Yes, that is me, the paprazzi in service, talking a prize suspicious photo of a magnolia tree. I possess so many lens, two DSLR cameras, as well as a couple of compact cameras that I collected on the way, I am the champion. Photo by my assistant, Mr. Swiss, who decided that even the perfect photographer should be shown in front of the camera, even if you only see my back. Unfortunately my reputation as the new Ansel Adams in the photographic world has not yet been recognised. Mr. Swiss found it was time to visit the local town once again, as I would find new objects for my photographic qualities. I actually was planning on a solo tour of the village taking photos of the spring blossoms on various trees and in various gardens.

However Mr. Swiss decided he was slowly getting claustraphobic symptoms as the only places he had visited this week was with me at the steering wheel visiting the local supermarket. He has not been so well, neither have I, but today was a day that it was decided “we are the champions” and he made the suggestion we go together into town where I could tour a few nice places with my camera and take photos of something else than the village, the river and the local castle. The few nice places was actually the old moat that was once filled with water, some 500 years ago, surrounding the walls of the Solothurn. To reach the top of the walls of the moat, you have to climb stairs. I told Mr. Swiss forget it, as walking with a stick and dragging the left foot is not a perfect way to do it. There were no supporting bannisters, and I do not climb stairs without.

There was a perfect slope to walk on one side, so I managed to drag myself up to the top and enjoyed the view from the bench positioned for the purpose of taking photos from the top.

The water spout you can see is from a wellington boot with a hole. It has been fixed to a frame and every 15 minutes water is poured into the boot which causes it to move and spout water through the hole in the boot. Very ingenious, a championship of work. Afterwards I took a seat in front of the pond on one of the benches and waited patiently for the water to be switched on to capture another perfect photo, but this time close-up.

In the distance is the tower of the Swiss reform church and in front of it the Concert Hall of Solothurn and the magnolia trees in full blossom. The fact that I actually reached the top for my perfect photo makes me a champion, as Mr. Swiss asked me every few minutes how I was managing and offered me an arm for support, but me. No, I am a champion and did it all on my own.

On the corners at the top there were these strange places sealed by a gate, but we do not know for what purpose. Perhaps used in the Roman days for keeping the gladiators before they threw them to the lions and tigers wating below for the local entertainment, although Mr. Swiss did say the towers were built after Roman times. He is a champion in the history of Solothurn. He has to be, he went to school here and grew up in the area.

Our town of Solothurn originates from the Romans and is now well known for its gothic style of buildings. You cannot renovate a building or replace it, without having the cultural heritage preservation organisations sticking their noses in and stopping all the work to make sure nothing will be destroyed from the histiorical background of the building and making sure that anything new will fit into the surroundings. I am now on a quest to preserve the surroundings with my camera and when I returned home discovered 80 new photos of the town, with a few more from my garden flowers.

I am also a champion of editing all this stuff on the computer, I have become a champion of walking with a stick in difficult places and not falling. It is unfortunate that no honours are awarded for this sort of thing. And now a photo of one of the flower beds in Solothurn. We have only champion gardeners in our town.

Daily Prompt: Jack of all trades, master of none