Remember life before COVID-19? Tourists sunbathing on the rocks in Dubrovnik, Croatia back in 2015.
We are traveling virtually again this post back to 2015 visiting Dubrovnik, Croatia. A well preserved 16th century city on the Adriatic in the southern end of Croatia, Dubrovnik is an incredible step back in time. It was almost destroyed (1667 earthquake), controlled by the French, then Italians, Austrians, and finally Yugoslavia. In 1991 the city endured considerable shelling as Yugoslavia came apart. When walking the streets and alleys within the walled city you will read stories on the walls of what shelling occurred and what business or cultural place was sadly hit. Here we have a wonderful rest spot outside the fortress walls on the rocks by the Adriatic. Looking at this today while in COVID-19 lockdown is surreal, yet its also a glimpse into what we have to look forward to.
673 panes of glass make up the Louvre Pyramid, surely being counted by these tourists 🙂
Architect I.M. Pei designed the Louvre Pyramid to contrast the new and old, bringing a very modern feel to the museum’s entrance. Courtesy of Google we know there are 673 panes of glass and these people are trying to count them all. This picture of the Louvre was taken summer 2015 which explains the crowd, lack of social distancing and no masks (Do you believe we used to congregate like this?). That’s what makes this picture so special right now while parts of where we live are in COVID lockdown. Enjoy your travels via the internet this holiday season! And remember to wear your mask 😉
Back to 2016 for this moment in time at a London, England sidewalk cafe and pub. It caught me by surprise to see drinking allowed on the curbs and will admit I was jealous because it looked so social and inviting… why can’t we do this? Just stare at this picture for a bit and take in all the different conversations and mental thoughts happening all at once.
Fantastic performance by Johnny Reid this past week in St. Catharines, singing only Christmas songs from his ‘My Kind of Christmas’ tour. This was my first introduction to Johnny Reid and will say he did not disappoint. More than any singer I’ve seen – ok similar to Sarah McLachlan – he has a way of involving the audience that makes you feel part of the show. Guess it helps there were a cozy 3,500 people in the arena 🙂
This is how you celebrate a goal at a soccer match… with smoke bombs, drums, oversized flags, and lots of cheering! Hamilton scored the tying goal for Toronto FC at 90+5 minutes of the game on June 7, 2019. Find the guy in the red/white/black shirt holding a smoker stick 🙂
Watching yesterday’s fire at Notre Dame Cathedral was gut wrenching and brought back memories of our visit in 2015. This is the start of Mass… really like the contrast between the procession, the tourists, the smoke from the incense and the natural light coming in through the windows. Regardless of your faith, this Cathedral is stunning and the heart and soul of Paris and France.
This is Clarkson Cup pre-game warm-up for the Calgary Inferno (red jerseys) and Les Canadiennes de Montreal (white jerseys) at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto yesterday. A one game winner takes all featuring the best female hockey players in the world. Calgary went on to win the Cup with a spirited 5-2 victory in which both teams demonstrated incredible skill. The women’s game is so fluid and fast paced, making it a ton of fun to watch!
This was over the top for a northern canuck not used to life at the beach. Cars, people, surfboards, bikes everywhere. And while this picture has everything frozen in time, you need to imagine it all moving in slow motion. Hanalei Beach and Pier are almost at the end of the road in Northern Kauai, and a favorite stop for tourists (like us!). Beautiful beach worth the visit, particularly if you love people watching 🙂
This one was not pretty 😦  Bottom of 3rd and the Toronto Blue Jays already down by 2 runs. New York was on fire with multiple home runs throughout the game, while the Jays bats were very quiet. Still, a great day at the ballpark with the family!
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