Category Archives: Parks and Plazas

Lynn Canyon Park (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

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Lynn Canyon Park

On our 27th day in Canada, our whole family (Grace, Jandy, Cheska, Bryan, Kyle and I, with dog Luffy) decided to visit the 250-hectare (617-acre) Lynn Canyon Park, one of the gems of the  District of North Vancouver’s Parks system and a great place to learn about North Vancouver’s eco-system.

 

This public park, operated by the  District of North Vancouver, is located on the unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations people who called the Lynn Creek area Kwa-hul-cha, referring to a settlement in the area.

Bryan and Cheska on their way to the Lynn Canyon Cafe and Ranger Station

When settlers moved to North Vancouver, they began to log the old growth forests as part of Vancouver’s growing logging industry. The Lynn Valley area, along with Lynn Creek and Lynn Canyon were renamed after sapper John Linn (1846-1876), a British pioneer and member of the Royal Engineers who, in 1869, moved his family onto 65 hectares of land on the mouth of the Lynn Creek near Burrard Inlet.

Lynn Canyon Cafe and Ranger Station

While the creek has been dubbed Fred’s Creek after fellow pioneer Fred Howson, the name Lynn, a corruption of the original spelling, soon became the common designation.  Lynn Valley Park and Canyons, as it was known in the 1950s, soon gave way to the current Lynn Canyon Park.

Waterfall seen on the way to the suspension bridge

In 1912, after the bulk of the Lynn Canyon’s old growth forests were logged by the Lynn Valley Lumber Company under Julius M. Fromme, the McTavish Brothers donated a 5 hectare piece of land around the newly constructed Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge in the hopes that a park would attract people to the real estate development.

Bryan (with Luffy) and Cheska crossing the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

The  District of North Vancouver added another 4 hectares to create the original Lynn Canyon Park. On September 14, 2012, the park was formally opened.  In 1991, the District of North Vancouver added another 241 hectares to the park, making it one of the largest and most popular parks in Metro Vancouver.

View of Lynn Creek from the suspension bridge

This forested park features stunning creek and waterfall views and hiking trails through the temperate rainforest, a relatively rare ecosystem that extends along the coast of Alaska and British Columbia down to northern California. In the rainy months of the year, mist rises from the canyon and the creek rises dramatically.

Grace and the author at Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

Rangers are on site in July and August to offer walking tours and information about the area’s flora and fauna. For advanced hikers, there are trails that lead directly to Grouse or Seymour Demonstration Forest, in addition to nice cycling trails.  Due to its natural landscape many TV series such as Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis used the area for filming.

Cheska and Grace hiking the dirt trail

From Holdom Station, we took the SkyTrain to Gilmore Station, then took Bus 28 to Phibbs Exchange and, finally, the 20-min., 4-km. Bus 227, from Bay 12 Station, to the Westbound Peters Road@Duval Station.  From there, it was just a short walk to the entrance of Lynn Canyon Park.

Moss-covered trees

Past the entrance, we passed by the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre (has over 80 informative nature videos, on a large screen, about the plants and animals of the temperate rainforest and environmental issues, plus a nature-themed gift shop) on the left and Lynn Canyon Cafe (they serve fresh siphon coffee, lattes and more, crepes for breakfast and burgers, hot dogs, pasta, fish and chips for lunch) on the right.

A large boulder amidst tall stands of trees

A very popular area for hiking, we tried the 2.6-km. Lynn Canyon loop trail (one of 7 easy hiking trails), open year-round, which is generally considered a relatively easy route to hike (though not wheelchair or stroller friendly), taking an average of 50 mins. to complete.

In this free, self-guided adventure, there are three major attractions along this loop – the  Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, Twin Falls and the 30-Foot pool. Dogs are welcome here, but must be on a leash so we did just that for Luffy.

While exploring the trail that was surrounded by second growth western red cedar, Douglas-fir, and Western hemlock trees draped with moss, we encountered a lot of people. Although there are quite a number of wooden stairs (a bit challenging for beginners), it was still a great family friendly trail, with lots of options for different level hikers. There were multiple photo-worthy stops along the route, especially as it was summer.

The first major attraction we encountered was the  Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge.  On the way to the bridge, we espied a small, thin waterfall.  The bridge was used in Disney’s Descendants (as part of Auradon) that leads to Lynn Canyon’s 30 Foot Pool (used as the Enchanted Lake).  The bridge was also featured in the MacGyver episode “The Invisible Killer.”

Though not as long as the one at the widely-advertised Capilano Suspension Bridge, this 40-m. (130-ft.) long, wooden plank suspension bridge, built in 1912, is a good one and a different experience than its complement, offering a rustic and jiggling adventure, and the views from it are equally spectacular.

The author

If you want to see a suspension bridge but don’t want to pay for the one at Capilano Suspension Bridge, then this is the place to go as it’s less commercial and some people actually prefer it. About 50 m. (167 ft., the height of a 15-storey building) above the beautiful clear pools and rivers of Lynn Creek, it was just wide enough for two people to pass each other. Originally, visitors paid 10 cents (later reduced to 5 cents) to cross the bridge. Today, it’s free to cross the bridge.

The 30 Foot Pool

On the north side of the suspension bridge, the trail to the left lead us northwest through the park and a short walk took us to the popular 30-Foot pool, one of the most popular locations among tourists and locals and a safe place to swim compared to some of the river’s other sections. It was a very large area, with great spots for a picnic, and featured a beautiful swimming hole.

Visitors getting ready to dive, off rocks, into the 30 Foot Pool

As it was summer, a number of visitors were taking a quick refreshing swim to cool off. Others were also jumping off rocks and into the water (it looked extremely dangerous).  However, even in the summer months, the water is almost always extremely cold. If you are looking for a quiet place to sit by the river, this is the spot.

L-R: the author, Jandy, Grace, Cheska, Kyle and Bryan (with Luffy)

Beginning at the 30-Foot pool, we ascended one big flight of stairs and ended up at the start of the trail heading to the Northern region of the park, the Seymour Demonstration Forest and Rice Lake entrance (another beautiful location for walking around and fishing) which is about a further 20-min. walk away.

Stair leading up to the northern part of the park

As we did not wish to venture into these areas, we took the wooden boardwalks and trails that loops back towards the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge.

East of the suspension bridge is Twin Falls  which can be accessed from either side of the suspension bridge.  If we did not cross the bridge from the main entrance, we could have proceeded east, past the Lynn Canyon Café, and followed the trail down towards the river.

Twin Falls Bridge

Twin Falls is less accessible than the 30-Foot pool and not as popular among visitors but we still wanted to get to Twin Falls so, right after the bridge, we headed south (south is right and north is left) followed a series of boardwalks, steps and staircases to Twin Falls. There was a sign that pointed us in the right direction.

View of Lynn Creek from Twin Falls Bridge

In less than 20 mins., we descended down to Twin Falls Bridge where we had a beautiful view of  Twin Falls, below the bridge, which is not large or high but rather just a section of rapids that drop a bit just under the bridge.   The hike back up the canyon took us up two large flights of wooden stairs back up the canyon on the other side (just a short walk back to where we started).

