This week's ABCWednesday letter is V. After seeking out the Voortman's cookies, all that is left is Violet's Vacation (though I really want to say 'holiday', which rolls off the tongue more naturally) Anyway, my vacay also conveniently allows me to weasel out of next week's W. Whew. Interestingly, I have an X, Y and Z all ready.
But at the moment, my mind is totally on the vacation plans. Next week, I will be on a voyage aboard a cruise ship. (my virgin cruise, so to speak) One of the ports we will be visiting is Valencia and one of the things I am most excited about is going to the Lladro factory. From what I have read about this free tour of the making of the valuable, exquisitely made porcelain, it is a fascinating couple of hours even if you are not into figurines of porcelain. All the reviews from such sites as TripAdvisor were glowingly positive.
You need to book these tours ahead, so I emailed my preferred language and date. And got a prompt reply, with an apology, that all tours that day were fully booked. Damn. But the email was so personal and polite, offering other dates, etc that instead of letting it slide, I wrote back and explained about the cruise ship and one day in Valencia, la la la, not quite sure what to expect in return. Maybe a wait list of some sort? No. What I found out was that it was my ship that had booked the day's worth of tours. So, I could pay $50 to the cruise ship for the free tour, or satisfy myself with seeing only the museum and showroom. And gift shop. I found this turn of events to be most vexing. I vented long and loudly to my friend Xup who is travelling with me (though not interested in this tour) and she volunteered her indignation on my behalf. But, I continued with the email exchange, thanking them for their correspondence - really, I expected merely a form letter type response. Three days later, news came that I could get on one of the afternoon tours. Victory!
I may need more euros to buy a souvenir Lladro....
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
grave post - Bayview Gardens
There was a Doors Open event in Burlington over the weekend and I managed to spend a considerable amount of time at a private family cemetery and at Bayview Gardens Mausoleum. One of the advantages was having people on hand to answer questions. And perhaps to give tours, as happened for myself and one of the volunteers when Robin McKee, who does cemetery tours at the Hamilton Cemetery, happened by. He was quite happy to give an impromptu tour and share what he knew about the building and some of the people within. He also didn't find it at all odd to hear that when I will be in Genoa next week, the only thing I really want to see is the Staglieno Cemetery.
there was a harpist playing softly
and St George slaying a dragon
and walls full of memories
perhaps the most poignant for me, on this visit, was this memorial vault for those who donated their body to science. a difficult decision for some, and one wonders what happens when the medical students and researchers are finished with your remains.
at McMaster University (as with most university hospitals, I expect) you are respectfully remembered.
it is a shame about that typo, though. another plaque on the wall outside the vault seems to be grammatically correct (which would be doubly important for a university, one would think)
find more memorials at Taphophile Tragics
there was a harpist playing softly
and St George slaying a dragonand walls full of memories
perhaps the most poignant for me, on this visit, was this memorial vault for those who donated their body to science. a difficult decision for some, and one wonders what happens when the medical students and researchers are finished with your remains.
at McMaster University (as with most university hospitals, I expect) you are respectfully remembered.
find more memorials at Taphophile Tragics
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Sunday Stamps - space and astronomy
This 8 cent stamp celebrating the Decade of Achievement for Space was issued in 1971. It was part of a se-tenant and this one depicts the Lunar Rover. Originally issued to co-incide with the flight of Apollo XV and to mark the 10th anniversary of John Glenn's Project Mercury flight that sent the first man into orbit.
and let's not forget the Canadarm, Canada's contribution to NASA's shuttle program, which was retired in 2011 after 30 years and 90 flights. The Canadarm weighs 905lbs and is 50' long with 6 joints (degrees of freedom). This stamp is one of a series showing the flag in 'conspicuous and not so conspicuous places'. (the stylized O references the opening line of the national anthem O Canada....)
