A New Perspective on the Domtoren

This week’s Weekly Photo Challenge theme is “perspective”. Sitting at one of the terraces beneath the Domtoren yesterday, enjoying the sunshine, I couldn’t resist this photo of the tower, specifically because of the perspective. Some of the building and some of the perspective gets lost in the photo. You need to be sitting there, craning your neck back to see the top of the tower, 112 meters up in the sky, to really understand the immense size. It remains awe inspiring.

But I also have another new perspective on the Domtoren, in a more personal sense. Saturday, a new book was published about the history of the Domtoren and its building process. The book weighs in around 2.5 kilos, and features a variety of illustrations showing some of the building (and renovation) processes, along with other related historic pictures. I had known for some time now that the book was being worked on and had been debating whether or not to pick up a copy of my own.

Saturday, we stopped at the VVV offices (tourist info offices), because I wanted to see the book in person. (They had specifically mentioned having the book there.) Yet when I got there, it was no where to be found! Unless I missed it among the crowds, the only reference to it I saw was a picture of the cover in a display of other Domtoren related paraphernalia. Looking closer, it seemed as if the book wouldn’t be presented until later that afternoon. Disappointed, I figured I’d look for it another day. But then, just around the corner (and still in the shadow of the Domtoren), I saw a big display for the book at Libris book store.
Obviously, I had to go in. I heaved up a copy and opened it. There, on the first inside pages, was a collection of various photos of the Domtoren, taken from different perspectives. I had seen this collage before in a promotional post about the book, but hadn’t been sure that it would actually be included. As soon as I saw it was, I knew then and there I had to buy a copy. You see, one of my very own photos of the Domtoren was included!Mine is the view through the archway beneath the tower. I had sent in the photo during a request last year for photos of the Domtoren, but hadn’t necessarily expected to have any of my photos included. I then flipped to the back of the book to check the index and yes, indeed, all of the participating photographers were mentioned. In fact, I was right there at the beginning!And in a bit of serendipity, that particular photo is the one I chose to use on some contact cards I recently had printed.

I managed to restrain myself from pointing all of this out to the person at the register or the people in line around me. But that didn’t stop me from being rather giddy about it all for the rest of the day. After all of my blogging about the city and the Domtoren, by having my photo included in this important book, I feel a little bit more like I truly belong here in this city I’ve chosen to call home. I’ve become a miniscule part of the tower’s hundreds of years of history. This thrills me in the same way I still get a thrill every time I see the Domtoren, whether it’s up close or from a distance over the rooftops.

I should also add that Saturday was my birthday. How’s that for a birthday present!