Twin Falls below the bridge

A diverse hiking experience along wooden stairs and boardwalks, the river and dirt trails, Lynn Canyon truly is a nice place for everyone.  Here, you can take your time hiking and enjoy the fresh air.  Even late in the day, the sun stayed with us most of the time.

From Twin Falls Bridge, ascending another flight of stairs

Lynn Canyon Ecology Center: 3663 Park Road, North Vancouver, British Columbia V7J 3G3, Canada.  Tel: 604-990-3755.  Email: ecocentre@dnv.org.  Website: www.ecologycentre.ca and www.lyncanyon.ca.  Open Mondays to Fridays, 10 AM to 4 PM, and weekends, 12 noon to 4 PM. Coordinates: 49°20′02″N 123°01′03″W. Walk in visits are accepted if space is available (maximum 15 people inside at a time). Proof of Vaccination required for ages 12 and up. Masks required for ages 5 and up. Admission is free but donations are accepted (suggested $2 per person).

How to Get There: the nearest bus stations are Eastbound Peters Rd @ Duval Rd. (a 492 m./7-min. walk), Northbound Lynn Valley Rd. @ Burrill Ave. (a 715 m./10-min. walk) and Northbound Underwood Ave. @ Evelyn St. (a 1.219 km./16-min. walk). Buses leave Lonsdale Quay about once every 15 mins. on weekdays (or 30 minutes on weekends and holidays). The ride on Bus #228, from Lonsdale Quay, takes just over 30 mins.

Sculpture Garden (Seattle Center, Washington, USA)

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The Seattle Center landscape is dotted with art and architectural works that together form urban vistas of mixed form and scale. The Sculpture Garden, at Broad Street Green, a nearly three-acre open space, is framed by the retro-futuristic backdrop of the Space Needle and the post-modern Experience Music Project building.  It is made up of four unique pieces.

Check out “Space Needle“

Sculpture Garden

Ronald Bladen’s Black Lightning  (1981), a striking, black-painted monumental steel sculpture, is currently sited in the Sculpture Garden southeast of the Space Needle. Measuring 355.6 x 1706.9 x 1120.1 cms. (140 x 672 x 441 in.), it’s simple Z-shape outlines the iconic form of lightning and sharp edges, formed from the juncture of acute angles, animate the black steel bolt with alternating planes of light and shadow. Two polygonal bases, reminiscent of blacksmith’s anvils, support the sculpture.

Black Lightning (Ronald Bladen, 1981, painted steel)

The Alexander Liberman‘s Olympic Iliad (also known as Pasta Tube), a 1984 orange-red painted steel sculpture consisting of large steel cylinders cut at different angles and lengths, is installed in 1984 on the lawn southwest from the Space Needle. It was featured on the cover of Brazilian musician Amon Tobin‘s album Bricolage.

Olympic Iliad (Alexander Liberman, 1984, painted steel)

Doris Chase’s Moon Gates, a group of three bronze sculptures, from 9′ to 17′ tall, that play with oppositions inspired by space and form, was installed in 1999 and is located in the Sculpture Garden just south of the Space Needle. In the artwork, two sculptures (one rhomboid and one ovoid), with convex surfaces, are each pierced by a circular hole. The third sculpture’s concave surface also contains a round void at its center but its missing piece can be found attached to the top of the sculpture on a bearing that rotates. A gift to the city of Seattle by Seattle Center Foundation, Chase’s Moon Gates was selected, with Alexander Liberman’s relocated Olympic Iliad, as the completing piece for the garden.

Moon Gates (Doris Chase, 1999, bronze)

Moses, a black-painted, mild steel sculpture by American Tony Smith (1912-1980, is located just northeast of the base of the Space Needle.  Fabricated in 1969 and measuring 460 x 350 x 223.5 cms. (181 1/8 x 137 13/16 x 88 in.), it has been on the Center’s grounds since 1975.  The abstract sculpture, weighing 5,500 lbs., is a geometrical abstract composition consisting of connected solid black steel volumes. It is the first major art acquisition under the city’s 1% for Art program.

Moses (Tony Smith, 1975, painted steel)

Sculpture Garden:  Broad Street Green, Broad and John Street, Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington

Queen Elizabeth Park (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

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Queen Elizabeth Park

As Grace, Jandy, Bryan, grandson Kyle and I, with our dog Luffy, didn’t make it in time to visit the Van Dusen Gardens, we decided to, instead, just visit the nearby 52-hectare (130-acre) Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver’s horticultural jewel, which was just a 1.6-km. walk via Oak Street and West 33rd Street.  This municipal park, located approximately 125 m. (410 ft.) above sea level on top of Little Mountain (the highest point in Vancouver proper), at the geographic center of Vancouver, attracts more than 6 million visitors a year.

Entering the park

It is the location of former basalt quarries (dug in the beginning of the twentieth century to provide materials for roads in the city) that has been converted into a beautiful city park with peaceful flower gardens and trees and stunning panoramic views. It features a rose garden, the meticulously manicured Quarry Garden and an arboretum with about 1,500 native and exotic trees.

Before European settlement, the park was an old-growth forest and a spawning ground for salmon frequented by grey wolves, elk and bears. In the 1870s, settling began in earnest and the population exterminated the grey wolves, elk and bears, chopped down all the old growth forest and paved over the salmon creeks. The salmon creeks that extended, from Queen Elizabeth Park to False Creek, do still exist today but, however, they have been paved over.

In 1936, the BC Tulip Association suggested, to the city’s park board, the creation of sunken gardens within the old quarries and, by the end of that decade, the site had been turned over to the Vancouver Park Board for park and recreation purposes.

During their visit to Vancouver in 1939, King George VI, and his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the mother of Queen Elizabeth II), as King and Queen of Canada, dedicated the park. From that time, with a generous donation from the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, park staff incrementally transformed the overgrown hillsides into Canada’s first civic arboretum.

The typically meticulously maintained Queen Elizabeth Park, one of Vancouver‘s most popular outdoor spaces (second only to Stanley Park), is a very popular area for walking near Vancouver and a great place for us to spend an afternoon.  Its 2.3-km. loop trail, generally considered an easy route, takes an average of 34 mins. to complete. Often a bit busy, the park offers paved paths, hills, ponds, and lots of flowers. There is also an off leash dog park.

Check out “Stanley Park”

Bloedel Floral Conservatory

The most prominent structure in the park is the domed Bloedel Floral Conservatory, the country’s first geodesic conservatory, funded by Prentice Bloedel’s gift of $1.25 million (the largest the city of Vancouver had received to that date).  The 43 m. (140 ft.) diameter, 21 m. (70 ft.) high triodetic dome frame, manufactured entirely in Ottawa, was shipped 3,000 miles across the country to Queen Elizabeth Park. Upon arrival, the structural framework was erected in just 10 days and the entire dome and plaza took 18 months to complete. On December 6, 1969, it was opened amidst much jubilation.