Did anyone else spend time watching that small black dot of Venus move across the sun last Tuesday? You can thank this gentleman for enlightening us with his observations of the solar system back in the 1860s.
and let's not forget the Canadarm, Canada's contribution to NASA's shuttle program, which was retired in 2011 after 30 years and 90 flights. The Canadarm weighs 905lbs and is 50' long with 6 joints (degrees of freedom). This stamp is one of a series showing the flag in 'conspicuous and not so conspicuous places'. (the stylized O references the opening line of the national anthem O Canada....)Did anyone else spend time watching that small black dot of Venus move across the sun last Tuesday? You can thank this gentleman for enlightening us with his observations of the solar system back in the 1860s.
Among Schiaparelli's contributions are his telescopic observations of Mars. In his initial observations, he named the "seas" and "continents" of Mars. He called the linear lines he saw 'canali' which was mistranslated as 'canal' resulting in years of speculation over a supposed life on mars.
Before he had a powerful enough telescope to study the surfaces of planets, he watched meteors and comets and showed that they moved in the same orbit and that there were annual showers of 'shooting stars' caused by the dissolving of comets. So raise a glass to Schiaparelli, next time while watching the Perseids and Leonids meteor showers.
see more stars at Viridian's Postcard Blog
Saturday, June 9, 2012
run of your life
Every year it takes me by surprise. Certain spring Saturday afternoons come along and suddenly an interest in horse racing takes hold and I want to watch those few minutes of a fast paced adrenaline rush.
I am in no way a horsey person. I don't dislike them. They are wonderful creatures, but I don't get all soft and dewy over a horse as I would over, say, a cat, or a duck, even. But, yesterday when I heard on the car radio the stunning news that I'll Have Another would not be racing in the Belmont Stakes and thus would not be a Triple Crown contender - possibly the first winner since Secretariat in 1973, an event I remember well for some reason considering I was only 15 - I had to pull over and catch my breath. I hope he has a good, long life out on the stud farm, but I was deeply saddened to hear that his injury would prevent him form running. Then again, I was also relieved that his owners made that decision not to risk his life.
When Barbaro broke his leg in 2006 at the Preakness, I followed his recovery process avidly, amazed that such a catastrophic injury would be treated and the lengths they went to help him. Sadly, it was all too much for Barbaro and he died of complications when his other feet developed laminitis due to his not being able to put his full weight on his unbroken legs. Still, for seven months there was hope.
I felt a sharp pain of regret in 2004 when Birdstone outran Smarty Jones and foiled another attempt at a Triple Crown. It was a surreal moment when a tearful owner of the winning horse apologized and said "I'm sorry, so sorry that Smarty Jones couldn't win".
Canada has it's own Triple Crown with the Queen's Plate, The Prince of Wales Stakes and the Breeder's Stakes. The last time a horse won the Triple Crown was in 2003. I had to look up his name (it was Wando). Okay, I admit I am one of those people who jump on the bandwagon at the last minute and get caught up in the rush.
What I know about horse racing, I learned from reading Dick Francis. I have been to a couple of races, though they were harness racing that was held at a racetrack a few blocks from where I lived. I have never been to see the Queen's Plate, which is being held next Saturday. Horse racing has been in a steady decline over the years and now the Ontario government is considering putting a stop to a profitable and beneficial revenue sharing program where slots machines and gaming facilities were put into racetracks to complement the gambling. Lots and lots of money from these OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming) machines has benefitted the government as well as the racetracks who received a portion of revenue. It sounds like a perfect mix. Now, the talk is of taking these slots out of the racetracks and building a new casino in a more densely populated urban area. Like the waterfront of Toronto. Seriously. Ruining a good waterfront location by building a massive windowless structure so people can sit inside with blinking lights. At least at Woodbine, there is the option of going outside and seeing some horses going through their paces. Or winning a race. A live win, not a fabricated one from a machine.
Still, I will watch the Belmont this afternoon and toast to I'll Have Another's health.
