New 2009 Adventures...

A new year and a new blog site for you all...
Here i will add travels and adventures that takes me through 2009.

Enjoy my new site & visit as often as you like:

http://dominicmorched.blogspot.com


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San Francisco, CA. USA

San Francisco USA - INCOMPLETE. Be back again shortly whilst i post more details and photos.

My last stop before heading home to Sydney. I took a couple days break to ensure i do not get jetlagged and wander the streets of San Francisco!


The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 13th most populous city in the United States, with an estimated population of 799,183. It is the second most densely populated city in the country, and lies within a metropolitan area of 4.2 million people. As the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the larger San Francisco Bay Area, it anchors a region of more than 7 million. The city is located at the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the east, and the Golden Gate to the north.

In 1776, the Spanish settled the tip of the peninsula, establishing a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for Francis of Assisi. The California Gold Rush in 1848 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth, transforming it into the largest city on the West Coast at the time. After being devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. During World War II, San Francisco was the send-off point for many soldiers to the Pacific Theater. After the war, the confluence of returning servicemen, massive immigration, liberalizing attitudes, and other factors gave rise to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement, cementing San Francisco as a liberal bastion in the United States.

San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination famous for its landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the cable cars, Coit Tower, and Chinatown, its steep rolling hills, and its eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture. The city is also known for its diverse, cosmopolitan population, including large and long-established Asian American and LGBT communities.

Last Day in Vancouver

Vancouver B.C - my last day before i return home. Will i be back here again? I don't know, i know i will be planning to return but i don't think i'll stay away from home too long.

TO BE COMPLETED - Be back soon with more details and photos for this post.

Toronto, Ontario Canada

Toronto - is the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America. Toronto is at the heart of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and is part of a densely populated region in south-central Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe which is home to 8.1 million residents. Toronto is also one of the world's most diverse cities by percentage of non-native-born residents, as about 49% of the population were born outside of Canada. Because of the city's low crime rates, clean environment, high standard of living, and friendlier attitudes to diversity, Toronto is consistently rated as one of the world's most livable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.

From the capital Ottawa i caught the greyhound Bus to Union Station, located on Front Street between Bay and University. The station is right on Toronto's subway line, and is within walking distance of Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome), the CN Tower, the financial district and many downtown hotels, shops and restaurants. Toronto is served by the VIA Rail System, the network that provides all rail service throughout Canada (with connections to the Amtrak system through Niagara Falls, New York). Unfortunately i had no time to make it to Niagara falls this time.

These photos were taken on board the greyhound from Ottawa! The colours of fall (autumn) and the busiest highway (the King's Highway 401), is one of the widest and busiest highways in the world.

Toronto's Financial District and the climb up the CN Tower. As Canada's economic capital, Toronto is considered a global city and is one of the top financial cities in the world. The Toronto Stock Exchange, the world's seventh largest, is headquartered in the city, along with a majority of Canada's corporations. The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower standing 1,815 ft. 5 inches (553.34 m) tall. In 1995, the CN Tower was declared one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It also belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers.

This concludes my East Canadian journey where i return back to Vancouver, B.C and start to head home to Sydney, Australia.

Canada's Capital - Ottawa

Ottawa, the capital of Canada - the country's fourth largest municipality, Ottawa is also the second largest city in the province of Ontario. It is located in the Ottawa Valley in the eastern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa lies on the banks of the Ottawa River, a major waterway that forms the boundary between Ontario and Quebec. On December 31 1857, Queen Victoria was asked to choose a common capital for the then province of Canada (modern Quebec and Ontario) and chose Ottawa. There are old folk tales about how she made the choice - that she did so by sticking her hatpin on a map roughly halfway between Toronto and Montreal, or that she liked watercolours she had seen of the area. While such stories have no historical basis they do illustrate how arbitrary the choice of Ottawa seemed to Canadians at the time. In fact the Queen's advisers had her pick Ottawa for many important reasons:

First, it was the only settlement of any significant size located right on the border of Canada East and Canada West (Quebec/Ontario border today), making it a compromise between the two colonies - their French and English populations. Second, the War of 1812 had shown how vulnerable major Canadian cities were to American attack since they were all located very close to the border while Ottawa was (then) surrounded by a dense forest far from the border. Third, the government owned a large parcel of land on a spectacular spot overlooking the Ottawa River.

Two other considerations were that Ottawa was at a point nearly exactly midway between Toronto and Quebec City (500 km/310 mi) and that the small size of the town made it less likely that politically motivated mobs could go on a rampage and destroy government buildings, as had been the case in the previous Canadian capitals.

However on this day I caught the Greyhound bus from Montreal and arrived in the evening. I spent the night in gaol (jail), well actually the International Hostel in Ottawa is what used to be an old gaol, conveniently located in the heart of town and short stroll to many nearby sights and attractions. I didn’t have to commit a crime to do time!

