Books from the Colosseum

A few pics of the bookstore in the Colosseum (so nicknamed since it stood by the colossal statue of Nero).

Arbitrary Pictures 6: The Countryside

Another set of beautiful pics by Miroslav Pospisil. This time, photos of the countryside (and parks) around the city of Vyskov, Czech Republic.

The Vatican Library

So, this is the library in the Vatican. All kinds of amazing and wonderful books are stored there, but good luck trying to get at them. Even if you are a university student in Rome and have a note from your prof. asking to access a specific volume, you won’t have an easy time.

P. S. Check out this virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel…I suspect it’s better than the real thing.

Arbitrary Pics 5: White Point, Nova Scotia in February

This may seem a trifle unseasonal, but, I figured, as you sit in the blustering heat of summer, a few beautiful winter pics may be particularly welcome.

All pics are courtesy of Kari Hunt

Arbitrary Pictures 4: Maplelawn Garden

The only Keg that I’ve been to is the Keg Manor, which I like because it’s a beautiful, heritage  stone building and I love things that are old and durable….and beautiful. (Plus, if you like steak, some have said it’s the best in town. I don’t know, I’m not a big steak eater.)

This post is about the garden located right beside the building, which, until recently, I believed was private. It’s not and it’s lovely. Both the building and the garden have been declared a national historic site, which is great because, as previously mentioned, I like old stuff. It’s also an opportunity to visit a nice, secluded place where you can just relax, breathe and take it all in.

Here are a few pics from Maplelawn Garden:

Arbitrary pics 2: Butterfly Gardens, British Columbia

A few pics from the Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, B.C.

All pics are courtesy of John Hunt

Library of Parliament, Sparks Street Branch

I didn’t make it to Doors Open Ottawa, but I did get my hands on a few pics of the Library of Parliament on Sparks Street. So, since it is a library and in the tradition of posting all about things that you already know, here are a few of those pics:

(Doors Open Ottawa continues today.)

The Board Room

The Book Room

The building used to be the Bank of Nova Scotia and, if you look veeeery closely, you’ll be able to read the words “Safety Deposit” on the wall…the money vaults were kept down the stairs, in the basement.

The End

Ottawa, Canada by William P. McElligott

Ottawa, Canada is a gorgeous book that highlights the city’s beauty and all that it has to offer. With a foreword by Roy McGregor, the book is divided into the 4 seasons and is dominated by the extraordinary photography of it’s author, William P. McElligott.

From the National Arts Center to the Ottawa 67′s, from the Embassy of France to the Bluesfest, from Rockcliffe Park and the Glebe Community Centre to the Market and the Sound of Light International Fireworks Competition; it’s all here, Ottawa in all of it’s splendour.

(I’ve been living in Ottawa since I was 10 years old and didn’t realize just how beautiful and exciting this city really is.)

The text is written, in part, by the author and, in part, by his wife, Norma Lu Brown, and the book is completely made in Canada. It has 6 basic lay-outs that tend to work in contrasts, be it morning vs. evening, country vs. city and colours…ah, the spectacular colours…that further strengthen the impact of the book.

Mr. McElligott has worked as a sports photographer  (which really shows in the action shots…the power, the drive) and is, currently, an architectural photographer (which shows everywhere else).

There hasn’t been a book like this in over 20 years and after only just over 1 year, the book has sold 7,000 copies and has become a best seller (at 5,000 copies sold…and that’s without an agent). It has also won awards and has become the official book of the National Capital Commission, Ottawa Tourism and the City of Ottawa.

If you, like me, need a wake up call regarding how lucky you are to live in Ottawa (or you live elsewhere and would like a beautiful introduction to the city), Ottawa, Canada is sold in independent book stores all over town (or on the author’s website). And, if you’d like to meet the author, he will be doing signings in these stores throughout the month of June, starting on June 2 at Books on Beechwood.

P.S. please note that my pics of the photographs from the book don’t do them justice; they’re for illustration purposes only.

Arbitrary Pictures 1: The Tulip Festival

It’s spring-time in Ottawa and everywhere you go, you will see tulips. It’s all part of the Tulip Festival, which is celebrating it’s 60th anniversary this year. Every year, the Netherlands sends tulips to Ottawa as a thank you to the Canadian people for allowing the Dutch Royal Family to stay here during the Second World War. During the royal family’s stay, princess Margriet was born at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, whose maternity ward was temporarily declared to be officially part of international territory so that Margriet would only inherit Dutch citizenship from her mother.

This year, there are 3,000,000 tulips throughout the National Capital Region.

Here is just a handful of  pics:

Tulips with National Art Gallery as backdrop

Statue of Colonel By (supervisor of the construction of the Rideau Canal and founder of Bytown, later to become Ottawa) surrounded by tulips.

Tulips by the War Memorial.

Tulips in front of the Parliament Buildings.

Tulips in front of the gates of the Parliament Buildings.

Just tulips

Artist’s interpretation of tulip

Wherever you went, you’d see people photographing, posing in front of, walking by, cycling by or just stopping to smell the tulips.