Surreal !!!

A trip to the Vancouver Aquarium is educational, wondrous and most of all just good fun.  They currently have a Jellyfish exhibit throughout the indoor facilities and they really are amazing simple creatures.

This one is in a very creatively lit tank with a contrasting blue background which makes the jellyfish almost seem surreal.

We had a surprising experience this time at the big tank with the sea turtle put on quite an active and curious show for us.

There is so much for a young family to do at the aquarium, it is a must see if you are in Vancouver!

Today's Soup.

Just Ducky

Out with my daughter on one of our many walks when we came across a few ducks.  We spent the better part of 20 minutes just watching them do what ducks do.

This is not the most colourful of pictures but it sure captures the grey of our winter/spring months.  Having my 2.5 year old daughter along sure helped to inject some sunshine and joy into what otherwise would have been just a nice walk in the park.

I think this picture was taken in February or perhaps March this year.

Today's Soup.

Winter Views

A picture from January this year.  Nothing beats a beautiful winter landscape on a bright warm sunny day.  The family excursion was to Mount Seymour for a little fun in the snow.

 

Tobogganing was the plan and it turned out to be a huge hit.  This winter was my daughter’s, wife’s and her sister’s first time on a toboggan, oh what fun!  On this day we simply were checking things out and having a little fun in the deep snow making snow angels, trekking through some fresh powder making a mini hand held snowperson.  Basically we were just having some silly fun time.

 

I always love being in the mountains especially with the smells and visual art that the trees and clear blue sky present on these warmer winter days.

 

Today’s Soup.  

 

 

Thanks For The Ride!

Well my Subaru Impreza has been such a great little car I just had to immortalize it here in my blog.
 
Time to upgrade to something a bit larger for the family and for my excursions to the lumber yard.
 
Thanks for ride!



Today's Soup.

Quaint Setting

Inishmore (The Big Island), County Galway in Ireland is quite a special community and quaint location.  It is the largest of the Aran Isles in Galway Bay, boasting it's rugged windswept landscape, pre-Christian and early Christian ruins as well as a strong and vibrant Gaelic community.  It's a great place to help you slow down and relax; and if you are more ambitious, there are a number of bed and breakfast opportunities should you wish to spend a more significant amount of time exploring the island.  Make sure you get a good pint of Guinness at one of the pubs when you sit down to appreciate the seascape and pick up a warm Aran knit sweater to remember your trip.

Mini-Vans for hire, Bikes or horse-drawn carriages are the most common modes of transportation on the island.

 

Today's Soup 

 

Pining

I just found this picture and thought... I should post it.  So now, I've posted it!  There is nothing really all that special about it however I do like the texture and the colour contrast between the browns and the greens.  Sure it's simple and really not that great of a shot from an artistic or creative point of view but I did take it with my daughter.

She loves pine cones for some reason!

 

Today's Soup.

Fit Right In !

From this...       along with a little editing,         to this!

 

Today's Soup. 

Old Town Shanghai

The Old City in Huangpu makes for an interesting day of exploration.  As you wander through it's streets you'll discover much of the city's historical structures.  Great effort has been made to preserve much of the original wooden architecture and provides a beautiful glimpse into the city's past.
 
Today's Soup.

Maglev

Shanghai's Maglev is an amazingly smooth ride especially when you consider that you accelerate up to 431 km per hour.  It is the first of its kind in commercial operation and has been running since January 2004.

 

The magnetic suspension train runs from Longyang stop of the No. 2 subway in the west of Pu Dong to the International Airport in the east which is approximately a 30 km trek.  This is definitely the way to go!

 

Tickets are priced at 50 Yuan for a one way and 80 for a round trip, with VIP passes coming in at 80 or 160 Yuan respectively.  There were discounts in 2006 when we took it for a spin so long as you could produce a ticket for a flight leaving Pu Dong International on the day of your travel.  We were impressed with how smooth, quiet and comfortable the train was, not to mention how convenient, inexpensive and fast it is for getting out to the airport.

 

Mega A+ on this one China!

 

Today's Soup.

Shanghai Old & New

Shanghai has a population of 23 M plus and offers an interesting mix of old and new.  It is probably mainland China's most modern city.

 

To the left is the skyline of Pudong with the very modern looking Oriental Pearle TV & Radio Tower which was completed in 1994.  The tower stands 468 m (1,535 ft).

The Old City in Huangpu makes for an interesting day of exploration.  As you wander through it's streets you'll discover much of the city's historical structures.  Great effort has been made to preserve much of the original wooden architecture and provides a beautiful glimpse into the city's past.
 
Today's Soup.