Is it really Monday ? If so, it must be a "Blue Monday"...
Looked out the window at 6 AM and saw nothing but heavy overcast.
Now, at 7.30 AM it is raining !
Did you hear ? It Is Raining.!!!
Rain is not in our itinerary... it is against all that was expected.
In fact, if it is not against the Law, it surely should be !
Who goes into Algonquin Park when it rains ?
Mad Dogs and English Men go out in the Noonday Sun !
But who goes to Algonquin Park in the morning- noon- or afternoon Rain ?
Cool Cats and Canadians... that's Who !
Monday, July 7, 2014
Kingston to Ottawa
Right after breakfast we left the hotel and drove North on highway 15.
Highway 15 wends itself leisurely along the Rideau Canal and on several occasions you may leave the highway and drive West for a few kilometers to one of the 49 locks which lift boats from Kingston, Ontario all the way up to Ottawa, the Nations capital.
The trip, over 202 km, takes about 4-5 days, along rivers, through picturesque lakes, out of one lock and then into another, until all 49 of them have lifted you up and away.
In the building process only very few workers lost their lives through work accidents, ( 7 in 1827 ) but over 1000 died of Malaria.
Should you be interested in more facts about this "Heritage Waterway", I can recommend that you Google:
www.rideau-info.com/canal/map-waterway.html
Ottawa has become a very nice, I would almost say 'beautiful' town of about 900,000 inhabitants with many interesting structures, art galleries, museums in both, Ottawa and across the river into Quebec, Hull.
You may wonder why I say that Ottawa has become a beautiful town:
When I lived there from May 1955 to April 1957 it was a "cow town". Although it was the capital, I was told that diplomatic Ambassadors feared an appointment to Ottawa, due to its dull, provincial nature.
Today it is a thriving, bustling, beautiful and interesting small Metropolis, the Capital City of a wonderful country.
That, in any event is the considered opinion of
Bertstravels.
Highway 15 wends itself leisurely along the Rideau Canal and on several occasions you may leave the highway and drive West for a few kilometers to one of the 49 locks which lift boats from Kingston, Ontario all the way up to Ottawa, the Nations capital.
The trip, over 202 km, takes about 4-5 days, along rivers, through picturesque lakes, out of one lock and then into another, until all 49 of them have lifted you up and away.
In the building process only very few workers lost their lives through work accidents, ( 7 in 1827 ) but over 1000 died of Malaria.
Should you be interested in more facts about this "Heritage Waterway", I can recommend that you Google:
www.rideau-info.com/canal/map-waterway.html
Ottawa has become a very nice, I would almost say 'beautiful' town of about 900,000 inhabitants with many interesting structures, art galleries, museums in both, Ottawa and across the river into Quebec, Hull.
You may wonder why I say that Ottawa has become a beautiful town:
When I lived there from May 1955 to April 1957 it was a "cow town". Although it was the capital, I was told that diplomatic Ambassadors feared an appointment to Ottawa, due to its dull, provincial nature.
Today it is a thriving, bustling, beautiful and interesting small Metropolis, the Capital City of a wonderful country.
That, in any event is the considered opinion of
Bertstravels.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
two planets
Two planets, cruising in the Universe, come pretty close to each other.
"How's it going ?" asks one and the other, just shruggs his shoulders and says: "Oh, not so good!"
"What's troubling you?" asks the first planet .
Ach, sighs the other, "I have a severe case of Mankind...."
"Don't worry", soothes the first: "This doesn't last long."
"How's it going ?" asks one and the other, just shruggs his shoulders and says: "Oh, not so good!"
"What's troubling you?" asks the first planet .
Ach, sighs the other, "I have a severe case of Mankind...."
"Don't worry", soothes the first: "This doesn't last long."
Kingston, Ontario
We left home at about 8AM and after some difficulties, caused by Detours in Kingston, we found the Holiday Inn. I had no reservation and the City is very very busy. Big Holiday time !!!
Upon the clerk's question I gave him my last name. 2 seconds later he asked: Mr. Reeter, do you still live in Bleeburg ? So I told him, yes I still live there, but we changed the pronunciation, along with that of my last name to Reitter and Bleiburg. We had a good laugh and I got, so he claims, the very last room.
At the price they now charge, it should be the very last room.....
Tonight we intend to stroll a bit around Kingston and tomorrow we aim for the Rideau Canal, in the direction of Ottawa.
Jan, my companion, is an absolute delight. Intelligent, smart and friendly. He wants to do the dishes at home, and, although we use the dishwasher, his help in stacking and then emptying the machine and putting the dishes away, while I sit there, reading the paper, is sheer delight.
Today was a good day! Let's see what tomorrow will bring.
Bertstravels.
Upon the clerk's question I gave him my last name. 2 seconds later he asked: Mr. Reeter, do you still live in Bleeburg ? So I told him, yes I still live there, but we changed the pronunciation, along with that of my last name to Reitter and Bleiburg. We had a good laugh and I got, so he claims, the very last room.
At the price they now charge, it should be the very last room.....
Tonight we intend to stroll a bit around Kingston and tomorrow we aim for the Rideau Canal, in the direction of Ottawa.
Jan, my companion, is an absolute delight. Intelligent, smart and friendly. He wants to do the dishes at home, and, although we use the dishwasher, his help in stacking and then emptying the machine and putting the dishes away, while I sit there, reading the paper, is sheer delight.
Today was a good day! Let's see what tomorrow will bring.
Bertstravels.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Good Old Toronto
Well, I am back in good old TO and it is as lovely a town as I remember.
As clean as a whistle, all the trees (and there are hundreds of thousands of them throughout this town) in juicy Green.
