Statues: questions and Band 8 answers

Yes, quite a few, actually. Most of them are dotted around the main public square and depict historical figures from the region. There is this huge bronze sculpture of a local poet near my flat that everyone uses as a handy meeting point.

Definitely, especially tourists. You often see people striking funny poses or standing right beside old monuments in the city centre. When I was out last weekend, I saw a crowd queuing up just to take a selfie with a stone lion outside the town hall.

Yes, I have. When I went on holiday to a coastal town a couple of years ago, there was this massive marble carving of a mythical sea creature overlooking the harbour. The level of detail on the scales was just breathtaking to look at up close.

A little bit in history class, I suppose. We mainly covered ancient Greek and Roman sculptures to understand classical art and mythology. I remember our teacher showed us slides of ancient stone figures that had survived for thousands of years, which I found fascinating.

To be honest, not really! I think it would feel a bit bizarre and embarrassing to see a permanent monument of myself in public. Besides, statues are usually reserved for people who have achieved something extraordinary, which definitely does not describe me.