I am in no way a horsey person. I don't dislike them. They are wonderful creatures, but I don't get all soft and dewy over a horse as I would over, say, a cat, or a duck, even. But, yesterday when I heard on the car radio the stunning news that I'll Have Another would not be racing in the Belmont Stakes and thus would not be a Triple Crown contender - possibly the first winner since Secretariat in 1973, an event I remember well for some reason considering I was only 15 - I had to pull over and catch my breath. I hope he has a good, long life out on the stud farm, but I was deeply saddened to hear that his injury would prevent him form running. Then again, I was also relieved that his owners made that decision not to risk his life.
When Barbaro broke his leg in 2006 at the Preakness, I followed his recovery process avidly, amazed that such a catastrophic injury would be treated and the lengths they went to help him. Sadly, it was all too much for Barbaro and he died of complications when his other feet developed laminitis due to his not being able to put his full weight on his unbroken legs. Still, for seven months there was hope.
I felt a sharp pain of regret in 2004 when Birdstone outran Smarty Jones and foiled another attempt at a Triple Crown. It was a surreal moment when a tearful owner of the winning horse apologized and said "I'm sorry, so sorry that Smarty Jones couldn't win".
Canada has it's own Triple Crown with the Queen's Plate, The Prince of Wales Stakes and the Breeder's Stakes. The last time a horse won the Triple Crown was in 2003. I had to look up his name (it was Wando). Okay, I admit I am one of those people who jump on the bandwagon at the last minute and get caught up in the rush.
What I know about horse racing, I learned from reading Dick Francis. I have been to a couple of races, though they were harness racing that was held at a racetrack a few blocks from where I lived. I have never been to see the Queen's Plate, which is being held next Saturday. Horse racing has been in a steady decline over the years and now the Ontario government is considering putting a stop to a profitable and beneficial revenue sharing program where slots machines and gaming facilities were put into racetracks to complement the gambling. Lots and lots of money from these OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming) machines has benefitted the government as well as the racetracks who received a portion of revenue. It sounds like a perfect mix. Now, the talk is of taking these slots out of the racetracks and building a new casino in a more densely populated urban area. Like the waterfront of Toronto. Seriously. Ruining a good waterfront location by building a massive windowless structure so people can sit inside with blinking lights. At least at Woodbine, there is the option of going outside and seeing some horses going through their paces. Or winning a race. A live win, not a fabricated one from a machine.
Still, I will watch the Belmont this afternoon and toast to I'll Have Another's health.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Upper Middle
Once again, because I am a little unorganized, I am combining letters for this week's ABC Wednesday challenge of seeing Burlington through the alphabet. I admit to being only 'a little unorganized' because, actually, I made a nice comprehensive list of subjects for each letter way back before this round even started... it is just most weeks, around mid afternoon on Tuesday, I suddenly realize that I have not gotten around to taking the required photos.... and well, y'know how it is.
If you drive along Hwy 403, you will see an exit to Upper Middle Road. This name has always intrigued me. It sounded so... unusual. There is no Lower Middle Road or even a Middle Road. Though I did find out somewhere along my researches for getting to know where I had moved, that the highway that bisects the city, known as the QEW (and also the 403, which merges with it during its run though Oakville and Burlington) was once a road called Middle Road.
Only at the far eastern end are there houses fronting onto the street.
These ones sit across from Tansley Woods
a large and busy Community Centre built in 1996 with a library and beautiful skylit pool.
and undulating hills separating it from the bike path and Upper Middle Road. I am not in this area very often as it about as far from where I live as you can get before heading out to the rural areas, but I wonder how many people actually use this bit of greenery. As you can see, I took this picture when we were still despairing of some much needed rain.
Here is a closer view of
Tansley Woods
with the bright atrium taken around 3pm before the afterschool crowds.
If you drive along Hwy 403, you will see an exit to Upper Middle Road. This name has always intrigued me. It sounded so... unusual. There is no Lower Middle Road or even a Middle Road. Though I did find out somewhere along my researches for getting to know where I had moved, that the highway that bisects the city, known as the QEW (and also the 403, which merges with it during its run though Oakville and Burlington) was once a road called Middle Road.
