Vancouver Report, part 1

I’ve been in Vancouver for a few days now, and so far I’m very impressed with the parks and public spaces here.

There are two that I especially like:

Stanley park
It’s the 16th best park in the world — though, based on the parks on the list I’ve been to, I think it should be higher. Stanley Park has birds, trees, beaches, sculptures, trails… and it’s all walking distance from downtown.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
A mouthful of a name, but a gem of a park. It’s much smaller than Stanley Park, but very peaceful — the perfect place to meditate or read a book. It also has gorgeous architecture. (And the ladies who work at the gift shop are very sweet, too.)

I-70 vs. I-80

My parents are planning to drive west, and they can take either I-70 or I-80.

I’ve driven both before, and they’re about the same to me, but here’s the thing: mom and pops want to stop for the night a few times on their epic trek, and I’d like for them to be able to stop in places that are nice and/or scenic.

So I’m trying to figure out which route to suggest.

There aren’t too many differences between the interstates. On I-70, they would see Missouri and Kansas; on I-80, it’d be Iowa and Nebraska. From I-70 they have access to St. Louis; from I-80 they could check out Chicago.

Do you see my dilemma?

If you prefer one to the other for any reason at all, please comment and let me know…

Vancouver

I’m planning to visit the City of Vancouver in a week or so, and I’ve been researching fun things to do.

First off, there’s the art. There seems to be public sculpture everywhere (by the photos, at least). Plus, there are tons of galleries to choose from (the Pendulum Gallery and the Or Gallery look especially cool).

As far as outdoorsy stuff goes, I definitely want to check out the Capilano Suspension Bridge and the Heritage walking tours.

Of course, I don’t want to overplan — half the fun comes from discovering cool, random places as you walk around. I’ll post again when we get back and let you know what we did…

The World

I am always amazed with the things that humans can do. Nothing fascinates me more than these small manmade islands out of Dubai. I don’t think most us has seen anything quite like this and it might be a long while before we see such a sight again.

The idea was ingenious but the price will send you into fits. To own one of these islands you need between $7 to $35 million for one of these beauties.

Some have complained however that by building this massive project that they are eroding nearby beaches and crystal clear water is no longer what it used be.

I however just can’t seem to take my eyes off of them. I do know that some offer cruises to go see these islands. That is closest that I and most other regular people will come to seeing them in person.

The Beautiful Island of St. Kitts

I was born on the island of St.Kitts but it’s official name is Saint Christopher. It is named after Christopher Columbus who “found” it. Although how you find a place that is already inhabited is beyond me.

When you look at the money or stamps you see British rulers all over them because this island used to be ruled by Britain. If you look at a map chances are it would be hard to see it as st.Kitts is actually very small. So small in fact it has one Catholic church (although most of the natives are seventh-day adventist Christians), and one museum and airport.

The center of isle is filled with hills and mountainous terrains and smack dab in the middle is Mount Liamuiga (pronounced Lee-a-mweega). It is a mountain that is dormant and covered by a lush forest.

St. Kitts is known for it’s delicious sugar canes and various fruits including sweet and succulent mangos and pears (avocados). It has some of the most beautiful beaches and is a wonderful place to visit. Here you can see 360 degree photos.

Typhoon (Redmond, WA)

Typhoon

Bella Bottega Shopping Center, 8936 161st Ave NE., Redmond WA 98052. Ph 425.558-7666 Fax 425.861-7447.
http://www.typhoonrestaurants.com/locredmond.htm
An artsy and enchanting Thai restaurant with a feel of Thailand meets yuppy America. Food was good and so was the service. Very crowded during lunch time. Staff was excellent and very attentive. The Panang Curry is my favorite dish at this joint, so far. Visited 4/6/06. Rating : 4 stars out of 5.

Baan Suan (Dusseldorf, Germany)

Baan Suan : Thailändisches Restaurant
Hütten Str. 11 (Ecke Berliner Allee)
40215 Düsseldorf, Germany
Tel. 0211 1682321-2
Täglich Geöffnet von 12.00 uhr und 18.00 uhr bis 24.00 uhr
A very aesthetic and tasty Thai dining experience in the heart of metropolitan Düsseldorf - indeed a sensory experience that is bliss to the palate … highly recommended. The thai ice tea was delicious as was the Panang Curry and Cashew Lamb, Chicken sate, and seafood soup. Both me and my friend enjoyed it extroadinarily. The thai menu has German and English incorporated within, and the staff was very friendly and topped the experience. Rating: 5 stars out of 5.

Kassel, Germany

Kassel, Germany The documenta city and capital of the Fairy Tale Trail … this historic and fabulous European village/city holds three parks, three palaces, and a unique choice of museums as well as Bergpark Wilhelmshohe - Europe’s biggest hillside park which contains the Hercules monument, Kassel’s majestic landmark. There is Wilhelmsthal, a rococo palace near Calden and the Karlsaue, a broque-style complex containing the Orangery Palace which is situated on the banks of the River Fulda near Kassel’s city center. A unique range of museums such as the Wallpaper museum, the Brothers Grimm Museum, the Wilhelmshohe Art Gallery of old Masters, the Museum of Sepulchral Culture, the Neue Galerie (New Art Gallery), the Museum Fridericianum, and the Astronomy and Science Exhibition with Planetarium. Don’t miss the Lowenburg - some romantic castle ruins including the medieval museum. Visited 3/24/06 - Rating 5 stars out of 5.

Kassel city center

Bruder Grimm Museum (Kassel, Germany)

Bruder Grimm Museum Schone Aussicht 2, Kassel, Germany Tel. 05617872033 www.grimms.de A several story old historic building with beautiful floors - the first floor houses the literary works and paintings, memorabilia, and documenta about Hans Christian Anderson and his works.

Bruder Grimm Museum

The top three floors cover the Brother Grimms, paintings about their fairy tales, and literary works, documents, mementos, and history. Everything is in German except the top floor has English translations. 4 stars out of 5. Visited 3/24/06.

Museum Fridericianum (Kassel, Germany)

Museum Fridericianum Kassel, Germany Tel. 7072720 One of the oldest museum buildings in Europe … its also the location for documenta and international exhibitions. Currently holding contemporary and modern art collections. 4 stars out of 5. Visited 3/24/06.

Museum Fridericianum

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