#oxford shopping mall painting

[bloggingexpert]

Exploring Brisbane on the City Cat Ferries

One of the iconic tourist attractions in Brisbane is the City Cat ferries. They are the perfect way to see the city from the Brisbane River. They are particularly popular during the autumn to spring period of the year when many southern visitors come to the city on holidays. These ferries are catamarans and are painted in the colours of local sporting teams as well as one being painted to depict the history of the local indigenous people. The City Cats move up and down the river from the University of Queensland in the west to Hamilton North in the east not far from the river mouth and Moreton Bay. The return journey takes just over two hours. You can sit in the open areas at the front and rear of the City Cats or sit comfortable inside a large spacious cabin and watch the river as it meanders through the city of Brisbane. Simply riding the ferries up and down the river is alone an enjoyable experience. You will see many different styles of homes, boats of all types plying up and down the rivers plus many small cross river ferries. There are many places where you can catch the ferry and they arrive every 15 minutes during most of the day. Along the way, you will sail under many bridges, pass through the central business district, cruise pass the City Botanical Gardens and New Farm Park with its rose gardens and, at Hamilton North, see the twin Gateway bridges as they soar high in the air to allow ships to pass upstream. Here, too, you will watch many planes land or take-off from the nearby Brisbane Airport. If you are into dining, there are several precincts where you can leave the city cat to get a meal. These precincts are spread along the river from Park Road, Milton to South Bank; Howard Smith’s Wharf under the Story Bridge; Oxford Street, Bulimba; Brett’s wharf at Hamilton and at the last terminal at Hamilton North. If you want to entertain your children along the way, then stop at South Bank. Here there is a beach with a pool patrolled by lifesavers; the Maritime Museum; The State Art Gallery plus the State Museum. This is also the venue for the Performing Arts Complex. On the opposite of the river to South Bank is the main city business district with its city mall with its many shops as well as the casino. If you want a special treat, catch a City Cat going down river just before dawn to see the sun rise over the lower reaches of the river. Even more spectacular is to ride the city cat from Hamilton North up the river as the sun sets. You will see the city skyline with Mount Coot tha in the background change colour and as the night falls the coloured lights of the city will excite you. Finally, the great thing about a day on the City Cats for a family is that the cost is low. So if you are a visitor or a local, give a journey on the City Cats “a go”.

[kipperclothiers]

For Shorter Men & Women Who Like Menswear: Our Guide to Small-Size Shoes

While you can wear a suit with sneakers in some instances, situations like a job interview, wedding, or client presentation call for a polished, more traditional appearance. For the average male – roughly 5 ft., 9 in. and around 170 lbs. – finding a dress shoe isn’t a challenge. You stop at the mall, browse online, or, if you’re cash strapped, hunt down an un-scuffed pair at your local consignment shop. In all cases, you expect to find something in your size.

But, what if you’re under 5 ft., 6 in.? Or, you have small feet that feel loose in a size 6? Or, you’re a smaller-sized female with a penchant for actual menswear styles – and those menswear-inspired ones feel too frilly? Unfortunately, you’re stuck: Too small for adult sizes, wanting to avoid anything traditionally feminine, and too large for the kids’ department, you’re in that grey zone where, frankly, nothing fits.

So, what do you do? Suit up and wear all-black Converse high-tops, hoping no one notices? Suck it up and look for a kids’ shoe that’s not-quite-so childish? Or, do you relent, and compromise with a jaunt through the women’s section? The answer is – none of these. We’re here to tell you that, yes, you can find shoes in your size, without compromising your personal style.

Unsure about your foot’s exact measurements? Start with this measuring guide before you shop around.

Our focus here is primarily dress shoes – or whatever you can wear with a suit. On the other hand, if you’re in the grey zone, your shoe collection is – to excuse the pun – fairly small. Maybe two or three pairs, if you’re lucky.

Where do you begin for everyday wear? In this case, any unisex brand is best. Think skate shoes by Vans, low- and high-tops in neutral shades from Converse, Dr. Martens’ boots, and styles from Palladium. For “comfort” shoes, Oofos goes under a size 6, while Clarks hits right at this line.

And, if you see no shame in everyday athleisure, Nike makes men’s sneakers down to a size 4, as does New Balance.

Shopping Online

On the department store end, Nordstrom is frequently cited as a place to find smaller-size men’s dress shoes. Of the brands you’ll find below shortly, Grenson and Saint Laurent are available through their online store. Yet, in terms of variety, you can’t beat Zappos. Although their selection of men’s 4 and 4.5 sizes yields mostly casual options, you’ll find an occasional gem: For instance, a pair of Y-3s or a set of Wolverine Heritage boots.

For dress shoes, though, you’ve got to look past the predictable choices. For instance, Stravers – the Amsterdam-based retailer with a world-renowned brick-and-mortar store – prides itself on going to extremes. More specifically, a customer will find more than a smattering of both big-and-tall and small sizes. For the latter, your selection runs typical – think brogues, lace-up ankle boots, and oxfords in brown, tan, and black hues – and less so, with patent leather and blue alligator skin being some of the standouts.

For more technical styles, there’s BootBay.com. Born in east Tennessee in the early ‘80s, it’s another sought-after small-size retailer, with a product selection primarily covering work, hiking, and casual boots. While it’s not directly dress-shoe oriented, we all need a sturdy pair to get through the winter. As such, here you’ll find slip-resistant, moisture-wicking, and cushioned options.

Florsheim

Yes, they’ve garnered a reputation as your parents’ (and even grandparents’) shoe store, but this Chicago-originating brand has stuck around for a few reasons. One, you’ll have no trouble getting your basics – oxfords, brogues, chukka boots, and monk strap styles, with the occasional cap or wingtip detail – but its stores continue to stock more fashion-forward fare.

Case in point, at the start of the menswear craze, they partnered with Duckie Brown in 2010 to revamp some of their classic silhouettes, and five years later, they collaborated with George Esquivel on a California-influenced collection. Then, two years ago, they introduced a vintage collection, offering modern takes on their original line.

Recommendations

Richfield Moc Toe Strap Loafer ($100): All-around smooth, except for the slightly angular toe and braided detail, these loafers embody classic simplicity. Pair them with a full suit or chinos and a blazer, and in either instance, their versatile, lightly cushioned design takes you everywhere.

Como Moc Toe Strap Loafer ($110): With a name alluding to Italian construction, this hand-stitched, kidskin loafer is all about the details, from the top strap and burnishing to rich yet not overbearing burgundy undertones.

Grenson

Menswear has been on a heritage kick, and Grenson fits right in. Although sizing ends at a men’s size 6, their traditional handmade designs make your search worth it. Plus, they’re one brand with a decent women’s selection featuring some unisex-leaning designs. Added to this, their versatility and quality construction mean that whatever you choose – Chelsea and lace-up boots to oxfords, in suede or leather – will last – and last and last. If you’re thinking about building your wardrobe basics, start right here. As a note, U.K. sizing is used for all styles. Reference the brand’s conversion chart to select your size.

Recommendations

Ella Boots (Women’s, $345): Excluding summer’s hotter days, the dress boot delivers the prime combination of style and coverage. Grenson’s Ella cuts out those subtle feminine details, delivering a sturdy wingtip brogue made out of black calfskin leather that’s a sure match for your suit yet is still edgy enough for a pair of jeans.

Dylan Oxford Brogues (Men’s, $330): This traditional hand-painted leather oxford features a tan stain on top of its natural base color for a richer, multi-layered appearance. Best for matching with lighter-colored suits, its wing-tip design uses a slightly longer last than previous versions.

Paul Smith

You’ll recognize this British-based brand from Fashion Week presentations. And, much like the clothing we spotted recently, designs go either way – all while still feeling traditional. Whether you’re sporting navy or a multicolored oversized suit, pair it with brogues, loafers, lace-up, or Chelsea boots, in standard leather or nubuck. As a note, the brand uses European sizing for all styles.

Recommendations

Munro Brogues (Women’s, $495): The hybrid dress shoe – leather upper with a sneaker-like sole unit – frequently looks cheap and awkward, but Paul Smith’s Munro hits the sweet spot with vegetable-tanned leather, wingtip details, and a flexible sole with extra padding by the ball.

Gerald Chelsea Boots (Men’s, $340): Now, this is how a Chelsea boot should be: Smooth all around, from the material to the almond toe, with a fit that easily slides on. It’s ready for your suit and also adds that sophisticated rocker touch to denim and patterned pants.

Frye

Another American-based brand, Frye hasn’t quite reached heritage status, but their sheer variety – including women’s and men’s styles – definitely impresses us. Pretty much, if you’re looking to build a basic shoe collection from the ground up, you’ll come across oxfords and lace-up boots, as well as a decent, non-statement-making pair of sneakers.

Recommendations

Western Chelsea Boots (Women’s, $358): Not every dress shoe has to be super-traditional, and this music-inspired style – part of a brand collaboration with Cage the Elephant’s Matt Shultz – blends a Chelsea height and Italian leather with cowboy boot elements, like a pitched heel and stitching details.

Grady Jodhpur Boots (Men’s, $398): The jodhpur boot rarely gets enough love from the dress shoe world, we have to admit. Frye’s take definitely leans more toward casual, with its distressed, matte-finished suede and thinner, strap-accented silhouette. It presents a more laid-back version of the Chelsea boot that flows seamlessly from dressier fare to denim.

G.H. Bass & Co.

While you likely associate G.H. Bass & Co. with plaid button-ups and fleece, it’s an American heritage brand in its own right – the maker of the original penny loafer. Although, in a modern setting, the style’s a bit preppy, it’s one of those staples that’s a natural match for your chinos in a pinch. Slip on something smart casual in a range of colors and materials.

Recommendations

Whitney Mirror Metallic Weejuns (Women’s, $120): Traditional construction – a “penny slot,” stitched moc toe, and a slip-on silhouette – meet up with modern statement elements. The result bridges dressy-casual territory with red carpet-worthy style that works with your suit and pretty much the rest of your wardrobe.

Lincoln Lizard Weejuns (Men’s, $120): As another statement shoe, the Lincoln Lizard brings that oomph with lizard stamp burnished crust leather and a chain detail across the top. It’s one of those styles that manages to be current yet classic and formal without feeling overly traditional.

Saint Laurent

While Hedi Slimane’s since left for Celine, his mod rocker-influenced looks left an impression on this seminal French brand. As such, while critics have been mixed on Slimane’s vision for Celine, they can’t deny he ushered in a new era for Saint Laurent – one of thinner, more androgynous silhouettes that are ready for the boardroom yet have enough punch for an all-nighter in New York. And, as a bonus, you’ll find men’s casual and dress options down to a size 5.

Recommendations

Miles Boots (Men’s and Women’s, $1,195): This unisex-styled boot precisely embodies the post-Slimane Saint Laurent brand, from its thin profile and carefully chosen buckle detail to its clean lines and light hand-distressing.

Laced Army Boots in Kangaroo-Look Leather (Men’s, $1,095): A slightly matte and smooth lace-up upper and a low heel give these boots a light dash of military style. Yet, if you’re going to spend top-dollar on a pair of dress boots, they should also grant you the most mileage, and that’s precisely what this style does, matching everything from intricate printed suits to skinny jeans.

Church’s

Luxury, high-fashion brands aside, this is your apex. High-quality traditional designs – with the occasional trendy piece, like a military-influenced or two-tone boot – define the “cost per wear” concept. You’ll find all the usual suspects – brogues, oxfords, derbies, monk straps, and a range of boot silhouettes – in versatile shades of tan, brown, and black, complete with details in key places. While this English-based brand originally started as a family business, expansion resulted in brick-and-mortar stores throughout Europe, plus a partnership with Prada. In the U.S., you can find them through Saks, as well as through other luxury retailers like Mr. Porter and Farfetch. 

Recommendations

Westerham Oxford (Men’s, $560): It’s quite literally the smoothest oxford you’ll find around, from the blind eyelets to the finished calf leather. Goodyear construction ensures it’ll give you more than a few years’ use, while the cap toe adds an elegant yet neutral finish.

