A Culture Day

We have Peter and Margaret staying with us this week, from the Hunter Valley. We took them into town today to visit the Art Gallery at South Bank. The Blogger and I haven't been there for some years, we usually visit the Gallery of Modern Art next door at least two or three times a year, so this time we were searching for the old masters and some Aboriginal display.

I had an ulterior reason to go there. We're presenting photos of 'People Interacting' at our camera club on Monday and I needed some pics for that. So while the others concentrated on the masters, I concentrated on the visitors instead.

I did however manage to capture a Peter Paul Rubens amongst the old masters

 And captured another Rubenesque woman near the Aboriginal display

The Queensland Art Gallery is in one of the buildings designed by Architect Robin Gibson & Associates at the Brisbane Arts Precinct at South Bank. Well worth a visit if you ever come to Brisbane.

After we got our art fill, we wandered over to the South Bank eateries for a scrumptios lunch.

750 Year Celebration of the Town of Thun in Switzerland

This post is dedicated to a very special town in Switzerland, Thun, and to two very good friends of mine, Roland and Martin. We all went to school together at one time or another, then we played in the high school band together. Both Roland and Martin played the drums and I played the trumpet. Roland still lives in Thun while Martin and I live in Queensland.

The town of Thun in Switzerland with castle and church

Thun is situated at the foot of the alps, on the Lake of Thun. It has wonderful views of the Bernese Alps, especially the Eiger, Mönch and Jungrau, which attract thousands of visitors every year.

Thun with views over the Bernese Alps

So, this year, the town celebrates its 750th Anniversary. It become a town in 1264 and joined the Canton of Berne in 1384.

In 1964, I was still living there and together with my father, took part in the celebratory 700th Anniversary march through town, in the local band, wearing period costumes.

The town band in period costumes in 1964
(I'm playing trumpet centre,  my dad plays french horn behind me)

My mate Roland on drums (centre front)

Roland and me in school

On Wednesday afternoons we had cadet training which involved either sporting activities or rifle training as this shot shows, both Roland and Martin were off to the rifle range for target practice. A German tourist stopped us and wanted to know, why we were carrying guns. After explaining, he wanted to pose with us and got his wife to take a picture.

Roland, Martin and me posing with a German tourist

So, happy birthday Thun, I'll be thinking of you.