Blomidon Field

Blomidon, NS

June 2, 2012

It was an odd weather weekend back in early June.  The previous day was decidedly chilly, but the next day the sun was shining and we were on the road.

The Apple Blossom Festival was preparing for the big parade and we had our sights set on Kentville to soak it all in.

Windows down, arms pretending to be planes while we wizzed past fields showing first sprouts.  It was that kind of Saturday.  Just the antidote for a wet and chilly day like today. 

Minas Basin Moonrise

Blomidon Provincial Park

Blomidon, NS

June 1, 2012

Time to take a break from all those shots from across the pond and head over to the Annapolis Valley.

It was a gorgeous evening to watch the moon rise over the Minas Basin.  Wolfville's lights can be seen in the distance.  Heck, you can even see a few stars in the night sky.  This shot was taken from the entrance to the provincial park (hence the light cast from the street lights in the foreground).

Blomidon is a fun park to visit, mostly car camping though like most provincial parks there are a small number of walk-in sites.  The view of the Minas Basin from the park rarely disappoints.  Many of the campsites have a view of the basin and have a nice breeze which helps keep the bugs at bay.  That also means it can get pretty chilly, we were bundled up that weekend but enjoyed the break from the black flies.

If you have time, check out their network of walking trails.  If you are lucky you will be able to spot Five Islands Provincial park and Parrsboro on the North shore of the basin.

Scotland: Glasgow Subway

Glasgow Subway Car

Glasgow, Scotland

June 19, 2012

During our short stay in Glasgow, I was glad I managed to get one trip on Glasgow's Subway.  While it was a 'wild ride' (the cars rock back and forth a lot), I think I must've held my camera on an extreme angle when I captured the above shot.

Believe it or not, it is the third oldest underground metro system in the world.  Approaches to some stations are still on an uphill, to assist the cars in braking.   As you can see, the cars themselves are tube shaped.  Mind those short entrances when you board the cars.

We noticed construction activity at several stations, which surprised my native Glaswegian guide.   For a subway system that was opened in 1896, I'm sure any upgrades are a welcome sight.

The subway run consists of two rings, both underground.  One runs clockwise, the other anti clockwise.  Simple! Sure, there are likely problems with timetables....but the subway map is pretty easy to understand.

Scotland: The Hunterian

Glasgow, Scotland

University of Glasgow

The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery

June 19, 2012

This place screams "I am a museum!", doesn't it?  Feast your eyes on The Hunterian, Scotland's oldest public museum.  It is home to the largest single holding of the works of the famous Scottish Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau designer; Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  Sadly, that exhibit was not open the day we visited the museum.  Frownie faces all around.  

Luckily we managed to amuse ourselves in their permanent collections.  The exhibit of The Antonine Wall was of particular interest to me, mostly because we had been talking about Rome's influence in Scotland the previous evening.  Like most people mistakenly assume, Rome's outer reach did not end at the infamous Hadrian's Wall.  I loved looking at the Roman coinage, garment artifacts, weapons, etc..  The inscribed tablets and other pieces of stone which date The Antonine Wall were also very interesting.

The admission to this museum was free, as was the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh.  Apparently these are funded by council tax.  Civilized, that.

Scotland: Olympic Fever

Edinburgh, Scotland

June 18, 2012

I wouldn't say that people were feverish about the olympics 'down South'.  There were plenty of adverts in cities, on the telly, etc.....and this awful thing.  It seemed very out of place in Edinburgh, maybe it was because we had just walked down from the castle, I don't know.  I do know that when we rounded the bend and saw this, we all exhaled a disgusted sigh.  

I am rather pleased with how the buildings lined up inside the rings.  I wish I could say that composition was intentional, errrrm, it was not.

Scotland: The Cuillins

Glen Sligachan

Sligachan, Scotland

June 22, 2012

In the heart of Scotland's Isle of Skye (or just plain 'Skye', as the locals call it) lies The Cuillins, one of 40 national scenic areas in Scotland.  I hope you can understand why from this shot.  Stunning.

We hiked up the Glen for a couple hours, towards the hill you can see on the left in the distance.  That peak is named Marsco, it is part of the Red Hills/Red Cuillins.  The Red Hills are mostly composed of granite, compared to the Black Cuillins (you can see the base of them on the right hand of the shot) which are mostly basalt and gabbro.

This area of Scotland is a popular destination for ramblers, hikers and climbers.  If you are up for a challenge, you can complete the Black Cuillin Traverse. This takes you from Glenbrittle in the West, to Sligachan in the East. 

It's no wonder that Skye was used in the opening sequence of Prometheus, its landscape has an otherworldy feel.  

It was an amazing hike up the glen, I wish we could've ventured further.  If you happen to find yourself in Sligachan.  Stop, go for a ramble and recuperate in the Sligachan's excellent pub afterwards.

Iceland: Keflavik International Airport Scooter

Keflavíkurflugvöllur

Keflavik, Iceland

July 1, 2012

It was odd to begin celebrating Canada Day in Iceland...2012 was that kind of summer. Luckily it was also the same day as the Euro 2012 final which gave us something to do as we killed time in Boston, waiting for our return flight to Nova Scotia.

While we queued up for the first leg of our flight home, I noticed this sleek piece of industrial design leaning up against the window. Had a child left it there by accident? No, this is an official scooter for IGS. They run the terminal's 'nordic deli' restaurants and bars as well as aircraft handling for the airport.

Sadly, I missed the opportunity to snap a shot of another IGS scooter that had the front of the scooter modified to carry trays of food . Next time....