Conservatory entrance

Its enclosed tropical garden, with three different climate zones, houses 500 exotic plants and flowers (bougainvilleas, browallias, citrus trees, coffee trees, eucalypti, epiphytes, euphorbia, various figs, gardenia, hibiscus, magnolia trees, lilies, yucca with pteris, etc.), more than 120 free-flying tropical birds plus an array of tropical fish. It might take you about 20 minutes to get through, depending on how interested you are in tropical plants.  Too bad it was already closed during our visit.

Dancing Fountain

Kyle frolicking at the Dancing Fountain

As it was summer, kids (including Kyle) couldn’t resist playing in the Dancing Waters fountain display beside the Celebration Pavilion. Since the park sits at the highest point in Vancouver, we had had beautiful photo opportunities of spectacular views of the city skyline of Vancouver and the Coast Mountains and shoreline from the Grace McCarthy (named after the late Vice-Chairman of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation) Plaza and at a lookout by the Bloedel Floral Conservatory.

Grace McCarthy Plaza

Lions Clock donated in April 1995 by the Vancouver Mandarin Lions Club and the Kowloon Lions Club (Hong Kong) to commemorate the twinning of the two clubs

Several sculptures are scattered throughout the plaza.  Beside the Dancing Fountain is the bronze sculpture “Knife Edge Two Piece 1962–65,” created by noted British artist Henry Moore.  Bought at a cost of $150,000 (part of $1.25 million donation), it was unveiled during the opening day of the new Bloedel Floral Conservatory in 1969.  With neither front or back, the sculpture was meant to be seen from all angles and, as you move around, from the west and east sides.

Knife Edge Two Piece (Henry Moore)

At a lookout by the Bloedel Floral Conservatory is the bronze, life-size, multi-figure sculpture The Photo Session, one of the “man in the street” series of sculptures created by American sculptor J. Seward Johnson, Jr. (born 1930 and heir of the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune) and installed in 1984.

The Lookout

View from the Lookout

It depicts a man with a camera photographing three people (two women and a man).  Real people, like us, joined the appealing statues to have our pictures taken.

Photo Session – The Photographer (Seward Johnson)

In June 2008, the figure of the photographer was stolen by metal thieves but was, fortunately, found abandoned and unharmed, two months later, in an Aldergrove field.

Photo Session – The Subjects (Seward Johnson)

We were planning to dine at the highly rated Seasons in the Park, located right at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park but tables by the window and the al fresco dining area, both wonderful places from which to enjoy the views, were full. US Pres. William “Bill” Clinton and Russian Federation Pres. Boris Yeltsin dined here on April 3, 1993.

Seasons in the Park

Seasons in the Park interior

Instead, we went down a trail to the popular Quarry Gardens.  Redesigned by Park Board Deputy Superintendent Bill Livingstone, it was unveiled in the early 1960s.

Quarry Garden

It is similar, in some ways, to the famous Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens in Victoria (British Columbia’s capital city) which we visited just two days ago.  Both beautiful and located on the former site of a mining rock quarry.

Check out “Butchart Gardens”

Grace, Kyle and Jandy at the Quarry Garden

On a lookout above the Quarry Garden is the 5.5 m. (18 ft.) diameter and 4.3 m. (14 ft.) high Love in the Rain sculpture, designed and fabricated with stainless steel by well-known Vancouver artist Bruce Voyce, was installed in August 2016.

Love in the Rain (Bruce Voyce)

This new public art project, embodying love in the temperate forest, depicts four entwined couples celebrating the shelter that love brings and the union that it forms.  The public was invited to celebrate their love by lovingly attaching locks to the skirts of each couple.  It has an integrated receptacle on site for the keys to be melted down to become part of a future sculpture.

Celebration Pavilion

 

Other attractions in the park include a Painters’ Corner, a pitch and putt golf course, Little Mountain disc golf course, tennis courts, lawn bowling club and offers tai chi and jogging. Several episodes of the long running TV show Stargate SG-1 were filmed there. Aside from summer, the best times to visit Queen Elizabeth Park are in the spring (for the flowers) and fall (for the autumn leaves).

Painters’ Corner

Queen Elizabeth Park: 4600 Cambie St. cor. 33rd Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 5L1, Canada. Tel: (604) 873-7000. Admission to the park is free.    Bloedel Floral Conservatory admission: $8 (adult). Coordinates: 49°14′32″N 123°06′54″W.

How to Get There: Queen Elizabeth Park is located across the street from the Hillcrest Aquatic Centre (at 4575 Clancy Loranger Way) and Nat Bailey Stadium (where the Vancouver Canadians baseball team plays and where the Riley Park Farmers Market takes place). The park is also accessible, via the Canada Line, on the SkyTrain.  The Oakridge-41st Avenue Station and the King Edward SkyTrain Station are within walking distance of the park. There is free on-street parking down the hill though on Cambie St. and along West 29th Ave. and Midlothian Ave., by the northern end of the park.

Buchart Gardens (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)

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Butchart Gardens

From Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, Grace, Jandy, Cheska, Kyle and I, with our dog Luffy, rode on a double-decker Bus 72 (we missed the direct, one-hour Bus 81), operated by Victoria Regional Transit System, for the nearly 40-min. drive to Saanichton then transferred to a single-deck Bus 75 for the nearly 30-min. drive to get to the world-renowned Butchart Gardens, an absolute must see when traveling to Victoria.

Butchart garden Sign. L-R: the author, Jandy, Kyle and Grace

The lush, 22.3-hectare (55-acre) Butchart Gardens, a group of floral display gardens, located on the Saanich Peninsula, near Victoria on Vancouver Island, has delighted visitors from all around the world with its over a million awe-inspiring bedding blooms (in some 900 varieties) and unique plantings, receiving over a million visitors each year.

The iconic water wheel

It is consistently rated among the world’s most beautiful garden attractions and top places to go to in Canada by USA Today, CNN Travel, Condé Nast, National Geographic, Tripadvisor and Frommer’s and more.

Waterwheel Square

Started by Robert Pim Butchart (1856–1943) and his wife Jennie Butchart (1866–1950), ownership of The Gardens still remains within the Butchart family and, since 2001, the owner and managing director is Robin-Lee Clarke, the Butcharts’ great-granddaughter.

