A Day in Canada

This morning [Saturday, 29th September] we drove up to Niagara on the Lake (NOL). Walked down to where the Niagara river enters Lake Ontario to see Fort Niagara on the US side of the river. Then we wandered up and down the main street, had lunch, and drove around Fort George, the Canadian fort.

Historically most of NOL was burnt and occupied, for short time, by the US during the war of 1812. A war that had its centenary celebrated in Canada this year. However a war, now little known in the US, maybe because the Canada (the English) won.

The streets of NOL are decorated with flowers and all the old shops display a marvellous array of goods.



Wine shops ...




And just for Jessie and Emma a sweet shop with a great range of toffee apples ...




An obligatory Christmas shop that had Jane a bit bewildered ...




On the way back from NOL we set the GPS to a book shop in St. Catherine that I had visited in June 2011. This was a 'proper' second hand book shop.  Here Jane looked for books ...




Gary read some books ...




and I went for the Arctic and Antarctic books ...




However before getting to the bookshop we had to cross the Wellan Canal using the old road. As we approached the bridge we saw that it was up. A large ship was coming down the canal into Lake Ontario.




As we could not go anywhere I videoed the ship passing. After passing the bridge, we were on, it passed under the high bridge carrying the main motorway.

Returning to the hotel we drop Jane off, put the beer on ice, and then Gary and I headed down the road about a mile to a Canadian war plane museum.

Outside the museum was a jet trainer mounted in a way that must have made its eyes water ...



- Posted Don

Canada, Sonja, and The Keg

by Jane

[Friday, 28th September] Yesterday (as I am writing this at 6.06 am) we travelled from Howell to Hamilton - Howell in the US and Hamilton in Canada.  Driving from one to the other was just a matter of showing our passports and answering a few questions - like do we have weapons in the car.

We dropped our bags at the motel and headed over to visit Gary's cousin, Sonja, with (of all things) our washing tucked under our arms.  Sonja had kindly suggested we do our laundry at her place and since we are in the second motel in a row without guest laundry facilities we were exceedingly keen to take her up on her offer.  (We now have that most important thing in travelling - lots of clean clothes in reserve!)

Gary and Sonja have only met once, when she visited New Zealand a few years ago so it was a great time for them to get to know each other and for him to meet her family; husband Ken and two children.

Nibbles at Sonja's

Washing done and Ken home we all went out to tea (dinner) together to The Keg in Burlington.  The restaurant was a huge place, very busy, and Sonja and Ken introduced us to (nearly) everybody there.  With the staff being so friendly and the manager, Rick, being so knowledgeable about New Zealand wines Gary was in his element and even received a wine list from the restaurant to take home as a souvenir.  (Please Note: I am taking home books, Gary is taking home a wine list!)

Sonja and Gary at The Keg

It was a wonderful evening - excellent meals, super company - which ended up with plans for Ken and Sonja to visit us in New Zealand.

Sonja with the rewarewa pen

After dinner the Billy Miner Pie arrived. (From the menu: Mocha ice cream on a chocolate crust with hot fudge, caramel and almonds.)  This dessert is particularly noteworthy not only because it was very, very good, but because Gary hogged most of it.  Unheard of!

The Keg's Billy Miner Pie

But finally we had to say goodbye to both The Keg and Sonja and Ken.  It was great to meet you guys and we hope to see you in New Zealand soon.

Rick signs the wine list for Gary

Jane
in Hamilton, Canada

Chicago to Howell

On the way to Howell we stopped of at St. Josephs so Jane could photograph a couple of houses were some of her early cat breeders lived.
From here we drove on to Charlotte and stopped, in the fast food area, for lunch at Arby's, a burger joint. We had a very nice turkey and lettuce wrap.


We drove on through bush lined roads passing some interesting sites.


A lighthouse in front of large inflated something or rather...


A weighing stations for trucks over 4 tons......


And a shot of gary being past by a red car......


Finally we approached our hotel on the outskirts of Howell only to see a modern version of the Walt Disney Prison in Kingston, Ontario.


We were soon to reach our hotel and to find out the 'prison' was the Tanger Outlet Centre.


- Posted Don

Madison to Chicago

Tuesday, 25th September we left Madison and headed for Chicago. An early start, about 8.30 am, for the short trip. We arrived about 10.45, parked the car at the hotel and headed off to Navy Pier to see the Stained Glass Museum. About a mile and a half walk through the noisy streets of Chicago. Motorist here get very impatient and resort to incessant horn blowing, with anyone in front they think is not moving on quick enough.

