The News Building

Location: New York, New York, USA
Address:  220 E 42nd St
Date: November 2014
Website:  slgreen.com

  The News Building in New York City is known for both its interesting interior and exterior.  From its art deco entrance to its globe filled lobby, it is in a word... super.

  The front entrance includes a huge, three story tall granite carving.  At the top are the words "The News" and near the bottom, just above a crowd of people it says "He Made So Many Of Them".  This quote is from Abraham Lincoln referring to the common people who would be reading the daily newspaper.

     The lobby contains a giant world globe that is sunken into the floor.  This truly is the world news.

   The News Building has also played an important part in movie history.  In the Superman movies it played the part of The Daily Planet.  In the original Superman, Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) and Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) walk past the giant globe and out the revolving doors onto 42nd Street.  The exterior of the building is also shown in the movie.  The building exterior plays an increasingly smaller part in the sequels Superman II and Superman III.

    On the floor surrounding the globe are distances to world cities.  We recommend that no matter where you are in the world, you try and find your way to The News Building for a visit.

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Map of Our World
The News Building

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Post # 305

Absolute Condos

Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Address:  50 Absolute Avenue
Date:  August 2018
Website:  www.50absoluteworld.ca

  As you drive along Highway 403 in Ontario, you can't miss the Absolute World condos twisting up into the sky.  The curvy design stands out and has earned them the nickname of the Marilyn Monroe towers.  There are five towers in Absolute World, but the two that stand out are 50 and 56 storeys tall.

 

   The towers are located just across the road from the popular Square One mall.  The Mississauga skyline is getting more crowded each year but when the towers were completed in 2012 they really stood out.  At the time of writing this they were still the tallest buildings in the city.

 

   When you get right up close to the condos you can really admire the curves.

  By the time you reach the 56th floor, the twist has rotated about 198 degrees.

  Outside the front entrance are a group of horses made of curved metal.  The sculptures are called Buen Amigo which means good friend.

  Hazel Mcallion who turned 100 years old in 2021 was mayor of Mississauga from 1978 to 2014.  She has said she was glad that the artwork in front of the condos included horses as she used to be able to see cows and horses grazing from city hall many years ago.

  On the opposite side of Mississauga City Hall sits a large metal sculpture.  This 3,500 pound sculpture is called Contemplating Child and looks like a stick figure child holding its head in its hands.

  Could the child be trying to figure out how the designers and engineers built the Absolute Towers?  In the photo above, the towers can be seen through the sculpture and in the distance.

 

 

  As the sun starts to set we head on our way.  The Absolute Condos give us something to enjoy and think about as building designs become more and more complex.  Will we be back again to check out the towers and more artwork around Mississauga? Absolutely!

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Map of Our World
Absolute Condos
Contemplating Child , Buen Amigo

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Post # 301

Sydney Opera House

 

Location: Sydney, Australia
Address:  Bennelong Point
Date:  May 2012
Website:  www.sydneyoperahouse.com

  As our plane made its approach into Sydney airport we caught a glimpse of one of the world's most recognizable buildings.  Sticking out into the harbour is the famous Sydney Opera House.  The opera house has been completed since 1973 and was deemed a UNESCO heritage site in 2007.  While we never did make it inside the building, we had a chance to admire its exterior up close.

  The opera house is designed to look like a group of shells or sails.  It was designed by Jorn Utzon who was the winner of a design competition.  

 

    When we walked up close to the  Opera House we could really appreciate the design and work that was involved in its construction.

 

    You would expect it to be something exceptional since it was only anticipated to take 4 years and 7 million dollars to build but ended up taking 14 years and costing 102 million dollars.

    The building looks different from every angle. 

    From across the harbour it appears almost as if the groups of sails can fold down onto each other .

    In the evening, the Opera House is lit to highlight the curves of the sails against the dark Australian night.  We can only imagine what the building looks like inside, but it is definitely worth a visit just to admire its exterior. 

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Map of Our World
Sydney Opera House

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Post # 300

Across Canada At The Exhibition Grounds

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 210 Princes' Blvd.
Date: September 2019
Website:  theex.com

    The Canadian National Exhibition takes place at the end of August each year and closes on Labour Day in September. When the Exhibition is not running, the grounds known as Exhibition Place are still open to vehicles and the public. If you are visiting Toronto from across Canada you can feel like you are back home thanks to the many streets that crisscross the grounds.

 We will start our journey from east to west.  All but one of Canada's provinces and territories are represented in the names of the streets.  The streets do not quite unfold as a map of Canada would, but we will show you one possible path you can take in order to visit them all.  We enter the Exhibition grounds from Fleet Street and find ourselves on Canada Boulevard.