Here is the historical timeline of the gardens:

  • In 1888, Robert Pim Butchartbegan manufacturing Portland cement  near his birthplace of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife Jennie Butchart came to the west coast of Canada because of its rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production.
  • In 1904, they established their home near his quarry on Tod Inlet at the base of the Saanich Peninsulaon Vancouver Island.
  • In 1908, the Bucharts named their home “Benvenuto” (“welcome” in Italian)
  • In 1909, when the limestone quarry was exhausted, Jennie wanted to recreate some natural beauty from the remains of her husband’s mined-out industrial quarry site so she set about turning it into the Sunken Garden, transferring top soil by horse and cart. She commissioned Isaburo Kishida, a 67 year-old garden designer from Yokohama, Japan (he built a wildly popular tea gardenfor Esquimalt Gorge Park in 1907) before he returned to Japan in 1912.
  • In 1921, the Sunken Garden was completed and they began to receive visitors to their gardens.
  • In 1926, they replaced their tennis courts with an Italian garden
  • In 1929, the Bucharts replaced their kitchen vegetable garden with a large rose garden to the design of Butler Sturtevantof Seattle. Samuel Maclure, who was consultant to the Butchart Gardens, reflected the aesthetic of the English Arts and Crafts Movement.
  • In 1939, they gave the Gardens to their grandson Robert Ian Ross (1918–1997) on his 21st birthday. Ross was involved in the operation and promotion of the gardens until his death 58 years later.
  • In 1946, Ann-Lee Ross, Robert Ian Ross’ wife, opened the Benvenuto Tea House (now called the Dining Room) and continued the tradition of serving afternoon teato guests.
  • In 1953, to mark the 50th anniversary of The Gardens, miles of underground wiring were laid to provide night illumination.
  • In 1964, the ever-changing Ross Fountain was installed in the lower reservoir to celebrate the 60th anniversary.
  • In 1977, during summer Saturday evenings, Christopher Ross (1944–2000), Robert Ian Ross’s son, introduced firework shows accompanied by show tunes, choreographing them until his death in 2000.
  • In 1982, the Butchart Gardens was used as the inspiration for the gardens at the Canadianpavilion opened at Epcot Centre in Orlando Florida.
  • In 1993, to commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary, the “Circle of Doves,” given by Ann-Lee Ross to her husband Ian in 1991, was installed in front of the Begonia Bower.
  • In 1994, the Canadian Heraldic Authoritygranted a coat of arms to the Butchart Gardens.
  • On September 9, 2004, two totem poles were installed and dedicated to mark the 100th anniversary.
  • That same year, The Gardens were designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.
  • In the summer of 2008, The Gardens introduced the Jennie B, an electrically driven 12-passenger boat, which plies the local coastlines in the summer giving visitors an appreciation of the waterside history plus coastal aquatic plants and animals.
  • On December 1, 2009 the Children’s Pavilion and the Rose (or Menagerie) Carousel were opened to the public.

Begonia Bower

While Jennie Butchart collected plants, Robert Pim Butchart collected ornamental birds from all over the world (he had a parrot in the house, ducks in the Star Pond and peacocks on the front lawn). Robert also built several elaborate birdhouses for the gardens and trained pigeons on the site of the present-day Begonia Bower.

In the early days, Mr. and Mrs. Butchart often hosted weekly symphony concerts for guests of the family but, later, attracted a larger audience. More recently, during the summer season (July and August) and the winter holiday season, they provide a wide range of local entertainment, from jazz to classical music.

Also, The Weeds (a band made up of staff members from The Gardens) sometimes plays during the summer season, During winter, lights and seasonal decorations adorn the gardens along with an ice-skating rink in the Waterwheel Square.

Upon payment of the admission fee, we were ushered into Waterwheel Square, our starting point, which was aptly named after a lovely waterwheel beside the entrance. The statue of a wild boar, in the heart of the square, was cast in Florence by Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry and purchased in 1973 during a family trip to Italy and installed the next year.

Butchart Boar

The snout of this replica of the Cinghiale, a 1620 marble statue (displayed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence) by Pietro Tacca (in honor of the sculptor, it is called “Tacca”) is, just like the original, shiny from the many visitors rubbing it for good luck. In front of the residence is another nearby statue, by Sirio Tofanari, of a donkey and foal.

Check out “Uffizi Gallery”

Donkey and Foal (Sirio Tofanari)

Buchart Gardens encompasses five separate gardens: the Sunken Gardens, the Rose Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Italian garden and the Mediterranean Garden.   To keep these gardens looking impeccable, they have 26 greenhouses and employ 50 full-time gardeners, 12 part-time gardeners as well as 550 staff during peak season.  With regards irrigation supply, the gardens are entirely self-sufficient as, every year, millions of liters of rainwater are collected, via runoff, from the parking lots and stored in a number of reservoirs and wells.

Laurel Walk

From the flower-lined Laurel Walk, a pathway on the left led to the Begonia Bower which was overflowing with hanging baskets of begonias and fuchsias. Designed in 1917 by Samuel Maclure as a “Chinaman’s Cottage,” it was later renamed the Gardener’s Cottage, circa 1950.

Above the Sunken Garden

Past the Laurel Walk is the top of “the Mound,” a massive limestone rock embankment (designed by Raoul Robillard) rising, above the switch back stairs, from the center of the iconic, 5-acre Sunken Gardens, the crown jewel of the Butchart Gardens.

The pair of Arbor vitae trees

Flanking the main path are an iconic pair of Thuja occidentalis Fastigiata trees (Arbor vitae), commonly called the “tree of life,” planted by Jennie in 1930 (they are now on their third pair). The Mound has spectacular views of the garden including the tall chimney of the long vanished kiln. To the left of the cement stack are six Lombardy poplars (Populas nigra italica) planted by Jennie in 1910 to hide the cement factory.

Once a pile of rock and rubble, the quiet and peaceful Sunken Garden is, as the name suggests, located below road level. The first land reclamation project in the world, the garden, dotted with benches, boasts 151 flower beds, 65,000 bulbs planted for spring and cradles an impressive assortment of flowers, trees and shrubs.

The Sunken Garden

A path, from here, winds past the undulating and spectacular Ross Fountain, installed in 1964 by Robert Ian Ross (Jennie and Robert’s grandson) to celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Butchart Gardens.  The fountain is surrounded by a rotating selection of seasonal blooms.

Ross Fountain

In summer, during The Gardens Night Illuminations displays, it comes alive as magical lighting effects dance across its waters.  Another path leads to the serene pond of the Bog Garden which is surrounded by weeping-willows.

Bog Garden

From the Sunken Garden, a path led us, half-way through The Gardens, to the 700 sq. m. (7,500 sq. ft.) Children’s Pavilion, which has a dome with a 23-m. (75 ft.) clear span, a full-fronted glass façade and a roof planted with native plant species.  It also has an event room for such things as children’s birthday parties.  Annabelle, the elegant bronze carousel horse sculpted by Nathan Scott, is located next to the pavilion.

Children’s Pavilion

Housed within is the popular Rose (or Menagerie) Carousel, the only carousel on Vancouver Island.  The carousel was crafted by Brass Ring Entertainment of Sun Valley, California.  The brightly painted and hand-carved wooden menagerie, mirroring the world from which The Gardens draws its visitors, includes thirty animals ranging from bears, to horses, to ostriches, to zebras, to cats.

Rose (or Menagerie) Carousel

In consultation with an artist from North Carolina, Robin Clarke (the gardens’ owner and great-granddaughter of Jennie Butchart) handpicked the design of each animal carving.  Done by some of the few remaining carvers of carousel art, they were carved from basswood and took many months to complete. There are also two chariots able to accommodate disabled persons.  Kyle didn’t want to miss out on the carousel so, accompanied by Jandy, tried it out ($2 per person).