Bessy Buckle Chelsea Boot (Women’s, $814): Masculine and feminine elements fluidly merge in what feels like a true either-or boot. A block heel and buckle strap give it a touch of flair, while the mid-height and finished calf leather elevate it above the typical fashion boot.

Sutro Footwear

Based in San Francisco, Sutro has strived to create a reasonably priced shoe that you’ll wear frequently and that also uses a smaller carbon footprint. To do this, the company works with artisans in Mexico to craft each pair, while the leather, from free-range, U.S.-based cattle, is tanned without chemicals. Instead, natural oils and creams bring out the material’s beauty and highlight its individuality.

Within this approach, craftsmanship remains paramount. Shoes – men’s and women’s styles, with some unisex silhouettes tucked away – are constructed out of full-grain premium leathers, with minimal finishing. For this reason, styles appear simple – lace-up and Chelsea boots, oxfords, and a handful of heeled styles – yet are made to hold up to everyday wear.

Recommendations

Vermont Boots (Unisex, $218): At a glance, can you tell this is a “comfort” shoe? From the leather to the stacked outsole, it deceptively looks like any other dress boot. Yet, this unisex shoe based on Sutro’s best-selling Alder has a few tricks up its sleeve: Mainly, ultra-sturdy Goodyear Welt construction and rubber placed at key pressure points for extra support.

Mendelle Lace-Up Boots (Women’s, $188): Utilitarian details characterize many of Sutro’s styles, and here, the taller height, seven-eyelet front, and smooth, rounded toe give off subtle workwear vibes. Yet, ultra-rugged and clunky, they’re not, and that burnished, straightforward upper makes for a solid, three-season dress boot.

Shoepassion

Don’t be put off by the name. We know it seems like a cheesy, fast-footwear ecommerce site, but behind it is handcrafted, meticulous production and some of the finest materials you’ll find around. Designed in Berlin and manufactured in Spain, this brand utilizes Goodyear-welted construction – known for superior strength in work boots – and breathable, French-tanned leathers. Although far from inexpensive, the price justifies itself: For men’s and menswear-styled women’s shoes, the durability and versatile silhouettes are meant to last you years.

N° 5225 Oxfords (Men’s, $385): It’s all in the color. Warm, almost fiery brandy tones – created through a vegetable tanning process – pop without seeming overpowering. A hand finish, applied to soft calf leather, gives it a gradient effect and elegant shine.

N° 275 (Women’s, $465): While these could’ve been an ordinary dress boots, the wing tips and other details reminiscent of a British derby certainly elevate it. Yet, there’s still something rugged about it: Beyond just the Goodyear-welt construction, a taller height, slightly lugged outsole, and seven pairs of eyelets, although decorative, have an old-school work boot vibe.

**

Here at Kipper, we know a suit’s not complete without the right accessories. If, as a person with smaller-size feet, you’ve come across another high-quality shoe brand, tell us about it on our social channels!

[elisabettacormac]

Virginia Woolf: Mrs Dalloway in Bond Street

Virginia Woolf

Mrs Dalloway

Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the gloves herself.

Big Ben was striking as she stepped out into the street. It was eleven o'clock and the unused hour was fresh as if issued to children on a beach. But there was something solemn in the deliberate swing of the repeated strokes; something stirring in the murmur of wheels and the shuffle of footsteps.

No doubt they were not all bound on errands of happiness. There is much more to be said about us than that we walk the streets of Westminster. Big Ben too is nothing but steel rods consumed by rust were it not for the care of H.M.'s Office of Works. Only for Mrs Dalloway the moment was complete; for Mrs Dalloway June was fresh. A happy childhood--and it was not to his daughters only that Justin Parry had seemed a fine fellow (weak of course on the Bench); flowers at evening, smoke rising; the caw of rooks falling from ever so high, down down through the October air - there is nothing to take the place of childhood. A leaf of mint brings it back: or a cup with a blue ring.

Poor little wretches, she sighed, and pressed forward. Oh, right under the horses' noses, you little demon! and there she was left on the kerb stretching her hand out, while Jimmy Dawes grinned on the further side.

A charming woman, poised, eager, strangely white-haired for her pink cheeks, so Scope Purvis, C.C.B., saw her as he hurried to his office. She stiffened a little, waiting for burthen's van to pass. Big Ben struck the tenth; struck the eleventh stroke. The leaden circles dissolved in the air. Pride held her erect, inheriting, handing on, acquainted with discipline and with suffering. How people suffered, how they suffered, she thought, thinking of Mrs Foxcroft at the Embassy last night decked with jewels, eating her heart out, because that nice boy was dead, and now the old Manor House (Durtnall's van passed) must go to a cousin.

'Good morning to you!' said Hugh Whitbread raising his hat rather extravagantly by the china shop, for they had known each other as children. 'Where are you off to?'

'I love walking in London,' said Mrs Dalloway. 'Really it's better than walking in the country!'

'We've just come up,' said Hugh Whitbread. 'Unfortunately to see doctors.'

'Milly?' said Mrs Dalloway, instantly compassionate.

'Out of sorts,' said Hugh Whitbread. 'That sort of thing. Dick all right?'

'First rate!' said Clarissa.

Of course, she thought, walking on, Milly is about my age--fifty, fifty-two. So it is probably that, Hugh's manner had said so, said it perfectly--dear old Hugh, thought Mrs Dalloway, remembering with amusement, with gratitude, with emotion, how shy, like a brother--one would rather die than speak to one's brother--Hugh had always been, when he was at Oxford, and came over, and perhaps one of them (drat the thing!) couldn't ride. How then could women sit in Parliament? How could they do things with men? For there is this extra-ordinarily deep instinct, something inside one; you can't get over it; it's no use trying; and men like Hugh respect it without our saying it, which is what one loves, thought Clarissa, in dear old Hugh.

She had passed through the Admiralty Arch and saw at the end of the empty road with its thin trees Victoria's white mound, Victoria's billowing motherliness, amplitude and homeliness, always ridiculous, yet how sublime, thought Mrs Dalloway, remembering Kensington Gardens and the old lady in horn spectacles and being told by Nanny to stop dead still and bow to the Queen. The flag flew above the Palace. The King and Queen were back then. Dick had met her at lunch the other day--a thoroughly nice woman. It matters so much to the poor, thought Clarissa, and to the soldiers. A man in bronze stood heroically on a pedestal with a gun on her left hand side--the South African war. It matters, thought Mrs Dalloway walking towards Buckingham Palace. There it stood four-square, in the broad sunshine, uncompromising, plain. But it was character, she thought; something inborn in the race; what Indians respected. The Queen went to hospitals, opened bazaars--the Queen of England, thought Clarissa, looking at the Palace. Already at this hour a motor car passed out at the gates; soldiers saluted; the gates were shut. And Clarissa, crossing the road, entered the Park, holding herself upright.

June had drawn out every leaf on the trees. The mothers of Westminster with mottled breasts gave suck to their young. Quite respectable girls lay stretched on the grass. An elderly man, stooping very stiffly, picked up a crumpled paper, spread it out flat and flung it away. How horrible! Last night at the Embassy Sir Dighton had said, 'If 1 want a fellow to hold my horse, I have only to put up my hand.' But the religious question is far more serious than the economic, Sir Dighton had said, which she thought extraordinarily interesting, from a man like Sir Dighton. 'Oh, the country will never know what it has lost,' he had said, talking of his own accord, about dear Jack Stewart.

She mounted the little hill lightly. The air stirred with energy. Messages were passing from the Fleet to the Admiralty. Piccadilly and Arlington Street and the Mall seemed to chafe the very air in the Park and lift its leaves hotly, brilliantly, upon waves of that divine vitality which Clarissa loved. To ride; to dance; she had adored all that. Or going long walks in the country, talking, about books, what to do with one's life, for young people were amazingly priggish--oh, the things one had said! But one had conviction. Middle age is the devil. People like Jack'll never know that, she thought; for he never once thought of death, never, they said, knew he was dying. And now can never mourn--how did it go?--a head grown grey . . . From the contagion of the world's slow stain, . . . have drunk their cup a round or two before. . . . From the contagion of the world's slow stain! She held herself upright.

But how jack would have shouted! Quoting Shelley, in Piccadilly, 'You want a pin,' he would have said. He hated frumps. 'My God Clarissa! My God Clarissa!'--she could hear him now at the Devonshire House party, about poor Sylvia Hunt in her amber necklace and that dowdy old silk. Clarissa held herself upright for she had spoken aloud and now she was in Piccadilly, passing the house with the slender green columns, and the balconies; passing club windows full of newspapers; passing old Lady Burdett-Coutts' house where the glazed white parrot used to hang; and Devonshire House, without its gilt leopards; and Claridge's, where she must remember Dick wanted her to leave a card on Mrs Jepson or she would be gone. Rich Americans can be very charming. There was St James's Palace; like a child's game with bricks; and now--she had passed Bond Street--she was by Hatchard's book shop. The stream was endless--endless endless. Lords, Ascot, Hurlingham--what was it? What a duck, she thought, looking at the frontispiece of some book of memoirs spread wide in the bow window, Sir Joshua perhaps or Romney; arch, bright, demure; the sort of girl--like her own Elizabeth--the only real sort of girl. And there was that absurd book, Soapy Sponge, which Jim used to quote by the yard; and Shakespeare's Sonnets. She knew them by heart. Phil and she had argued all day about the Dark Lady, and Dick had said straight out at dinner that night that he had never heard of her. Really, she had married him for that! He had never read Shakespeare! There must be some little cheap book she could buy for Milly--Cranford of course! Was there ever anything so enchanting as the cow in petticoats? If only people had that sort of humour, that sort of self-respect now, thought Clarissa, for she remembered the broad pages; the sentences ending; the characters--how one talked about them as if they were real. For all the great things one must go to the past, she thought. From the contagion of the world's slow stain . . . Fear no more the heat o' the sun. . . . And now can never mourn, can never mourn, she repeated, her eyes straying over the window; for it ran in her head; the test of great poetry; the moderns had never written anything one wanted to read about death, she thought; and turned.

Omnibuses joined motor cars; motor cars vans; vans taxicabs, taxicabs motor cars--here was an open motor car with a girl, alone. Up till four, her feet tingling, I know, thought Clarissa, for the girl looked washed out, half asleep, in the corner of the car after the dance. And another car came; and another. No! No! No! Clarissa smiled good-naturedly. The fat lady had taken every sort of trouble, but diamonds! orchids! at this hour of the morning! No! No! No! The excellent policeman would, when the time came, hold up his hand. Another motor car passed. How utterly unattractive! Why should a girl of that age paint black round her eyes? And a young man, with a girl, at this hour, when the country-- The admirable policeman raised his hand and Clarissa acknowledging his sway, taking her time, crossed, walked towards Bond Street; saw the narrow crooked street, the yellow banners; the thick notched telegraph wires stretched across the sky.

A hundred years ago her great-great-grandfather, Seymour Parry, who ran away with Conway's daughter, had walked down Bond Street. Down Bond Street the Parrys had walked for a hundred years, and might have met the Dalloways (Leighs on the mother's side) going up. Her father got his clothes from Hill's. There was a roll of cloth in the window, and here just one jar on a black table, incredibly expensive; like the thick pink salmon on the ice block at the fish monger's. The jewels were exquisite--pink and orange stars, paste, Spanish, she thought, and chains of old gold; starry buckles, little brooches which had been worn on sea-green satin by ladies with high head-dresses. But no good looking! One must economise. She must go on past the picture dealer's where one of the odd French pictures hung, as if people had thrown confetti--pink and blue--for a joke. If you had lived with pictures (and it's the same with books and music) thought Clarissa, passing the Aeolian Hall, you can't be taken in by a joke.

