A Wind Battered Hike On Hadrian’s Wall

image of Hadrian's Wall at Housesteads Roman Fort, England

Bob and I were eager to get to Hadrian’s Wall in England, but we wanted to have a whole day to freely explore and experience it.  The hours spent in Barnsley and Darfield looking into my family’s past left us with no time to visit the Wall that same afternoon. Read more

In Search of Our Ancestral History in England

image of london, england, 100_3378

Bob has done extensive research over the past number of years into the history of both of our families.  Ancestry.com has made this possible combined with archival material from a number of different sources.  With this knowledge in hand, we decided to visit a couple of sites relevant to my family’s ancestral history when we traveled to England. Read more

Venice Wowed Us at First Sight

 

 

elsa, Agriturismo Forzello, rovigo, italy

On our last morning before heading to Venice from Agriturismo Forzello in Rovigo, Italy, Elsa the farm cat was pummeling the shutter of the kitchen window at the crack of dawn. Read more

Our Visit To Newgrange – Ireland’s Ancient Passage Tomb

newgrange, county meath, ireland

A must-see for Bob and me while traveling in Ireland was Newgrange, an important passage grave west of Drogheda in County Meath.  This megalithic structure is considered one of the most important in Europe and the great national monument of Ireland. Read more

Traveling Down Memory Lane – Punting on the Avon River in Bath

bob punting, avon river, bath, england

After indulging in a full English breakfast at the Kennard Hotel in Bath, England, Bob, our son and I set off in search of the Bath Boating Station.  Our aim was to rent a punt and pole ourselves along the Avon River. Read more

Traveling Down Memory Lane – Notre Dame Cathedral, the symbol of Paris

notre dame cathedral, paris, france

Our tour of the French countryside provided respite from our first few days in the bustling urban environment of Paris, but soon enough, it was back to the City of Light before returning to Canada.  I won’t say that we saved the best for last, but our final sightseeing did include a visit to famous Notre Dame Cathedral, an evening spent at Moulin Rouge, and a romantic boat cruise on the Seine River. Read more

Traveling down memory lane: A moment in the City God Temple of Shanghai

People conduct ceremonies of worship inside the City God Temple of Shanghai, in China.

Years ago, Bob traveled to Shanghai, China, and during that trip, he took time to visit the City God Temple of Shanghai.  As Bob discovered, the ceremonies of worshiping the City God of Shanghai is a solemn and dignified event.

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Our Walking Tour of Florence, The Birthplace of the Renaissance

florence, italy across river arno

Who wouldn’t want to visit Florence to look upon some of the most famous sculptures in the world:  Michelangelo’s sculpture David, Bartolomeo Ammannati’s Fountain of Neptune, and Donatello’s heraldic lions?  The artistic and architectural heritage of Florence goes far beyond those sculptures and led to this city, the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, being called the birthplace of The Renaissance. Read more

The Wondrous Il Duomo di Firenze In Florence

il duomo di firenze, florence cathedral, florence, italy

The day that Bob and I headed out to explore Florence, we were anxious to discover everyone’s fascination with the highly renowned Florence Cathedral, in Italian known as the Il Duomo di Firenze. After arriving in the city, we did not go directly to Piazza del Duomo but instead heightened our anticipation by viewing many other sights in the city.

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