Concert Lawn and Stage

Across from the pavilion is the Concert Lawn and Stage.  Here, between 1953 and 1967, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Hans Gruber), under the sponsorship of Mr. and Mrs. Ian Ross, performed summer concerts on the main lawn. The concerts also featured many international artists such as Teresa Stratas, Bernard Turgeon and Grace Bumbry. On occasion, guest conductors were also invited to lead the orchestra.

Organ Pavilion

Nearby is the Organ Pavilion, the original dairy barn which now houses the Aeolian Pipe Organ played at The Butchart Gardens. Fully playable manually, this organ boasts just under one thousand individual pipes, a set of twenty tubular chimes and a forty-nine note percussive harp.

California Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens, 1934)

Located on a back path behind the Concert Lawn are tallest of two California redwoods (Sequioia sempervirens) which were planted as seedlings Afred Shiner, former Head Gardener, in 1934.

Totem poles

Another path led us to two 9.1 m. (30-ft.) high and 1.2-m. (4-ft.) wide totem poles dedicated on September 9, 2004 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of The Butchart Gardens, they are a recognition of the rich cultural heritage provided by the First Nations peoples.

Eagle with Salmon, Orca, Bear with Salmon

Raven, Beaver with Grouse, Otter with Pups & Clam, Frog

The “Eagle with Salmon, Orca, Bear with Salmon” was carved in Contemporary Coast Salish style by master carver Doug LaFortune of the Tsawout First Nation while the “Raven, Beaver with Grouse, Otter with Pups & Clam, Frog” was carved in Classic Coast Salish style by master carver Charles Elliot of the Tsartlip Nation.

Seed & Fireworks Field

Nearby is the Seed and Fireworks Field.  The land here was purchased in 1903 from Mr. Fernie, a local dairy farmer. In 1969, a reservoir was excavated to ensure a water supply for irrigation and a single jet fountain was installed to aerate the water supply in the largest reservoir. Today, the fountain is now the focal point of a fireworks display.

Dragon Fountain

On our way to the Rose Gardens, we passed by the striking bronze Dragons Fountain, the newest addition to The Gardens.  A gift from Suzhou (Victoria’s sister city) and the People’s Republic in China in 2015, at night, color-changing LED lights create beautiful scenes in the waters of this peaceful fountain.

Rose Garden

The vibrant Rose Garden, in the center of the grounds, brims with an impressive collection of seven types and at least 280 varieties of roses.  From summer to early fall, this heavenly scented garden bursts to life with 2,500 rose plants.

The 30 arches, intertwined with large sprays of rambler, floribunda, climber and hybrid tea roses, is a favorite spot for a stroll.

Fountain of the Three Sturgeons

On our way to the Japanese Gardens, we passed by the Fountain of the Three Sturgeons, once the location of a large Japanese teahouse. This bronze fountain of three dancing sturgeon, purchased in 1973, is the first casting (by the Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry) from the enlargement of a work created by Sirio Tofanari in 1958. Visitors often sit on the surrounding benches and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the fountain.

Torii (Japanese gate)

A torii gate, marked the entrance, to the quiet, 1-acre Japanese Garden.  The gate is flanked, on each side, by magnificent purple European copper beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea) planted in 1906.  The first of Jennie Butchart’s formal gardens, it was started in 1906. In her design, Jennie was assisted by 67 year-old, Japanese landscape artist Isaburo Kishida.  Under the supervision of Hugh Lindsay (the first of Mrs. Buchart’s head gardeners), laborers from the cement works implemented Kishida’s plan.

A scenic relaxation sanctuary, it is home to 500 rhododendrons and azaleas, 74 Japanese maple trees (Acer palmatum dissectum), moss-covered grounds as well as 200 m. of trickling streams.  The European beech trees and Japanese maple trees (at the head of the stone stairs leading down to the garden) are the oldest non-native trees in the Buchart Gardens.  Himalayan Blue Poppies blossom in the spring.

Star Pond

From the Japanese Garden, a path led us to the fantastic, 21,780 sq. ft. Italian Garden.  Once the Butchart family’s tennis court, it was designed by famous architect Samuel Maclure and completed in 1929.  The garden is home to 22,000 bulbs and biennials as well as 18 flower beds and 85 varieties of plants.

Italian Garden

Two beautiful, flower-studded ponds are also located here – the Star Pond (originally designed for Mr. Butchart’s collection of live ornamental ducks) and a sophisticated, cross-shaped pond. Bronze statues and the nearby Gelateria Benvenuto bring a taste of Italy to the grounds.

Mediterranean Garden

We almost missed the diminutive and quaint, 21,780 sq. ft. Mediterranean Garden which was hidden near the parking lot.  A homage to Vancouver Island’s Mediterranean climate, it hosts an array of 110 varieties of exotic plants (in 9 garden beds), ranging from electric-blue delphinium to massive-leafed banana plants and one awe-inspiring agave plant.

Coffee Shop

The food and beverage outlets within The Gardens are the Coffee Shop (salted caramel mocha;  Oh Canada latte; fresh, house-made shortbread cookie; etc.), The Dining Room Restaurant, Gelateria Benvenuto in the Italian Garden (12 locally-inspired flavors of ice-cold gelato) and the cafeteria-style Blue Poppy Restaurant.

Blue Poppy Restaurant

Buchart Gardens: 800 Benvenuto Ave., Brentwood Bay, near Victoria, British Columbia V8M 1J8.  E-mail: email@butchartgardens.com. Website: www.buchartgardens.com. Open daily, 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM (up to 10 PM during summer, June 15 to September 3).  Tel: +1 250-652-4422.  Coordinates: 48°33′55″N 123°28′10″W.

Admission (including tax):

  • Spring 2022 (April 1–June 14): CAD 35.40 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 17.70 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 2.00 (child, 5–12 years old)
  • Summer 2022 (June 15–September 30): CAD 38.00 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 19.00 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 3.00 (child, 5–12 years old)
  • Fall 2022 (October 1–October 31): CAD 31.80 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 15.90 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 2.00 (child, 5–12 years old)
  • November 1–November 30: CAD 24.75 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 12.40 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 2.00 (child, 5–12 years old)
  • Christmas 2022 (December 1–January 6): CAD 34.00 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 17.00 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 3.00 (child, 5–12 years old).

Waterfront Park (North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

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Waterfront Park

Upon arrival at Lonsdale Quay and exiting the ferry terminal, Grace, Jandy, Bryan, Kyle and I turned to the left and, after walking less than 180 m., reached snug Waterfront Park on the banks of Vancouver Harbor. Here, there are plenty of walking trails for us to get immersed in nature, irrespective of weather.

One of the first parks in British Columbia, in the 1800s, the area of Waterfront Park was originally a sawmill. When the mill closed, the place was redeveloped and turned into a park which officially opened in 1985, just in time for Expo ’86.

Perfect for a family picnic on a nice day, wheelchair and buggy accessible Waterfront Park has plenty of benches, picnic tables and places to sit throughout the park, as well as a children’s play park. Also found within the park are a dock (Goldsworthy Dock), a large grassy area, a dog park, a small Japanese garden, a maritime memorial and restrooms. There were also several artists selling their creations.