Back in the early days of Upper Canada, many of the roads were set out in a grid pattern, with each one being 1 1/4 mile apart. In Burlington there was a track called Lake Shore. Then a new road was built a bit farther from the lake. This was imaginatively named New Street. There was also a road known as Highway 5, or Dundas Street at the top end of the city. And in between the Lake Shore and Hwy 5 was a street known as Middle Road. This was torn up and became part of the Queen Elizabeth Way (and Hwy 403) back in the 1930's. The road that lay between the Middle Road and Dundas Street was called - unimaginatively, or not - Upper Middle Road.
And actually, it is a rather pretty street for a major thoroughfare. It runs roughly east-west across the top of the city, but there are few side streets running off it and any development backs onto it, so there are no driveways to deal with. At each major intersection - i.e. every 1 and 1/4 mile - there is some retail and commercial buildings. There is a hydro corridor along one side with a trail for biking/walking.
These ones sit across from Tansley Woods
a large and busy Community Centre built in 1996 with a library and beautiful skylit pool.
Here is a closer view of
Tansley Woods
with the bright atrium taken around 3pm before the afterschool crowds.
Monday, June 4, 2012
grave post - Weston
Some of you may recognize this flourished signature
as that of Weston Bakery, started by his father George Weston.
W. Garfield Weston was born above his father's bread factory in Toronto in 1898. He was exceptionally gifted at making business deals and thus able to expand his empire during the Depression after his father's death. He bought out many smaller bakeries across Canada during the early 1930s and eventually ventured into Britain with a plan to buy and modernize bakeries there and (here's the brilliant part) get them to use Canadian wheat. By the end of the war, his vast holdings would include fisheries, frozen foods, and some 2000 (!) bakery, retail and grocery chains in Britain, South Africa, Germany, France, the US, and Australia and NZ. I am sure he was not always welcomed into these countries, yet in 1948 Canadian press reports described Garfield Weston as "the biggest manufacturer of bread in the world, the largest biscuit maker in the British Empire and Canada's largest wholesale grocer". [wikipedia]
W. Garfield Weston was born above his father's bread factory in Toronto in 1898. He was exceptionally gifted at making business deals and thus able to expand his empire during the Depression after his father's death. He bought out many smaller bakeries across Canada during the early 1930s and eventually ventured into Britain with a plan to buy and modernize bakeries there and (here's the brilliant part) get them to use Canadian wheat. By the end of the war, his vast holdings would include fisheries, frozen foods, and some 2000 (!) bakery, retail and grocery chains in Britain, South Africa, Germany, France, the US, and Australia and NZ. I am sure he was not always welcomed into these countries, yet in 1948 Canadian press reports described Garfield Weston as "the biggest manufacturer of bread in the world, the largest biscuit maker in the British Empire and Canada's largest wholesale grocer". [wikipedia]
Garfield Weston always considered himself a Canadian but moved his family of six girls and two boys (later to add another son, Galen) to Britain in the 1930s. He didn't shirk from helping or getting involved and was the MPP for Macclesfield (hi Gilly!) during the war and was known for his philanthropic donations such as when during the Blitz, the Nazi aerial bombing campaign, he set up a system of canteens that fed thousands of civilians as they took shelter in the London Underground. He and his family also hosted air service personnel at their estate outside of London, providing a place of retreat.[wikipedia]
The Weston fortune continues to grow and in 2003-04, George Weston Ltd had the highest gross of any Canadian company with 120,000 Canadian employees with another 22,850 worldwide. The family fortune is estimated at around $7.7 billion. Garfield's youngest son Galen is considered among the top 50 richest men in the world.
