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.All Trips / Asia / Sri Lanka
A Visit to the Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee
For most of the late 20th century, Trincomalee was at the heart of Sri Lanka’s long, bloody Civil War. As you would expect, visitation to the area was limited and I’ve only been to the city once, this during my last visit to Ceylon. It’s one of the nicer communities in the country and has a beautiful setting along the Indian Ocean.
Located high on a rock promontory (known as Konesar Malai) is one of the biggest attractions in Trincomalee, the Koneswaram Hindu Temple (a.k.a Dakshinakailasha). The temple is built on an ancient Hindu site that dates to around the 16th century B.C. A temple has occupied the space since at least the 6th century B.C., and it’s long been a …
Tagged Hindu, Indian Ocean, Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee
“Pic of the Week”, December 30, 2022. Hayfields near Anola, Manitoba
I spent many years of my life on the Canadian prairies, so the sight of harvested hay is nothing unusual.
In the old days we saw small rectangular bales (about 70 pounds) dotting the hay fields, but more recently it seems most farmers are storing their hay in these gigantic rolls; these can weigh over a thousand pounds and require heavy equipment to be lifted and moved.
I enjoy seeing and smelling harvested hay — something about it appeals to me.
(Click on thumbnails below to enlarge photos)
Dec 29, 2022
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.All Trips / California / Southwestern USA
Sherman Library and Gardens, Newport Beach
The coastal city of Newport Beach is known for its beautiful sandy beaches, swimming, surfing, beach walks, a nice harbor, and trendy homes (and the beautiful people who populate them).
We were surprised to find a small garden and library complex in the city adjoining the Pacific Coast Highway that was most pleasant to visit and explore. We visited in the winter, before the CoVid pandemic, and while some plants weren’t in bloom many were and we really enjoyed our visit!
SHERMAN GARDENS
(Orchids, Sherman Garden)
The botanical garden is thoughtfully designed and is a lot of fun to explore. Arnold Haskell was the founder of Sherman Library & Gardens. He was a businessman who enjoyed gardens and education. After accumulating the land over a …
Tagged Sherman Library
“Pic of the Week”, December 23, 2022: Plaza de Toros, Seville
Bullfighting remains a popular sport in parts of Spain, especially in Seville. Here you can visit Plaza de Toros, one of the oldest bullrings in the world. The arena’s construction began in 1762 and was completed in 1881; it can hold up to 14,000 spectators, making it competitive with most popular sports.
(Inside of Seville’s bullfighting arena, courtesy Wikimedia and Harlock20)
My wife stopped by the arena late in the day so we didn’t have a chance to do a guided tour, which I think would have been interesting. Besides visiting the inside of the arena (you need to take a tour or see a bullfight to do so), the tour includes a visit to a museum of bullfighting, the chapel where …
Dec 23, 2022
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.All Trips / Belgium / Europe
Brussels love-affair with TinTin!
Before I visited Brussels I had no idea the city had a love affair with comics. Not so much the DC and Marvel type of superheroes, but comic strips of the type seen 100 years ago.
The most popular character seemed to be TinTin, whose likeness we spotted many times around the city He’s an intrepid reporter who first appeared in 1929. Accompanied by his faithful pouch, Milou, TinTin has adventured around the world.
(TinTin Street art in Brussels)
Brussel has a Comic Arts Museum which we didn’t have time to visit, but I think would be quite interesting to explore. I liked this aspect of Brussels!
.All Trips / Asia / Sri Lanka
Sinhalese New Year Celebration, Sri Lanka
Tomorrow, April 14th, is New Year’s Day in Sri Lanka. Sinhalese Buddhists call it ‘Aluth Avurudu’, while Tamil Hindus name it ‘Puthandu’. My last visit to Sri Lanka coincided with this celebration, which I thought I’d share with you today.
The date and time of Sri Lanka’s New Year’s is determined by astrologists, but always falls between April 12th and 15th (depending on the cycle of the moon). It’s a celebration based partially in superstitions — a way to hope for a good harvest and prosperous year. New Year’s is a time to put on some new clothes and visit friends, family or a temple, and to enjoy good food. Parades are held, although we didn’t go to one. Almost everything …
Tagged New Year's Day, Sinhalese
“Pic of the Week”, February 4, 2022: Lady in the Park, Winnipeg
I enjoy interesting pieces of public art. Sometimes a bookish scene like this can qualify as interesting, at least to me.
Located in Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park, inside the English Garden, you can find this statue known as “Lady in the Park”. It’s a bronze created in 1994 by Prince Monyo Mihailescu-Nasturel, a Romanian-American artist. For years the statue was located at the Winnipeg home of entrepeneur Izzy Asper. After he and his wife Babs died, the Lady in the Park was donated to Assiniboine Park by the The Asper Foundation.
The cold and snow make the setting interesting, more so than a warm green summer scene. I like how someone placed a woolen hat on the lady’s head.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right …
Feb 3, 2022
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“Pic of the Week”, January 7, 2022: The Manitoba Maritime Museum, Selkirk
Sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised by things you didn’t know existed.
So it was when I came across all these beached ships off the bank of the Red River in the town of Selkirk, slightly north of Winnipeg. I’d lived in Manitoba for the first 24 years of my life and had no idea it was there. My dad and I were on a drive exploring the local roads when we spotted it — dad can’t drive a car anymore but still loves to go for a ride, so I try to take him around as much as possible when I visit. The scene was surreal, these ships crowded together as if warming themselves on this cold snowy day.
This is …
Jan 6, 2022
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