Children’s play park

Frequently, on summer weekends, the park is activated with a festival with food, flea markets and events such as Philippine Days (cultural event in June) and Canada Day Celebrations (July 1).  Caribbean Days, a cultural festival in July, used to happen in Waterfront Park until it moved to Coquitlam in 2022.  In addition, this is a great place to watch the International Fireworks Competition from Stanley Park when it is on.

Waterfront Park is also one of about eight parks and other outdoor public venues where you can drink alcohol in public, subject to certain times and restrictions, in the City of North Vancouver. You don’t even have to buy it there as you can bring your own booze. Other venues where you can do that include Shipbuilders’ Square and Cates Deck near Lonsdale Quay, both of which are just a 5-min. walk from Waterfront Park.

Goldsworthy Dock

We strolled by the water, catching some beautiful and spectacular wide-angle views, either from the shore or the covered Goldsworthy Dock, of the Vancouver skyline, Lyons Gate Bridge and the Burrard Inlet. Here, we also watched the SeaBus come and go as well as other ships navigating the harbor.  Too bad we weren’t lucky enough to see a harbor seal or other marine mammals.

View of the Vancouver skyline from Goldsworthy Dock

We also passed some of the park’s collection of great public art honoring the history and culture of the area. Currently, within the park are three main pieces.

Cathedral (Douglas Senft)

Cathedral, the biggest and most noticeable piece of art, was created by Douglas Senft in 1985 and placed in the park in May 1986.  This archway of large flowing structural steel beams was bent and arranged to echo the outlines of the heavily-treed mountain peaks from North Vancouver to Howe Sound.

Although it’s tempting (especially for younger children), the city asks visitors not to climb on the artwork.

Harubang

A large, 9-ft. high statue called Harubang, made from porous Korean whinstone, is another notable piece of art along the waterfront. Donated to the community by South Korea to promote understanding and friendship between the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Incheon, it is similar to sculptures commonly found on Jeju Island to serve the dual function of guardian and boundary marker.

First Nations Theme Pavilion

The First Nations Theme Pavilion, at the southwest corner of the park, is also home to two Welcome Figures.  Representing a grandfather and grandmother welcoming visitors to the Great Trail, it was carved by a Squamish Nation artist.

A Welcome Figure

Not far from the First Nations Theme Pavilion is the Sailor’s Point Memorial commemorates the sailors lost in the North Atlantic during World War II. The memorial is designed like a compass with plaques and signs describing the history of the area.

Sailor’s Point Memorial

Waterfront Park: Block 200, Esplanade W, North Vancouver, British Columbia V7M 1A5.  Tel: (604) 985-7761.

How to Get There: Waterfront Park is just a 12-minute Seabus ride away, across Burrard Inlet, from Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay in the Lower Lonsdale District of North Vancouver. The park is just a 10-min. walk away.

Cathedral Square (Vancouver, Canada)

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Facing the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Cathedral Square is a public plaza in downtown Vancouver filled with magnolias and ginkgo trees. It was designed by Bruno Freschi and completed in 1986, just in time for the World’s Fair, as a component of a major BC Hydro underground substation on the site which supplies power to the downtown core.

Check out “Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary”

Cathedral Square

Just north of its reflecting pool and fountain are six pillars that support a canopy structure (which previously had protective glass for inclement weather protection, but it was removed due to upkeep costs) over a paved, terraced area with seating.

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary as seen from the square

In May 2021, the under-utilized plaza had a makeover that helped activate the space into a site of renewal and celebration, becoming a re-energized public space that will celebrate the visual culture of the three local nations – Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh.

The reflecting pool

The square’s six massive concrete cylinder columns at the northeast corner of the intersection of Dunsmuir Street and Richards Street, just across from the cathedral, were used as a blank canvas for a First Nations-themed mural called “Blanketing the City IV,” the fourth in a series of first large-scale public art collaboration between weaving artists. Other past works were applied to the two pillars of the Granville Street Bridge, below Granville Island, and the southern facade of the former Biltmore Hotel at 395 Kingsway, now used as supportive housing.

Mural of “Blanketing the City IV”

The design of the installation, organized by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and the Vancouver Mural Festival, is a collaboration between Musqueam artist Debra Sparrow (involved in the revival of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm or Musqueam weaving for 25+ years), Squamish chief and accomplished weaver (co-founder of the L’hen Awtxw Weaving House) and teacher Janice George (Sḵwxwú7mesh) and the Tsleil-Waututh’s Angela George (səlilwətaɬ) who has dedicated her career to the betterment of First Nations people and communities.

Cathedral Square: 566 Richards St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1X4.

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo, Manila)

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Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz

The 1,460 sq. m. (15,715 sq. ft.), ellipse-shaped (unlike other plazas in Manila) Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz (or Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz),  a major public square fronting the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo Church), one of the main churches of the City of Manila, is considered the center of Binondo as a whole. It is bounded by Quintin Paredes Street (formerly Calle Rosario) to the east and Juan Luna Street (formerly Calle Anloague) to the west, parallel to the Estero de Binondo.

Check out “Minor Basilica and National Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz“

Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz

Originally called the Plaza de Binondo (sometime in the 1700s or 1800s), and then Plaza Carlos IV (after Charles IV of Spain), the plaza was eventually renamed Plaza Calderón de la Barca (often shortened to Plaza Calderón), after the famous Spanish playwright Pedro Calderon de la Barca later in the 19th century. It is believed that the plaza may have been renamed after Calderón either by the then-sitting Governor-General, or by the Dominican friars who had adored his works and who were, at the time running the Binondo Church.

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz was created to serve as the largest plaza (originally an open grass field) of Binondo, the settlement of for Chinese migrants arriving in Manila which was established in 1594 on the northern bank of the Pasig River by then Governor-General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas. During the Spanish colonial period, the plaza was a hub for economic activity, now surrounded by trees and tipped with two large fountains, both of which still stand today.

Trade around the area increased with the completion of the Binondo Church in 1854, and several large buildings and mansions were built around the plaza. During American rule, economic activity continued to grow in Binondo, and the plaza, alongside other major plazas in Manila, was a busy center of activity, being also well-served by Manila’s pre-World War II tram network.

A small Chinese shrine

During the Battle of Manila in 1945, the plaza was spared and economic activity in Binondo recovered thereafter.  However, around the 1960s, the area around the plaza started declining when most business activity shifted from Manila to Makati and Cubao in Quezon City.

Fountain at northwest corner

On September 12, 1981, by virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 133, the plaza was renamed after Lorenzo Ruiz, one of the Martyrs of Japan and the protomartyr of the Philippines.  In 2005, during the tenure of Lito Atienza, Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz was redeveloped by the Manila city government with help from the Metrobank Foundation (which donated Php3 million for the project). A perimeter fence which previously circled around the plaza was removed. In 2014, during the tenure of Joseph Estrada, another redevelopment was completed.

