Von Frankenstein, Ponyo and more in Mainz! (photo-essay)

After a particularly aggravating day at work today, it's nice to be able to cast my mind back this evening to a happy as well fun time not so long ago -- when I was enjoying being on holiday, with a good friend in tow, in the charming German city of Mainz. And since visuals help jog the memory, here's returning to my photo archive to take a look at snaps taken then and there, and select some to share in this second photo-essay showcasing the birthplace of Johannes Gutenberg (of mechanical movable type and Gutenberg Bible fame):-

This bronze statue of Mainz's favorite and
most famous son has had a pride of place
in the city's Gutenbergplatz since 1837

Physically however, St Martin's Cathedral
appears to loom most prominently over
predominantly Catholic Mainz

With Mainz the target of Allied bombing during
the second world war, the cathedral didn't entirely
escape damage -- but the destroyed stained glass has been
subsequently replaced by such as the above laudable effort

These days, the cathedral cloister is a largely peaceful place

This is not to say though that there are
no signs there of more violent times!

And no, your eyes are not deceiving you --
there really is a plaque for a von Frankenstein
in Mainz's cathedral cloister! ;O

Before things get too morbid, here's another photo
that bears testimony to Germans' love of pretzels and breads :)

Hello Ponyo! For yes, here's one more photo
from my German holiday of Puppet Ponyo
happily posing away -- this time in a crowded
marketplace on market day in Mainz :b