Ottawa is situated on the south bank of the Ottawa River and contains the mouths of the Rideau River and Rideau Canal. The oldest part of the city (including what remains of Bytown) is known as Lower Town and occupies an area between the canal and the rivers. Across the canal to the west lies Centretown (often just called "downtown"), which is the city's financial and commercial hub. Situated between Centretown and the Ottawa River, the slight elevation of Parliament Hill is home to many of the capital's landmark government buildings, including the Peace Tower and the Legislative seat of Canada. The original Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa was destroyed by fire on February 3, 1916. The House of Commons and Senate were temporarily relocated to the recently constructed Victoria Memorial Museum, currently the Canadian Museum of Nature, located about 1 km south of Parliament Hill. A new Centre Block was completed in 1922, the centrepiece of which is a dominant Gothic revival styled structure known as the Peace Tower which has become a common emblem of the city. Here are some night shots of Parliament Hill, the Peace Tower and views from above.

The Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal network meant that Ottawa could be supplied by water from Kingston and Montreal without going along the potentially treacherous US-Canada border. As of June 29, 2007, the Rideau Canal, which stretches 202 km (126 mi) to Kingston, Fort Henry and four Martello towers in the Kingston area was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

East Canada trip

The Eastern Provinces - offering endless scenery, attractions, history and culture, from the French-influenced Quebec and Montreal to the cosmopolitan cities of Ottowa and Toronto. The East also offers a coastline dotted with colourful villages, rich in history and beauty.

Halifax, Nova Scotia (25th-26th September) - Steeped in history and culture life here revolves around the sea. From bustling city streets to leisurely strolls along the magnificent Halifax harbour, there are so many things to do. Halifax is where the maiden voyage of Titanic really ended, with the most lasting legacy from the sinking located here. Upon arrival at the airport i got a rental car to explore this Atlantic side of Canada. Nova Scotia is truly worlds-away from anything ever experienced. Renowned for the highest tides in the world at the Bay of Fundy, award-winning vineyards scattered about the province, nationally recognized chefs at the helm of Nova Scotia restaurants and over 700 festivals annually. Nova Scotia is a place of remarkable natural beauty and thriving culture. Starting at Peggy’s Cove fishing village, where the lighthouse is probably the most photographed in the world, i explored the coast line and history where lobster fishing is a very important part of this village. The world's largest lobster ever caught was from around here. In the heart of Nova Scotia's Bluenose Coast lies Lunenburg. Lunenburg is a Canadian port town, steeped in the traditions of the past yet so very vibrant and alive. It is easily accessible from hwy #103 and not far from Peggy's Cove. The Town was formally established in 1753 as the first British Colonial settlement in Nova Scotia outside of Halifax. Lunenburg's rich German heritage has also made it a popular destination for European visitors. From there it was back to Halifax to explore one of Canada’s Seven Wonders - Pier 21. Other urban attractions explored was the Halifax Citadel and the Public Gardens. Also did a historic Alexander Keith's brewery tour, which happened to be his birthday weekend. Here are some photo's.

Quebec City (27th-28th September) - Quebec City is one of the oldest European settlements in North America. Throughout its four hundred years of existence, Quebec City has served as a capital. From 1608 to 1627 and 1632 to 1763 it was capital of French Canada and all of New France, from 1763 to 1791 it was the capital of the Province of Quebec, from 1791 to 1841 it was the capital of Lower Canada, from 1852 to 1856 and from 1859 to 1866 it was capital of the Province of Canada and from 1867 to today it has been capital of Quebec. It is the second largest city in the province, after Montreal. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec) are the only remaining fortified city walls in the Americas north of Mexico and were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 as the "Historic District of Old Quebec". It is also one of the oldest cities in North America (founded in 1608). Quebec City is internationally known for its Summer Festival, Winter Carnival and the Château Frontenac, a historic hotel which dominates the city skyline. The National Assembly of Quebec (provincial parliament), the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (National Museum of Fine Arts) and the Musée de la civilisation (Museum of Civilization) are found within or near Vieux-Québec. Among the tourist attractions near the city are Montmorency Falls (see below) and the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in the town of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

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Montréal, QC (29th-30th September) - Montreal is a city of contrasts, thanks to its colourful background. Founded by the French, conquered by the British and then occupied by the Americans, Montreal is steeped in history and cultural significance. It has retained its strong French influence and is said to be Canada's most romantic city. Full of music, cafes, restaurants, art galleries and museums, Montreal also has a significant port and financial centre. Mount Royal is Montreal's outstanding urban park, features include the Chalet and the Kondiaronk Belvedere overlooking downtown Montreal (the most famous view of the city) and man-made Beaver Lake (Lac aux Castors) with its recently renovated pavilion. Mount Royal is topped by an illuminated cross that has become a Montreal landmark. Downtown Montreal lies at the foot of Mount Royal, most of which is a major urban park and extends toward the St Lawrence River. Old Montreal (or Vieux-Montréal in French) is the oldest area in the city of Montreal, Quebec, dating back to New France and is located southeast of downtown containing many different attractions such as the Old Port of Montreal, Place Jacques-Cartier, Montreal City Hall, the Bonsecours Market, Place d'Armes, Pointe-à-Callière Museum, the Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, and the Montreal Science Centre. Extending all over downtown is Montreal's Underground City (French: La ville souterraine), a set of pedestrian levels built to cross under streets thereby connecting buildings to each other. In winter, some 500,000 people use the underground city every day. Because of its Underground City, Montreal is often referred to as "Two Cities in One". There is archaeological evidence of various nomadic native peoples occupying the island of Montreal for at least 2,000 years before the arrival of Europeans.

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More to come. Ottawa (Canada's Capital and Parliment) and Toronto....