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Author Topic: Reichenbach Falls  (Read 2094 times)

Offline Hammers

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Reichenbach Falls
« on: June 11, 2018, 01:25:39 PM »
Past week I went hiking with some friends in Haslithal in the Bernese highlands, Switzerland. I was very surprised and exited that the valley below is the bottom of the cataracts know as the Reichenbach Falls, made famous in the Sherlock Holmes story 'His final problem".

LINK

I am sure I am not the only one who is since childhood carrying in the mind the fateful illustration by Sidney Paget of the struggle between the Great Detective and the Napoleon of Crime, Prof. Moriarty.





Both Mr Paget and Conan Doyle, who regularly stayed in Meringen in the valley below, have made the falls justice. The various views one can reach from below above and across do indeed make one feel truly giddy.




”We had strict injunctions, however, on no account to pass the falls of Reichenbach, which are about half-way up the hill, without making a small detour to see them.

It is indeed, a fearful place. The torrent, swollen by the melting snow, plunges into a tremendous abyss, from which the spray rolls up like the smoke from a burning house. The shaft into which the river hurls itself is a immense chasm, lined by glistening coal-black rock, and narrowing into a creaming, boiling pit of incalculable depth, which brims over and shoots the stream onward over its jagged lip. The long sweep of green water roaring forever down, and the thick flickering curtain of spray hissing forever upward, turn a man giddy with their constant whirl and clamour. We stood near the edge peering down at the gleam of the breaking water far below us against the black rocks, and listening to the half-human shout which came booming up with the spray out of the abyss.”



In Meringen there is a lovely little museum (or rather an permanent exhibition) in the old "English Church" once built for the British expats and tourists.  It is small, but they have made the most of it for a quick dip in Sherlockiana...







A reconstructed sitting room of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.

...and of course, the sucker that I am, I had to buy a true Shetland deerstalker from the gift shop. Much required gear for wargaming, obviously.




I am sure you all see the likeness: the grey stare, the hawklike nose, the dolichocephalic skull with well-marked supra-orbital development...
« Last Edit: June 12, 2018, 08:22:29 AM by Hammers »

Offline Mad Lord Snapcase

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Re: Reichenbach Falls
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2018, 01:56:19 PM »
Quote
I am sure you all see the likeness: the grey stare, the hawklike nose, the dolichocephalic skull with well-marked supra-orbital development...

Absolutely!

The Deerstalker suits you.

Would love to visit there myself someday.


Offline Malamute

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Re: Reichenbach Falls
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2018, 02:50:36 PM »
Great stuff Hammers, but what happened to the luxurious beard and moustache?
"These creatures do not die like the bee after the first sting, but go on age after age, feeding on the blood of the living"  - Abraham Van Helsing

Offline OSHIROmodels

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Re: Reichenbach Falls
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2018, 03:33:07 PM »
Splendid outing  8)

I do hope this means you'll be exploring some suitable gaming  ideas?
cheers

James

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Offline Hammers

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Re: Reichenbach Falls
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2018, 05:15:16 PM »
Great stuff Hammers, but what happened to the luxurious beard and moustache?

Oh, you know. The Sergeant Major bawled me out....

Offline Hammers

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Re: Reichenbach Falls
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2018, 05:17:38 PM »
Splendid outing  8)

I do hope this means you'll be exploring some suitable gaming  ideas?

Base on the Rechenback falls? Sort of limited scope, don't you agree? It would only involve like 5 miniatures on a lo-hot of terrain.

...

Coming to think of it, *that* has never stopped anyone before, at least not on this forum.

Offline OSHIROmodels

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Re: Reichenbach Falls
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2018, 05:26:59 PM »
Coming to think of it, *that* has never stopped anyone before, at least not on this forum.

 lol

I was thinking more Sherlokian in general. The recent films have some good ideas as well as the books.