Too Square to be Hip
A narcissist's guide to travel and culture
The Rideau Lakes and the Rideau Canal The Rideau Canal is a 202km canal system connecting the Ontario cities of Kingston and Ottawa – the capital. Built for defensive and supply purposes along with fortifications such as Fort Henri in Kingston, the Rideau Canal played an important part deterring American aggression along the St. Lawrence …
Located north of Kaunas, in the heart of rural Lithuania, Šiauliai is a place of solemn reverence and pilgrimage to the Lithuanian people. Best known for its famous Kryžių Kalnas, or “the Hill of Crosses”, it is a must see destination. More then just a religious place of pilgrimage, the hill will better help you …
Exploring Manotick Manotick is a village that grew around the Long Island Locks in 1833, an attraction that will be discussed later in this post. Instead we will start in the town itself. The Village of Manotick Located on the western shore of the Rideau River, half way along the coast of Long Island, you …
Little more then a stop off south of Carleton Place in Eastern Ontario, Franktown is but one of many decaying tiny hamlets littered with historical artifacts. I wont lie to you, there is not much to do here but it is a very enjoyable place to visit! Exploring Franktown St. James Anglican Church and the …
Centrally located in the grassy plains of Lithuania, Kaunas is a suitable second city to a once great nation (and one one still worth visiting). My first introduction to the nation was through a novel by Lithuanian-Quebecois/Canadian author Alain Stanké called Des barbelés dans ma mémoire (Barbed Wire in my Memories), detailing his escape from …
The Baltic Capital, home to the Lithuanian people, is a curious beast. Displaying the best assortment of Baroque architecture I have aver witnessed. The city once known by the Polish name of Wilno or the Jewish name of Vilna and the legendary location of the Iron Wolf feels anchored solidly in its past. Yet the …
The Polish capital is one that has seen enough triumph and tragedy to scar a nation, yet today the city is a modern industrious paradise and one of the most potent economic zones in the EU. The dynamic city has seen its center rebuilt from the fantasies of after the horror of the Second World …
The prototype for the stunning townhouses found in dutch Amsterdam, Gdansk is one of the most important Hanseatic ports of old. This Baltic city has been an important hub of culture for both Poles and Germans alike and a city with a clout almost unmatched by other regional cities in either country. Gdansk is not …
A Brief History Teutonic Order The history of Malbork begins with the Germanic crusade against the tribes of Old Prussia and the Baltic. The Teutonic order was recently expelled from the city of Brasov in Romania by the Hungarian king and were looking to consolidate their territory. In 1274, after a massive rebellion by the …
Geography Oddly enough, Cadiz is the second biggest city in its commune, after Jerez, something that surprised me due to the historical importance of the provincial capital. Unfortunately Cadiz’s population has long been in decline, a trend opposite to most urban center in Spain and even in the region where many of the other cities …
