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Posts tagged ‘Travel’

Feb 25

8 Comments

Revisiting the Temple of Heaven

A Beijing icon

On a frigid Saturday morning, Niki is waiting on the main road outside my hotel. She has hailed a taxi, and as we climb in I can hear her utter the name of our destination.  “Tiantan nan-mer.” We are heading to the Temple of Heaven. “If you don’t speak with a Beijing accent,” Niki says, referring to the pirate-like ‘r’s, “the taxi drivers won’t understand you.” It’s been barely two days since my arrival, but I can already feel the city’s tones creeping gently into my Mandarin. Read more

Feb 20

22 Comments

Inside the Forbidden City, Beijing

Unlocked – inside the palace garden

When a Chinese dynasty is overthrown, tradition dictates that the old palace must be razed to make way for a new one in its place. But in the summer of 1644 the Manchus broke with the age-old habit, sparing the already fire-damaged residence of their predecessors a similar fate. Instead the new rulers would set about restoring the 15th-century marvel to its former glory. Read more

Feb 18

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Changing Faces: Beijing, China

Morning at Tiananmen Gate

On the northern edge of Chang’an Avenue, a towering red wall guides me towards the gate at Tiananmen. To my left thirteen lanes of traffic thunder past a column of barren trees, their branches throwing long winter shadows across the paving stones. Read more

Feb 2

18 Comments

Saved by the Bell, Brno

Brno Cathedral from Špilberk Hill

In Brno, there’s a reason why the cathedral bells announce the noon an hour early. Back in the 17th century, when virtually all of Europe was embroiled in the Thirty Years’ War, an invading Swedish army swept across the lands of the Czech Crown. Olomouc, the historical capital of Moravia, was occupied and left in ruins; Prague would eventually fall in 1648. Read more

Jan 10

16 Comments

A City Divided, Český Těšín/Cieszyn

The Olza River, marking the international border

It’s New Year’s Eve, 2008, and we are in the northeastern corner of the Czech Republic. Along with my mother and sister I’ve made the trip to one of the country’s lesser-known regions, located right along the Polish frontier. This pocket of Eastern Europe, I am told, is called Cieszyn Silesia. Read more

Jan 1

4 Comments

Hong Kong in Tilt-shift

Central street scene, Hong Kong

Last November, I finally bought a DSLR. Although I had toyed with the idea for a long time, it took a small tumble at Niagara to realise that my old Nikon really needed a replacement. On one of my early test runs I decided to try my hand at tilt-shift photography – under the right circumstances the world beyond the lens comes out like a scene in miniature. Read more

Dec 30

216 Comments

Toronto, Rediscovered

A new Toronto icon

It feels uniquely satisfying, escaping the suburbs and slipping anonymously into the Toronto subway. Three dollar tokens, worn red seats and newspapers strewn on the floor, the trains are a time capsule from the seventies. Read more

Nov 30

6 Comments

Travel sketch: Downtown Montréal

As a fifteen-year-old, being in Montréal for the first time was an unforgettable experience. I was captivated by the beauty of the old town, its diverse cultural scene, and the distinct meld of European flair and North American optimism. My family had booked a hotel room somewhere along Sherbrooke, between the downtown skyscrapers and the slopes of Mont Royal. Although I did have a camera at the time (one of those tiny ones that used film), something about the city inspired me to record this scene in my sketchbook.

Nov 28

14 Comments

Sweet like wine, Niagara-on-the-Lake

Queen Street in the rain

The skies are thick with clouds when we pull up at colonial Fort George. From the passenger seat I catch a glimpse of its palisade fence, barely a minute away through the trees. It seems like an ideal place to kick off a tour of Old Niagara. But the moment we get out of the car, it begins to rain. Heavily. Read more

Nov 20

10 Comments

Ottawa, Quintessentially Canadian

Autumn in Ottawa

“You want the best poutine?” The cashier cocks her head, intrigued by my unusual inquiry. It’s a quiet weeknight and I am inside Le Moulin de Provence, the casual French bakery at the southern end of ByWard Market. Read more

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