The Senso Ji Temple in Asakusa Tokyo is the city’s oldest temple and is one of Tokyo’s most popular tourist attractions. The Buddhist temple which is also associated with the Tendai sect is a Shinto Shrine and the focus of a huge festival held each spring which sees the surrounding street closed off for the festivities. Huge crowds flock to the temple every day, to burn incense and pay respect or to shop and eat at the dozens of traditional shops which sell just about anything especially catering for the tourist. The legend of the temple dates back to 628 when two fishermen brothers found a statue in the Sumida River, this statue was then enshrined with a temple. The temple was bombed during World War II and rebuilt today the temple stands as a monument symbolizing rebirth and peace. To make a day out of your visit a five minute walk to the west of the temple will get you to Kappabashi, Tokyo’s kitchen town where you can buy just about anything to do with cooking from plates to plastic food models. Read the rest of this entry »

Back in 1862 with no room to set up shop a floating flower shop was set up on the southern canal belt of Amsterdam on the Singel between Muntplein and Koningsplein. This took off and today more than 15 stalls now on barges are tied to the canal banks. Here you can find tulips, narcissus and other bulbs and some of the most beautiful cut flowers and even small marijuana plants and seeds which are sort of legal in the Netherlands. The colors and the perfumes of the flowers are amazing and well worth a visit. The markets get very busy in the mornings so to avoid the rush pop in after lunch, they will still have an amazing array of flowers and bulbs.
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Lincoln Park Zoo is as the name suggests in Lincoln Park in the heart of Chicago and dates back to 1868 when a pair of swans joined a bear cub. Today the zoo is home to about 1250 animals which popular exhibits include gorillas, monkeys, seals, birds of preys and reptiles. The zoo also has a huge children’s area where kids can get up close to farm animals. The zoo has a large conservation duty and also carries out an extensive school program where the young can learn about the animals and the challenges they face in their natural habitats. One of the highlights of the Lincoln Park Zoo is the Robert R McCormick Bear Habitat where you can see Andean Bears, Malayan Sun Bears and the beautiful Polar Bears. The Polar Bear exhibit features one of the largest exhibits in the world with a quarter of a million gallon tank for their pleasure. Visitors can see these massive and graceful creatures behind glass frolicking in the water. The zoo is open every day and best of all its free. Read the rest of this entry »

Harry’s Cafe de Wheels in Woolloomooloo is a Sydney institution. Located on Cowper Wharf Road near Finger Wharf overlooking the Garden Island naval fleet this caravan has been serving Sydney’s best pies and in particular pie floaters since 1938. The cafe is so much a Sydney icon it is on the National Trust Register as a significant location. The caravan stated before the Second World War and over the years has had a host of big names eat there including Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Marlene Dietrich and the king of fast food Colonel Sanders himself- who legend tells liked the pies so much he ate three of them. There is a picture of the Colonel out the front hoing into a pie along with a host of other big names who have had their picture taken over the years. The caravan has quiet a variety of pies including a seafood pie and the famous Tiger pie which is packed with bacon and cheese but everyone’s favorite is the classic pie floater. Here a rich meat and gravy pie is topped with mashed potato, waxy mushy peas and topped with tasty brown gravy- they are absolutely delicious. Harry’s has become so popular in recent years a few more stores have popped up over Sydney including one in the city’s Haymarket one at Liverpool and another one up the coast at Newcastle. Read the rest of this entry »

30 St Mary Axe in London is better known as the Gherkin, one of the city’s most controversial buildings. The 180 metre high tower is the second tallest building in the city of London and was designed by Lord Norman Foster and Ken Shuttleworth and constructed between 2001 and 2004. The building is a technological wonder with some pretty smart designs built in including using about half the energy of a similar size tower. The building uses natural ventilation and extensive use of double glazing which also helps heat the building in winter. The building is primarily office space but the 40th floor has a restaurant with some of London’s most spectacular views. The futuristic design of the building has caused some ho har in the often conservative London town, even good old Prince Charles has had a bit of whinge about the building and some of other futuristic plans for the city, instead preferring London to turn back to the dark ages. The Prince does have a point but as most visitors to London would agree this tower has been carefully planed and the designers and architects with much talent have been able to complement the skyline and surroundings with this building, and in a lot of ways it helps highlight the beautiful churches and historic structures nearby with the contrast. Read the rest of this entry »

