Somewhere beautiful does not automatically mean lovely people, it would seem. This at least is my conclusion after a trip to the beautiful village of Bradford on Avon a few days ago.
I've been meaning to pay a visit for months now – it's about an hour away, and fairly well known for being a typically chocolate-box West Country town, and it really is beautiful: stone cottages, thatched roofs, old stone bridges over the river. Despite all of that, the atmosphere was pretty fraught and hostile – especially if you happened to be wandering around with a camera.
Old women pushed past us in the street, muttering audibly, and builders practically chased us off a public side street. There were cars getting in each other's way and clogging up the narrow routes between those high stone walls. To top it all off they were holding a Bradford-on Avon 'Feel Good Festival' in the park, which unfortunately didn't seem to be making much of an impact on the general atmosphere.
All in all, I was an unwelcome visitor, and I was pleased to get home.
Old women pushed past us in the street, muttering audibly, and builders practically chased us off a public side street. There were cars getting in each other's way and clogging up the narrow routes between those high stone walls. To top it all off they were holding a Bradford-on Avon 'Feel Good Festival' in the park, which unfortunately didn't seem to be making much of an impact on the general atmosphere.
All in all, I was an unwelcome visitor, and I was pleased to get home.
oh noes! that's the worse, to feel unwelcomed as a visitor. on the upside, at least you got some lovely pictures. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's so sad, I've always wanted to go to Bradford-upon-Avon. It always looked so amazing in photos and so near Bath and London. Here's a beautiful place with beautiful people—Hay-on-Wye. I had such a lovely time there this summer. My cousin didn't know how to properly knot her fishing line so the sportshop owner went down the street to find someone who could! Hay-on-Wye doesn't need a 'Feel Good Festival'. :)
ReplyDeleteArianne from A + B in the Sea
Why would they do that, I wonder? Isn't it only natural to want to take photos of such a beautiful place?
ReplyDeleteLove
Tashrin
Twitter - @ishrattrishna
Oh, what a shame! The pictures you did take are beautiful, though.
ReplyDeleteReminds me a bit of "Paris Syndrome": http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6197921.stm
it's such a stunning looking place but it really sucks when you feel unwelcome as a tourist. reminds me of byron bay on the north coast in that the locals really don't like the visitors and there can definitely be a feeling of 'us vs them' though quite often in these places, tourism is a much source of income for many of the residents.
ReplyDeleteoh well, you came, you saw, you won't go back.
Oh no! I know that feeling all too well. Some tourist-saturated Irish downs can be distinctly gruff. And I've felt it in Ontario too. And I always wonder if it's just an "off day" or if the place has energy... and it's a wonder then that they're so beautiful and that their beauty doesn't rub off on the residents!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful. You should have pushed everyone into the canal. I'm glad you got out alive and with these lovely photographs.
ReplyDeleteReally? That's so sad. How can anyone be so rude living in such a beautiful place?
ReplyDelete♥
Camila Faria
Oh, I am so sorry to hear that, since the pictures you took are so gorgeous. I live in a town sort of like this- a quaint little old village that fully depends on tourists for its economy, and the locals resent it, and take their frustrations out on innocent visitors. Where I live, the locals tend to treat other locals with pent-up hostility as well, though- it's rather disheartening. Hopefully, after some time has passed, and the edges of your memory gets a bid smudged, you can at least look back on your pretty pictures with some delight. xoxo
ReplyDelete