I saw this poster in Vienna and was struck by the words, 72 adverbs that describe how individuals stage public protests. It isn’t an exhaustive list. The first thing I noticed was that “violently” wasn’t there, yet that seems increasingly to be a factor in protests around the globe. In many cases there is no […]
They stopped whipping women in 1791 – but continued to flog the men until 1837. Today that might be considered sexist. Of course today we don’t see flogging as a civilized method for punishing criminals. Things were different in 1572 when this post was first used at St. Martin-in-the-fields in downtown London. The post was […]
On my first visit to Paris, more than 30 years ago, I didn’t go up the Eiffel Tower. I thought it was too expensive. I haven’t gone up on subsequent visits either, as they have been of the changing planes/trains variety, so I haven’t been back. Part of me regrets not having spent the money […]
Made a quick visit to downtown Ottawa last week, as I realized I had yet to see the new chamber for Canada’s House of Commons, which relocated to West Block earlier this year. Centre Block is undergoing a ten-year renovation/restoration, and a new place had to be found for the House to meet. So they […]
It suddenly occurred to me as I sat there: I haven’t been this cold in years! Southern Germany has mild winters. The beginning of November is still practically summer. In Sulzburg today it is 16 Celsius. In Ottawa it is 1. Which is why today’s post is later than usual – I needed time to […]
Do you know what you are seeing in the picture? Most likely not, unless you are Canadian. It is a national tradition, a fall rite of passage. A sure sign of changing seasons. In my neighbourhood and across the country, as October blends into November, the boards are dropped off in the parks and […]
It ended seventy-nine years ago today, though they probably didn’t know it was the last day. They expected the bombers back to continue the Battle of Britain. As they had every day since July 10, 1940, Nazi Germany’s air force, the Luftwaffe, had bombed British targets. Unprepared for war, the few fighter pilots of the […]
I was looking for a photo, though now I can’t remember what for, and came across this delectable plate of fish and chips. With snow in the Ottawa forecast, summer seems so far away. It was the only fish and chips I had in a week in the United Kingdom in the summer of 2014. […]
I remember steam engines, though only in a hazy way. They were on the way out when I was born, replaced by the more efficient (and I presume cheaper to operate) diesel locomotives. Newer trains though don’t have the majesty of a steam engine. There was something special about that technology, something that captured your […]
A flashback for this Monday morning, a post originally published in October 2014. One of the highlights of the Belgian leg of our tour of Europe was the Brooding Soldier at St. Julien. After Vimy Ridge this may be the biggest, best known, Canadian war memorial in Europe. It is a poignant site, a […]
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