There are cities in the world you enjoy arriving, knowing that when you get there you'll shuttle through and out of the airport efficiently on your way.
In the case of Toronto Peason International Airport a visitor will struggle to find a cheap alternative to get to the city centre. Limited choices of sedans, taxis and airport limos are expensive, where a one way ride to the city centre could reach as high as $80 (ouch!). There is an alternative public transit of the 192 Airport Rocket which takes you to the start of the subway system at Kipling Station for as little as $3 one way, though extra fares must be paid when entering the underground, or subway as its known locally. Though it's not the sort of ride you want after a long haul flight.
Pearson is the largest and busiest airport in Canada and handled 31.9 million passengers in 2010. It is amongst the world's top 35 busiest airports by total passenger traffic, and is currently the world's 20th busiest airport by international passenger traffic, yet has no real efficient direct links to the city centre other than those mentioned above. Enviromentally unfriendly options and costly connections to get to and from.
Toronto Peason International Airport was voted Canada's worst airport in a recent poll by the Flight Network, most likely because it is Canada's busiest airport, which would get more votes anyway. Though my reasons are from an international traveler like myself. Arriving in a new destination requires organised transportation to get you on the way, and most likely the first impression you'll get of any city.
Cities like Barcelona, London, Madrid, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, San Francisco are all very well connected to the airports that serve them. Easy, efficient and very cost friendly. These cities know that the future includes increased air travel, where airports are hubs and links, in addition to buses and trains, rather than just an airport. These cities are very well prepared for tomorrow.
Toronto has grown, almost doubled in size over the last 40 years, and no improvements have ever been made to make Toronto Peason International Airport better connected to the city centre. Business and leisure travelers need infastructures to help them on their way quickly and cost effectively. Toronto remains possibly the worst ranked airport transportation links I've seen anywhere in the world compared to other international cities of its size.
September 11, 2011
August 10, 2011
Expedia Defines British Summer
Great advert that says it as it is. Thank you Expedia for keeping it real.
*Note: Published August 10, 2011
July 29, 2011
The Last Whalers - An Azorean Past
No longer practiced on the islands of the Azores, but whaling was a big industry. A whale's cadaver was processed for lamp oil, candles, medicines, perfume and machinery lubricants. The blubber was melted down for oil and the bones tossed aside.
The first type of whaling done was shore whaling along the New England coast, Native Americans sent their boats out and speared one of the passing whales. This practice was followed by European settlers later. The Dutch controlled whaling during the 17th century. The British followed in the 18th century as the chief whalers, followed later by the Americans in the 19th century.
Whaling crews could be found at the Azores. Captains would disembark from New England with a skeleton crew and head for the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands looking for a supply of sailors. They liked the Portuguese because they were hard working, quiet, and cheap. The Azorean teenage male was waiting to be picked. He was seeking opportunity and a way to the United States, generally because he was fleeing military service.
In the late 1930s more than 50,000 whales were killed annually worldwide. In 1986 the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling.
At Cais do Pico, there is a commercial port and an old fishing harbour that played a major part in the historical activity of whale hunting. The Museu da Indústria Baleeira (the Whaling Industry Museum), housed in the old Whaleboat Factory in the town of São Roque, which was in business from 1946 to 1984. This museum was opened in May 1994 and is internationally considered to be one of the best industrial museums of its kind, exhibiting boilers, furnaces, machinery and other equipment used in the exploitation and transformation of whales into oil and flour. It offers you the chance to make an interesting discovery about the ancient practices linked to a now extinct activity.
Below is a vintage film "The Last Whalers" by William Neufeld, 1968. It documents a past way of life on the island of Pico. WARNING! You may find this disturbing to watch.
"The Last Whalers" by William Neufeld. Produced by WBN Productions, 1968. Modern Azorean shore whaling. An edited and sub-titled version is currently on exhibit in the Azorean Whalemen Gallery at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
Ref:
Azorean and New England Whaling and Fishing
Azores Islands by Robert L. Santos
The first type of whaling done was shore whaling along the New England coast, Native Americans sent their boats out and speared one of the passing whales. This practice was followed by European settlers later. The Dutch controlled whaling during the 17th century. The British followed in the 18th century as the chief whalers, followed later by the Americans in the 19th century.
Whaling crews could be found at the Azores. Captains would disembark from New England with a skeleton crew and head for the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands looking for a supply of sailors. They liked the Portuguese because they were hard working, quiet, and cheap. The Azorean teenage male was waiting to be picked. He was seeking opportunity and a way to the United States, generally because he was fleeing military service.