The hustle and bustle of a big City, cranes dot the skyline between skyscrapers. The tallest one will be 85 stories. They have just completed the 70th floor... 15 more to go.. and guess what : the ones right up to about the 60th floor, largely already sold as Condos. ... The people are, so Jan observed, exceedingly friendly.
We walked the downtown for hours... my feet were about to fall off... and in all this time and in this large area covered by us, we saw fewer than half a dozen beggars. I see that many or more on the "Alter Markt" in Klagenfurt. Also, remarkable, we saw two patrols of two cops each on bicycles, leisurely cruising down Yonge Street. I just asked Jan if he remembered any others: Yes, he says, there were two police cars which he saw somewhere in the downtown area.
So it seems, Toronto still is a peaceful, clean place in which to wander about and enjoy a great day.
I am sitting in a Starbucks where they feature free wireless Internet connections. It'll take a few days before I get my own in my home at 53....
Till next time, when I have more time available. I can only drink so much coffee...
Signing off and sending all of you my best
Bertstravels.
As clean as a whistle, all the trees (and there are hundreds of thousands of them throughout this town) in juicy Green.
The hustle and bustle of a big City, cranes dot the skyline between skyscrapers. The tallest one will be 85 stories. They have just completed the 70th floor... 15 more to go.. and guess what : the ones right up to about the 60th floor, largely already sold as Condos. ... The people are, so Jan observed, exceedingly friendly.
We walked the downtown for hours... my feet were about to fall off... and in all this time and in this large area covered by us, we saw fewer than half a dozen beggars. I see that many or more on the "Alter Markt" in Klagenfurt. Also, remarkable, we saw two patrols of two cops each on bicycles, leisurely cruising down Yonge Street. I just asked Jan if he remembered any others: Yes, he says, there were two police cars which he saw somewhere in the downtown area.
So it seems, Toronto still is a peaceful, clean place in which to wander about and enjoy a great day.
I am sitting in a Starbucks where they feature free wireless Internet connections. It'll take a few days before I get my own in my home at 53....
Till next time, when I have more time available. I can only drink so much coffee...
Signing off and sending all of you my best
Bertstravels.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Good News / Bad News
One of Austria's Newspapers reported, quoting the Accounting firm Ernst & Young, that the large corporation of the USA are showing signs of strong economic recovery, particularly, when compared to their European counterparts.
Excluding Banks and Insurance Companies, European Producers, during 2013 over 2012, showed an increase in Sales of 0.5% and a reduction in Profits of 3% .
During the same period, the 300 largest Corporation in the USA registered an increase in Sales of 4%
and an increase in Profits of 5%.
Europe's top 300 Corporations were able to generate profits of
643 billion US Dollars, while the 300 largest corporations in the
US of A showed profits of 831 billion US$.
US firms were found to be more profitable, stronger and more modern.
When the big Economic Collapse seemed to threaten first the USA and then Europe, I, knowing nothing of "Big Business", predicted that the USA will recover quicker and stronger than Europe.
I was asked then, why I thought that and what statistical information did I have to justify such a bold statement.
First I had to admit, that I had Zero statistical information, and almost Zero knowledge of what is called "Big Business".
But I do know the American spirit of work, their innovative approach to a problem, their willingness to change, sometimes fundamentally, to compromise "the way it has always been done" and start a new way.
While it seems that the European Businessman is more true to the "old and tried way" and reluctant to sudden changes of "the system".
Obviously the above analysis cannot be applied across the board. There are those and there are these on both Continents.
The results, however, tend to give the entrepreneur of the USA the edge.
Bertstravels hopes
that everybody does well.
Excluding Banks and Insurance Companies, European Producers, during 2013 over 2012, showed an increase in Sales of 0.5% and a reduction in Profits of 3% .
During the same period, the 300 largest Corporation in the USA registered an increase in Sales of 4%
and an increase in Profits of 5%.
Europe's top 300 Corporations were able to generate profits of
643 billion US Dollars, while the 300 largest corporations in the
US of A showed profits of 831 billion US$.
US firms were found to be more profitable, stronger and more modern.
When the big Economic Collapse seemed to threaten first the USA and then Europe, I, knowing nothing of "Big Business", predicted that the USA will recover quicker and stronger than Europe.
I was asked then, why I thought that and what statistical information did I have to justify such a bold statement.
First I had to admit, that I had Zero statistical information, and almost Zero knowledge of what is called "Big Business".
But I do know the American spirit of work, their innovative approach to a problem, their willingness to change, sometimes fundamentally, to compromise "the way it has always been done" and start a new way.
While it seems that the European Businessman is more true to the "old and tried way" and reluctant to sudden changes of "the system".
Obviously the above analysis cannot be applied across the board. There are those and there are these on both Continents.
The results, however, tend to give the entrepreneur of the USA the edge.
Bertstravels hopes
that everybody does well.
GERMANY 2 . ALGERIA !
Although a low- and late scoring affair, it was the most exciting game so far in an exciting World Cup of Soccer.
A game neither team should have lost.
Both should have been allowed to go on into the next round. Unfortunately this is not in the books and one team had to loose.
The only possible way this game could have been even more thrilling, would have been a last minute goal by the Algerians and one team to win in a shoot out.
This, in any event, is the considered opinion of
Bertstravels.
A game neither team should have lost.
Both should have been allowed to go on into the next round. Unfortunately this is not in the books and one team had to loose.
The only possible way this game could have been even more thrilling, would have been a last minute goal by the Algerians and one team to win in a shoot out.
This, in any event, is the considered opinion of
Bertstravels.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)