public art

Wandering in Rotterdam

/ Greg / Leave a comment

I have a strong bias for planning deeply wired into my DNA. Over years of traveling, I have slowly learned to lean a touch opposite my natural inclination and just to let things be when it comes to experiencing places away from home. I still research an enormous list of possibilities of what I might like to do, but I think I have settled into a good place in terms of having some good ideas, then approaching each day with a “what feels good today” mentality.

In the Netherlands last fall, I knew I would like to do a few days trips from my home base in Amsterdam, and I knew that Rotterdam was a place I did not want to miss. I knew there would be an interesting mix of old and new, of art, and of food and drink and that was enough to propel me onto an early morning train with a bag slung over my shoulder. Exiting the main train station, a modern looking marvel, I kicked off a day of wandering that fairly naturally and organically led me to Oudehaven, the historical part of the harbour in Rotterdam. Not really due to my planning DNA, but I think this occurred due to the salt water craving that still clings to me after so many years living next to the harbour in Halifax.

Rotterdam
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Finding the charm in Detroit

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Somewhere along the way of being a baseball fan and someone who loves to travel I had visited enough ballparks that it seemed like an interesting quest to watch a game in each major league city’s stadium. While I’ve knocked off most of the sexy places (Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, New York….) I’m left with some locations that I otherwise may not actively choose to visit. Last summer, the intersection of my work schedule, the ballparks remaining and the baseball schedule pushed me toward a trip to Detroit and then onto Cleveland.

Detroit Tigers game
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Childhood to today

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Much like what I just wrote about Quebec City, Montreal holds a very special place in my heart. In the early 1980s, childhood trips to the city with my dad were the first experiences I had visiting a big city. Those trips by train to Montreal to take in a few Expos games make me smile to this day and every time I get back to the city it feels like some happy ghosts from those days follow me on my current day explorations.

Montreal trips as an adult usually have a series of touchstones for me that have connections to the memories from my childhood trips. Having amazing meals in the city these days makes me think of getting to eat all kinds of food with dad that I didn’t normally get to have as a child. Touring craft breweries makes me think of dad letting me have a sip of his Budweiser as a kid while we got ready to head to Olympic Stadium. Wandering aimlessly around the old town takes me back to chasing pigeons with dad looking on and laughing at my childhood exploits. And exploring the city in search of public art takes me back to seeing Alexander Calder’s “Trois Disques” and having my mind blown as a seven year old as dad toured me around Île Sainte-Hélène.

Public art along Saint Laurent Boulevard
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Murals of Mount Pleasant

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Among my favourite neighbourhoods in my favourite cities, Mount Pleasant in Vancouver stands out. On just about every trip, I will spend at least part of a day hanging out at one or more of the excellent craft breweries (Brassneck, 33 Acres, Faculty Brewing, Main Street Brewing, Electric Bicycle) and combining that with some exploring of the murals that decorate the buildings and alleyways up and down the hill.

On my most recent trip, armed with the excellent Vancouver Mural Fest map, I dug deeper into this neighbourhood’s art than I had previously and came away with some new favourite murals….

"Intersect" by Cara Guri; Mural in Mount Pleasant neighbourhood; Vancouver BC
“Intersect” by Cara Guri
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A book lover’s dream

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I have very fond memories of the opening of the new central library in Halifax, and many, many hours spent within it until I moved to Saskatoon in 2016. Six years here, and I’m eagerly anticipating the construction and opening of a new signature library, viscerally aware of the importance of libraries to the communities they serve. While I have a fondness for my small neighbourhood library just a couple of blocks away from my house, I’m looking forward to the day that Saskatoon has its own shiny new central library.

On my recent trip to Calgary, I took advantage of some very limited down time on a work-related trip and spent a couple of hours touring and experiencing that city’s new central library. Opened in 2018, it is an architectural gem and I was excited for the chance to explore.

Calgary Central Library
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A staycation in five parts

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This past October, I took a needed week off of work, but due to rising pandemic case counts, my travel options were severely limited. I’m normally the type of person who wouldn’t dream of spending a handful of vacation days in my own city. I’ve always felt that a proper vacation needs a hotel and a plane ticket (or at worst, a very, very long road trip). 2020 threw up a lot of constraints for planning a proper week off, so I embraced the idea of a staycation to shake me out of the doldrums of what was a year of too much sameness for my restless spirit. So here’s my Saskatoon (and extended area) staycation in five parts.

Part 1 – An afternoon of mural exploration

I drove downtown, parked the car, and armed with nothing more than a list of interesting murals on my phone, wandered around my city as I might do when visiting a new place. This simple act made for a lovely afternoon and helped me see parts of Saskatoon through a fresh lens. I spent most of my afternoon wandering around the Riversdale neighbourhood where there is a wealth of vibrant public art in the form of murals. Here’s a small selection of what I explored.

Downtown Saskatoon murals
Downtown Saskatoon murals
Downtown Saskatoon murals
Downtown Saskatoon murals
Downtown Saskatoon murals
Downtown Saskatoon murals
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Murals of Roosevelt Row

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While I was in Phoenix late in 2019, the Roosevelt Row area became a bit of a repeated destination for me. Initially, much of that had to do with my attraction to the amazing outdoor beer garden at Arizona Wilderness. On my walks to and from my downtown hotel to the bar, I took meandering routes as I discovered the neighbourhood was home to a plethora of vibrant murals. Here are some of my favourites from my time spent wandering around the Roosevelt Row area just to the north of Phoenix’s downtown.

On the side of Angels Trumpet Ale House (where I enjoyed a delicious outdoor pint one evening):

Angels Trumpet Ale House mural

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Public art in Washington

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Washington has historical monuments and museums that you could spend weeks exploring. And while I was game to pop by the White House, to visit the Lincoln Memorial and to wander around a few of the Smithsonian museums, I was most excited to take in some of the modern public art that lines the National Mall. Here are some of my favourites….

“Are Years What? (for Marianne Moore)” by Mark di Suervo – I love di Suervo’s art. In this piece, I enjoyed the simplistic contrast in the red of the beams against the green landscaping and white of so many of the buildings along the Mall.

Mark di Suervo "Are Years What? (for Marianne Moore)"

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Escape from New York

/ Greg / 1 Comment

I have a love/hate relationship with New York City. The bright lights, energy and controlled chaos are exciting and alluring at first. And then as the days go by, it becomes a touch overwhelming and I find myself wishing I could find a place to hide out from it all to recharge. On previous trips, I’ve used parts of Central Park to regain a sense of normalcy – those parts where the noise from the city disappears and you feel like you’re completely surrounded by nature. On my most recent trip, while I never made it to Central Park, I found another spot to get away from it all for a spell – the High Line park along the west side of lower Manhattan.

What makes this such a special place, both disconnected from New York, but also entirely in its place in the city? Many things… and on my visit, it started with a couple dancing on a park bench as the sun set that brought a smile to my face.

Dancing at High Line Park

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