| Apr 17, 2012 |
| Halifax Commemorates its Connection to the Sinking of the Titanic |
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| As many of us are aware, April 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Today Andy, our guide from Halifax, explains this historic Canadian city's connection to the international tragedy, and how it is commemorating the centenary. |
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The year 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous sinking of the ill-fated liner HMS Titanic. And the historic city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada played a critical role in the unfolding tragedy.
The ocean liner left Southampton, England on April 10, 1912 with the intention of arriving in New York City five days later. As we now all know, in the late evening of April 14th, the Titanic encountered an ice field in the north Atlantic. (Icebergs are quite common in the north Atlantic shipping lanes at that time of the year.) And in the early hours of April 15th, that grand ship sank off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The owners of the Titanic, the White Star Lines, had offices in St. John's Newfoundland (the port city closest to the site of the tragedy). However, ice in the harbour of St. John's, Newfoundland prevented any recovery ships from leaving that port. And Halifax offered direct railroad connection to New York and points south. So, the White Star Lines had to call on merchant marine ships in Halifax (the next closest port city) where they also had offices. (Halifax is roughly 500 kilometres from where the Titanic sank.)
Because of that, the historic city of Halifax became the resting place for 151 Titanic victims who lay buried in three different cemeteries. Twenty one victims were buried in Halifax's Roman Catholic Mt. Olivet Cemetery. And there are ten victims buried at the Jewish Baron de Hirsch Cemetery. But, Halifax's Fairview Cemetery (in the city's north end) is where most victims were interred. This cemetery has become one of Halifax's most visited sites. Here, 120 victims (both passengers and crew members) lay buried in four rows. (People often comment that the pattern of the monuments looks like the hull of a ship.) Among the many victims buried there are; John Dawson (the lead character in James Cameron's movie, Jack Dawson, was modeled on this 19 year old Southampton resident), Luigi Gatti, the manager of the Titanic first class restaurant Cafe Parisienne, and many others. These are just a couple; there are many other compelling stories of the passengers and crew who came to rest in Halifax.
This April specifically and throughout the rest of the year, Halifax will mark this historic city's tragic Titanic connection with many related activities; talks, dinners, museum exhibits, tours and the like.
For more information, take a look at the official "Titanic in Nova Scotia" website, or get in touch with Andy via his guide profile page. |
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| Apr 13, 2012 |
| A Move, a Run and a TV Studio: big week ahead for TBL! |
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| It’s almost moving time! Time to leave the old office in New Westminster for our shinier downtown digs on the 6th floor of 1112 West Pender. We’ll be a stone’s throw (if you’ve got a good arm anyway!) from waterfront Jack Poole Plaza and the former Olympic Cauldron, whose flames burned throughout the Vancouver Winter 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games two years ago. |
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More important to certain staff named David, the new office is just steps from Caffè Artigiano, a local Vancouver coffee chain whose champion baristas put Starbucks to shame. (I feel mildly guilty writing this, as my laptop and I are currently taking advantage of Starbucks’ free wireless! But take it as an honest local tip on where to imbibe a serious latte in Vancouver.)
Fortunately the move won’t take place this weekend, as Vancouver’s downtown core will be largely closed to vehicle traffic. The starting line for one of the world’s biggest 10K races is only 2 blocks from the Pender office and at 9am on Sunday 60,000 runners will begin the journey along Georgia Street towards Stanley Park, along Beach Avenue and over the Burrard and Cambie St Bridges. The Vancouver Sun Run is not so much a serious race as a wonderful community event that gets bigger each year. For the first time, I (Sara) will be a part of the race crowd! Hopefully the classic Vancouver ocean and mountain views will be a distraction from the pain that will likely set in at about the 8K mark...
It’s a big week all around for the ToursByLocals Vancouver team, as we’re also heading into the CTV news studios on Monday morning to chat about ToursByLocals and the concept of “local travel” with CTV News at Noon hosts Keri Adams, Perry Solkowski, and Marke Driesschen. Watch for us at 12pm PST if you’re local, and if you’re not, we’ll be sure to share the video clip on our site as soon as we can. |
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| Apr 10, 2012 |
| 2012 European Capital of Culture: Maribor |
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| Ever been to Slovenia? If not, 2012 is a great year to make the trip, as the eastern Slovenian city of Maribor is celebrating its status as European Capital of Culture 2012. |
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A bit about Slovenia: this tiny central-European nation is blanketed in forests and history - making it a fascinating destination for both nature and culture-lovers. Highlights of a trip to the country include Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana, with its medieval hilltop Castle, which affords incredible views of the city and countryside below. The lakeside town of Bled beckons travelers with it stunning mountain setting and picturesque island church, and don't miss the nearby, quieter, stunning Lake Bohinj, or the lovely coastal town of Piran. The historical city of Ptuj, with its compact medieval core, boasts a castle, museums, monasteries and churches. And then of course there’s Maribor.
Although it’s Slovenia’s second largest city, Maribor is less than half the size of Ljubljana, and feels more like a pleasant large town than a city. Its attractive Old Town sits along the banks of the Drava River. The city holds a number of galleries, museums and theatres that made it an appealing choice for the European Capital of Culture, which looks for rich cultural heritage and an established contemporary cultural scene.
The ECC’s mission is to “to promote different European cultures and through cultural diversity strengthen the mutual understanding and the mutual European identity.”
Maribor has pulled out all the stops as the 2012 Capital of Culture, with over 1000 unique events and projects taking place until December. Live performances of everything from classical music to new burlesque, and gallery exhibits ranging from hand-crafted traditional jewellery to modern art installations extend throughout the city and to the nearby towns of Ptuj, Slovenj Gradec, Murska Sobota, Velenje and Novo Mesto.
For more information about this year’s European Capital of Culture, you can visit the Maribor website: www.maribor2012.eu. And of course the best way to get local insight into Slovenian culture is with a Slovenian guide to accompany you! Our guides in Slovenia: Gregor, Vid, Barbara, Sabina and Rok, would all love to share their homeland with you. |
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