At the pier we first had lunch in a restaurant devoted to shrimps and Forest Gump, corrugated iron ceiling decoration, a large picture of the shrimp boat crashing into the wharf, the film running continuously, and good food.

Then down through the pier, through the gardens (and fountains), and on into the glass museum. Here in two side rooms were displays of Tiffany windows, and just incase Jane doesn't post any pictures here's a couple.




Back to the drive to Chicago. Part way we entered a toll road, $1.50, then another $3.00 and a final section $1.90. Some were good but one, the dearest section was under repair all the way. Just for fun here is a video clip of passing a truck.

And now some photos as we approached Chicago.


- Posted Don

Chicago and Stained Glass

by Jane

Just a few words and photos to hold the place until I get around to writing more.

Yesterday we drove the 2+ hours from Madison to Chicago, setting out early so we could have plenty of time in Chicago where we (just me, really) particularly wanted to see some Tiffany stained glass.

It was quite warm and we walked from the hotel to Navy Pier - and then back later in the afternoon, which goes a long way to explaining why no blog posts were made last night - we were exhausted!

Gary made us walk through the enclosed garden on the upper level on the way down Navy Pier - and then played with the fountains:

Dad and Gary at the fountains

Gary playing with the water

We then went on and had a ferris wheel ride (Gary and I) during which I took random photos with my eyes mainly closed, and Gray took some more useful shots.  Dad refused to get involved in such silliness and stayed on the ground.

Gary - enjoying himself

My obsession with how far up I was

Finally we visited the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows in the lower level of Navy Pier (and the reason we had come to Chicago and the Pier).  Along with the Prairie School buildings I wanted to see a 'real' Tiffany stained glass window.  I have lots of photos and books and postcards at home, and my computer desktop is always a black background with a Tiffany window image in the centre.  I change the image every year like so:

But if we were going to be wandering around America I wanted to see the real thing.

The stained glass museum contained more than just the Tiffany pieces, and though I like a lot of stained glass there are certainly some windows which don't appeal as I found out while we wandered around taking photos.  The pieces I would describe as 'Victorian' weren't very appealing to me, and the religious glass where much of a scene was painted on also failed to impress.  One surprise was the mosaic glass which I was very close to when I rounded the corner and saw it for the first time - and thought it was stupid - but when I was leaving that area I happened to look back at it from a distance and it was brilliant!  

Flowers in a Ribbon Frame

I generally did take a photo of the accompanying information board for each glass photo so I could say what they were and who made them but in this case I was already on the other side of the room and just wandered on, which was a pity.

Edited to add:  Found an awesome .pdf file by Rolf Achilles that has all the info boards all typed up so I can now correctly label the mosaic window as:

FLOWERS IN A RIBBON FRAME, 1880s
Designed and fabricated by Belcher Mosaic Glass Company, Newark, New Jersey.
71" H x 53" W

I only took a couple of photos of a few things I liked the look of - or wasn't sure yet whether I did or not - but I won't put them all in because then we arrived at the first Tiffany room.  These two are known as 'A Pair of Poppies' and are from the late 1890s.  They are designed and attributed to Louis Comfort Tiffany and were made in the Tiffany Studios in New York.  (See, I took a photo of that information board! ;o)

A Pair of Poppies

Since the display rooms were dark and the flash reflected badly on the glass photographing them was a bit tricky for a novice like myself so I have a dozen pictures of the following window, trying to get the colour right and avoid the fuzziness of wobbly hands.

This is 'Landscape with Yellow Sky'* from about 1915.  The design is attributed to Agnes F. Northrop and the window was manufactured at the Tiffany Studios, New York.  I do have some issues with understanding the attribution of this glass and the Prairie School buildings we visited.  Though they generally end up getting attributed to the business (Tiffany / Louis Sullivan) there seems to be one particular worker who actually did the design.  And sometimes depending on the document the attribution is different.

Anyway, to me this is 'Tiffany' as I like it. ;o)

Landscape with Yellow Sky

* Yellow sky is an odd feature also found in the cover art of the children's books my friends and I collect.  Perhaps it's not as odd as we thought!