Fountain at southeast corner

With a fountain on each end, Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz is paved with granite tiles and multicolored interlocking concrete bricks (similar to Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, with park benches, installed around the plaza’s perimeter, and a number of royal palm trees planted in the plaza’s center, complementing a number of existing narra trees. At night, the plaza is lit with 42 promenade lampposts, 32 floodlights and 24 uplights that have been installed at strategic points around the area.

Statue of San Lorenzo Ruiz (Eduardo Catrillo)

When the plaza (and the area in general) was in serious decline by the 1980s, the plaza became the repository for four monuments (two of which are over a century old), moved from nearby Plaza Cervantes and Plaza Goiti (now Plaza Lacson), which were cleared to make room for parking space.  A 12 ft. high, brass statue of Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz, repositioned to face the Binondo Church (where he was baptized and served as sacristan and clerk at the parish office), is the most notable monument.  Created by the late Filipino sculptor Eduardo Castrillo in 1989, it was installed during the 2005 rehabilitation.  A memorial to Chinese Filipino victims of World War II, behind the statue, was erected in 1995 by the Confederation of Filipino Chinese Veterans.

Memorial to Chinese-Filipino Victims of World War II

A small, unassuming and sadly not well-maintained monument to Joaquin Santa Marina (the founder of the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory), said to have been built in the late 19th century, is found at the southern end of the plaza. A taller obelisk, at the northern end of the plaza, dates back to 1911.  Erected in memory of Tomas Pinpin, the first Filipino printer, it was moved, from the smaller Plaza Cervantes (south of Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz), to the plaza in 1979.

Monument to Joaquin Santa Marina

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

Today, the park and plaza looks run-down and in a sorry state of neglect, with homeless people, beggars and vagrants using it as a clothes drying, sleeping and dining area. Trees are untrimmed, bushes overgrown and statues dirty and filled with graffiti.  Trash was everywhere. Surprisingly, both fountains were still functional. So sad…..

A number of notable structures, aside from the Binondo Church, are (or were) located within the vicinity of Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz. The aforementioned La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory, a filigreed construction of stone and cast iron opened in 1883 after the lifting of the Spanish tobacco monopoly three years earlier, was the largest building to have been built around the plaza. It was, however, destroyed by fire during the Battle of Manila and the site is now occupied by the Wellington Building, once the headquarters of the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank), founded by Chinese Filipino businessman George Ty, but still home to the Binondo offices of a number of Metrobank-affiliated companies.

Tomas Pinpin Monument (1918)

Beside it was the Hotel de Oriente, then the most popular hotel in Manila which also served as the erstwhile headquarters of the National Library of the Philippines.  National Hero José Rizal once stayed in Room 22.  In fact, Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz is mentioned in Chapter 4 of José Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tángere (where Crisostomo Ibarra reaches the plaza and its vicinity after attending Captain Tiago’s dinner party at his house on Calle Anloague). Unlike the La Insular Cigar and Cigarette Factory, the Hotel de Oriente was only partially destroyed in the Battle of Manila but it was demolished afterward and the site is now occupied by Tytana Plaza (home to the current Binondo offices of Metrobank). The Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar complex in Bagac, Bataan has a replica of the Hotel de Oriente.

Wellington Building

Also nearby, sandwiched between the Asia United Bank Building and the San Fernando Building, is the decrepit, century-old Pansiteria Macanista de Buen Gusto, a now crumbling 1880s wooden building, with dilapidated capiz shell windows, which was mentioned by José Rizal in the novel El Filibusterismo. In Chapter 25 of the novel (entitled “Smiles and Tears”), Rizal wrote that the panciteria was the venue of a meeting of 14 students where they ate pancit lang-lang while mocking the Spanish friars. Now owned by Ever New Realty and Development Corp., the building is a “Presumed Important Cultural Property” which means it is protected from being demolished.

Pansiteria Macanista de Buen Gusto

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz: Juan Luna St., Binondo, Manila. Coordinates: 14°36′01″N 120°58′26″E.

Benito Soliven View Deck and Flower Park (Isabela)

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Benito Soliven View Deck and Flower Park

After breakfast at The Sophia Hotel, our media group again boarded our provincial government-supplied airconditioned bus for our Discover Isabela Tour which would take us to two of the province’s Heritage Churches as well as an upcoming tourism leisure site.  Our tour first brought us to the town of Benito Soliven, just a 33-km. (1-hour) drive away via the Pan-Philippine Highway.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: The Sophia Hotel“

The partial medicine wheel garden

Our destination here was the Benito Soliven View Deck and Flower Park, a recreation area ideal for a mini-stroll or pictorial session. The focal point of the Flower Park was its partial medicine wheel garden. More than just a shape, in Native American folklore, medicine gardens serve as ceremonial sites, perhaps for healing ceremonies as medicine wheels build on the radiating energy of circles.

A 2-pax wickerwork basket

Gravel walkways, lined with shrubs, serve as its spokes.  At the moment, its center was dominated by a huge Christmas tree, a carryover from the holidays, and a circular concrete bench. Within the vicinity of the garden is a wishing well and a huge wicker basket where couples can sit and do Instagrammable selfies.  On their own, flower farms are sought after just for photos on social media.

A rustic view of the distant mountains, rice fields and the Pinakawan River

Another feature of the site is its awesome rustic view of mountains, rice fields and the Pinakawan River.  This scenery is best seen from a concrete view deck reached by a steel stairway.  At ground level, there’s a wickerwork ring chair and wooden platform with wooden benches and a heart-shaped wickerwork backdrop (another great backdrop for your Instagram feed). Truly, there’s something romantic about the idea of being in the middle of a flower garden and an awesome view.

An Instagram worthy site….

During our visit, we were treated to a merienda of turon, bananacue and buco juice, a fitting prelude to what’s next in store for us – the Sky Cycle (Zip Bike), a “rush” (due to the rush of emotions) which takes biking to another level.

The media group at the concrete view deck. The author is fourth from right

This would be my second try at this adrenaline-filled activity, the first being at the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park (CHAPS) in Bohol. The bicycle, minus the rubber tires, is securely joined to the zip line so there’s no problem balancing. All we had to do was pedal and feel the ride.

Check out “Chocolate Hills Adventure Park”

Suiting up for the Sky Cycle

After all suiting up with helmet and harness, Ms. Analiza “Azi” Andaya (outoftownblog) and Ms. Riza Divina (Abante) took first crack at it, followed by me and Ms. Marita “Ika” Roxas-Ysmael (YMV & Associates) and, finally, by Mr. Vince Samson (Asian Journal) and Mr. Neilsen Elesis (Woman’s Journal).

Riza and Ana trying out the Sky Cycle

It took some time to for me to feel at ease with the bike (it needed adjustment for my height) but, once adjusted on the return, I got the feel for it and the ride became more enjoyable and exciting.

The author and and exultant Ika (this is her first try on a bike zip) on the return trip (photo: Boy Santos of Philippine Star)

The piece de resistance of our visit, the Sky Cycle was truly an exciting, one-of-a-kind experience.

