: Legends in the landscape

Sue recently spent some time in Wales, my favourite place in the world. Head over to her blog to read more, and see her beautiful photographs 🙂

Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

We found a main road. That can mean very little in rural Britain except that there is a single lane going each way, but there are bound to be road signs eventually. We had no immediate plans beyond finding lunch, so it didn’t really matter where we found ourselves. We would go wherever the road led and, as luck would have it, it led to Criccieth. Steve had mentioned it earlier as a pretty, seaside town… which sounded perfect.

We parked below the 13th century castle that dominates the town. Built high upon a rocky peninsula that juts out into Tremadog Bay, the castle is perfectly sited. Impregnable from the sea and having an easily defensible and distinctive double gatehouse, even its ruins give an impression of solid strength. Yet, somehow, in spite of the steep slopes down to the beach, the castle seems more ‘approachable’ than the one at…

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#writephoto – To The Seven

Another lovely #writephoto prompt from Sue Vincent. If you’d like to participate, you have until Wednesday next week to respond to the prompt. Here is my response:

They say I had a glass casket. That I was surrounded by flowers, a wonder of the woods.

But the truth is far simpler than that.

After all, they were woodsmen, miners, the seven who cared for me. Men short in stature and in funds. Where would they have found the glass to make it, the gold to bind me?

Instead they made me a bed from what they knew. Timber, gift from the forest that sheltered us, carved with their axes, shaped with love. And they laid me there, sheltered by branches, leaves my coverlet, flowers my crown.

I was a princess. My rescuer, a prince. But I’d been saved long before he came along, with his lips red as the apple that had laid me low.

And so my bed of wood remains, a memorial to love and friendship.

To the seven.

You can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

Review: “A Thousand Rooms” by Helen Jones

Another wonderful review for A Thousand Rooms – an unexpected surprise! Thanks, Christoph 🙂

writerchristophfischer

A very intimate and engaging novel about a woman’s journey after death. The writing style involved the reader immediately through a close-up examination of the dead woman’s experiences and sensation, all of which are confusing to her and only gradually settle into making sense. I found this particularly accomplished, as it takes the reader right under the skin of the narrator.
Judging from the cover I expected this to be more girly than it turned out to be, but it felt almost like a psychological thriller at times, with plenty of excellent scenes as our heroine moves through life and death experiences and a thousand rooms.
I must confess that I flirted with spiritualism in the past and therefor took a particular interest in this book, finding much that agrees with various strands of spiritualism and similar philosophies. In that respect I would call the book well-researched or at least…

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Wednesday Wander – Belarusian Memorial Chapel

You might think this little wooden church is somewhere in Russia, or Eastern Europe, but in fact it is in London, England. It’s the first wooden church built in the city since the Great Fire of 1666, and also the first memorial in Western Europe dedicated to the Chernobyl Disaster. This is the Church of St Cyril of Turau and All The Patron Saints of the Belarusian People, also known as the Belarusian Memorial Chapel.

My husband is of Belarusian heritage via his mother, and has visited Belarus (where he still has family). He’s always been interested in this side of his heritage and, when we moved here, he was pleased to find a Belarusian society in London. We attended Christmas festivities there one year, which included a traditional puppet show, obviously an anticipated and much-loved part of their Christmas season. And, when the new church was built, we attended the consecration, which took place on December 17, 2016.

We are neither of us particularly religious – spiritual is probably a better term, as we ascribe to no particular faith. Still, we respect the faith of others, and felt it an honour to be there on consecration day. Many important figures from the Belarusian church travelled to attend the event, which was conducted mainly in their native tongue.

The church is built entirely of wood and glass – even the pegs holding it together are timber. It was featured in the 2017 London Festival of Architecture, and received the RIBA London Regional Award of the London Institute of British Architects. The design is based upon traditional rural wooden churches in Belarus, and has a beauty and simplicity which is timeless. As we listened to the voices chanting, smelt the incense, the red and gold and white robes against the pale wood, it felt like a window into history, into an older time.

Later we stood outside in the clear cold air as the clergy walked in procession, blessing the building. Once the service concluded we departed, heading for lunch in a comfortable pub, blankets wrapped around our cold feet as we drank beer and ate pizza. It felt strange, stepping back into the ‘real’ world. A trip in more ways than one.

Thank you for coming on another Wednesday Wander with me – see you next time!

You can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

Journey To Ambeth And Beyond…

Have you ever wondered why I decided to call my blog, `Journey To Ambeth’?

Ambeth is the fantasy world I created as part of my Ambeth Chronicles – however, when I started blogging a little over three years ago, the books were just drafts and I hadn’t published anything. A friend was starting a blog and I thought I might too – I saw it as a chance to write regularly, and to document a process that was new to me, as well as share anything I learned along the way. I remember hitting publish as I shared my first post, the fear and exhilaration that my words were out in the world for anyone to read.

My early posts were all about writing, in one way or another, and most of my early followers had something to sell. But eventually, I made real connections that have now developed into friendships I value greatly, despite the fact we may never actually meet. And when we do meet? You only have to read my Bloggers Bash posts to see how much fun we have, and how it feels like walking into a room of friends, rather than people I’ve never met before.

