I thought I was familiar with most corners of Braunschweig, but today I came across these decorative columns set into the pavement opposite the Botanical Gardens. I think they must be new pieces of street art, if not, I just haven't noticed them before. The stone columns and stained in blue and red, with scraffitoed lines scraped through the stain. At the moment I can find no information about this work, but I rather like these stratified posts. I met J in the Botanical Gardens, where we sat in the shade near an olive tree and enjoyed the tranquility of the gardens. It was supposed to be 23c today, but it felt more like 28c, and we both wished it would cool down. We later enjoyed a stroll into the city along the bank of the River Oker, and made our way to Cathedral Square, where we sat, enjoyed people watching and where J pointed out an interesting courtyard that I had never noticed before. I had noticed its arched entrance, but was not aware of the lovely courtyard hidden behind.
A ginko tree, the biggest I have ever seen, stands in the courtyard's centre. Autumn is coming, and we both collected some green and yellow ginko leaves as a keepsake. These trees are living fossils, and their leaves have such a distinctive shape.
We strolled in, and found the magnificent half-timbered building of the Craft Worker's Guild and former apprentice centre, where the insignia of the various craft workers of old Braunschweig hang from the side of the building. Above you can see several of the hanging signs, forged in iron and painted in black and gold. One bore the locksmiths' insignia of crossed keys and a lock, and another the smithies tools of trade, complete with hanging horseshoes. This area was severly damaged in the war, and these buildings have been faithfully reassembled and restored from photographs of the pre 1940 city.
The half timbered, ornately wood carved former Craft Worker's Apprentice building, with hanging insignia.
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