We’re off to the sunny south today, well maybe not sunny, but Florida is known as “the Sunshine state.”
Just over the border is the city of Jacksonville.
In May 1901, what started as a kitchen fire ravaged the city.
We’re back in Scotland today visiting the city of Inverness. Straddling the River Ness, this city lies at the mouth (Inver means mouth) of the river where it meets the Moray Firth.
In recent years, the Town House has been undergoing refurbishment. To hide the ugly scaffolding, they came up with this ingenious idea.
The shroud looks like curtains opening revealing the inside of this grand building. But better still, the curtains look like the front facade.
The building was recently unveiled and you can see the restored exterior at BBC.com.
We’re back in Canada today visiting the city of Halifax, located in the eastern province of Nova Scotia.
The Pier 21 museum tells the story of immigration to Canada, including the Home Children in the 1860s-1930s, and more recent newcomers to Canada.
In 2003 Hurricane Juan caused a great deal of destruction in the city when he made landfall.
But before that, the Halifax explosion in 1917 decimated the city.
We’re back in Scotland today visiting one of my favourite cities. Home to museums, universities and colleges, Glasgow also boasts many museums, heritage locations, and more.
The city’s Necropolis (even if you don’t care to wander through cemeteries is a place to visit. The architecture of some of the stones is amazing. Mausoleums and vaults dot the landscape in the city of the dead. This monument is modest compared to some.
Do you remember the nursery rhyme ‘Wee Willie Winkie?’
The Duke of Wellington Statue in front of the Gallery of Modern Art. And, no, you’re not seeing things. The statue is wearing a traffic cone on his head. Even the horse has been seen wearing a matching ‘chapeau.’
The band Caledonia (a fitting name for a Scottish band, don’t you think?) playing on Buchanan Street.
Glasgow is also the setting for Caro Ramsay‘s Anderson and Costello crime series.
Shopping, pubs, museums. Glasgow has a little something for everyone. You can see why I like it so much.
From Edinburgh we’re off to Germany and the city of Frankfurt. The full name for Frankfurt is Frankfurt am Main (located on the River Main) and is the fifth largest city in Germany.
Home to the European Central Bank, this vibrant metropolis is a combination of modern and traditional architecture as seen in the photos below. Although damaged during WWII, the old part of the town was rebuilt after the war. The annual Christmas market is held in Römerberg.
Today, we’re hopping on a short flight for the puddle jump from Dublin to Edinburgh.
Scotland’s capital city boasts many museums, is the fictional home of Ian Rankin’s, Rebus, and two castles at either end of the Royal Mile. Edinburgh Castle (seen below) sits atop an extinct volcano.
At the opposite end of the street stands the Palace of Holyrood House, the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh.
But the city has a dark side. Deacon Brodie, a mild-mannered well-respected businessman by day, thief by night. He was the inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
There are also the notorious grave robbers, William Burke and William Hare. They dug up the dearly-departed and sold the corpses to Doctor Robert Knox. When they couldn’t get enough already dead bodies, they resorted to murder to fill the quota.
No trip to Scotland is complete without a trip to this vibrant city.
Day 4 and we’re catching a flight to Ireland – Dublin to be precise.
Dublin is located on the east coast and is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. During the week of Easter, 1916, the aptly named Easter Risings took place. Launched by Irish Republicans, it was to break away from British rule and form their independent nation.
Dublin is home to the Jameson Distillery and the Guinness brewery.
We’re staying in Canada today but are headed west. “Go west young man” as the saying went. Although, to be more politically correct these days, I guess it should say ‘young people’. Anyway, we’re off to the province of Alberta and the city of Calgary.
Home of the famous Calgary Stampede and host to the 1988 Winter Olympics, Calgary is a cosmopolitan city which can attribute its growth to the Canadian oil industy.
It’s nickname is “Cowtown”.
We’re back in Canada today, Eastern Ontario to be precise. Today’s city is Brockville (also my hometown).
Located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, there’s plenty to see in the summer when the lakers and ocean-going ships sail by. Also near the waterfront is our newly opened tourist attraction, the railway tunnel.
This was Canada’s first railway tunnel, and was completed in the 1860s. It stretched from the waterfront, under what is now city hall and emerged from underground at Pearl Street.
For years it was closed up but a group of enterprising individuals, got together, secured grants, and with a lot of hard work restored this piece of our history and opened it to the public last summer.
We’re starting out the #AtoZ Challenge for 2018 in Scotland. Since this country is one of my favourite destinations, it shouldn’t come as a complete surprise to those who know me.
Aberdeen is the eighth-most-populous Scottish council area by population. Located on the North-East coast of Scotland, the port city is an essential hub for the off-shore oil industry.
Also, known as the ‘Granite City’ because of the grey, stone buildings.
The City Council’s headquarters are in the Victorian landmark that was once home to Marischal College.
