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Monday 20 March 2023

Kelly & Ryan

Live With Kelly & Ryan Niagara Falls Canada

Location:
New York, New York, USA
Address:  77 W 66th St
Date: June 2017
Website:  kellyandryan.com

  LIVE with Kelly & Ryan is a morning talk show filmed at ABC studios in New York City.  The show has left the studio and travelled to Canada on three occassions.  Back in 1996 the show filmed from Niagara Falls, Ontario and the hosts were Regis Philbin and Kathy Lee Gifford.  In 2006, the show returned once more and this time Kelly Ripa joined Regis as a host. In 2017, the current hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest filmed a pair of episodes and this time we were there.  Ryan Seacrest has announced that he will be leaving the show so we found ourselves looking back.

Sheraton Fallsview Hotel

  We didn't actually have tickets to the show but we obtained ourselves a bird's eye view.  We had a room at the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel which overlooks the Oakes Garden Theatre where the taping of the show was to take place.

Sheraton Fallsview View Of Niagara Falls

  The hotel also offers a great view to look across and admire the American and Horseshoe Falls.

Kelly & Ryan Stage Preparations Niagara Falls

     As we looked down from our balcony, we had a perfect view of the stage below.  The day before the taping we could watch the crews getting everything ready for the big day. The proximity to the Falls means that even if there is no rain in the forecast, you always have a chance of mist. The main desk on stage remained under a tarp for protection.

Kelly & Ryan Stage Oakes Garden Niagara Falls

   Since we had arrived the day before, we were able to go down into the gardens and get a close up view of the stage. This is what it would be like to be one of the lucky audience members in attendance when the show went live.

Crowd Wait To Enter Kelly & Ryan Taping Niagara Falls

  The audience members started to fill up the street at the bottom of Clifton Hill, waiting for their chance to enter the gardens.

Kelly & Ryan Live From Niagara Falls

  While the crowd squeezed into the gardens, we admired the beauty of Niagara Falls and were quite happy having our own private viewing area. It may have been way in the back, but we had an unobstructed view. 
 
Kelly & Ryan Lobby Of Sheraton Fallsview Niagara.

   As show time approached we headed down to the hotel lobby.  Rumour had it that the stars themselves were in the hotel and getting ready to walk across to the Oakes Garden Theatre. Next thing we knew we had a front row seat as Kelly & Ryan were greeted to cheers from their fans.

Live With Kelly & Ryan 2017 Niagara Falls.

  We headed back up to our private viewing suite.  We were just in time to catch the start of the show.

Kelly & Ryan And Their Fans Niagara Falls.

  Kelly & Ryan addressed the crowd of mostly Canadian fans.  It is only a short walk or drive across the Rainbow Bridge to get to New York state for any American fans in attendance.

Kelly & Ryan Live From Niagara Falls.

  Kelly & Ryan sat at their big white desk. The desk was nice and dry after being protected under tarps waiting for the hosts to arrive. 

Kelly & Ryan & Justin Trudeau.

  To make the show even more Canadian, one of the guests was Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The highlight of his appearance seemed to be that he wore R2-D2 and C-3PO Star Wars socks.

ABC Studios New York City.

  Since Kelly & Ryan had been nice enough to visit us in Canada, we decided to see more of them when we were in New York City. The show is filmed at ABC studios at West 67th Street and Columbus Ave. in Manhattan.

Kelly Ripa Bench In Central Park.

  If you follow West 67th Street into Central Park you will see a row of benches as you enter the park.  One of those is dedicated to Kelly Ripa.

Kelly Ripa 30 Years With Disney Bench In Central Park

      The bench congratulates Kelly Ripa for over 30 years with the Walt Disney Company which owns ABC. Kelly has been with LIVE for over 20 years and shows no signs of stopping. Her next co-host will be her husband Mark Consuelos.  If they choose to do another taping from Niagara Falls, we know where we will be watching from.


