David Gabis Photography Blog

Medieval Carcassonne is a fortified town rather than a castle - and perhaps the most impressive fortified medieval town to be found. Which is ironic, because in the middle of the 19th century it was in such bad repair that it became scheduled for demolition, to be saved by the efforts of the local mayor, who called in the new 'historic monuments' department to take a look. The main entrance of the fortified city The city was saved, the well known architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc took the renovation project in hand, and the rest, as they say, is history. Panoramic view of the castle inside the fortified city Due to its position on historical routes across France the location has been occupied for more than 5,000 years, and was an important centre from 2,500 years ago onwards. It was first fortified by the Romans, and given the name Carcaso. After the Romans were driven out Carcassonne fell in the hands of various of the invading tribes, and became more fortif...

The Clock Tower of Cape town in Yellow The three-storeyed Clock Tower (originally red) with its pointed Gothic windows is a landmark in Cape tow. It was the first port Captain's office, o nce completed in 1882. The clock was imported from Edinburgh. It was painted in yellow for the Cape Town Design Capital in 2014. A tidal gauge mechanism was located in the ground floor and was indicating the exact height of the tide at any given time for the benefit of the ships entering or leaving the docks. The Port Captain had an overview of harbor activities at the top floor as it was lined with mirrors. The restoration took two years (from 1997 to 98) and was a focal point in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront's urban renewal. Over the years the building has begun to lean slightly about 50mm. A set of brass pins has been inserted in the brickwork to ensure that any movement can be spotted.