Butterfly

A pretty little something for a Friday afternoon.

Whitby Pier

One Wet Little Fella

Looks like someone had fun playing in the sea.

Devil's Bridge Falls

The Devils Bridge Falls truly are a wonderful sight. Crossed by the thrice-built Devil's Bridge, which gives it's name to the village and falls, there are two separate pathways that allow you to see both the bridge and waterfalls. The first, a short and sweet 10 minute walk which starts on the left hand side of the road and on the other side is a longer, 45 minute walk which descends steeply down one side of the falls before climbing back up the other. If I had to pick between the two, I'd have to choose the second as the pathway allows you both to see the full extent of the falls and also to get right up close in certain areas.

Dog Sledding

While on my last trip to Canada I was lucky enough to have go at dog sledding, a xmas gift from my lovely then-girlfriend, now wife.

After a brief instruction session on how to control the huskies and steer the sled, we headed over to the husky enclosure. The noise was deafening, with the dogs extremely excited to be going out for a run, practically bouncing along as they strained at their leashes while being hooked up to the sleds. I was to ride my own sled, to be pulled along by four huskies and I was more than a little nervous at the prospect.

Before too long, we were off. I was pulled along at speed through tree-lined pathways, the dogs attempting to keep up with the lead sled. The Canadian winter had been extremely mild for that time of year, but we'd managed to pick the one day it actually snowed hard, so much so that for the first 10 minutes I couldn’t see a thing as it kept blowing right into my eyes. The main control you have over the dogs is to

and making judicious use of the brake, especially when going around corners. Unfortunately on one downhill turn, I failed to apply enough pressure and found myself tumbling sideways into a snow-bank. Earlier on I had been told that when falling off  the key thing to remember was to hold on to the sled handle as the dogs would feel the pull of the extra weight behind them and come to a stop. Luckily, I did remember this bit of advice and managed to keep my grip, though I did look like a snowman when I did stand up, much to the amusement of the instructor.

50 minutes and the ride was at end, my hands aching from holding on so tightly and my feet frozen from being constantly covered in snow. It was still truly a magnificent experience and one I would recommend if you ever have the chance. And aren't these dogs beautiful?

Silhouette

Riding the rails between Ottawa and Montreal.

La Meilleure Poutine

A quick drive-by snap.

Parliment Hill

Black Squirrels

Menace

The huge Maman by Louise Bourgeois that guards the entrance to the National Gallery of Canada. Unfortunately the gallery was closed on my visit to the city.

Antler collection

The mid-section of this rather impressive collection of antlers found just across the US/ Canadian border.

Club Curling

Curious

Scarfed Statue

This is one of a number of statues dotted around the Brussels City Centre currently wrapped in masses of scarfs. It's in aid of an aids awareness charity, though I haven't been able to track down their details as yet.

Floating Wire Figures

A series of wire frame human figures found floating above a street in Brussels. Does anyone know the title or artist? I wasn't able to make a note at the time.

Hat Sticker

Nicely done bit of sticker art found in Brussels.

The Maritime Museum & Aquarium

The Maritime Museum and Aquarium is filled with all manner of information on nautical life and the development of Gothenburg as port along with fairly extensive ground floor aquarium. Currently being held on the first floor is an exhibition of maritime painting entitled Meet The Horizon, with the text pieces written by Sigvard Olsson, an artist and former sailor and Petter Askergen, an rap artist and entrepreneur, who seems an odd choice for such a project based on that description. There is some fascinating information in the text pieces on the competing Black Ball Lines and the reality of naval battles compared to their depiction in paintings.

The photographs below were all taken in the aquarium.

Let there be Light

Photographed in the Aermuseum, Gothenburg.

Aeroseum, Gothenburg

Located around 15 minutes drive from Gothenburg (it takes a while longer to get there by bus - the 34 stops there once an hour), the Aeroseum is a rather special place. You disembark at a crossroads with the only visible landmark being this:


 
A ten minute walk brings you to the ticket office and then, following the road around a corner, you find this entraceway.


 
And it's down into the tunnel you go:




Just around the corner you find a door, which stepping through bring you to...


 
... a tunnel full of aircraft leading downwards into the earth! The Aerseum is housed  in a declassified Swedish Air Force underground bunker, carved from solid rock 30 metres below ground and built during the Cold War.




Along the way down you will find background information of the reasons behind the bunkers construction, including plenty of photographs detailing its construction.




The information pages are a might excitable though.




Here's a few more of vehicles along the entry tunnel.


 It's through the next metal door that you find the bunker itself. It's a huge complex, filled with planes, helicopters, and all sorts of other equipment from across the history of aviation.




There's also a couple of full-size simulators to have a little fly around in.




You can even sit in a number of cockpits (as some bloke is demonstrating below) and even climb through the vents of one plane, though it is a bit of a tight squeeze.


 

All in all, I highly recomend you visit the place if you're ever visiting Gothenburg.