Walking. Gossip. Travel.

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  • Oradea – Rhédey Mausoleum

    This mausoleum is located within the grounds of Oradea Zoo and for a while it was used to keep the animals in, which isn’t perhaps ideal in terms of historic integrity and respect for the dead.

    Before the site was used as a zoo, it was a public garden and the mausoleum was constructed in 1804. The site fell into disrepair at a couple of times, being vandalised in 1830 (just before the tomb was completed and brought into use, primarily as the person to be buried there wasn’t dead yet) and in 1912 the mausoleum was broken into with items stolen and the bones scattered.

    After a period of the zoo’s collection of deer using the mausoleum as their winter quarters, it was decided that the site should be cleaned up and treated more respectfully. It was repaired in 2012 and is now not used by any of the zoo’s animals…..

    The tomb is of Rhédey Lajos, who stated in his will that he wanted to be laid to rest in Oradea. Oradea was formerly part of Hungary and Lajos was a nobleman and politician from the country who lived between 1761 and 1831.

    There’s an information board outside the mausoleum, but unfortunately the information on it is only in Romanian and Hungarian.

  • Oradea – Oradea Zoo

    Oradea Zoo isn’t particularly large in size, but it’s clean and well presented. There were only three people, including me, at the zoo when I visited in October 2017, so it wasn’t exactly what one might call busy. The zoo feels dated in terms of the amount of space given to animals, but it is located within the city centre and there isn’t any obvious way that they could expand their footprint. Perhaps in time an entirely new zoo will be constructed outside of the city centre, although I’m not sure that the visitor numbers would justify such a project.

    There’s plenty of information in English around the site and it’s all easy to navigate. It’s possible to buy some food, which varies by species, to feed the animals with, although I’m not sure that this is the best of ideas. Zoo animals should really in my non zoological opinion by fed by their keepers, so they know what they’re being fed and when.

    Anyway, below are some photos of my visit:

  • Oradea – Rivo

    Rivo, which takes its name from the riverside location by the Crişul Repede, is one of the more expensive restaurants in Oradea. However, they had a business lunch meal at a reasonable price, although the location was probably still a little upmarket for my normal tastes. The restaurant is quite large and it must be a challenge to get a lunch trade here, but their offer was tempting.

    Modern decor and all very comfortable. Service was efficient other than no-one noticed me enter and so I was standing looking confused for a longer time that I’d have ideally liked. After that though the service was entirely satisfactory.

    Ursus Black is a Romanian dark beer and in a country where these aren’t particularly easy to find, this was a decent drink. Tastes of coffee and a rich flavour, although it’s 6% so that’s not unsurprising.

    The fish and chips was neat in its presentation, although I’m personally a little sceptical about these smears, I’d rather just have a heap. Fish was perch, perfectly well cooked and the coating had some crunch and texture to it.

    The chocolate fondant with a cherry compote, along with some random fruit. Beautifully presented and although this isn’t a dish that I’d usually order, I’m glad that I did on this occasion. The fondant leaked beautifully when I cut into it, the compote was rich and the fruit added some texture to the whole arrangement. The ice cream probably wasn’t needed, but it complemented the fondant well and so this pleased me.

    The meal was a little expensive by Romanian terms, coming in at around £10 for the two courses and the drink. Given the quality of the experience and the comfortable nature of the surroundings, this entirely met my expectations. The staff members spoke perfect English and the service was welcoming throughout, or at least, it was after they saw that I was waiting.

  • Oradea – Pizzeria Due Fratelli

    The best pizza in Oradea was meant to be at Pizzeria Due Fratelli (and they’ve apparently now prepared one million of them), so, off I went. I suspect that the photo alone will be enough for people I know to suspect what I thought of the beer selection, but this was a back street fast food location and there were also some decent wines to choose from.

    This is the Diavola pizza with its toppings of salami, onion and garlic oil. It wasn’t exceptional, but it was perfectly sufficient and it cost around £4 which made it all rather agreeable. I thought that the edges needed a little more crisping up, but the amount of toppings was generous and the ingredients were of a good quality.

    The tiramisu, which was around £2, was again of a decent quality and had a pleasant flavour of coffee.

    The service throughout was helpful and fortunately the staff spoke sufficient English to make the transaction somewhat easier. The menu was though only in Romanian, although I had the assistance of Google Translate to get me past that little problem. The pizzeria is cash only, but the environment is comfortable and there’s an external seating area for those who either like to smoke or can tolerate others smoking.

    So, all rather friendly, and the value for money was excellent.

  • King’s Lynn – King’s Lynn Minster (Carved Screen)

    This carved wooden chancel screen was originally made in 1584 and it’s another one of those marvels of history that it’s still here, although not in its original location within the church. I can’t find any actual evidence of this, but I assume that the chancel screen was built to replace the rood screen which would have been destroyed during the reformation.

    The screen was “beautified” in 1621 and although its age is apparent from the design, it’s still in excellent condition.

  • King’s Lynn – King’s Lynn Minster (West Facade)

    The west facade of King’s Lynn Minster, with the tide clock visible on the top right and the flood markers by the main entrance.

    And a very helpful illustration to the west front of the building, produced by the church.

  • King’s Lynn – King’s Lynn Minster (Eagle Lectern)

    This eagle lectern is made from brass, dates to the fifteenth century and it was once covered in rich jewels. The feathers are apparently slightly later replacements, but this bird is still something of a survivor given its age.

    There is a hole in the lectern’s beak which was once used to collect Peter’s Pence, money which was meant to go to the Catholic church although how far it actually went is a different matter. Despite Peter’s Pence being abolished at the time of the reformation, it was still collected in some areas, with it instead being seen as a tax to the church.

  • King’s Lynn – King’s Lynn Minster (Benedict Chapel)

    King’s Lynn Minster was, until the Reformation, once a Benedictine priory, and this chapel at the rear was part of that building. This section dates from around 1433 and it’s now used as an area for private prayer.

  • Fakenham – Heritage Trail (Vandalism Update)

    I posted about the Fakenham Heritage Trail a few weeks ago, which is something new to the town to encourage locals and visitors to find out more about the town’s history. It is in my opinion an undeniably good idea, but unfortunately the trail has already been damaged.

    One trail number plaque was stolen last week Gogg’s Mill, with a local councillor offering a reward for its return.

    The above photos were posted on Facebook by Norfolk Orbital Railway, showing vandalism to their signage and also to the new plaque which was part of the trail.

    What’s particularly sad is that the trail hasn’t even been formally launched yet. I hope that the council commit to replacing them and the police are able to do something about it.

  • King’s Lynn – King’s Lynn Minster (Tide Clock)

    The Minster’s tide clock, with the lettering around the dial spelling out ‘Lynn High Tide’. When it’s high tide, which it wasn’t on my visit, the man in the moon will appear on the right hand side of the clock. It’s all rather clever, especially given that the original dates to around the seventeenth century. The original clock, which had been donated by Thomas Tue, was damaged during the tower’s collapse in the eighteenth century and then wasn’t looked after particularly well.

    The history of this tide clock seems confused, as some authors are claiming that this is the original clock, others that it’s a later replacement. It was certainly worked on during the 1990s by Colin Shewring, but it does appear to me to be the original clock restored rather than something entirely new. However, I’m not a tide clock expert to be able to know for sure……