We will be heading off to Canada on Boxing Day via Shanghai. It should be interesting because I've never been to Shanghai, or Vancouver for that matter.
We won't get further than the international transit area of the airport so it will be either a long four hours or a very short four hours depending on what we find there.
I just had a read about the restaurants in Terminal 1, and it seems that the consensus is bad except for two or three and that the prices are very expensive. So much for having some traditional Chinese food.
What does it say about a country if the most viable food is from Burger King? I think reports like 'Worst Nightmare', and 'Almost Poor' tend to send a feeling of dread through you.
But onto Vancouver, if we survive the stopover...
Stanley Park, 400 hectares of rainforest, mountains, coastline and a seawall. OK, a lot of walking involved, and this might be problematic. Totem poles and the hollow tree might be interesting.
Robson Square, a public plaza where among other things is the Vancouver Art Gallery. I've seen the Louvre, the London Art Gallery, and we're going to Moma in New York so this might be one too many this trip
Grouse Mountain, I have to say I love a Gondola ride, and we've been on a few around the world, and the best was in Switzerland. This appears to give excellent views of Vancouver city, provided it's not snowing or low cloud, and,. no, I will not be doing the 2,830 step walk.
Vancouver Lookout, well, we're suckers for a lookout, especially from a tall building or tower, like New York, Seattle, Toronto, and Auckland, and even the odd Ferris wheel like the London Eye. This one is on the 55th floor of the Harbour Centre Building and has 360-degree views.
And then there is the trusty Hop On Hop Off tour that every city has, and the one I'm looking at now has two routes, the city route, and the park route, with a collective 29 stops. This is generally the best bay to see a city, and well worth looking into.
In winter there are no harbor tours, so we'll just be looking at the water from land.
It seems I have some homework to do.
Next time, I'll be looking for things to do in Toronto.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Arezzo
There's nothing like being a few days early or a few days late for a major festival.
We have the dubious honor of being able to both without thinking. I guess this is why you should try to plan your holiday around events, if possible.
We love Italy.
We've been a number of times, but the last visit was the best. Of course, it was not without a lot of hiccups just getting there, but in the end, later than we expected, actually about five minutes before they closed Florence airport, we made it.
So, little did we know there was such a thing as Calcio Fiorentino an early form of football and rugby that originated in 16th-century Italy and thought to have started in the Piazza Santa Croce in Florence. But we were in Florence, at the right time, and even got to see the procession through the streets of Florence.
You can read more about the game and rules at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcio_Fiorentino
We were not so lucky in Siena where we were about a week early for the Palio di Siena which was to take place on 2nd July.
Nor were we in Arezzo at the right time for the Saracen Joust which was held on the penultimate Saturday in June. It is held at the Piazza Grande in the heart of Arezzo and is one of the most beautiful piazzas in Tuscany.
The Piazza Della Liberta and the Town Hall tower
The Piazza Grande, also known as Piazza Vasari, is said to be situated on the site of the ancient Roman Forum. Here, it is being set up for the coming Joust.
A different view of Arezzo Cathedral | Cattedrale dei Santi Pietro e Donato
We have the dubious honor of being able to both without thinking. I guess this is why you should try to plan your holiday around events, if possible.
We love Italy.
We've been a number of times, but the last visit was the best. Of course, it was not without a lot of hiccups just getting there, but in the end, later than we expected, actually about five minutes before they closed Florence airport, we made it.
So, little did we know there was such a thing as Calcio Fiorentino an early form of football and rugby that originated in 16th-century Italy and thought to have started in the Piazza Santa Croce in Florence. But we were in Florence, at the right time, and even got to see the procession through the streets of Florence.
You can read more about the game and rules at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcio_Fiorentino
We were not so lucky in Siena where we were about a week early for the Palio di Siena which was to take place on 2nd July.
Nor were we in Arezzo at the right time for the Saracen Joust which was held on the penultimate Saturday in June. It is held at the Piazza Grande in the heart of Arezzo and is one of the most beautiful piazzas in Tuscany.
The Piazza Grande, also known as Piazza Vasari, is said to be situated on the site of the ancient Roman Forum. Here, it is being set up for the coming Joust.
Friday, November 30, 2018
The Castello di Brolio, Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany - The New Castle
The castle is located in the southern Chianti Classico countryside and has been there for over ten centuries, and owned by the Ricasoli family since 1141.
The newer part of the castle dates from the 1800's . The larger brick palace was built in Gothic revival-style.
The new castle was built on top of the old castle's ramparts
The walkway leads to the guards tower, and views over the countryside, and in particular, the styled gardens of English origin
And beyond these gardens, the vineyards
The newer part of the castle dates from the 1800's . The larger brick palace was built in Gothic revival-style.
The new castle was built on top of the old castle's ramparts
The walkway leads to the guards tower, and views over the countryside, and in particular, the styled gardens of English origin
And beyond these gardens, the vineyards
The Castello di Brolio, Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany - The Old Castle
The castle is located in the southern Chianti Classico countryside and has been there for over ten centuries, and owned by the Ricasoli family since 1141.
Like any good castle, it has strong defences, and I was looking for a moat and drawbridge, but it looks like the moat has become a lawn.
The very high walls in places no doubt were built to keep the enemy out
The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over the last 900 years. It was part of the Florentine defenses, and withstood, and succumbed to many battles with Siena, which is only 20 km away. More recently, it still bears the scars of artillery fire and bombing in WW2.
The room at the top of this tower would have an excellent view of the countryside.