W Galen Weston (b 1940) the grandson of George, son of W Garfield
Weston is also head of the world’s second largest luxury goods retailer as Chairman of Holt Renfrew in Canada and the Selfridges Group, owner of Selfridges in the United Kingdom, Brown Thomas of Ireland, the De Bijenkorf department store chain in the Netherlands, and the recently acquired Ogilvy department store in Montreal. (wikipedia)
W Galen Weston (b 1940) the grandson of George, son of W Garfield
Weston is also head of the world’s second largest luxury goods retailer as Chairman of Holt Renfrew in Canada and the Selfridges Group, owner of Selfridges in the United Kingdom, Brown Thomas of Ireland, the De Bijenkorf department store chain in the Netherlands, and the recently acquired Ogilvy department store in Montreal. (wikipedia)
Yousuf Karsh photo c 1962
and Galen G Weston (b 1972) the great-grandson...
Galen Jr has two sons, neither of whom are named Galen, though the G tradition continues with Griffin and Graydon.
Galen Sr is married to Hilary Weston who was the Lieutenant Governor General of Ontario from 1997-2002.
see more riches of graves at Taphophile Tragics
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Sunday Stamps - Jubilee
I could think of no better stamps for this Jubilee Weekend but see what other stamps were chosen at Viridian's Postcard blog
one of the nicer views of the Queen
The photo is a hauntingly regal side shot of the Queen wearing diamonds, draped in furs, sitting in a carriage on her way to a state opening of Parliament in London. The public likes it too: sales have been so strong that the current production run of six million might be upped. (macleans Feb/12)
and
one of the more casual views of the Queen
issued 2010
I thought this was an abstract blue background, but I was wrong.
Design/Illustration by Doreen Colonello
"We were delighted to feature a photograph of Her Majesty in her classic wave pose." The close-up photograph is shown before a vibrant sedum. "We strove to create a royal and serene backdrop for The Queen, choosing this plant for its radiating leaves and its subtle colour gradations," explains Colonello. "Two blue curved transparent forms in the foreground echo the flower’s rays, and the play between the rays in the background and the transparency in the foreground surround The Queen with a sense of light and warmth."
and one that was offered by Charles Pachter, but ultimately rejected by Canada Post
which if you are really interested, you can view here
one of the nicer views of the Queen
The photo is a hauntingly regal side shot of the Queen wearing diamonds, draped in furs, sitting in a carriage on her way to a state opening of Parliament in London. The public likes it too: sales have been so strong that the current production run of six million might be upped. (macleans Feb/12)
one of the more casual views of the Queen
issued 2010
I thought this was an abstract blue background, but I was wrong.
Design/Illustration by Doreen Colonello
"We were delighted to feature a photograph of Her Majesty in her classic wave pose." The close-up photograph is shown before a vibrant sedum. "We strove to create a royal and serene backdrop for The Queen, choosing this plant for its radiating leaves and its subtle colour gradations," explains Colonello. "Two blue curved transparent forms in the foreground echo the flower’s rays, and the play between the rays in the background and the transparency in the foreground surround The Queen with a sense of light and warmth."
and one that was offered by Charles Pachter, but ultimately rejected by Canada Post
Pachter is well known for his iconic paintings of the Queen on a moose and this might have been a bit more fun than the
staid series that is on offer
Monday, May 28, 2012
grave post - Cutten
The two women on this most unusual monument in Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Toronto) represent Annie Rowena and her sister Gertrude Moncur who died within three months of each other.
It was carved in Laurentian pink granite in 1936 by German born sculptor Emanuel Hahn and features in a Graeme Gibson novel where the protagonist eats his lunch every day on a stone bench "before turning his amorous attentions to one or the other" (full disclosure: I have not actually read this book, I discovered this bit of trivia while researching. as a side note of interest, Graeme Gibson is the husband of Margaret Atwood)
Lionel Cutten, the husband of Annie Rowena, was born in 1871, the third of eight children of Walter Hoyt Cutten, a prominent barrister in Guelph Ontario. He was a year younger than second son Arthur (for whom his son on the far left of this bench was possibly named) who was a well known stock market speculator. He actually has a more interesting story, if less interesting gravesite where he is buried in Guelph, and I will have to visit that cemetery and tell of his life at a later date. (I am sure Delores is familiar with the name!)