The river of Bond Street was clogged. There, like a Queen at a tournament, raised, regal, was Lady Bexborough. She sat in her carriage, upright, alone, looking through her glasses. The white glove was loose at her wrist. She was in black, quite shabby, yet, thought Clarissa, how extraordinarily it tells, breeding, self-respect, never saying a word too much or letting people gossip; an astonishing friend; no one can pick a hole in her after all these years, and now, there she is, thought Clarissa, passing the Countess who waited powdered, perfectly still, and Clarissa would have given anything to be like that, the mistress of Clarefield, talking politics, like a man. But she never goes anywhere, thought Clarissa, and it's quite useless to ask her, and the carriage went on and Lady Bexborough was borne past like a Queen at a tournament, though she had nothing to live for and the old man is failing and they say she is sick of it all, thought Clarissa and the tears actually rose to her eyes as she entered the shop.

'Good morning,' said Clarissa in her charming voice. 'Gloves,' she said with her exquisite friendliness and putting her bag on the counter began, very slowly, to undo the buttons. 'White gloves,' she said. 'Above the elbow,' and she looked straight into the shop-woman's face--but this was not the girl she remembered? She looked quite old. 'These really don't fit,' said Clarissa. The shop-girl looked at them. 'Madame wears bracelets?' Clarissa spread out her fingers. 'Perhaps it's my rings.' And the girl took the grey gloves with her to the end of the counter.

Yes, thought Clarissa, if it's the girl I remember, she's twenty years older. . .. There was only one other customer, sitting sideways at the counter, her elbow poised, her bare hand drooping, vacant; like a figure on a Japanese fan, thought Clarissa, too vacant perhaps, yet some men would adore her. The lady shook her head sadly. Again the gloves were too large. She turned round the glass. 'Above the wrist,' she reproached the grey-headed woman; who looked and agreed.

They waited; a clock ticked; Bond Street hummed, dulled, distant; the woman went away holding gloves. 'Above the wrist,' said the lady, mournfully, raising her voice. And she would have to order chairs, ices, flowers, and cloak-room tickets, thought Clarissa. The people she didn't want would come; the others wouldn't. She would stand by the door. They sold stockings--silk stockings. A lady is known by her gloves and her shoes, old Uncle William used to say. And through the hanging silk stockings quivering silver she looked at the lady, sloping shouldered, her hand drooping, her bag slipping, her eyes vacantly on the floor. It would be intolerable if dowdy women came to her party! Would one have liked Keats if he had worn red socks? Oh, at last--she drew into the counter and it flashed into her mind:

'Do you remember before the war you had gloves with pearl buttons?'

'French gloves, Madame?'

'Yes, they were French,' said Clarissa. The other lady rose very sadly and took her bag, and looked at the gloves on the counter. But they were all too large--always too large at the wrist.

'With pearl buttons,' said the shop-girl, who looked ever so much older. She split the lengths of tissue paper apart on the counter. With pearl buttons, thought Clarissa, perfectly simple--how French!

'Madame's hands are so slender,' said the shop-girl, drawing the glove firmly, smoothly, down over her rings. And Clarissa looked at her arm in the looking-glass. The glove hardly came to the elbow. Were there others half an inch longer? Still it seemed tiresome to bother her perhaps the one day in the month, thought Clarissa, when it's an agony to stand. 'Oh, don't bother,' she said. But the gloves were brought.

'Don't you get fearfully tired,' she said in her charming voice, 'standing? When d'you get your holiday?'

'In September, Madame, when we're not so busy.'

When we're in the country thought Clarissa. Or shooting. She has a fortnight at Brighton. In some stuffy lodging. The landlady takes the sugar. Nothing would be easier than to send her to Mrs Lumley's right in the country (and it was on the tip of her tongue). But then she remembered how on their honeymoon Dick had shown her the folly of giving impulsively. It was much more important, he said, to get trade with China. Of course he was right. And she could feel the girl wouldn't like to be given things. There she was in her place. So was Dick. Selling gloves was her job. She had her own sorrows quite separate, 'and now can never mourn, can never mourn,' the words ran in her head. 'From the contagion of the world's slow stain,' thought Clarissa holding her arm stiff, for there are moments when it seems utterly futile (the glove was drawn off leaving her arm flecked with powder)--simply one doesn't believe, thought Clarissa, any more in God.

The traffic suddenly roared; the silk stockings brightened. A customer came in.

'White gloves,' she said, with some ring in her voice that Clarissa remembered.

It used, thought Clarissa, to be so simple. Down down through the air came the caw of the rooks. When Sylvia died, hundreds of years ago, the yew hedges looked so lovely with the diamond webs in the mist before early church. But if Dick were to die tomorrow, as for believing in God--no, she would let the children choose, but for herself, like Lady Bexborough, who opened the bazaar, they say, with the telegram in her hand--Roden, her favourite, killed--she would go on. But why, if one doesn't believe? For the sake of others, she thought, taking the glove in her hand. The girl would be much more unhappy if she didn't believe.

'Thirty shillings,' said the shop-woman. 'No, pardon me Madame, thirty-five. The French gloves are more.'

For one doesn't live for oneself, thought Clarissa.

And then the other customer took a glove, tugged it, and it split.

'There!' she exclaimed .

'A fault of the skin,' said the grey-headed woman hurriedly. 'Sometimes a drop of acid in tanning. Try this pair, Madame.'

'But it's an awful swindle to ask two pound ten!'

Clarissa looked at the lady; the lady looked at Clarissa.

'Gloves have never been quite so reliable since the war,' said the shop-girl, apologising, to Clarissa.

But where had she seen the other lady?--elderly, with a frill under her chin; wearing a black ribbon for gold eyeglasses; sensual, clever, like a Sargent drawing. How one can tell from a voice when people are in the habit, thought Clarissa, of making other people--'It's a shade too tight,' she said--obey. The shop-woman went off again. Clarissa was left waiting. Fear no more she repeated, playing her finger on the counter. Fear no more the heat o' the sun. Fear no more she repeated. There were little brown spots on her arm. And the girl crawled like a snail. Thou thy worldly task hast done. Thousands of young men had died that things might go on. At last! Half an rich above the elbow; pearl buttons; five and a quarter. My dear slow coach, thought Clarissa, do you think I can sit here the whole morning? Now you'll take twenty-five minutes to bring me my change!

There was a violent explosion in the street outside. The shop-women cowered behind the counters. But Clarissa, sitting very upright, smiled at the other lady. 'Miss Anstruther!' she exclaimed.

[sandinz]

It may seem to some readers we spend most of our time enjoying ourselves. Together, with family, and with friends.

True, life in the Teutenberg/Walsh boathold (no household here!) it’s vastly different to the majority of people in our peer group. However, we are NOT retired. Barry has another two and half years to go; Sandra just over eight.

We do not, and neither of us ever have, rely on any form of public funds (i.e. state benefits). We DO have a small savings buffer as we’ve both ‘worked’ in the usual way for over 35 years each in our chosen professions. We have our boat, NB Areandare.

Adapting as we go …

This year has seen a marked difference in our travelling and trading plans. One of the most important things we’ve learnt since our bold/brave/crazy/impetuous (take your pick depending on your perspective!) decision to sell bricks and mortar, move to England, buy a narrowboat and leave our ‘normal’ jobs of Professional Photographer (Barry) and Midwife/Educator/Quality Coordinator (Sandra), has been to regularly review what we’re doing to attempt to sustain our chosen lifestyle. Up until very recently of course, I’ve also been caring for my elderly parents as their health diminished.

What we’re very conscious of is not getting sucked back into the hamster treadmill – or feeling coerced by ‘the powers that be’ into ‘ticking their boxes’.

Admittedly there’s been a few times such as the two applications for Barry’s UK Spousal Sponsored Visa (with the third one looming), or recently opening an ‘Executors Bank Account’ with my sister, or hiring a car from Enterprise (they ask about occupation this year having never done previously!), where not being able to simply answer questions about home address and employment, as most people easily do, can feel rather frustrating.

But … overall we feel an incredible sense of freedom ‘doing it differently‘ and NOT waiting to live until it’s potentially too late. We’ve known far too many people who have left this mortal world much sooner than expected. We both believe strongly this life is it. No point gambling precariously that there’s something ‘better’ to come in our worldview. As I’ve alluded to previously though, this way of living is not for the fainthearted. It takes courage, perseverance, partnership, persistence and planning (just not long-term or it’s just too freaky!).

Calendar Club – a joint venture

For the past two years we’ve both worked at Calendar Club outlets. In 2016 we each worked for people we knew who were running stores. Last year we successfully ran our own shop in Lichfield at the Three Spires Centre. A full-on fourteen week commitment, with only two days during in total when we shut up shop. We even managed to stay open during the period of severe snowfall.

However, with both of us running the store we each had sufficient time off. We’d chosen Lichfield as there were good moorings nearby, with public transport routes to the city – and it’s near family and friends, as Sandra lived in Sutton Coldfield for many years. And from 1st November to 1st March, 48 hour moorings become 14 day ones. So we were able to move the required distances during the time we were ‘working’.

We’re very proud that this year, as we met the Key Performance Indicators set by Calendar Club, we’ve been invited to run the Lichfield store again. It’s a brilliant way to earn a good sum of money, on a commission basis (we’re ‘Self-Employed Operators’), in a set period of time. So it’s ideally suited to live-aboard boaters who’d prefer not to work in the usual way. There’s obviously many other people who live on land who run stores and mall outlets too.

This year Calendar Club have a number of vacancies needing to be filled from now till October.  You can apply by going to this link and filling in the online form. Currently the areas where Calendar Club are seeking motivated and committed operators are:

Aldershot

Andover

Aylesbury

Bath

Bishops Stortford

Buxton

Chester

Dumfries

Durham

Elgin

Hastings

Hemel Hempstead

Hereford

Hull

Inverness

Kendal

Kirkcaldy

Maidenhead

Middlesbrough

Newmarket

Oxford

Reading

Runcorn

Southend

Stafford

St Albans

Swansea

Tamworth

Taunton

So get in quick if you’re interested!

There’s a number on the list with nearby waterways … Do contact us by email if you want to chat about our experiences.

The Home Brew Boat and Photography

Barry has focused mostly on on-line sales for The Home Brew Boat this year, doing very little towpath trading. We have three canal festivals booked in the Birmingham area in September. Most unlike the past four years.

He’s refining the products he sells, according to what he’s found popular. There may be more changes afoot in the near future, concentrating more along the distilling and spirits making line. That is more his area of expertise having been involved with ‘Still Spirits‘, the  distilling supply company whom Barry dealt with in New Zealand, prior to moving to the UK. So … if you want to know about distilling, the legalities of it and ‘how to do it safely and successfully for personal consumption only’, give him a call or email via the contact us page.

Last year Barry was invited to work with PayPal  together with an international freight company and which uses a website plugin to expand the reach of his business. It means his wicked website is translated into the language of the country where it is viewed so is able to have products delivered across the globe. The customer pays the UK plus extra international postage when ordering.  Barry organises the courier to the depot at Heathrow, and PayPal or their freight partner, do the rest. It’s been working very successfully so far.

He’s also increased the range of waterways related Greeting Cards to 47, with nine new ones in the last batch. Photography continues to be a passion – just in a very different way to his years in New Zealand.

The Worcester, Birmingham and Droitwich Canal Society have purchased some of his cards to sell at events they attend, and they say they’ve been one of their best-sellers! So … if there’s anyone else out there who would like to stock a selection of Barry’s cards, please do contact us.

He’s had photographs published recently in The Wall Street Journal and Waterways World, and we started a weekly Wednesday ‘Guess the location and waterway’ competition on his ‘Inspirational Images of the UK Inland Waterways’ Facebook page. The person to guess correctly wins their choice of Greeting Card from Barry’s range. Most week’s we’re a card down – occasionally we stump everyone! Click the link and ‘like’ the page, check it out on a Wednesday (the time we publish is variable) – and have a go yourself …

Reflections in Little Venice – published in The Wall Street Journal

A snow covered Areandare December 2017 Hopwas

Sandra’s becoming a Google Guru – at Ad-extra

Also this year, I (Sandra) applied, was interviewed, and successfully passed the required ‘Google Ads’ (formerly ‘Google AdWords’) exams, to gain a self-employed consultant contract with a fabulous UK-based company called ‘Ad-Extra‘. Over the past years I’ve blogged, set up and managed websites, and marketed our services through a variety of  Social Media accounts, so this seemed like a natural progression.