Post # 321

Monday 20 February 2023

The Old Tavern Of Psaras

View Of The Athens Plaka Neighbourhood From The Acropolis 

Location: Athens, Greece
Address: Erotokritou 16, Plaka
Date: February 2023
Website: psaras-taverna.gr

    The Plaka is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Athens, Greece.  It spreads out below the Acropolis from the North-East side like a maze.  We are sure that even right now, many a tourist is lost and trying to find their way through the Plaka.  If you are trying to drive a rental car and check into your hotel the streets of the Plaka can be quite frustrating.  The streets are narrow and winding and many are pedestrian only. If you are ready to take an evening stroll looking for great food and some souvenirs then the Plaka can be full of surprises.

Choragic Monument Of Lysicrates In Plaka Athens Greece.

      Around any corner could be a church or a monument. The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates above, dates from 334 BC and sits in a little square.

Plaka Streets Athens.

   In Plaka some streets are bustling and some appear deserted.  There is always the chance that coming around the corner is a bike, a taxi or a crowd of people.  We worked our way through the streets in order to find a special place for dinner.

View From The Acropolis Over Plaka Towards Lycabettus Hill.

  From the Acropolis you can look down on the red rooftops of the oldest buildings in Plaka.  Off in the distance is the highest point in Athens, Lycabettus Hill.  Near the front of the photo is Psaras Taverna which is the oldest continually operating tavern in all of Athens.

Close-Up View Of Psaras Taverna From The Acropoliis.

   Just in case you couldn't locate the restaurant in the previous photo, here is a close up view.  Now you should be able to find it. Using an aerial view is much easier than finding the restaurant back down on the ground.

Psaras Taverna In Plaka Athens.

    Psaras means fisherman in Greek so the name of the restaurant in English is the Old Fisherman's Tavern.  The restaurant has been operating since 1898.

Psaras Tavern Chairs And Tables Spread Down The Stairs.
 
     The restaurant has taken over several buildings and all of the stairs in the area.
 
Psaras Taverna Oldest Building.

     We were seated outside in a corner next to a heat lamp to keep us warm.  It was rather cool in Athens that week and it did actually snow only two days later. We appreciated being tucked in to enjoy our meal and the atmosphere.  We had a mushroom soup and a chicken gyro dinner.

   Psaras Tavern Tables On Stairs Athens.

   As we were finishing up our coffee we heard a woman speaking to the matre d'.  "Reservation for a rather large goup of kidney doctors please".  We took care of our bill and readied ourselves for the streets of Plaka.  Sure enough a line of people appeared from one of the walkways and snaked past us and up to an upper terrace seating area.  We didn't stay to count, but 165 sounds about right.

The Acroplis From The Plaka Athens.
 
    As we made our way back through the streets of the Plaka we looked up at the Acropolis.  We would be back again in the Plaka the next day and end up dining at Diogenis (on the right in the photo above).  The Plaka is a great place to spend a day getting lost and seeing what you can find.


Map of Our World
Psaras Taverna , Diogenis
Choragic Monument Of Lysicrates
Post # 320

Friday 20 January 2023

Thessaloniki Waterfront

Aristotelous Square

Location:
Thessaloniki, Greece
Address: Aristotelous Square
Date: August 2015
Website: thessaloniki.gr

    Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece.  It has a beautiful waterfront filled with interesting buildings and sculptures. When we visited we took a walk through the center of town towards Aristotelous Square and along the water.

Pigeons Balloons And People In Aristotelous Square

   As you head towards the water you walk along a huge pedestrian plaza flanked by buildings on either side. As we neared the actual square we encountered a large group of pigeons and people selling balloons. The idea of the square was designed in 1918, but the majority was not built until the 1950s. In terms of Greek structures this square is just a baby. 

Aristotle Statue Thessaloniki

      The area is named after the Greek philosopher Aristotle. There is a statue of him seated at the edge of the square. Aristotle was born in 382 BC. That is over 2000 years before even the idea of the square.