Here you can see the old and the new, the red brick part of the rebuilding in the 1800's in the style of an English Manor
We did not get to see where that archway led.
Nor what was behind door number one at the top of these stairs. Rest assured, many, many years ago someone wearing armor would have made the climb. It would not pass current occupational health and safety these days with a number of stairs before a landing.
Cappella di San Jacopo. Its foundations were laid in 1348.
The 1,200 hectares of the property include 240 hectares of vineyards and 26 of olive groves, in the commune of Gaiole.
Like any good castle, it has strong defences, and I was looking for a moat and drawbridge, but it looks like the moat has become a lawn.
The very high walls in places no doubt were built to keep the enemy out
The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over the last 900 years. It was part of the Florentine defenses, and withstood, and succumbed to many battles with Siena, which is only 20 km away. More recently, it still bears the scars of artillery fire and bombing in WW2.
The room at the top of this tower would have an excellent view of the countryside.
Here you can see the old and the new, the red brick part of the rebuilding in the 1800's in the style of an English Manor
We did not get to see where that archway led.
Nor what was behind door number one at the top of these stairs. Rest assured, many, many years ago someone wearing armor would have made the climb. It would not pass current occupational health and safety these days with a number of stairs before a landing.
Cappella di San Jacopo. Its foundations were laid in 1348.
Renovated in 1867-1869, it has a gabled façade preceded by a double stone staircase. The interior, with a crypt where the members of the Ricasoli family are buried, has a nave divided into three spans with cross vaults.
Monday, November 26, 2018
The Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
The Piazza del Campo is one of the greatest medieval squares in Europe.
It is shaped like a shell.
This is where the Palazzo Publico and the Torre del Mangia are.
At 102 meters (334 feet), the bell tower is the city's second tallest structure.
When it was built in 1848 it was the exact same height of the Duomo to show that the state and church had equal amounts of power.
Around the edges of the Piazza are a lot of restaranunts, where you can sit in the shade, have a late of pasta and sip on a cold limonata.
It is shaped like a shell.
This is where the Palazzo Publico and the Torre del Mangia are.
At 102 meters (334 feet), the bell tower is the city's second tallest structure.
When it was built in 1848 it was the exact same height of the Duomo to show that the state and church had equal amounts of power.
Around the edges of the Piazza are a lot of restaranunts, where you can sit in the shade, have a late of pasta and sip on a cold limonata.
A quaint hilltop town in Tuscany
The thing is, all hilltop towns in Tuscany are quaint.
My problem was, we saw so many unless you wrote down the name when you were there, they become a blur.
This one had the main road in, and then you could go in one of two directions, left or right.
They were not made for cars, and the streets are so narrow, often you find mere inches between the walls and the side of the car.
Instead, there are lots of narrow walkways and alleys to explore. I'd hate to be given an address of a house, and then try to find it. I doubt even a GPS would be about to locate it.
This is the main street into the town
Sorry, you can only go right
Pedestrians share the road with cars, and it's no surprise that in Europe, and particularly Italy, a lot of their cars are very small. Now I know why!
They also have lots of arches, and I wonder if that's someone's bedroom overlooking the roadway
There's very little room for gardens, and every bit of building space is utilized
Who knows where this alleyway leads
What seems to be a guard tower on the outskirts of the town, overlooking the valley below, perhaps waiting for invaders of a different sort
Perhaps you don't like the idea of having neighbors.
And, of course, there's always a church, and the door is always open
My problem was, we saw so many unless you wrote down the name when you were there, they become a blur.
This one had the main road in, and then you could go in one of two directions, left or right.
They were not made for cars, and the streets are so narrow, often you find mere inches between the walls and the side of the car.
Instead, there are lots of narrow walkways and alleys to explore. I'd hate to be given an address of a house, and then try to find it. I doubt even a GPS would be about to locate it.
This is the main street into the town
Sorry, you can only go right
Pedestrians share the road with cars, and it's no surprise that in Europe, and particularly Italy, a lot of their cars are very small. Now I know why!
They also have lots of arches, and I wonder if that's someone's bedroom overlooking the roadway
There's very little room for gardens, and every bit of building space is utilized
Who knows where this alleyway leads
What seems to be a guard tower on the outskirts of the town, overlooking the valley below, perhaps waiting for invaders of a different sort
Perhaps you don't like the idea of having neighbors.
And, of course, there's always a church, and the door is always open
Friday, November 23, 2018
There are clouds, and then there are more clouds
In a country that is renowned for clouds, and even having the nickname of 'the land of the long white cloud' there is always a few clouds hanging around, or, as on some of the days of our most recent holiday, more than a few.
Unfortunately, these were not snow clouds as my grandchildren had hoped. They saw snow for the first time, but it may have been all that more special if it had snowed while they were there.
This day, was, for a while, dark and gloomy. The rain threatened but never came.
This was a day of sporadic sunshine and a cold breeze
This was one of the better days, with sunshine in winter, and some spectacular landscapes on offer for keen photographers
This day had the odd lonely cloud hoping to make an impact
or clouds that just skimmed the surface of Lake Taupo at sunrise
Unfortunately, these were not snow clouds as my grandchildren had hoped. They saw snow for the first time, but it may have been all that more special if it had snowed while they were there.
This day, was, for a while, dark and gloomy. The rain threatened but never came.
This was a day of sporadic sunshine and a cold breeze
This was one of the better days, with sunshine in winter, and some spectacular landscapes on offer for keen photographers
This day had the odd lonely cloud hoping to make an impact
or clouds that just skimmed the surface of Lake Taupo at sunrise
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