One of the beauties of doing online work like this, is the flexibility of the ‘hours of work’ – which can be mostly adapted around our lifestyle. It’s early days yet, but after working with the owner Dom, and the select team, since March 2018, I can honestly say I’m looking forwarding to building up my contribution to helping people promote themselves to clients searching for local businesses.

For any canal-related businesses, appearing at the top of Google searches may be something that would increase your exposure and income. Sandra Willis from The Doggie Boat, also works for Ad-Extra. Click here and ‘meet the team‘!

Duck food and Canal Art

These have been very small additions, so far, to our ‘portfolio’ of income generating streams.

We’ve been travelling a lot, and entertaining visitors frequently, so weekends sitting on a busy towpath attempting to ply our wares just hasn’t really figured on our itinerary! However, they’re both ‘works in progress’, and projects we’ll consider building upon during the remainder of this summer, early autumn, and in 2019.

  Letting go of Facepainting …

A few fantastic faces from Blisworth Canal Festival 2016

I loved being a facepainter since April 2014. It’s something I’d wanted to do for many years, and I believe (and was often told!) that I became rather good at it!

However …

I only ever got to facepaint OFF the boat. Which meant hauling heaps of equipment from the boat to a land-based stall and setting it up. Or hiring a car and travelling to events (that cut into the meagre profits!). And when people asked me if I did parties, generally I had to say yes and no, desperately wanting to say yes – but knowing it depended upon where we were expecting to be located at the time of the event. I’m convinced that if we’d been in one place, for a length of time, I could’ve built up the business successfully. As it is, with the lifestyle we’re currently living and loving, I felt it wasn’t moving forward. So I’ve made the sad decision to let it go – for now. Who knows, one day I may pick up my brushes, sponges, paints, glitter and gems again … Watching children’s (and young and more mature adults!) faces light up when they look in the mirror has been akin to waving a magic wand and sprinkling fairy dust on them. Absolutely priceless.

A kiwi summer

Our next kiwi guests arrive today, and are with us for three fabulous days. We’re currently moored adjacent to The Salt Barge, not far from Northwich. We’ve not stayed here previously, but will definitely do so again. A marvellous mooring and outstanding proper British pub.

On 25th July Barry’s older brother Ray arrives for three weeks. We recently heard his younger brother Peter has also chosen 2018 to pop in for a cuppa – or most likely something rather stronger! He’s literally popping in one day and out the next. But it’ll be amazing to see them both.

And yes, in between and during, we’ll both be fitting in ‘work’. Following that, September we have three festivals booked. October, it’ll be noses to the grindstone, and we’ll be focussing on making our Lichfield Calendar Club store as successful as possible.

We don’t always get the balance as evenly weighted to either side as we’d like, but mostly it suits us living as we are. For now …

Continuing to discover ways to sustain our flexible floating lifestyle It may seem to some readers we spend most of our time enjoying ourselves. Together, with family, and with friends.

[best-builders-pune-and-mumb-blog]

Builders and Developers in Pune

Builders and Developers in Pune: Pune City

Pune, also popularly known as Poona, is ranked as the number one city in India for the ease of living. This sprawling city in the western Indian state of Maharashtra was once the base of the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire.

This metropolitan area consists of two municipal corporations (including Pune) and three cantonments. Pune is located 150 km of the south-east of Mumbai, connecting both the cities (Pune – Mumbai) by an express highway.

It was traditionally known as “Pensioners Paradise”. Now the city is a hub of young crowd hailing from various parts of the country.

In the last 20 years, the city has witnessed a tremendous change in the demography. Which is now fondly called, young Pune.

Demand for real estate in Pune

Pune, also known as “Oxford of the East”, has been witnessing phenomenal growth in population and industrialization year on year.

This prospective city has witnessed massive migration, especially of skilled laborers. This is especially due to the rise of large-scale companies and IT sectors. 

A very interesting data reveals, out of the whole population of the city, 73% of the population is less than 50 years old. This is predominantly because of witnessing rapid urbanization.

The demography experts attribute the consistent growth of the city to certain handful factors. Such as advanced economic activities, high rate of migration for work, rise in student population and better transportation facilities.

Pune, historically been an important hub in Maharashtra and it continues to be the same over the period of years. This is due to the growing number of industries in the region.

The prominent industrial township of Pimpri-Chinchwad, located just north of Pune city, houses more than 4000 manufacturing units.

And it predominantly contributes to the city’s economy. IT, education, automobile, and manufacturing sectors are doing very significantly well in the city. Which is attracting a huge number of investors from across the globe.

All these have generated a huge demand for residential and commercial properties in the state.

Seeing the trend of migration, the builders and developers in Pune are coming up with multiple options. Both, for housing and commercial centers.

Kumar Builders and Developers in Pune

The journey of Kumar Builders has started with their first retail mall called Pune Central.

Then the journey continued to bigger horizons by the addition of more commercial centers, malls, housing solutions and so on. Some of the existing properties of the Kumar Developers Kul include Kubera Sankul (situated in Hadapsar, Pune).

This is a modern residential enclave located in the close vicinity of schools, shops and commercial centers of Pune.

Also, Kumar city row houses (bungalows) located in the prime location of Kalyaninagar.  These are very artistically made which is the perfect offerings for ‘family space’ to the residents.

The housing offerings of the Kumar Suraksha, located in the prime location of Kondhawa, is also one of a kind.

The wide approach road and easy accessibility with a choice of concept apartments, comfortable apartments, and luxury apartments.

They are made to suit various needs and preferences are the key offerings of Kumar Builders. This is along with builders and developers in Pune.

Some of the housing complexes are dedicated to the armed forces. This was given as a gesture of respect to the soldiers who fought the ‘Kargil War’.

Kumar Kruti, an award-winning project which is honored with the ‘Real Estate Excellence Award” by CNBC Awaaz. Given its customization as per the modern needs and requirements. 

The multiple housing locations like Kumar Kruti, Kumar Puram, Kumar Vilas, etc are sprawling in various parts of the city. Conceptualized with various concepts and ideologies to meet various needs of the people and not just the housing societies.

Kumar builders and developers in Pune offers various commercial and trade centers.

KK Market Business Centre, KBC Kumar Business centers, The Celebrum Pune, Pune Central, The Orion, are a few examples. There are also popular retail hubs, IT Parks and business bays for various organizations.

Builders and Developers in Pune and Mumbai

Kumar Builders in Mumbai and Pune ensure that all the properties are immune to natural calamity.

Hence, all the properties are made earthquake-resistant. The entire building is painted with texture paint with a coat of grade acrylic paint.

The key areas like Flooring, Doors, and Windows, Walls and Ceiling, Kitchen, Bathrooms, electrical and lifts, etc. It comes in the top priority for Kumar Builders and Developers in Mumbai.

Under the guidance of project leads, it is ensured that matt finish and anti-skid flooring are offered.

High-density fiberboard is used for doors and windows, steady quality materials are approved for walls and ceilings. Ceramic sanitary ware of reputed brands is installed.

The kitchen is a very important part of any house. Kumar Builders and Developers in Mumbai ensure that the same is well equipped.

Granite counter, stainless steel sink, power plug point for water purifier, exhaust fan and so on are offered.

Safety access-controlled main entrance lobby at ground floor, CCTV cameras at the ground floor entrance lobby.

It is also something that is prioritized by all the Top 10 builders in Pune and Mumbai. That is inspired by Kumar Builders and Developers. Basis of the numerous client’s feedback and as discussed in various real estate forums.

Kumar Builders and developers are considered as one of the top 10 builders in Pune and Mumbai. The builders ensure that every client's feedback and expectations are duly noted and delivered accordingly.

Read more at  https://kumarbuilders.com/

[shonarollo-blog]

S

panning Kensington Market is not just a market, but a vibrant, living community, home to numerous waves of immigrants over the years.When visiting, I was struck by how many different people from all walks of life gather here to work, eat, live and play. With so many cultures and generations all layered on top of each other, the whole place has a DIY feel you don’t really find anywhere else.

As a destination for art, global street food and community events, there is so much life tucked into every corner of this bustling neighbourhood. It’s nearly impossible to take it all in at once… so, where to start?

Make the Most of Kensington Market

Golden Patty

Eat your way through a world of food

Although Kensington Market has some finer dining establishments such as Grey Gardens, more casual spots that only specialize in one or two items are really where it’s at. True to the market’s immigrant roots, you’ll find mom and pop restaurants serving quick street food and authentically cooked meals that bring a taste of their home countries to you.

Seven Lives is a neighbourhood favourite for getting Baja-style tacos, and they’re in demand. This cash only counter has mouthwatering tacos loaded with all the right toppings, and lots of hot sauce options to pick from. Another popular street food, empanadas, are perfect for a quick and affordable snack. At Jumbo Empanada, you can get a taste of Chile for as little as $1.75 for one of their mini pastries.

Fish and Chips from Fresco’s

As a Montrealer I also have to mention NU Bügel. They serve classic Montreal bagels wood fired to perfection and topped with the works, if you wish. Fresco’s Fish and Chips has meanwhile mastered and upgraded a British classic with an optional extra crispy batter made from Miss Vickie’s “crisps.” Then, Golden Patty will deliver on all your flaky, spicy, delicious, beefy needs.

Kensington Market also has a lot of options for vegetarian and vegan eats. Options like Urban Herbivore,  Hibiscus and King’s Cafe are sure to make your little plant-based hearts sing.

Kensington Market & Chinatown Toronto Food Tour exploring the back alleys

Take the Kensington Market and Chinatown Toronto Food Tour

If you’re new in the area or want to get to know it from a different perspective, taking a tour can be the perfect way to connect with the place. You’ll get to know the stories and the history that helped make Kensington Market the way it is today, and get a taste of what a community like this really means. Plus, it’s clear there’s a lot to taste in this high density foodie destination.

Food samples on the Kensington Market & Chinatown Toronto Food Tour

On the Kensington Market & Chinatown Toronto Food Tour, you’ll have the chance to visit 7+ different food stops to taste delicacies that are inspired by global cuisines, and yet take root at a small local business, each with its own story. No single restaurant could bring you a seven course meal this diverse! You’ll definitely get plenty to eat, but you’ll also be enriched by the guide’s insider knowledge as they take you to explore off the main streets and into the real heart of Kensington Market. Have a look at Local Toronto Food Tours.

Outside FIKA

Take it easy at a local cafe

You might need some extra energy to soak in as much as you can of Kensington Market, so why not treat yourself to a delicious cup of coffee, and maybe a scone?

My favourite place to refresh as I explore the market is Moonbean. The locally owned coffee shop and roastery brings the streets’ energy inside with a sprawling chalkboard menu, loose leaf teas lining the walls, and a cozy art-filled room in the back. They also have two patios, front and back, plentiful baked goods, and just about every drink you can think of, even smoothies. Plus, if you need to make another kind of rest stop, you’ll find kind messages from strangers scrawled all over the bathroom walls.

Another great coffee shop is FIKA, a bright and stylish Sweden-inspired spot that’s a favourite for studying, reading a book, or simply taking it easy. They serve specialty drinks such as a spiced cardamom latte, lavender white hot chocolate, and a mean iced coffee, too – perfect for enjoying on their airy patio in the summer.

Other local favourites include famed Toronto chain Jimmy’s Coffee as well as i deal coffee, Cafe Pamenar and Livelihood Cafe.

Exploring the alleyways of Kensington Pl.

See where creativity spills onto the streets

Music, street performances, murals and more fill the streets of Kensington Market with endless inspiration and photo opportunities. With so many artists around, you’ll be pressed to find wall space that doesn’t boast even a speck of paint. They’ve truly made Kensington their own.