In the late 1930s more than 50,000 whales were killed annually worldwide. In 1986 the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling.
At Cais do Pico, there is a commercial port and an old fishing harbour that played a major part in the historical activity of whale hunting. The Museu da Indústria Baleeira (the Whaling Industry Museum), housed in the old Whaleboat Factory in the town of São Roque, which was in business from 1946 to 1984. This museum was opened in May 1994 and is internationally considered to be one of the best industrial museums of its kind, exhibiting boilers, furnaces, machinery and other equipment used in the exploitation and transformation of whales into oil and flour. It offers you the chance to make an interesting discovery about the ancient practices linked to a now extinct activity.
Below is a vintage film "The Last Whalers" by William Neufeld, 1968. It documents a past way of life on the island of Pico. WARNING! You may find this disturbing to watch.
"The Last Whalers" by William Neufeld. Produced by WBN Productions, 1968. Modern Azorean shore whaling. An edited and sub-titled version is currently on exhibit in the Azorean Whalemen Gallery at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
Ref:
Azorean and New England Whaling and Fishing
Azores Islands by Robert L. Santos
July 26, 2011
Hotel Talsiman - Ponta Delgada, Azores
Officially a 3 star hotel located in the centre of Ponta Delgada, the largest city in São Miguel Island and the Azores. Hotel Talisman is located within walking distance of most attractions and the city, with easy access to the new harbour and marina that was officially completed in 2010.
The room was large, clean and comfortable, I was fortunate to have a suite (228) with a bonus lounge/living room, king size bed, excellent bathroom (two sinks) and outdoor terrace overlooking the street below. Wifi included in the room rates.Other facilities include a fitness room, outdoor rooftop pool, with some nice views of the city and surrounding island. A restaurant and bar.
Helpful friendly staff and service. They went out of the way to try and get an early check in since I showed up so early, much appreciated. Breakfast buffet style, with enough options to satisfy most.
Hotel Talisman was a great choice, in a great location for exploring Ponta Delgada.
Hotel Talisman
Hotel Talisman on Tripadvisor
Village Life in the Azores
It's not often I return the Azores to my home town of Achada in Nordeste, São Miguel. With a population of approximately 600, situated on the northwest coast with stunning ocean views, village life becomes clearer after a few days.
Modest and simple living is the order of the day, live on what you have, waste not. Daily visits by the milk man, bread, fish, fruit, furniture, clothing, even the bank comes to your door. All having their regular routes and time of day in which they pass through the town. Just wait by the door or listen for the individual sound of bells or horns that announce that they are near, delivered and purchased at your front door.
Live off the land, eat what you grow. Share and exchange the fruits of your labour, the gardens riches. Barter services for a meal and entertainment. Look out for one another, family or not.
Festivals that last for a few days, early July celebrates Sao Pedro, with live song and dance in the small street in the town centre. A place to meet other locals and possibly see faces who return to see old family and friends. I am no stranger, all know who I am, word gets out and I'm approached by people who recall the day I once roamed here before.
Tradition means processions and rituals that remain alive, but for how long? The statue of Sao Pedro is carried around the town, down one street and up the other, passing and stopping at the village cathedral, built in 1788, where fishermen join the procession displaying their catch, a fishing nest is held among a group of women, followed by a marching band.
Religion plays a big role, a street mass is held on the Sunday. There is a lottery to see if you'll earn the right to have the saint in your home for a month in the next coming year, 12 lucky recipients.
The things that holds this together is the community. The family and existence of the neighbour and friends that bind together to call this home. A place where the origins of ancestors.
This is my first experience of life in a village, eight days. Not having a routine of work and life where days perhaps pass much quicker, my time of rest and relaxation, full days of searching for a way to pass my time, hikes down to the coastline. It takes time to learn to relax to the life of a village.
July 21, 2011
Blimey Summers, Scorching Canuks
As a fellow Canadian I completely understand the hardships of weather patterns in Toronto Canada. In 2011 it's proving to be an especially scorching summer, something that can't be said about London England.
In Toronto the swings of seasons are clear, hot summers, wet autumns, freezing winters and warm springs. Though ask any Canadian and the desire for an end to winter followed by a few months of teasing warm spring days always has us praying for those hot summer days to follow. Ah, the joy of feeling the hot air, swims in outdoor pools or lakes, BBQs, camping and all outdoor sports are welcome, because we know around the corner the summer will end and soon we'll huddle inside to our 25°C (77 F) homes of winter for six months of the year.
