Peter Merry, a photographer from Guildford retired during the pandemic and, when he was able to travel embarked with his wife on a journey around Europe on an inter-rail pass for 30 days visiting 10 countries and 13 cities. As a consequence we could have been treated/subjected to an evening of holiday snaps, but Peter was into projects and determined on an objective to take 20 photographs that would stand the test of time and remain meaningful for many years. The route was planned with the Inter-Rail app. Reference to www.seat61.com a rail travel advice website soon alerted him to a problem right at the start as the train he proposed to take, whilst on the timetable, was not due to depart. Finding a way round this he set off first for Duisburg with the objective of visiting the Landschaftspark on the site of a former Thyssen iron works. It was designed with the intention that it work to heal and understand the industrial past, rather than trying to reject it. The industrial machinery remained providing photographic opportunity but gardens had been created and offered up his first photograph a reflection of some old machinery in the water. Having a rail pass it was then easy to divert to Cologne for lunch and take the holiday snaps. Potsdam and Berlin were next for RAF Gutersloh and the newspaper announcement of Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister to add to the traditional visit to Sans Souci built by Frederick the Great. Photo number 2 was a pattern of bricks from a wall. When they reached Prague the papers were full of the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II with sympathetic locals keen to offer condolence. A piece of graffito, "The Queen is dead, Long live the King" provided the third photo. On to Vienna and an automatic hotel with a brain disturbing carpet. Amongst the sites, including the Belvedere, he found a piece of ornate plasterwork to give him a fourth image.
Zagreb provided two images, a ubiquitous roof ornament designed to catch passing witches (illustrated) and a fingerprint to mark the first time fingerprints were used to convict a criminal. The railway does not go everywhere, so a car was hired to visit the Platvice Lakes where inevitably there was a friendly dalmatian to provide a commemorative image of the Dalmatian coast. More relevant to the lakes was an image taken from high up overlooking a walkway across a lake. Dubrovnik has recovered from the devastation of the Balkan wars and as well as its association with the Game of Thrones franchise provided three photos, petal confetti from a wedding, a yellow chair outside a shop and a sculpture of a hand set in a wall of which the city provided many examples. Split was visited by boat and delivered a crazy paving floor abstract image. Plans for Lubljana were cut short because of persistent rain but nevertheless provided an image of a puddle. In Venice there were inevitably numerous photo opportunities mainly of the touristy kind, and Peter was certainly impressed with exquisite Giotto murals in a church although it was the wake of a motor boat that joined his collection as did a glass of spritz that seemed to be a common feature of his journeying. Brig in Switzerland was less than impressive yet still he decided to include colourful civic flags adorning a building as a contribution to his project. His final destination was Geneva where he visited his daughter and chose an image of a spiral staircase and a photo of drink of coffee, many of which had sustained him during his travels to complete the collection. Travel home to Guildford on the 30th day was followed by the discovery that he and his wife both had covid, but at least they had had their holiday.
During his time in Prague he visited a Ralph Gibson exhibition and remarked that his project reflected Gibson's view that taking a photograph is easy - you just press the button - photography is about creating an image for a long time.