 Canada Boulevard connects with Princes' Boulevard which is the main street that runs from the Princes' Gates (photo at top of blog) and through the grounds.

  The first provincial street we came across was Newfoundland Drive which also happens to be the easternmost of the provinces.  

Newfoundland Drive runs south from the Enercare Centre between the Automotive Building and Hotel X.

  The next road we pass is Nunavut Road.  This part of the road was formerly part of New Brunswick Way.  Much like the road, Nunavut the territory was formerly part of the Northwest Territories.  Sadly, Northwest Territories is the only unrepresented portion of Canada on these streets.  Hopefully at some point it will finally get included.

  Just a bit further along Prince's Boulevard, a road heads south.  This is the bottom portion of New Brunswick Way.  If you want to find a road sign for this street you will have to follow it through a parking lot and down to Lakeshore Blvd.  There you will find a traditional blue Toronto road sign instead of one of the fancier Exhibition Place signs.

If you head back up New Brunswick Way and take Nunavut Road north, you will end up on Nova Scotia Avenue.  As we mentioned before all the provinces are represented but they are all over the place as far as being presented in any sort of order.

We will take a left hand turn on Manitoba Drive and eventually we will end up at Princes' Boulevard again.

  Before we get to Princes' Boulevard we will pass Quebec Street.

   If we turn left at Princes' Boulevard we will pass the Princess Margaret Fountain.  

 Turn left again and you are on Prince Edward Island Crescent.  Despite being the smallest province in both size and population, it is almost as long as Ontario Drive.  

  After leaving Prince Edward Island Crescent turn left again and now you are on the road named after Canada's most populous province.  Take an Ontario drive along Ontario Drive as it curves back into Princes' Boulevard again.

   Heading past the Princess Margaret Fountain once more, now the road becomes Saskatchewan.

  While you can drive from Saskatchewan to British Columbia you can't do it without passing through Alberta first.  At the Exhibition grounds you can drive Saskatchewan Road and turn directly onto British Columbia Road.

  Don't worry, the next street is Alberta Circle.  Alberta was not left out.

  The last street we visit in order to complete our cross country journey is Yukon Place.  It wraps around the Liberty Grand (pictured below).  

There you have it.  Ten provinces and two territories later and we have visited most of Canada in one short trip.

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Map of Our World
Exhibition Place

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Post # 293

The Acropolis

Location: Athens, Greece
Address:  Athens 105, 58
Date:  July 2000
Website:  odysseus.culture.gr

  The Acropolis sits on a flat rock overlooking the city of Athens.  Acropolis means highest point and there has been some form of monument or structure up on the hill since at least 600 BC.  It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since it is a great architectural achievement and a place filled with history.  Thousands of tourists brave the heat of the mid-day sun to climb up the hill and explore the site.

  In 447 BC the Athenian Empire started construction of the Parthenon.  It is the most visible structure standing today.

  The temple was attacked in 1687 by the Venetians and the structure was heavily damaged.  Restoration attempts continue to this day.  When you visit the site you will see scaffolding and equipment as workers painstakingly restore the Parthenon to its former glory. 

  We toured the site and could see how many of the columns had been put back together.  This one column above appeared to not quite be a perfect fit.

  As the repair continues, new marble is used to match the existing pieces.  You can see in the photo above how the new white marble stands out.  Someone will have to match the new stone to the old stone by hand.

     The Parthenon is an impressive site as its columns stand tall reaching up towards the sky.

  On the north side of the Acropolis stands the Erechtheion.  It contains several caryatids which are female figures used as the columns which hold up the building.

  On one side of the Acropolis sits the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.  This is an open air theatre that was built in 161 AD.  In the 1950s it was restored and in 1957 the famous Greek opera singer Maria Callas peformed there.  Since then many performers have taken the opportunity to play this unique stage. Sting, Foo Fighters, Placido Domingo, Frank Sinatra, Florence & The Machine and Elton John are just a few of these performers.

  Standing up at the Acropolis you can see Athens sprawling out around you.

    From the Acropolis you can also see Lycabettus Hill.  Lycabettus Hill is actually the highest point in Athens.

  After a day spent soaking in history up on the Acropolis you should enjoy a drink and a nice meal in one of the endless restaurants located back down in the city below.  Sit back and relax and let the sun set.  Next, the Acropolis will wow you once more as the Parthenon is lit up against the night sky.

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Map of Our World
Acropolis Of Athens

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Post # 288