Benito Soliven View Deck and Flower Park: District I, Benito Soliven 3331, Isabela.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: Benito Soliven is located 426.8 kms. (an 8-hour drive) from Manila and 39 kms. (via Junction Naguilian – San Mariano – Palanan Rd. and Pan-Philippine Highway) from the City of Ilagan.

 

Japanese Tunnel (City of Ilagan, Isabela)

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Ilagan Japanese Tunnel

A lull in our 2020 Bambanti Festival proceedings allowed our 20-man media group to make a visit, via the provincial government-supplied airconditioned bus, to the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel, just a short 6.5-km. (15-min.) drive away from the Provincial Capitol.

Upon arrival, we were met and guided by Ms. Gemelet C. Amugauan of the Ilagan Sanctuary Tour Guide Association.  Inside the tunnel, we were not allowed to take pictures though.

Statues of Japanese soldiers guarding the entrance to the tunnel

This man-made war tunnel, part of the Japanese military headquarters during the 1942 to 1945 Japanese Occupation of the Philippines in World War II, was built with the sweat and blood of detained Ilagueños and is one of the few remaining tunnels in the province.

The Japanese tunnel

Aside from being the headquarters, it was also a weapons storage facility for bombs, explosives, guns and ammunition. Captured Filipino guerrillas were also imprisoned and tortured here.

The tunnel  measures about 40 m. long and 3.66 m.  in width and height. However, the real length of the tunnel has yet to be determined as the site has yet to be fully explored. 

Part of the exhibit

The tunnel was restored, reconditioned, and conserved by the city government and, on February 16, 2016, through City Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz,  was unveiled and opened to the public.

Stairway leading up to the watchtower

Inside the cave, Gemelet narrated the history of the place and showed us a replica of a golden Buddha (the original was said to have been inside the cave when it was first found), bomb shells (now defused), a Japanese rifle, a golden fan, replicas of pieces of gold bars and some uniforms of that era. Scattered inside the cave, as well as outside, are concrete, life-size statues of Japanese soldiers. 

The watchtower

Some people say that this tunnel in Ilagan is only a decoy as there might be a larger tunnel somewhere in Brgy. Camunatan, where 6 x 6 army trucks can fit inside but, up to now, they couldn’t find that tunnel.

Japanese Gates (Torii) at the top and bottom of the stairway

A long flight of concrete steps, cut into the hillside, leads to a watchtower. At the top and bottom of the stairway are concrete Japanese gates (torii).

Japanese-style garden

Outside the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel, garden has been designed to look like the parks of Japan, with a Shinto shrine, bridge, wind chime (furin) and a koi pond.

Ticket office and souvenir shop

There’s also concrete model of  Japanese World War II plane (its wing broken), a children’s playground, a treehouse, picnic tables and a souvenir shop.

Treehouse

Lady visitors can have a slice  of Japanese traditional by renting traditional Japanese kimonos, have their hair styled like a Japanese Geisha, carry a Japanese umbrella for a more authentic feel and then have their awesome pictures taken along the stairway or under the torii. 

Statue of Japanese soldier

Ilagan Japanese Tunnel : Brgy. Santo Tomas, Ilagan City, Isabela. Mobile numbers (0935) 701-1586 and (0932) 858-3081. Admission: PhP50/pax.  There’s an Information Center at Bonifacio Park in Ilagan City where a guide can take you to the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel. Documentary and pre-nuptial photography sessions as well as other pictorials are allowed for a fee. You have to pay for comfort room use.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: The City of Ilagan is located 429.3 kms. (an 8-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 1-hour drive) from Cauayan City.

Federation Square (Melbourne, Australia)

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Federation Square

Federation Square, a venue for arts, culture and public events on the edge of the Melbourne central business district, covers an area of 3.2 ha (7.9 acres) and was built above busy railway lines and across the road from Flinders Street station.

It incorporates major cultural institutions (Ian Potter Centre, ACMI, Koorie Heritage Trust, etc.) as well as cafes and bars, in a series of buildings centered around a large paved square, and a glass walled atrium.

Check out “Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia“

Melbourne’s central city grid was designed without a central public square, long seen as a missing element. From the 1920s there were proposals to roof the railway yards on the southeast corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets for a public square, with more detailed proposals prepared in the 1950s and 1960s.

In the 1960s, the Melbourne City Council decided that the best place for the City Square was the corner of Swanston and Collins Streets, opposite the town hall. The first temporary square opened in 1968, and a permanent version opened in 1981. It was however not considered a great success, and was redeveloped in the 1990s as a smaller simpler space in front of a new large hotel.

Meanwhile, in the late 1960s, a small part of the railway lines had been partly roofed by the construction of the Princes Gate Towers, known as the Gas & Fuel Buildings after their major tenant, the Gas and Fuel Corporation, over the old Princes Bridge station.

This included a plaza on the corner, which was elevated above the street and little used. Between the plaza and Batman Avenue, which ran along the north bank of the Yarra River, were the extensive Jolimont Railway Yards, and the through train lines running into Flinders Street station under Swanston Street.

This open public square had its beginnings in 1996 when the then Premier Jeff Kennett announced that the Gas & Fuel Buildings would be demolished, the rail yards roofed and a complex including arts facilities and a large public space to be named Federation Square would be built.

Lobby of Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

It was opened in 2001, in time to celebrate the centenary of Australia’s Federation, and included performing arts facilities, a gallery, a cinemedia center, the public space, a glazed winter garden, and ancillary cafe and retail spaces.

Built at a cost of approximately $467 million (over four times the original estimate of between $110 and $128 million), its main funding came primarily from the state government, some from the federal government, $64 million from the City of Melbourne while private operators and sponsors paid for fit outs or naming rights. The square was opened on October 26, 2002.

Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) – Australia’s national museum of film, video games, digital culture and art

In 2006, the vaults under Princes Walk (a former roadway) were redeveloped by Federation Wharf into a large bar, with extensive outdoor areas on the Yarra riverbank, with elevator access to Federation Square.

In October 2011, Elizabeth II visited Federation Square. On October 2018, an interim decision to list Fed Square to the Victorian Heritage Register resulted in the square being formally listed in August 2019.

Occupying roughly a whole urban block bounded by Swanston, Flinders, and Russell Streets and the Yarra River, Federation Square is directly opposite Flinders Street station and St Paul’s Cathedral.

The precinct’s layout was designed to connect Melbourne’s historical central district with the Yarra River and Birrarung Marr, a new park.

Its complex and irregular design had gently angled ‘cranked’ geometries (predominating in both the planning and the facade treatment of the various buildings and the winter gardens that surrounded and defined the open spaces) while a series of ‘shards’ provided vertical accents.

Interconnected laneways and stairways and the winter garden connects Flinders Street to the Yarra River. The open square, arranged as a gently sloping amphitheater, is focused on a large viewing screen for public events, with a secondary sloped plaza area on the main corner.

The 1.3 m. high bronze statue of the Fearless Girl by Kristen Visbal

Federation Square: intersection of Flinders and Swanston Streets.