A journey indicates travel of some sort, moving from one place to another. Those places do not necessarily have to exist on a map for such a transition to take place. For me, the journey started as one of writing, but has evolved.

Now, of course, Ambeth is just one of the fantasy worlds I explore and my blog is about so much more than writing. It’s a place where I can share snippets of my days, interact with other bloggers, respond to writing prompts and of course travel, on my weekly Wednesday Wanders. But at its heart, it is still documenting a journey – thank you to all of you who have decided to travel with me.

Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend!

You can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

Oh Canada! Happy Birthday to you

Today is Canada Day, the yearly holiday to mark the anniversary of Canada becoming a country. This year, Canada celebrates 150 years. However, 150 years is only Canada’s official age, and does not take into account the centuries of trade and exploration before that, including the founding of the world’s oldest department store, the Hudson’s Bay Company(where both my mother and I worked, though at different stores). It also does not include the rich history of the indigenous peoples, whose culture was almost destroyed by white settlement, millennia of art and language and living with the land dismissed by our more ignorant forebears.

I lived in Canada for fourteen years. It’s where I attended high school and university, where I learned to drive, where many of life’s milestones happened to me. It’s a country I love dearly, where I still have friends, and where I met my husband. I also hold citizenship, so am proud to call myself Canadian on this day.

It is a place of wonders, of glimmering mountain peaks, vast prairies and tumbling waterfalls. Of wildlife fierce, tooth and claw, of people kind and welcoming. Its cities are bright and clean and vibrantly multicultural, and regularly place high on the list of best places to live. Canada has spawned authors and dancers and musicians, actors and directors and doctors and scientists.

It’s not a perfect country – nowhere is. But it’s pretty damn close.

And so today, on its 150th birthday, I would like to say Oh Canada! Happy Birthday to you 🙂

You can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

#writespiration – 52 Words in 52 Weeks – Toast

Sacha Black has set a nice little writing challenge – 52 Words in 52 Weeks. Each week, she gives us a prompt, and we have exactly 52 words, no more, no less, in which to respond. This week’s prompt is Toast, and here is my response:

Last night he had toasted her, declaring her the most beautiful woman in the room.

This morning she sat alone by blue water, hot tears falling. Toast crusts were scattered across the tiles, next to her shattered plate.

Their first fight as a married couple. She doubted it would be their last.

Wednesday Wander – Space Needle, Seattle

This week I’m wandering to the Pacific Northwest, and one of the most recognisable landmarks in that area. This is the Seattle Space Needle.

Built for the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, the Needle was designed to withstand strong earthquakes and winds of up to 200mph, though I wouldn’t like to be up there during either of those events! The ‘saucer’ portion of the tower is home to an observation deck and the Skycity restaurant, accessed by an elevator, or, if you’re feeling particularly energetic, a staircase with 848 steps. The Needle boasts panoramic views of the beautiful coastline and mountains, as well as being next to the excellent EMP (which I wandered to in another post) – however, I didn’t ascend the Needle when I was there. I’m not a huge fan of heights and have been up the similar CN Tower in Toronto several times. Instead, I was content to admire it from below.

The Seattle Space Needle has of course been featured in many films and TV series, including Frasier, where it was even part of the opening credits, and of course Sleepless in Seattle. It’s also appeared in Grey’s Anatomy, The Simpsons, and the Twilight films, just to name a few – small wonder it was designated an historic landmark in 1999.

I think what I like about the Needle is that it, and the nearby monorail, were built at a time when this sort of architecture was a vision for the future. Space travel was in its infancy, the world still recovering from the horrors of war just a decade or so earlier. This new style represented a shining future, a new way of thinking. And the design still holds up, still looks modern, even next to the extraordinary undulating curves of the nearby EMP.

Thanks for coming on another Wednesday Wander with me – see you next time!

f you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.

A Nice Day For A Walk

I haven’t walked to work along the canal for the past couple of weeks. Early starts and unusual weather have meant I’ve not been able to do so. But this past Friday I managed to get myself organised and headed down the hill, backpack on, looking forward to the walk.

It takes me just over half an hour to get to the office when I walk, and it’s a time for me to think and clear my head. The canal, despite being close to a main road and crossed by a major trainline, is a quiet place. Birds sing, water laps, leaves rustle. It is green and lush at this time of year, the water still and smooth.

Cows were beneath the hawthorn trees, and the tiny cygnets I’d seen only weeks ago were now almost swans (although still very fluffy).

The old tree stump seat was almost overgrown with brambles and nettles, while the roses growing up the side of the old lock-keeper’s cottage had bloomed.

There were new boats moored along the way, some of them with bright potted gardens and unusual decorations.

I also found some fragments of pottery, blue and white. Probably over a hundred years old, little pieces of history tumbled among the flint and gravel, treasure to no one but me.

Along one stretch I walk on a narrow strip of land, the canal to one side of me and, hidden beyond a hedge, an angler’s lake to the other side. It’s an interesting feeling, almost like walking on water, even though I know the earth beneath me is solid.

I also found inspiration on my walk, a couple of blog posts and some more plotlines coming to me. I’ve been missing my old freedom these past few months – while I’m enjoying my new job and all that comes with it, I miss the time I had in the past to just walk and think. So I’ll make sure to do the canal walk regularly from now on.———————————————————————————————-If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.