Aug 3 2022 - Princes' Blvd

 

I know we're not at the end of summer yet, but I was interested in great exhibition/fairs. The Canadian National Exhibition happens at the end of August and represents and celebrates Canada in its festival of food, fun, agriculture, cars, sports, and just all kinds of stuff.   There is a bigger state fair.  The biggest state fair is Texas with 2.25 million visitors, then Minnesota with 2 million, then the Big E - Eastern States Exposition held in Massachusetts with 1.5 million, the Great New York State Fair at 1.2 million visitors.  So the CNE would squeeze in there ahead of the New York State Fair with its approximately 1.5 million visitors. Its location is 100 Princes' Blvd. and it is interesting that the street has a "possessive" name.   The grand structure of the Princes' Gates was opened in 1927 - to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation and the visit of the Prince of Wales who later became King Edwards VIII, and his brother Prince George who was the Duke of Kent.  I don't remember ever taking a picture of the Princes' Gates.  It is such a busy spot - it would be a "drive-by shoot".  Here's a glorious gate on the grounds of the Guild of All Arts.

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Portals

I guess portals have been with us for centuries.  These two are at The Guild Inn, in Scarborough, ON, and would've originally been in the downtown financial district.  The first is imposing and decorative  and likely an entrance to a bank building. A portal is:  "a doorway, gate, or other entrance, especially a large and elaborate one."  It also has a meaning of a magical or technological doorway that connects two locations, dimensions, or points in time.

Jan 2 Drop Off!

Drop Off

This is the day after all the celebrations that started well before Christmas in November and end on New Year's Day  We might be looking ahead to Twelfth Night (Jan 5) and Epiphany (Jan 6) in some cultures with a strong religious orientation.  Here in North America, it all goes quiet.

It turns out that Costa Rica is full of early January celebrations.  The Palmares Fiestas starts the first week of January and is "two weeks of concerts, bullfighting, folklore dancing and general debauchery".  The first week also has the Coffee Cup:  "a much-anticipated, week-long juniour tennis tournament.  And there's the Alajuelita Fiestas - "an oxcart parade and party to honour the Black Christ of Esquipulas, Alajuela." So there's no end of fun in Costa Rica, no cliff after January 1st.

Perhaps it is time to schedule for next year's after-Christmas holiday in Costa Rica.

Here are two images from St. Augustine, Florida oldest house museum complex.  

Mount Pleasant Cemetery - Rest Assured

These are the front entrance gates at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Yonge at St. Clair, Toronto Ontario Canada.  A combination of stone and brick, they are ornate and imposing.  The sign out front says Rest Assured - There's Space