Berlin is so rich in history and one part of history that the Berliners are trying to put behind them was the horrible acts of Hitler and the Third Reich. Now there is a very interesting walking tour which traces the history of this terrible time and gives the visitor an insight of what happened and why things happened in the first half of last century. The tour takes about 3 1/2 hours and takes in some pretty chilling moments in history. You will stand above the sight of Hitler’s bunker where he spent his last weeks of life, You will see the Nazi Air Force Headquarters and the Goebbels Propaganda Ministry which was home to the German Press office and then see the SS and Gestapo headquarters before visiting the only remaining piece of the Berlin wall and finally visiting the Soviet Memorial, which celebrates Russia’s liberation of Germany. The tour runs on Tuesday, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1PM visit the website for more information.

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Toronto’s largest and infact Canada’s largest water park is in Brampton and it’s that huge its a kingdom! The Wild Water Kingdom has 13 body and tube slides, another 7 kids waterslides a huge 6000 square foot swimming pool

and even two mini golf courses and its set on acres and acres of picnic area. The par’s biggest attraction its the Big Tipper, two huge buckets drop 800 gallons of water on the unsuspecting below- it’s great fun. This year the park has a new attraction for the summer months the Misty Blue Zone, here parents can relax under the mist and escape the hot sun while the kids are having fun on the slides. The highlight for us, and I’m sure for a lot of kids is Hugo the Hippo the cuddly purple hippopotamus character who patrols the park- look out for him and give him a big hug for me!

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Situated in the historic area of Manhattan where Fulton Street meets the East River you will find the South Street Seaport Museum. The seaport is a collection of beautifully restored 19th century commercial building, restored sailing ships and plenty of tourist malls with food, shopping and good night life and one of the best views of the majestic Brooklyn Bridge. One of the more popular vessels to visit is the Peking a Flying P Liner which was a sailing ship of the German F Laeising shipping company which originated in Hamburg. Built in 1911 the ship was made famous by Irving Johnston who filmed onboard the ship as it rounded Cape Horn back in 1929. The ship has been on display at South Street since 1975. Other interesting vessels include the Wavetree which is a 1885 fully rigged cargo ship and the W.O Decker a 1930’s tugboat which sometimes gives the public a chance to board it for strips around New York’s waterways. Read the rest of this entry »

Liberace was one of the pioneers of entertainment in Las Vegas, he brought a new type of glitz and glamour to the strip with the most over the top and lavish stage shows ever seen. He arrived on stage in jewel encrusted vehicles and had rhinestone covered pianos and his costumes were the most amazing and outrageous with sequins, jewels and diamonds. Stripped away from all the flamboyance Liberace was one of the world’s greatest performers and his classical piano playing was second to none, but it was the glitz and glamour for what this mega celebrity will be remembered for. Today Liberace is no longer with us but his legend lives on in Vegas with a huge collection of his pianos and vehicles including a mirror tiled Rolls Royce and rhinestone laden roadster are on display with many of his costumes, the amazing jewelry and the entire story of his performing life. The museum itself is larger than life just like the superstar with huge neon piano on the roof. There’s a great gift shop and the trust which runs the museum puts the money into the Liberace Foundation which invests in performing arts scholarships for the young, a cause Liberace was so deeply involved in. Read the rest of this entry »

Japan has some of the world’s more interesting museums, there the noodle museums, sewerage museums, salt museum…you get the drift but now we have found one which is even weirder…The Kiseichuu Hakubutsukan or Meguro Parasite Museum. Here you can see jars and jars of interesting parasites in all shapes and sizes. The star attraction of the museum in their 45000 item collection is a 8.8 meter long tape worm which once happily lived in a woman. There are all sorts of worms and wriggly things enough to turn you off your lunch and probably tomorrows as well. The museum like all museums features a gift shop at the end of the tour, and yes you can buy your very own parasites one of the best sellers is a parasite key chain- beats that Hello Kitty one they are selling down the street and for only Y210 its a real bargain. The Meguro Parasite Museum is located Shimomeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, and only a few minutes walk from Meguro Station. – Just a word of warning no eating is allowed whilst veiwing the parasite collection. Read the rest of this entry »