Too Square to be Hip
A narcissist's guide to travel and culture
Geography As previously mentioned, Salé is built on the north bank of the Bou Regreg river. The tramway from Rabat reaches the eastern extent of the old town near where the main city gate is located. To the west you will find the important Madrassa on a high point in the city and the seaborne …
These twin conservation areas between Toronto and Hamilton area part of a geographical formation called the Niagara Escapement. This geographical feature stretches from Niagara, through the horseshoe and up to the Bruce Peninsula. Rattlesnake Point The first of the these two mountain escarpments, Rattlesnake Point offers a fantastic view of the surrounding farmland. Like mount …
A Brief History Founded in 1787, shortly after the revolutionary war, Montpelier was named after the french city of the same namesake. At the time naming cities after those in France was a popular act to immortalize America’s first ally. The name was selected by Colonel Jacob Davis, a patriot of the American revolution. An …
Borne of sheer cruelty and spite, the opulence of Meknes, a new Royal city for the Kingdom of Morocco, was legendary. Today, the city is a shell of its former self. As one would have it brutality engenders resentment and much as the city had risen quickly, it would fall. Yet despite its fall from …
Battered by strong Atlantic winds and crashing waves are a series of impressive, yet decaying, Portuguese fortifications along Morocco’s Atlantic coastline. Once imposing locales these cities were once the crown jewels of an oversea empire that stretched from the Americas to India. Yet today, they are but dying fortresses slowly sinking into the sea. Despite …
Geography The western gate leads to the port of the city, located on a branch of land protecting the Bay of Essaouira, a massive sandbar with beautiful beaches. This open stretch of water is protected by les Iles Purpuraires, with Mogador island being the most important of these. A Brief History Occupied since Antiquity, Mogador …
Built to impress, Karlštejn is one of the most imposing symbols of imperial might outside of Prague. Home to the King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV (Charles of Luxembourg), it has not only withstood war, but also time itself to remain a potent symbol of medieval Czech society. Geography Located south of …
While in the Jardin Majorelle, an iconic attraction of Marrakesh, I picked up a book called the Miracle of Water. Apart from giving me a great name for this blog post, the book also offered an insight on the establishment of Marrakesh an arid city surrounded by the Atlas Mountains. The book details the way …
This tiny village built on the banks of the Coldwater River and tucked away off Highway 12 is a pleasant surprise to all who have not had the pleasure of walking its streets. Renowned for its steampunk festival, historic mill and quaint shops, it is surely worth a visit – especially if you are doing …
A longtime favourite of Canadians, Banff National Park (along with its co-conspirator Jasper) evokes images of rugged outdoorsmen and pristine wilderness. Not only has the park managed to claw its way into the national consciousness – becoming part of the nations branding in the process but portraits of its glacial lakes and high adorn the …