Some of my favourite murals are a photo collage on Kensington Ave off St Andrew and a huge Alphonse Mucha inspired mural at Augusta and Oxford. Parked in front the latter, you’ll also find Yvonne Bambrick’s infamous Garden Car, a teeny tiny city park/community art project which has been sprouting in the same spot each summer since ’07. Make sure you keep your eyes up as you explore hidden corners and back alleys, you never know what else you’ll find!

Street performers

While street performers and pop-up concerts may be a little harder to track, if the sun is out you’re sure to stumble upon some talented buskers at Bellevue Square Park. To increase your odds, come by for Pedestrian Sundays. The whole market is blocked off from traffic on the last Sunday of every summer month, opening it up for people and their experimentations. Support artists directly, too, by checking out the Kensington Market Art Fair.

The Winter Solstice Festival also takes over the market annually on December 21st, lighting up the longest night of the year with creativity and passion.

Lanterns on display at Dancing Days

Shop around for locally made goods

Naturally, the storefronts in Kensington Market sell products by people just as diverse as its residents. Creativity is concentrated at a few charming stores offering handmade and locally produced goods that range from artwork to accessories to home decor, and more.

First off, Kid Icarus is a sweet, stylish screen printing studio and gift shop all in one. They focus on paper products like greeting cards and stationary, but you’ll find pins, soap and other creative crafts, too. Everything in store is made by Canadian artists and artisans, and it’s irresistibly cute.

Painted house

Outside of Dancing Days

Another good place to pick up Canadian-made gifts is The Blue Banana Market. The giant store is practically a warehouse for locally made goods and novelty items from around the globe. Then, for comic book lovers, manga fans, and graphic novel enthusiasts, there’s The Beguiling. You’ll find the famed comic book store just a couple steps from the market on College Ave. Even if you weren’t looking for any of those, there’s something about it that just draws you in.

Finally, if you’re looking for some unique jewellery, you’re in luck. One Love is one man’s tiny storefront selling handcrafted goods and jewellery, with a smile. You can also find other similarly handmade pieces displayed on tabletops around the market. Follow your instinct as you stroll the streets and see what speaks to you!

One of Kensington Market’s many fruit stands

Pick up some specialty ingredients

Grocery shopping might be an underrated form of entertainment, but one of the big draw-ins of Kensington Market is its high density of specialty grocers. There’s nothing better than treating yourself to some of the freshest ingredients you can get. Whether you’re cooking up a special meal or just having a snack, you’ll see the difference that freshness makes.

Even if you don’t have a kitchen at your disposal, these spots can help you feel right at home. There’s nothing better than fresh bread from Toronto’s favourite Blackbird Baking Co. topped with your favourite creamy delight from the Global Cheese Shoppe just around the corner.

Global Cheese

For carnivores, Sanagan’s Meat Locker is your local go-to. They emphasize building relationships with farmers, meaning you can trace everything in store back to its source. All that’s left to do is let the helpful staff guide you to picking the perfect cut. Next, you’ll find fruit and vegetable stands all around the market to add a little colour to your meal, while House of Spice will help bring the flavour. You’re sure to discover something new while you’re in there, too.

If you’re looking for place to shop that’s a little better rounded, 4 Life Natural Foods has it all when it comes to organic goods. With spacious aisles, wooden shelves and so many ethically sourced food options, the whole experience of being there is simply a pleasure.

Kensington Mall

Discover the wonder of thrift shops

Kensington Market is truly a haven for lovers of vintage. With shops selling unique finds around every corner, its no wonder the area’s residents all look so cool. Plus, buying secondhand clothes is a simple way to take it easy on Mother Earth.

Perhaps the most well-known vintage shop in the area is Courage My Love, a cozy and colourful store perfect for finding cashmere pieces, theatrical accessories, beads, buttons and other DIY necessities, as well as the perfect pair of cowboy boots. Another favourite is Sub Rosa Vintage just next door, which boasts a hand picked selection of clothes more in line with today’s fashion trends. Meanwhile, Vintage Depot has top tier threads in just about any shape or colour, including some designer finds, Exile delivers on the costume department and Bungalow mixes the old with the new making it a one-stop shop for any lover of retro style.

If you’re in the mood for a little shopping spree, you’ll find the highest concentration of other vintage shops on Kensington Ave around Courage My Love and Sub Rosa.

CN Tower seen from Chinatown

Explore neighbouring Chinatown

A mere block away from the heart of Kensington Market is another bustling urban community. Chinatown is full of family-owned business of all sorts, but the main attraction is definitely the food. While the number of restaurants serving different variations on the same cuisine was a little overwhelming at first, after a little exploring I’ve narrowed down my favourite spots, depending on what you’re looking for.

Chefs working at Mother’s Dumplings

Dumplings? Try Mother’s Dumplings, and watch the little bundles of flavour be made right in front of your eyes. Noodles? Despite the name, Chinese Traditional Buns serves some awesome Dan Dan Noodles, without the frills. Soup? Phở Hưng has all you could want, and more. Sandwich? Banh Mi Nguyen Huong serves Banh Mi that’s quick, cheap and most of all delicious. Buns? Now, those are top-tier at Mashion Bakery.

The post What to Do and See in Toronto’s Kensington Market appeared first on To Europe And Beyond.

[yasbxxgie]

4 Feet Tall, in Men’s Clothing, She Was an Artistic Genius in 19th-Century Italy

The idea that in order to succeed an artist must first suffer is one with a long history. In that sense, the life and work of Edmonia Lewis, the first black sculptor to gain an international reputation, is instructive, since art historians have judged that “the obstacles [she] overcame are unparalleled in American art.” She suffered, and yet it did not kill her, or kill her career. In all, Lewis created about 60 unique and highly regarded sculptures.

The precise details of Lewis’ early years are unclear. She was most likely born in 1844 or 1845 near Albany, N.Y., to an African-American father and a mother who was of Native American descent. It is possible that the family, including a half-brother, Samuel, lived briefly in Newark, N.J., but by the age of 9, Lewis was orphaned and adopted by her mother’s aunts into a nomadic Mississauga band of the Ojibwe near Niagara Falls. As a child, she was given the Ojibwe name “Wildfire”; learned to catch and cook her own meals; and made and sold moccasins, baskets and other souvenirs.

In 1859 Lewis’ older brother Samuel, who by then had made a fortune in the California Gold Rush, paid Lewis’ tuition for the ladies preparatory program at Oberlin College in Ohio. Oberlin was one of the few institutions open to blacks at that time.

Lewis’ experiences at Oberlin were shaped by the heightened racial tensions of the early Civil War years. When white housemates accused her of poisoning them with Spanish fly, a local mob, long opposed to Oberlin’s interracialism, beat Lewis’ tiny frame—she was only 4 feet tall—and left her for dead. She recovered, only to face her accusers again in court. The case, however, was dismissed for lack of evidence. The following year, 1863, Lewis was again falsely accused, this time of stealing art supplies, and was expelled from Oberlin.

She then moved to Boston, determined to become an artist, and cultivated links with abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and Lydia Maria Child, and others who knew of her from Oberlin. Within a year she had produced her first works—clay-and-plaster medallions and busts of abolitionist and Civil War heroes—and sold more than 100 reproductions of her bust of Robert Gould Shaw, the famed, white colonel of the black 54th Massachusetts Regiment. With the proceeds from sales to patriotic Unionists, the fiercely ambitious—and undeniably self-confident—Lewis financed a trip to Italy, first to Florence and then Rome, which was then regarded as the West’s foremost center for sculpture.

Lewis would produce most of her work in Rome, where there was already a vibrant community of expatriate artists—labeled by the writer Henry James as “that strange sisterhood of American ‘lady sculptors’”—with which she became associated, but she was never fully part of its inner circle. Fiercely independent, Lewis refused to hire assistants, and taught herself to carve marble, work that was both physically and artistically demanding.

By the 1870s her studio had become a fashionable place for American tourists to visit. They were intrigued by the diminutive and charming sculptor, often attired in men’s clothing and wearing a distinctive red cap. As in Boston, she continued to make money from terra-cotta or marble busts of Civil War and abolitionist icons, as well as copies of works from classical antiquity.

She produced her first large-scale marble sculpture, The Freed Woman and Her Child, in 1866. Now lost—along with half of her 60 major works—it was the first work by an African-American sculptor to depict the subject of emancipation. She revisited the theme in Forever Free (1867)—now held by Howard University—which she dedicated to Garrison, and which depicts a man and a woman casting off their slave shackles. Among her other notable works are several sculptures of Hagar, the female slave and concubine of Abraham in the Old Testament, with whose travails Lewis clearly identified. “I have a strong sympathy for all women who have struggled and suffered,” she told a journalist in 1871.

Inspired by her Mississauga upbringing and by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha,” Lewis also created several sculptures depicting Native themes, notably The Old Arrowmaker and His Daughter (also known as The Wooing of Hiawatha), now held by the Smithsonian. She was known for her depictions of American Indians as proud and peaceful, rather than the stereotypical images of half-naked savages.

In the mid-1870s, Lewis took several trips to the United States to exhibit and sell her work. Her most notable visit was in 1876 to the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where she was the only African American whose work was exhibited. Her dramatic, life-size piece The Death of Cleopatra was visited by large crowds and was hailed as the one of the most original and striking exhibits at the exposition. As one artist noted, “The effects of death are represented with such skill as to be absolutely repellent—and it is a question whether a statue of the ghastly characteristics … does not overstep the bounds of legitimate art.”

After exhibiting the piece again in Chicago in 1878, Lewis placed the 2-ton sculpture in storage in the Windy City and returned to Rome. Her masterpiece somehow ended up in a Chicago saloon and for a time served as a monument to an infamous gambler’s dead horse (also named Cleopatra) who was buried at a racetrack in suburban Chicago. It was discovered nearby in the 1980s, abandoned in the storage room of a shopping mall, having been painted over by a local Boy Scout troop. Following a lengthy and difficult $30,000 restoration, it now resides in the Smithsonian.

In the 1880s, Lewis continued to work and make her home in Rome, but her style was no longer in such great demand. The neoclassical tradition of sculpture was by then being eclipsed by the Romantic themes and style of Auguste Rodin and others. Bronze replaced marble as the medium of choice, and Paris overtook Rome as the center of the art world.

Until recently, the final years of Lewis’ life were largely unknown, other than her meeting with Frederick Douglass and his wife in Rome in 1887. But in 2012, historian Marilyn Richardson—an expert on Lewis’ work—located a death notice for Edmonia Lewis, which showed that her final years were spent in London. She died there in September 1907, in her early 60s, and left behind a modest financial estate.

Edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, the African American National Biography was first published by Oxford University Press in an award-winning, eight-volume print edition in 2008; a 12-volume second edition followed in 2012. As of 2015, more than 5,500 separate AANB entries are available online as part of OUP’s African American Studies Center. This biography was adapted from the AANB entry by Lisa Rivo.

Steven J. Niven is executive editor of the Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography, the Dictionary of African Biography, and the African American National Biography at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. He is also the author of Barack Obama: A Pocket Biography of Our 44th President.

Photograph:

Edmonia Lewis circa 1870 (National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.)

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Car Repairs in New Town

Car Repairs in New Town is a place you might want to look into. It has become quite a hub for the car mechanic and mechanics as there are a number of auto service companies based here. New Town is also one of the better places in the city to locate a new car, after all the city is full of new constructions and the biggest car show of the year happens here.

The location of the place is Central Auckland, which is the most central part of the city. Car repairs in New Town can be done at the Northland Car Exchange, Broadway Auto Repair and Pacific Motor Service. These three services are available in the area. The Pacific Motor Service is located just behind the busy George Street bus lane on Oxford Street. This is a good spot to locate an auto repair in New Town because the buses stop right in front of the service. If you wish to take a shuttle, then you will find it going down Oxford St and arriving at the Broadway Auto Repair center on Oxford Street.