This wasn't the end of the Tiffany display but I'll move on to other artists.  I liked this one, too:

Three Flowering Bulbs

This is:

THREE FLOWERING BULBS, c. 1900
Unidentified designer and fabricator. Possibly from a Chicago area house.
86" H x 44" W


What particularly appealed about this one was that it was (a) stained glass, (b) a style I like - Art Nouveau / Prairie School, and (c) it was in the citrus colours I like best.  Citrus-coloured stained glass!

As well as the Tiffany that I knew was in the museum there was some Prairie School glass that I enjoyed seeing, although it was displayed in a well lit area which didn't do it any favours.

Here was a highlight:

Frank Lloyd Wright, I thought to myself - but no!

THE BABSON HOUSE, RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, 1920
Designed by George Grant Elmslie (1871 - 1952). Probably fabricated in Chicago.
45" H x 17" W

The information board goes on to mention Frank Lloyd Wright's earlier use of the disc element in windows for the Coonley Playhouse.  It was great to have identified a FLW style - and to see how close some of Elmslie's work was to that.

Addendum to Today's Post

by Jane

[Monday, 24th September] Tonight after I finished the blog and went on with my reading database (woefully neglected) Gary went off to scout around for somewhere to eat.  He didn't come back.  Still didn't come back.  Still didn't.  Dad and I were convinced he was away bringing down large animal and roasting it over spit to bring home for us.

But no!  He'd met Jeff outside the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - a combined shop and restaurant.  What a neat place.  And when he came over and took us back with him we got to meet Jeff and his wife Emily.  Here we all are:

Gary, Don, Jane, Emily, and Jeff

The shop had Christmas decorations and so I was in danger of running wild but I was very restrained and only bought one fairly small one.

Shopping for Christmas decorations

Plus the food was great in the restaurant.  What a great evening out. :o)


Jane
in Madison

Minneapolis to Madison - and another Prairie School Bank

by Jane

[Monday, 24th September] We did about 250-ish miles today, along the motorways out of Minneapolis:

Bridges over the Mississippi in Minneapolis

(I'm getting some complaints about the previous photo as the bridge at the back is on a slant in real life.  Gary thinks it was good of me to straighten it out with my photo-taking.)

Random field shot

Dad had chosen the route to take us along the Mississippi River and Lake Piner to Winona.  At Winona we were going to visit another Prairie School bank but first a stop at the information centre.  What a lovely setting the whole town is in, and especially the visitor centre.

Outside the visitor centre at Winona

Dad and Gary going into the visitor centre

Is the preceding photo blog-worthy?  Why, yes, it is.  Dad and Gary were heading into the visitor centre to ask for directions!

So, on to the Merchants Bank of Winona.  This one is still operating as a bank, in fact the same bank as it was back in 1912 when the 'new' bank was built for them.

Is a caption really required?

The entrance

Detail of the entrance

I must say at this point that in all three of the Prairie School buildings they have been happy for us to take photos, gone out of their way to duck and dive out of our photos, and always had a pamphlet to hand out.

A Prairie School traveller

  
And from the pamphlet for this bank:

In the early 1900's, American architecture produced what is known today as, "The Prairie School of Architecture."  A leader in this style was the Minneapolis firm of Purcell, Feick and Elmslie.  William G. Purcell and George G. Elmslie had been closely associated with Louis Sullivan, the architect responsible for more than 200 building designs between 1891 and 1919.  All were contemporaries of the famous Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Merchants Bank building is the largest and most famous example of their unique, progressive contribution to early 20th century architecture, and to the development of the distinctive community bank.

Outside detail

The bank has been through a few 'improvements' over the years (like covering the huge stained-glass skylight so they would have a ceiling to suspend light fixtures from) but most of those have been removed during restoration and extension.  One of the great features of this bank was that removing a wall and expanding the bank into the space has allowed us our first chance to stand back and look at the whole interior of one of these buildings.  The extension is very much in keeping with the original style.

This bank is far less ornate than the Louis Sullivan buildings, moving towards the clean lines of Purcell and Elmslie residential buildings.

Inside overview

Stained-glass (on two walls)

 The stained-glass decoration ... Super!

Detail of stained-glass pattern

Another great site for Prairie School buildings (and more) is Unified Vision.
 

Just to complete the novel - as Dad has suggested it must be since I have been writing this while he's enjoyed a beer ... and half a bottle of wine in his and Gary's after-travel routine - we finished up at the bank and went to the Acoustic Cafe in Winona for lunch.

Lunch!

Today's photos are all mine and I think Gary and Dad are starting to think repairing my camera was a mistake ...

Dad at lunch

Jane
in Madison