Thessaloniki Greece Waterfront.

  After walking through the square, you can walk along the waterfront where an assortment of restaurants await.

Lanterns And Deli Meats Hang In Agioli Restaurant.

    One restaurant we visited was Agioli. It had planes, lanterns and deli meats all hanging from its ceiling. 

The White Tower Of Thessaloniki.

     After enjoying a meal or a drink you can continue along the waterfront towards the most recognizable structure in Thessaloniki.

The Greek Flag Flys At The White Tower In Thessaloniki.

     The White Tower stands over Thessaloniki's waterfront as it has since approximately 1535.  Greece regained control of the city and the tower from Ottoman rule and the tower still stands today.

Nikolaos Votsis Statue Thessaloniki.

    In front of the White Tower stands a statue dedicated to Nikolaos Votsis who was a famous Greek naval officer.

Pirate Ship Thessaloniki

   If you wish to have your own adventures out on the sea there are tourist ships that will take you.  You can enjoy the view as well as a few drinks on a pirate ship.

Argo Boat Thessaloniki.

     If you prefer you can also travel out on the sea in a replica of the Argo.  The Argo was a ship used in the story of Jason and the Argonauts on their quest to find the Golden Fleece.

The White Tower Thessaloniki.

   As we headed further along the waterfront we took one more look up at the White Tower.  You can see little openings where the soldiers would look out or launch their weapons from.  Today the tower is used as a museum to explain some of the history of the area.

Alexander The Great Statue Thessaloniki.

   The next statue we encountered was of Alexander the Great.  Alexander was a king in Ancient Greece.  He was actually tutored by Aristotle when he was a young boy.

Alexander The Great Statue Thessaloninki.

   Alexander The Great was great at battle and created a huge empire that stretched from Greece all the way to India.  He is depicted rearing up on his horse with sword in hand.

National Resistance Memorial Thessaloniki.

   A different work of art located next to Alexander is the National Resistance Memorial.  This memorial is dedicated to the Greek heroes who fought in World War II.

Hooded Crows Walk Through Thessaloniki.

  An army of birds caught our eye as they marched over a grassy patch.  We moved closer to see who these vistors were.

Hooded Crow Thessaloniki.

  The birds in question were hooded crows.  They get their name from their black head.  They are found all across Europe and unlike their raven cousins they have grey and brownish feathers as well as black.

Konstantinos Karamanlis Statue Thessaloniki.

      A nearby statue represents another great Greek leader.  This is Konstantinos Karamanlis.  From 1955 to 1995 he was Prime Minister four times and President of Greece twice.

The Umbrellas of Thessaloniki.

  Further along the waterfront was a piece of art not representing any great person but just for art's sake.

The Umbrellas Of Thessaloniki.

   The Umbrellas was created by sculptor Giorgios Zongolopoulos in 1997 and has become a popular photo spot along the water.

OTE Tower Thessaloniki.

   As we looked up the street we noticed another strange tower in the distance.  This is OTE Tower and it opened in 1966. Unlike the White Tower, it was never involved in battle.  It does work as a communications tower and has a revolving restaurant inside. 

Sunset Behind The White Tower Thessaloniki.

   The sun started to set as we headed back towards Aristotelous Square for dinner.  We found a nice spot on one of the balconies and enjoyed our meal as we waited for the show.

Sunset Over The Port Of Thessaloniki.

    Soon the sun started to set behind the industrial port section of the waterfront. The sky turned a bright orange as the sun slipped away.

The White Tower At Night In Thessaloniki.

   Soon the darkness had taken over and groups of people headed out to enjoy the nightlife. We realized we had spent the whole day exploring and admiring the sights around Thessaloniki's waterfront.  Not a bad way to spend a day.


Map of Our World
White Tower Of Thessaloniki
Post # 319