The next auto repair in New Town would be the Broadway Auto Repair on Commercial Road. You will have to walk towards the rear of the building, but it is still fairly easy to get to. The Broadway Auto Repair is also located near the Pearl's Shopping Center, which is one of the busiest malls in the city. There are several big car importers and manufacturers located in the area, which makes it a convenient location to locate any kind of auto repair or service. Most of the services available in this center are available around the clock. There are also various international auto repair facilities available in the area.

Car repairs in New Town can also be done at the Big Apple Car Wash, which is a well established and popular auto body repair and service center. The New Town Car Wash has been running for more than 40 years and is one of the most renowned car wash facilities of the region. The shop is located on Commercial Street between Front and Myrtle Avenue and can cater to the car needs of both domestic and foreign clients. The shop offers a variety of services including full body wash, paint job, exterior detailing, upholstery, interior detailing, LED headlights/lights, auto body repair, wheels alignment and many more.

Apart from commercial establishments, there are also plenty of private cars, such as sports utility vehicles, luxury sedans, performance automobiles and so on, available for hire in New Town. These cars are generally available at reasonable rates, which make them economical and comfortable to use. There are also plenty of car rental agencies in the town, which offer cheap and cost-effective car rentals for tourists and locals. The availability of car rentals has made travelling and living in New Town more affordable for the visitors.

There are also plenty of resources available online, which provides handy information about car repairs in New Town. Some of the sites allow you to compare the prices and services of different mechanics. Some of these websites also offer tips on how to get car repairs done at reasonable rates. Some of these websites also feature helpful information on vehicle maintenance, which makes it easier for tourists to maintain their cars in the best possible manner.

The city has an air of joviality about it. The city thrives on offering convenience to its customers. Most of the services are available within a few minutes' drive, which saves tourists a lot of time and energy. The major hotels and restaurants are spread across all the regions of New Town. There are also great theatres and cinemas, which provide the visitor a chance to catch a glimpse of renowned personalities from movies and other forms of entertainment.

All in all, New Town City offers great services to its visitors, making it easy for them to plan their New Town vacations. The best part about these services is that they are available not only for tourists but also to people who are on work. People on the go can take advantage of these car repairs in New TownCity and enjoy their short trips around the city. The most convenient way to find out the best car repairs in New Town is to browse through online resources dedicated to the topic. This way, you can save time and energy, while you get the right car repairs in New York.

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17+ Brilliant Issues to do in Kensington Marketplace Toronto [Full guide]

S

panning Kensington Marketplace is not just a current market, but a lively, dwelling neighborhood, dwelling to several waves of immigrants around the years.When going to, I was struck by how a lot of distinct men and women from all walks of life get below to work, take in, dwell and perform. With so quite a few cultures and generations all layered on prime of each other, the whole put has a Do it yourself truly feel you never actually obtain anyplace else.

As a desired destination for art, world avenue food stuff and group activities, there is so a great deal everyday living tucked into just about every corner of this bustling neighbourhood. It is nearly not possible to acquire it all in at once… so, in which to start off?

Golden Patty

Even though Kensington Current market has some finer dining establishments this kind of as Grey Gardens, additional relaxed spots that only focus in one or two things are truly wherever it’s at. Accurate to the market’s immigrant roots, you are going to discover mother and pop eating places serving quick road meals and authentically cooked foods that convey a flavor of their dwelling international locations to you.

7 Lives is a neighbourhood favorite for having Baja-fashion tacos, and they are in demand from customers. This income only counter has mouthwatering tacos loaded with all the ideal toppings, and lots of sizzling sauce possibilities to decide on from. One more well-known street food items, empanadas, are great for a speedy and affordable snack. At Jumbo Empanada, you can get a style of Chile for as very little as $1.75 for one particular of their mini pastries.

Fish and Chips from Fresco’s

As a Montrealer I also have to mention NU Bügel. They serve basic Montreal bagels wooden fired to perfection and topped with the operates, if you desire. Fresco’s Fish and Chips has meanwhile mastered and upgraded a British classic with an optional excess crispy batter made from Pass up Vickie’s “crisps.” Then, Golden Patty will deliver on all your flaky, spicy, delightful, beefy demands.

Kensington Market place also has a lot of choices for vegetarian and vegan eats. Possibilities like City Herbivore,  Hibiscus and King’s Cafe are absolutely sure to make your little plant-dependent hearts sing.

Kensington Industry & Chinatown Toronto Food items Tour checking out the back alleys

If you are new in the place or want to get to know it from a various perspective, using a tour can be the perfect way to link with the position. You will get to know the stories and the historical past that served make Kensington Industry the way it is nowadays, and get a flavor of what a local community like this genuinely suggests. Furthermore, it is clear there’s a good deal to flavor in this substantial density foodie place.

Foods samples on the Kensington Market place & Chinatown Toronto Food Tour

On the Kensington Marketplace & Chinatown Toronto Meals Tour, you are going to have the chance to go to 7+ various foods stops to taste delicacies that are inspired by world cuisines, and however consider root at a compact community enterprise, just about every with its individual tale. No solitary cafe could deliver you a seven program food this diverse! You are going to surely get lots to consume, but you are going to also be enriched by the guide’s insider know-how as they acquire you to check out off the main streets and into the genuine coronary heart of Kensington Sector. Have a seem at Regional Toronto Food items Excursions.

Outside FIKA

You could possibly will need some excess power to soak in as a lot as you can of Kensington Industry, so why not handle your self to a delightful cup of coffee, and possibly a scone?

My favourite place to refresh as I take a look at the industry is Moonbean. The domestically owned coffee shop and roastery brings the streets’ power inside with a sprawling chalkboard menu, free leaf teas lining the walls, and a cozy art-loaded space in the back. They also have two patios, front and again, abundant baked items, and just about every consume you can think of, even smoothies. Plus, if you need to make yet another kind of rest quit, you will obtain form messages from strangers scrawled all more than the lavatory walls.

Another wonderful coffee shop is FIKA, a vivid and stylish Sweden-influenced place that’s a favorite for finding out, examining a guide, or only taking it quick. They serve specialty beverages this sort of as a spiced cardamom latte, lavender white hot chocolate, and a suggest iced coffee, as well – best for experiencing on their airy patio in the summertime.

Other nearby favourites involve famed Toronto chain Jimmy’s Espresso as nicely as i deal coffee, Cafe Pamenar and Livelihood Cafe.

Exploring the alleyways of Kensington Pl.

Tunes, street performances, murals and far more fill the streets of Kensington Current market with countless inspiration and photo chances. With so several artists all-around, you’ll be pressed to discover wall room that doesn’t boast even a speck of paint. They’ve certainly made Kensington their personal.

Some of my favorite murals are a photo collage on Kensington Ave off St Andrew and a substantial Alphonse Mucha influenced mural at Augusta and Oxford. Parked in front the latter, you will also obtain Yvonne Bambrick’s notorious Back garden Car, a teeny very small town park/local community artwork task which has been sprouting in the exact spot every summer season since ’07. Make absolutely sure you continue to keep your eyes up as you examine concealed corners and back again alleys, you under no circumstances know what else you are going to discover!

Road performers

Though road performers and pop-up concert events may perhaps be a little more durable to monitor, if the sunshine is out you’re certain to stumble upon some talented buskers at Bellevue Square Park. To maximize your odds, arrive by for Pedestrian Sundays. The whole market place is blocked off from targeted traffic on the very last Sunday of just about every summer month, opening it up for folks and their experimentations. Support artists instantly, as well, by examining out the Kensington Sector Art Fair.

The Winter Solstice Competition also normally takes above the market yearly on December 21st, lights up the longest night of the year with creativity and enthusiasm.

Lanterns on display screen at Dancing Days

Obviously, the storefronts in Kensington Sector market products and solutions by individuals just as assorted as its inhabitants. Creativeness is concentrated at a number of charming retailers providing handmade and domestically manufactured goods that variety from artwork to components to dwelling decor, and extra.

To start with off, Child Icarus is a sweet, trendy display printing studio and reward shop all in just one. They target on paper products and solutions like greeting cards and stationary, but you’ll come across pins, soap and other creative crafts, far too. Anything in retail store is manufactured by Canadian artists and artisans, and it’s irresistibly adorable.

Painted house

Outside the house of Dancing Days

A different superior area to pick up Canadian-manufactured gifts is The Blue Banana Sector. The giant store is practically a warehouse for domestically designed merchandise and novelty goods from about the globe. Then, for comic reserve lovers, manga supporters, and graphic novel fanatics, there is The Beguiling. You’ll obtain the famed comedian book retail outlet just a couple methods from the current market on College Ave. Even if you weren’t hunting for any of those, there is anything about it that just draws you in.

Lastly, if you’re looking for some unique jewelry, you are in luck. One Appreciate is one man’s very small storefront marketing handcrafted merchandise and jewellery, with a smile. You can also come across other likewise handmade pieces shown on tabletops close to the market place. Adhere to your intuition as you stroll the streets and see what speaks to you!

1 of Kensington Market’s numerous fruit stands

Grocery browsing may possibly be an underrated sort of amusement, but just one of the large attract-ins of Kensington Marketplace is its high density of specialty grocers. There’s almost nothing far better than managing oneself to some of the freshest ingredients you can get. No matter if you’re cooking up a distinctive meal or just having a snack, you’ll see the difference that freshness makes.

Even if you never have a kitchen at your disposal, these places can support you really feel appropriate at dwelling. There is practically nothing better than contemporary bread from Toronto’s favourite Blackbird Baking Co. topped with your favorite creamy delight from the World wide Cheese Shoppe just all over the corner.

Global Cheese

For carnivores, Sanagan’s Meat Locker is your local go-to. They emphasize developing relationships with farmers, this means you can trace almost everything in shop back to its source. All which is remaining to do is enable the practical workers guideline you to picking the ideal slash. Next, you are going to find fruit and vegetable stands all close to the marketplace to incorporate a minimal color to your meal, whilst Residence of Spice will assistance bring the flavour. You are guaranteed to uncover a thing new while you’re in there, as well.

If you’re seeking for place to shop which is a tiny superior rounded, 4 Life Purely natural Foods has it all when it arrives to organic and natural items. With roomy aisles, picket shelves and so several ethically sourced foodstuff options, the complete experience of currently being there is just a satisfaction.

Kensington Shopping mall

Kensington Current market is genuinely a haven for lovers of classic. With retailers marketing distinctive finds all around each corner, its no ponder the area’s residents all glimpse so amazing. As well as, buying secondhand clothing is a straightforward way to get it easy on Mom Earth.

Potentially the most perfectly-known vintage shop in the spot is Bravery My Love, a cozy and colourful store best for finding cashmere parts, theatrical components, beads, buttons and other Do-it-yourself requirements, as perfectly as the great pair of cowboy boots. Yet another favourite is Sub Rosa Vintage just up coming doorway, which boasts a hand picked choice of apparel much more in line with today’s style trends. Meanwhile, Vintage Depot has leading tier threads in just about any condition or color, which includes some designer finds, Exile delivers on the costume office and Bungalow mixes the outdated with the new generating it a a person-halt shop for any lover of retro type.

If you are in the temper for a little buying spree, you will discover the best concentration of other classic shops on Kensington Ave close to Bravery My Enjoy and Sub Rosa.

CN Tower witnessed from Chinatown

A mere block absent from the coronary heart of Kensington Market place is an additional bustling city community. Chinatown is entire of household-owned small business of all sorts, but the major attraction is undoubtedly the food items. When the number of restaurants serving diverse versions on the same cuisine was a tiny overwhelming at 1st, immediately after a minimal discovering I’ve narrowed down my favorite spots, relying on what you are hunting for.

Chefs functioning at Mother’s Dumplings

Dumplings? Test Mother’s Dumplings, and enjoy the small bundles of flavour be created right in front of your eyes. Noodles? Inspite of the name, Chinese Common Buns serves some awesome Dan Dan Noodles, with out the frills. Soup? Phở Hưng has all you could want, and additional. Sandwich? Banh Mi Nguyen Huong serves Banh Mi that’s speedy, affordable and most of all mouth watering. Buns? Now, people are major-tier at Mashion Bakery.