But, back to Lionel. While still young and adventurous, he and Anthony Foster formed Cutten and Foster, importer of automobile parts, radios, and drapery manufacturers.
He married Annie Rowena Adams (born 1872) in 1902 and their one child Arthur was born in 1905. Arthur Forbes Cutten was the Chairman and CEO of Cutten Investments and died at home in 1992 at age 87. His second wife, Carolyn Beaver Wishart, died in October, 1998 at age 75. Neither one rests on or near this bench, but rather in the mausoleum.
In 1912, according to the Society section of The Toronto World, Mrs Lionel Cutton 135 Avenue Rd will receive the first Friday of every month during the season.
By the time Lionel Cutten died at his home of a heart attack he was living at 118 Forest Hill Rd.
See who else had died at Taphophile Tragics
Friday, May 25, 2012
shopping can be fun
We have a new grocery store in town and it seems to be a terribly exciting event judging by the crowds I had to wade through when I went to visit it this afternoon.
The original store is located about 25 miles away and I talked to a few people who had been driving that far just to shop at this Eastern European gastronomic delight. They claim to have 624 different kinds of cheese. It is mostly Polish and I wished I had an app for my non-existent iphone to translate some of the product names. If there was a picture, I could get a good clue, but some of the deli meats and cheeses and I had no idea. Being a bit adventurous, if it was part of the opening week specials and looked interesting, I considered bying it. I did think about getting some homemade soup that looked full of ... something other than broth, until I noticed the small print on the other side of all the Poilsh. Tripe. Seriously? I almost threw it back in the shelf! Yech. Shudder. But, I did try one of those plum donuts, Pączki, that seem to be a Polish specialty. They were very good. And I have an interesting selection of fruit juices that we don't see normally in the usual grocery stores.
I pretended that I was visiting a foreign city as I navigated my way through the aisles looking as lost as about half the other shoppers. The other half seemed to be Polish and I was not above asking questions of anyone who seemed to be familiar with the system and what was on offer.
I pretended that I was visiting a foreign city as I navigated my way through the aisles looking as lost as about half the other shoppers. The other half seemed to be Polish and I was not above asking questions of anyone who seemed to be familiar with the system and what was on offer.
In the meantime, far be it from me to let a good pun go to waste.
How many other cities can claim to have their own
Starsky and Hutch
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
skyway, ships and scaffolds
If you live in the area and know nothing else about Burlington, you will at least have heard of the Burlington Skyway.
It is officially called the Burlington Bay James N Allen Skyway, but you will be hard pressed to find anyone who has ever used that name. My guess is you would be hard pressed to even find anyone who knows who James N Allen is (which is a sad commentary on our knowledge of local politics.) As a 90th birthday present, after the bridge was twinned with a second span, it was officially renamed in honour of the former chair of the Niagara Parks Commission and Minister of Highways. (and, yes, I had to look that up, thank you wikipedia...)
this is the bay side view with the lake side view above
It is officially called the Burlington Bay James N Allen Skyway, but you will be hard pressed to find anyone who has ever used that name. My guess is you would be hard pressed to even find anyone who knows who James N Allen is (which is a sad commentary on our knowledge of local politics.) As a 90th birthday present, after the bridge was twinned with a second span, it was officially renamed in honour of the former chair of the Niagara Parks Commission and Minister of Highways. (and, yes, I had to look that up, thank you wikipedia...)
The steel truss bridge was built in 1958 and was a toll road until 1973. By 1988, a second span (without the arch) was added to bring the number of lanes to eight. The arched bridge on the lake side carries the Toronto bound traffic and the second span on the bay side is the Niagara bound lanes.
this is the bay side view with the lake side view above
ships, such as this one below, make their way down the St Lawrence River to Lake Ontario and under the Skyway (above) to the Port of Hamilton in Burlington Bay.
A year ago there was some scaffolding as repairs were begun. There is still some scaffolding, but nothing as serious as this!
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