In England scorching is defined as 23°C (73.4 F) or more, as described by broadcasters BBC, Sky News and ITV. Summer of 2011 in the month of July has been wet and grey, that burning ball of fire in the sky is rarely visible. Of the 90 days of an English summer it rains or is cloudy for 42 days, thats approximately every other day, according to weather statistics.
London is hosting the summer Olympics of 2012, and the stadium has no roof. Whoowhaa!
Summer days rarely reach beyond 25°C (77 F), on my way to work it's just short of 20°C (68 F) and soon I'll be entering into an office building where the air conditioning will be on full. I keep a jumper in my desk to layer up when the cold air blows down the vents above me, along with the black soot that marks it's passage.
England can reduce it's carbon footprint simply by turning down or off it's unnecessary air-con units, for the number of warm days that it does get, the 4 or 5 days just do not justify such utilities, unless your in Gravesend of course - which holds the record for the hottest days.
An English summer is followed by autumn/winter, which really is about the same. Warm and cool days, more wet weather. Grey. Followed by more grey days. Winter dips down, almost 0°C (32 F) sometimes, but winters here are damp and humid, sinking deeply beyond the skin and into the bones. I find this worse than the dry winters of Toronto where the wind is the worst of it, usually an outer windproof shell is enough to hold in the layered warmth.
Warm to me is defined as 25°C (77 F), hot as 30°C+ (86 F), scorching as beyond 35°C+ (95 F). Below 20°C (68 F) is cool, below 10°C (50 F) is cold, and below 0°C (32 F) is freezing.
By my definition, summers in London are cool and warm (sometimes), grey, and rarely hot. This explains why the Mediterranean is such a popular destination for Brits. Sunshine makes you happy and feel good.
Half way through summer and still no sign of it in London, I read reports from friends in Toronto complaining about the heat - at least in Canada you get a summer.
July 15, 2011
World's first HD streaming video of planet Earth
World's first ever high definition, streaming video of planet Earth, installed on the outside of the International Space Station through a joint effort with the Russian Space Agency, the camera will provide a 40 km wide, high resolution, color image down to as close as 1.1 metres.
UrtheCast is building, launching, installing, and operating two cameras on the Russian module of the International Space Station. The station travels at 26,000 km per hour and orbits the Earth 16 times a day at an altitude of approximately 350 km.
Starting in mid-2012, video data of the Earth collected by the cameras will be down-linked to ground stations around the planet and then displayed in near real time on the UrtheCast web platform, and allow users to track the location of the International Space Station, where it can be viewed, downloaded and manipulated by Users around the world.
Users will be able to search for videos of a particular location, type or theme. Like a personal video recorder, it will allow users the ability to interact with the HD video feed in real time as it is fed from the servers. Users will be able to zoom in and out, to “virtually” steer the camera from side to side, to rewind, and to fast forward as they check out areas and things of interest on the Earth.
The UrtheCast web platform will feel like a blending of a video version of GoogleEarth with the video playback and search functionality of YouTube. It will operate seamlessly with social media sites like FaceBook and Twitter.
It will enable a new way to see major international news stories like the crisis at Fukushima, the public uprising in Tahrir square, or refugee camps in the Sudan. A rich educational perspective for viewing the wonders of the planet in a manner never before possible.
It will be new way for us to explore and see our planet from space, it will be like Google Earth in real time.
UrtheCast is building, launching, installing, and operating two cameras on the Russian module of the International Space Station. The station travels at 26,000 km per hour and orbits the Earth 16 times a day at an altitude of approximately 350 km.
Starting in mid-2012, video data of the Earth collected by the cameras will be down-linked to ground stations around the planet and then displayed in near real time on the UrtheCast web platform, and allow users to track the location of the International Space Station, where it can be viewed, downloaded and manipulated by Users around the world.
Users will be able to search for videos of a particular location, type or theme. Like a personal video recorder, it will allow users the ability to interact with the HD video feed in real time as it is fed from the servers. Users will be able to zoom in and out, to “virtually” steer the camera from side to side, to rewind, and to fast forward as they check out areas and things of interest on the Earth.
The UrtheCast web platform will feel like a blending of a video version of GoogleEarth with the video playback and search functionality of YouTube. It will operate seamlessly with social media sites like FaceBook and Twitter.
It will enable a new way to see major international news stories like the crisis at Fukushima, the public uprising in Tahrir square, or refugee camps in the Sudan. A rich educational perspective for viewing the wonders of the planet in a manner never before possible.
It will be new way for us to explore and see our planet from space, it will be like Google Earth in real time.
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