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INTERESTING PLACES TO VISIT IN KOLKATA

INTERESTING PLACES TO VISIT IN KOLKATA

Meet a 4000 year old mummy

The Indian Museum is the largest and oldest museum in India. You can spend hours walking in and out of the many galleries displaying antiques, armours, fossils, and Mughal paintings. The star attraction is a 4000-year-old Egyptian mummy.

Head to Kolkata’s Art Galleries

If you are a connoisseur of art, a tour of the art galleries of Kolkata is a must. Do visit Genesis Art Gallery, Galerie 88, Chitrakoot Art Gallery, Aakriti Art Gallery, Academy of Fine Arts, Gallery Gold, Emami Chisel Art and Birla Academy Of Art And Culture amongst the many galleries that showcase contemporary and emerging Indian artists.

Take your Camera Along to a Historic Potters’ Quarter

A top destination for photographers, Kumartuli in North Kolkata offers a tryst with the rich artistic heritage of Kolkata. Get a pair of sturdy walking shoes and wander around the many labyrinthine (albeit squalid) lanes. The district houses more than 400 potters, you will come across rows and rows of clay busts, headless torsos and effigies. Kumartuli is at its frenzied best for about a month during the run-up to Durga Puja, when the artisans start preparing idols for the festivities. If you have time, do walk up to the banks of Hooghly past the once-opulent Gothic mansions from the British era, now reduced to a crumbling slice of history.

On a Boat Ride from Prinsep Ghat

Prinsep Ghat was built in 1841 on the banks of Hooghly river. Today, it is an atmospheric locale, with breezy weather and stunning views of the Vidyasagar Setu. If feeling adventurous (or romantic!), do go for a sunset river cruise on traditional small wooden boats steered by local fishermen. Have more time at hand? Then, visit the Millennium Park – a beautified riverfront from where you can take longer cruises to catch a glimpse of daily life and rituals at the many ghats of Kolkata. Vivada Cruises offers three-hour long cruises with meals/ snacks.

A Breakfast for Kings at Tiretti Bazaar (Old Chinatown)

Pop-up stalls crop up daily from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in this area. Delicacies sold include dumplings, meat broths, hot chilly soup, pork sausages with buns, momos and baos, spring rolls and many more. The Hap Hing Co. Chinese Provision & Medicine Stores, the Sing Cheung Sauce Factory and Pou Chong Bros Pvt Ltd stores are a must on your itinerary for stocking up Chinese ingredients — homemade sauces, teas, spices, et al. For lunch, drive down to 6 Ballygunge Place restaurant (in Ballygunge or Salt Lake) for a delicious six-course Bengali food buffet.

Check-in at the ancestral home of a famous Nobel laureate

This is high up on the list of places to visit in Kolkata. Rabindranath Tagore’s beautiful ancestral house known as ‘Jorasanko Thakurbari’ was built in 1785. It has been now converted into a museum, with an impressive collection of portraits, paintings and family photographs.

Leaf through the book stalls of College Street

A haven for bookworms, you are headed to the largest secondhand book market in the world! The mile-long College Street is lined with stores and stalls selling possibly every title to ever have been sold in the city. Haggling over the prices is mandatory! After you have picked up your books, head to the India Coffee House for chai and singara (fried savoury dumpling), it is a favourite haunt of intellectuals and students alike.

Visit the Seven Wonders at Eco Park

Eco Park located in New Town (Rajarhat) is a sprawling urban park with ecological zones, theme gardens and a lake. Seven sites are being recreated inside the park, including India’s Taj Mahal, Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, Moai statues of Easter Island, the Great Wall of China, Colosseum of Rome, Petra in Jordan and the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt.

Enjoy the nightlife at Park Street

The lively Park Street is the heart of Kolkata. As the evening lights come on, the street dons a cheery, vibrant look. Many restaurants, clubs and lounges line the three-kilometre-long stretch. The Park hotel houses two famous nightclubs, Tantra and Roxy. For dinner, you can choose among Kwality, Arsalan, One Step Up and Tung Fong restaurants. For sumptuous Kathi rolls, head to Kusum Rolls. If you dig legendary institutions, Peter Cat is the place to be. Order Iranian-style kebabs and chicken sizzlers. Beer is served in pewter tankards. The place is very popular and does not take reservations, so plan to queue in by 6:45 p.m. to get a table.

Pick up souvenirs at a Biswa Bangla Showroom

A trip to Kolkata is incomplete if you do not bring back a piece of Bengal. Biswa Bangla promotes social enterprise and works with local craftsmen & weavers to create quality handicrafts. The collection includes stoneware, pottery, dolls, masks, perfumes, sarees, embroidery, sauces, teas, honey et al. Do pick up a tube (100 ml) of Nalen Gur (liquid date palm jaggery), an essential ingredient in the preparation of Bengali sweets. There are five showrooms in Kolkata – Park Street (Beside Oxford Bookstore), Dakshinapan shopping centre, New Town –

Rajarhat (at Central Mall),

Domestic Airport and International Airport.

You really do not need more reasons to visit the ‘City of Joy’. With your list of things to do in Kolkata all ready, start planning your trip now!

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Canvas artwork, art prints, stationery, accessories and toys can add a lot of character to kids' space. The style could be anything according to your child's private tastes. A playhouse is an example. Probably, you can paint a mural of a street scene on among the walls. Name the store fronts as per his/her buddies names to individualize it - Jamie's giant bikes, Susan's Pet Corner, Kevin's Book Nook and Ben's Bakery.

5 Pointers On How To Find The Best Bike Shop

Specialized line for Females: When it concerns buying merchandise, too numerous bike stores forget the special physiological needs of ladies. So when females visit these locations, they are revealed bikes and accessories for large kids or small men. An excellent bike shop will have women-specified bicycles, frames, seats, shoes and other accessories.

The substantial variety of cycles offered might seem frustrating at first. However, you need to consider this circumstance in a positive light. A higher number of trek bikes available means that it's most likely that you can discover the ideal one for your specific needs. Despite which bike type and parts you need, it's extremely likely that you can discover the perfect cycle.

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Another shoe to keep your eyes on is oxfords. These are great to dress up and down, and they come in a range of cuts. Oxfords give a more city appearance while still being style forward. You can combine them with both jeans and gowns and they look great. Permanently 21 at Eastview Mall in Victor has a specialized bikes of oxfords for, typically, under thirty dollars. Also Marshalls on Monroe Ave in Pittsford has a huge shoe department with fantastic variety at their terrific costs.

Let's boil that down to little service marketing applications. A lot of advertising is passive. You drive by a signboard, turn the pages in the paper, listen to the radio as you do something else. However in the john, how can you not read what is plastered there? You are pretty much stuck there, for a while anyway, inches away from the advertisement. Forced attention, A sure-fire marketing technique. The "read-through" rate needs to be near 100% each time.

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Put us on the map, please: China’s smaller cities go wild for starchitecture

From mountain-shaped apartment blocks to the centre of braised chicken reinventing itself as Solar Valley, Chinas second( and third) tier cities are hiring big-name architects to get them noticed

From egg-shaped concert hall to skyscrapers reminiscent of big pairs of pants, Chinas top cities are famously full of curious monuments to architectural ambition. But as land costs in the main metropolises have shot into the stratosphere, developers have been scrambling to buy up plots in the countrys second and third-tier cities, spawning a new generation of delirious plans in the provinces. President Xi Jinping may have issued a directive last year prohibiting oversized, xenocentric, weird houses, but many of these schemes were already well under way; his diktat has proved to be no obstacle to mayoral hubris yet.

From Harbin City of Music to Dezhou Solar Valley, provincial capitals are branding themselves as themed enclaves of culture and industry to attract inward investment, and commissioning ratings of bold buildings to match. Even where there is no demand, city bureaucrats are relentlessly selling off land for developing, hawking plots as the primary form of income accounting for 80% of municipal revenues in some cases. In the last two months alone, 50 Chinese cities received a total of 453 bn yuan( 54 bn) from land auctions, a 73% increase on last year, and its the provincial capitals that are resulting the way.

At the same time, Xis national culture drive has find countless museums, concert halls and opera houses spring up across the country, often used as sweeteners for land bargains, conceived as the pearls at the centre of glistening mixed-used visions( that sometimes never arrive ). Culture, said Xi, is a precondition of the great renaissance of the Chinese people, but it has also proved to be a powerful lubricant for ever more real estate supposition even if the production of content to fill these great vestibules cant quite keep up with the insatiable build boom. From mountain-shaped apartment blocks to cavernous libraries, heres a glimpse of whats emerging in the regions.

Fake Hills, Beihai

A render of how the Fake Hills would look. Illustration: MAD architects

Forming an 800 metre-long cliff-face along the coast of the southern port city of Beihai, the Fake Hills housing block is the work of Ma Yansong, Chinas homegrown conjuror of sinuous, globular sorts whose practise is appropriately named MAD. Having examined at Yale and worked with Zaha Hadid in London, where he nourished his penchant for blobs, Ma has spent the last decade dreaming up improbable mountain-shaped megastructures across the country.

Less scenic mountain and more lumpen collision of colossal cruise-liners The first phase of construction on Fake Hills has been completed. Photograph: MAD

As it rises and falls, the undulating roofline of Fake Hills kinds terraces for badminton and tennis tribunals, as well as a garden and swimming pool. Sadly the overall impact is less scenic mountain range than a lumpen collision of colossal cruise-liners.

Greenland Tower, Chengdu

Greenland Tower, Chengdu. The build harks back to the crystalline dreamings of early 20 th-century German designer Bruno Taut. Illustration: Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture

A crystalline spire rising 468 metres above the 18 million-strong metropolis of Chengdu, the Greenland Tower will be the tallest building in southwestern China, standing as a sharply chiselled monument to the countrys( and by some counts the worlds) largest real estate developers, Greenland Holding. It is designed by Chicago-based Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, designers of Dubais Burj Khalifa, who say the faceted shaft is a reference to the unique ice mountain topography of the region. It harks back to the crystalline dreams of early 20 th-century German architect Bruno Taut, who imagined a dazzling glass city crown to celebrate socialism and agriculture; whether Sichuans farmers will be welcomed into the penthouse sky garden remains to be seen.

Sun-Moon mansion, Dezhou

A contender to Silicon Valley the Sun-Moon mansion of Solar Valley, Dezhou. Photo: Alamy

Once known as a centre of braised chicken production, the city of Dezhou in the north-eastern province of Shandong now brands itself as Solar Valley, a renewable energy centre intended to rival Californias Silicon Valley. At its heart is the Sun-Moon mansion, a vast fan-shaped office build powered by an arc of solar panel on its roof. It is the brainchild of Huang Ming, aka Chinas sun king, an oil industry technologist turned solar energy tycoon who heads the Himin Solar Energy Group, the worlds biggest producer of solar water heaters as well as purveyor of sun-warmed toilet seats and solar-powered Tibetan prayer wheels.

Harbin Opera House

Harbin Opera House, with the St Petersburg of the east in the background. Photograph: View Pictures/ Rex/ Shutterstock

Nicknamed the St Petersburg of the east, the far northern city of Harbin has long had a thriving cultural scene as a gateway to Russia and beyond. In the 1920 s, manners from Paris and Moscow arrived here before they reached Shanghai, and it was home to the countrys first symphony orchestra, made up of mostly Russian musicians.

Inside Harbin Opera House. Photo: Opinion Pictures/ Rex/ Shutterstock

Declared city of music in 2010, Harbin has recently pumped millions into a glitter new concert hall by Arata Isozaki, a gargantuan neo-classical conservatory and an 80,000 sq metre whipped meringue of an opera house by MAD. Shaped like a pair of snowy dunes, up which guests can climb on snaking routes, the building contains a sinuous timber-lined auditorium designed as an eroded block of wood.

Tianjin Binhai library

Tianjin Binhai library. Illustration: MVRDV

Due to open this summer in the sprawling port city of Tianjin, this space-age library by Dutch architects MVRDV is imagined as a gaping cave of volumes, carved out from within an oblong glass block. The shelves form a terraced scenery of seating, wrapping around a giant mirrored sphere auditorium that nestles in the middle of the space like a pearl in an oyster.

Inside the space-age Tianjin Binhai library. Illustration: MVRDV

Along with a new theater, congress centre and a science and technology museum by Bernard Tschumi, the building forms part of a new cultural one-quarter for the city, itself being swallowed into the schemed Beijing-Tianjin mega-region population 130 million, thats more than Japan .

Huaguoyuan Towers, Guiyang

Arups twin towers are almost complete. Illustration: LWK& Partners

Nowhere in China is the disparity between economic reality and architectural ambition more stark than in Guiyang, capital of rural Guizhou, the poorest province in the country, which has the fifth most skyscraper schemes of any Chinese city. The twin 335 -metre towers of the Huaguoyuan development, by Arup, are now almost complete, standing as the centrepiece of a new mixed-use office, retail and amusement complex, while SOM is busy conjuring the even higher Cultural Plaza Tower, a 521 -metre glass spear that will soar above a new riverfront world of shopping malls and theatres. It has the glitz and gloss of any other Chinese citys new central business district, but as Knight Franks David Ji points out: It will be hard for a city like Guiyang to find quality renters to fill the space.

Yubei agricultural park, Chongqing

Will Alsops Yubei agricultural park. Illustration: Will Alsop

Architectural funster Will Alsop may ultimately have found his calling in the supercharged furnace of Chinas second-tier cities booming leisure economy, crafting a number of fantastical dreamworlds from his new satellite studio in Chongqing where he is busy constructing a new culture quarter around his own office, with a eatery, bar and distillery. He is also plotting an enormous agricultural leisure park in Yubei, 20 miles north of the city, designed to cater to the new middle classes nascent appreciation of the countryside, a place hitherto links with peasants and poverty. The rolling landscape will be dotted with cocoon-like treehouses, a flower-shaped hotel and a big lagoon covered by an LED-screen canopy, so visitors can enjoy projected blue skies despite the smog.

Zendai Himalayas centre, Nanjing

A limestone mountain range: Zendai Himalayas Centre, Nanjing. Illustration: www.i-mad.com

Erupting across six city blocks like a limestone mountain range, the Zendai Himalayas Centre is likely to be Mas most literal interpretation yet of his doctrine of fusing architecture and nature. Taking inspiration from the traditional style of shanshui scenery brush paint( literally meaning mountain-water ), the 560,000 sq metre complex is designed to look as if it has been eroded by millennia of gust and water , not thrown up overnight by an army of migrant labourers. Once again, Ma appears to be forgetting that elegant feathery brushstrokes dont often translate well into clods of glass and steel. It is one of many such green-fingered strategies in Nanjing, including Stefano Boeris vertical wood towers and the Sifang art park, where Steven Holl, SANAA, David Adjaye and others have constructed pavilions in a rolled landscape as another decoy for a luxury real estate project.

Huawei campus, Dongguan

A render of Huawei campus, Dongguan, which is based on 12 European towns

Telecoms giant Huawei has courted suits for copying from challengers in the past, but its love of imitating clearly extends to architecture too. The companys new campus, under construction on a 300 -acre site in Dongguan, is based on 12 European townships. There are the dreaming steeples of Oxford, the quaint redbrick houses of Bruges, the palazzos of Verona and the chateaux of Burgundy, all connected by a meander Swiss railway. It might look like a theme park, but the employees will have little time for leisure: Huaweis founder likens his staff to a pack of hungry wolves and offers them a dedicated employee arrangement to voluntarily forgo paid holiday and overtime.

Guardian Cities is dedicating a week to the huge but often unreported cities on the front line of Chinas unprecedented urbanisation. Explore our coverage here and follow us on Facebook. Share stories via WeChat( GuardianCities) and by employing #OtherChina on Twitter and Instagram

Read more: www.theguardian.com

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Weekend Getaway: Istanbul

Born and bred in London, Alara Hindle studied Islamic Art and Archaeology at Oxford, and was then sent to work in the magnificent Topkapi Palace in Turkey. Once there,  she met and fell in love with her husband, and has been living in Istanbul ever since! Two daughters (eight and three-years-old) and a beloved art space/shop/café for children (called LOLA) later, they are now contemplating moving back to the UK to set out on some new adventures as a family in the British countryside! Alana kindly offered to share her insider tips for Istanbul and I just got really excited to receive them. Istanbul just hopped up many notches on our list of places we want to visit. It sounds so wonderfully kid-friendly, cultural… and delicious! Here is Alara’s guide:

A family-friendly guide to Istanbul:

Istanbul is a bridge between East and West, literally and culturally. I have lived here for 17 years now and it pulls you in daily with all its contradictions, with its noises and smells, its traffic and the beautiful Bosphorus, its modern shopping malls and Ottoman mosques, its exciting nightlife and historical hamams. Since having children, it has also shown another face: the kindness people always show to little ones, their hospitality, the wonderful fresh food, the cultural and artistic options, the four seasons (from snow storms in January to scorching heat in August!). It is an easy short plane ride from most European cities, and a long weekend is enough to get the feel of this special place… Late Spring, when the weather is still mild, yet skies are sparkling blue and the Judas trees and magnolias blossom along the Bosphorus, is my favourite time, and there are fewer tourists around. Here are my tips:

DO:

For me, with a background in the History of Art, Istanbul offers some fabulous historical sites to visit with the kids, from Hagia Sophia to the Topkapi Palace, from the Blue Mosque to Rumeli Castle. Some of our favourites though are lesser-known, smaller places which are much more accessible for children and less overwhelming. Chora, an old Byzantine Greek Church, has some stunning frescoes and mosaics, and my little girls never cease to enjoy looking up at the gilded painted ceilings and making up stories about the golden characters around them! The Basilica Cistern, a big underground water reservoir built for the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, is just stunning, and the hauntingly romantic watery construction filled with marble columns has both children and adults alike mesmerized! Don’t forget to check out the Medusa’s head.

Istanbul also has some great museums. One of our favourites is definitely Istanbul Modern, situated in the cool area of Karakoy. Right on the Bosphorus and with stupendous views of the old city, it’s a perfect example of the juxtaposition of Modern and Ancient in Istanbul. With great programmes for children, a fantastic restaurant, and a brilliant ceiling of hanging books on the lower floor, we are regulars! Another of our haunts is Sakip Sabanci Museum, located in a less central area of the city, a neighbourhood where many expats and families with children live. This old ‘Yali’ surrounded by beautiful gardens, has hosted exhibitions from Picasso to Anish Kapoor, from Miro to Monet (check their site for information on current exhibitions).

Istanbul has some wonderful old districts which are fun to walk around with children. Cukurcuma is one of our favourites, with a host of galleries, small designer shops and antique stores, as well as cafes and bars. We love Ayse Orberk, a tastefully cluttered antique shop (as soon as you walk in you feel like you have walked into someone’s (very) elegant and tasteful home!), and Muz, which sells beautiful little terrariums and plants, woven wall hangings and other special little objects. Our favorite café here is Cuma, which has a fantastic menu to please all, as well as a little room with toys and books to entertain the kids! Balat is also a new and upcoming old area which is being fast gentrified… It is lovely to walk around its narrow streets and look at all the beautiful old buildings, as well as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and High School (keep in mind this is also close to Chora). We love to have Turkish pizza or ‘Lahmacun’ at Forno, and coffee and cake at the fabulous Coffee Department.

With the Bosphorus playing such an essential part in the story of this beautiful city, a must do is to take some sort of boat tour along its shores. We love the little boat from Emirgan to Kanlica where we eat traditional Turkish yogurt sprinkled with lashings of sugar. As well as being the location of the above-mentioned Sabanci Museum, Emirgan also has a nice park, one of the larger ones in the city, with great play spaces for kids, as well as a fantastic pizza restaurant on the shore called Pizza Emirgan. It is also nice to take a small ferry from Bebek, another pretty little area with a small park, great restaurants and cafes, and some fantastic boutiques. (Mangerie is a lovely little restaurant with great food and a lovely view.  Midnight Express has a wonderful collection of designer clothes such as Masscob and Gul Hurgel, jewellery from Kismet and home wares from Santimetre Studio).

The Princes islands are also a lovely day out, just a ferry away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Buyukada is our favourite, a place I used to visit every summer as a kid! Children love the fact that there are no cars and you go everywhere by horse and carriage, and the calls of the ‘dondurmaci’ (ice cream man who moves around the island in the afternoons calling out to the local children). I would recommend a visit to the Splendid hotel for tea for the adults!

EAT:

Turkey is a wonderful place for fresh, healthy vegetable-based dishes, but also dishes that children love! From fresh fish to ‘Borek’ pastry dishes, from street ‘Simit’ (a sort of sesame bagel) in the afternoon to Manti (Turkish ravioli with yogurt) and Meze, there is far too much choice, and we seem to spend most of our time eating!!

Fish restaurants are a culture in themselves in Istanbul and there are many to choose from, but our favourites are Kiyi, and Rumeli Hisar Iskelesi. The latter is right on the shore of the Bosphorus and the children watch the boats sail by as they munch on their meze, salad and fresh grilled fish. It is always nice to have something sweet after your fish and we absolutely love Girandola ice cream shops! (You can find one close to each of these fish restaurants.).

Turkish/Anatolian modern fusion has become a fabulous new cuisine and there are some great options in Istanbul. The best (and completely un-child friendly, but maybe good for a date night!) is Mikla, owned by chef Mehmet Gurs. We also love Kantin in the bustling shopping neighbourhood of Nisantasi, and Amanda Bravo, situated close to Emirgan Park. Right next to Amanda is the newly opened Misk, a café-cum-flower shop with amazing blueberry pancakes, banana bread and avocado toast, when you want something a little bit less Turkish!

For a night out, Kilimanjaro is a great option. Set in the old Bomonti Beer Factory, and part of the Babylon Music group, it has a great menu, but also a good outdoor space for the kids to scooter around in. There are also concerts, mini markets and exhibitions happening regularly in this Babylon location, so check out their site for updated info.

SHOP:

The most famous and historical of Istanbul’s shopping options would have to be the Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi), an absolute treasure trove of goodies and an Aladdin’s cave for kids! Try to go early in the morning before the crowds, and pick up some fabulous Hamam towels, beautiful Ikat bowls and fabrics, and carpets coming out of your ears!

On the weekends we also sometimes love to pop into Minoa bookstore (between Besiktas and Nisantasi) and browse the beautiful books for both adults and kids, and then have a little coffee in their café. Simple Life in Bebek is great for beautiful home wares to take back as souvenirs, and Maezae in Karakoy is a quirky boutique with a bit of everything, and workshops too!

For children Kidslivingetc has just opened up a little boutique on the Asian side, selling all sorts of Scandinavian decoration pieces, toys and some great Turkish labels including Minimom and Figg Official.

STAY:

As I’ve already mentioned, in Istanbul it is nice to be close to the water! The Four Seasons at the Bosphorus is a good top-dollar hotel with all the amenities, and friends with kids have been happy here. But we also love the more boutique option of Sumahan on the Water with its grassy area in front of Bosphorus, perfect for kids to play on!

In the old city Soho House is spectacular, housed in a 19th century Palazzo, and close to many tourist attractions and nightlife. The Vault, part of the wonderful House Hotel group is in Karakoy, a great location to be based in, and close to Istanbul Modern, the tram, and once again, the Bosphorus!!

Hotel Momscierge is a great service in the city for families who come to visit, with babysitting options, equipment rental and tips on what to do and where to go. The Guide Istanbul is also a lovely and useful magazine and online source for all up-to-date information on what’s going on in Istanbul right now!

  Thank you so much, Alara, for sharing with us.  And thank you to Ceren Semerci for the beautiful photos.

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