The main building, constructed in 1838, was first used as a tannery.
Its woodworking and machinery rooms showcase the tools and worktables that were necessary to create each component of the Campbell’s carriages.
When it was initially decided to renovate the dilapidated building for the museum, over six thousand artifacts were discovered on the grounds alone.
Since the museum’s opening many carriages have been donated by private citizens.
These are now creatively displayed without taking away the feel of the factory that existed before.
Carriage accoutrementsWheelwright’s table
We found the process of creating the wheels to be fascinating, and our guide cheerfully walked us through the steps of manufacturing wooden hubs, spokes and rims.
The most common type of sleigh built by the Campbell were called pungs.
The name comes from the Algonquin-speaking native people (deriving from tom-pung from tobaggan), and the original pungs were simply made by affixing a box atop a sled. They evolved over time to a sleigh with a sleeker design.
Caskets were also built on site and we marveled at the intricate designs of the accoutrements used in their making.
In the blacksmith shop, our guide used the still-functioning forge to demonstrate how tools and metalwork were created.
By branching out into farm equipment, furniture and caskets, the factory managed to survive the advent of the automobile and continued business until 1949.
We LOVED that the museum left graffiti on the wall from the olden days!
The museum was designated in 2006 as a Historic Place on the Canadian Register.
“Weird” birds & giant tortoises, playful sea lions & active volcanoes – here are the top 5, not to miss, incredible experiences in the Galapagos Islands!… CONTINUE READING >>
Commune with the (Weird) Birds
The Blue-footed Booby
A trip to The Galapagos Islands is guaranteed to make a birder out of anyone. The sheer numbers, and just plain strange features that isolation has brought upon these fabulous creatures would have been enough for us. Couple this with fact that we spent more effort backing away from them than trying to spot them – these birds have absolutely zero fear of humans – and we were instantly hooked! More on the Birds of the Galapagos…
WATCH: It’s not enough to see the birds of The Galapagos – you have to hear them, too! See them with their babies!
Romp with Giant Tortoises (and see them breed!)
In this strange land of strange animals, none is more iconic than the Galapagos Giant Tortoise, known as Galápagos in Spanish. The place is literally named after them.
Growing to over six feet long and eight hundred pounds, these are the biggest tortoises on the planet and one of the largest reptiles. No Galapagos visit would be complete without seeing some of these mammoth Testudines. We weren’t willing to take a chance on seeing one in the wild and risk missing a sighting, so we went right to the source, Isabela Island and the Tortoise Breeding Center of Isabela. More on the Giant Tortoises and the Breeding Center…
Cavort with Sea Lions
Of all of the fabulous animals in The Galapagos Islands, the one that made it hardest to obey the strict always-stay-six-feet-away-from-the-animals rule were the sea lions. Sea lions, or lobos del mar (wolves of the sea) as they are called in Ecuador, have great personalities, are cute, cuddly looking and have no fear of humans (even underwater!) More Sea Lions of The Galapagos…
WATCH: A mama sea lion is reunited with her baby after a bit of a scare!
Explore the Volcanic Landscape (and look down into a live volcano!)
There is another side to this archipelago. A side that may appeal to a geologist more than an ornithologist or herpetologist, because the Galapagos are a classic example of a geologic hot spot. Discover wild formations, overnight in a caldron (in a boat!), check out lava bombs, appreciate the artistry of a brand-new lava floe and hike up an active volcano – then gaze down into it! More on these Islands of Fire…
Half the Fun is Underwater
Half the awe and fun of The Galapagos Islands is underwater. The sea creatures are just as unafraid of humans as their counterparts on land. You will get up close. It’s a good idea to learn to swim backwards before you go! More Underwater Galapagos…
WATCH: Imagine Veronica’s surprise when this sea lion wanted to play with her!
Of all of the fabulous animals in The Galapagos Islands, the one that made it hardest to obey the strict always-stay-six-feet-away-from-the-animals rule… See more of our favorite things in the Galapagos! >>
Of all of the fabulous animals in The Galapagos Islands, the one that made it hardest to obey the strict always-stay-six-feet-away-from-the-animals rule… See more of our favorite things in the Galapagos! >>
As China grew, so did Shanghai. Now the most populated city in the most populated country in the world is also the world’s biggest city.
Of course this can be debated depending on the rules for counting. Shanghai has the most people, twenty-four million of them, living within its official limits. There are other larger urban areas, but they involve a great many people living outside the city proper.
But after our cutting-edge romp we were ready to find a connection to the past. It wasn’t hard, just a few blocks away from the waterfront the Old City of Shanghai hides in the shadows of the modern skyscrapers.
This was the city that was safely ensconced within ancient protective walls until about one hundred years ago.
At that time, a new governor came in and decided to open things up as a part of the new Republic of China.
Still, a good bit of the classic old architecture remains and we spent more than our share of time gawking up at the ornate rooftops.
Shanghai has always been a very international city, but as tourists discovered it over the last few decades the old city has lost a bit of its authenticity.
The bulk of the shops and restaurants no longer cater to a local clientele.
Even with the new additions, things were still wildly foreign to our eyes.
So when we came upon a bustling place that seemed to be bucking the catering-to-tourists trend, the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant, we knew immediately where lunch was happening.
We were pretty taken aback by the scene when we stepped inside. Crowded, loud, and in-comprehensible to us, we had to get out of the way to observe and get our bearings for a few minutes.
While we watched things began to make some sense. Lines snaked past several counters where patrons picked out their dishes. Servers, with carts like these from Nathan James, also passed through the seated throngs dispensing drinks.
Since 1900, every sort of Chinese delicacy imaginable has been slung cafeteria style onto the plates of hungry customers that line up in this chaotic mishmash.
The ordeal ends with satisfied smiles once diners dig in after squeezing into an empty spot at one of the dozens of tables.
Once we got our courage up enough to jump in, we went for stuffed lotus root, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves, a mystery fish on a stick, some other meat, likely pork, on a stick, and the main attraction, big, boiling hot, soup dumplings.
Nanxiang lays claim to originating the xiaolongbao, or soup dumpling, so we had to try one, which led to ordering a couple more.
Just as the name suggests, these are typical Chinese steamed dumplings, or buns, except they are filled with broth.
Once again our keen powers of observation came in handy as we watched to see how to go about consuming the delicacy without a major soup spilling incident. Straws! How ingenious, just suck the soup out then chow down the delicious bun.
Filled with broth, steamed dough, and confidence that we had found a small sample of the “real” Shanghai, we wandered off in the direction of one of the city’s main temples.
The City God Temple became a Taoist temple in 1403, during the Ming dynasty.
That was when the former Jinshan God Temple was converted and dedicated to Qin Yubo, an early resident, leader, and hero of Shanghai.
After Qin Yubo died, the emperor deified him as a Cheng Huang — the city god and protectorate of the town. The temple then became a City God Temple with Qin Yubo, as well as Huo Guang, the original City God of Shanghai, holding places of honor.
Since our knowledge of Taoism was nearly nonexistent, we tried our best to be unobtrusive spectators so we could watch and learn.
At first glance things seemed quite similar to the Buddhist temple we had visited in Hong Kong. Statues, offerings, and incense play a big role in the prayers at City God Temple too.
Once we learned a bit more, we discovered that while on the surface the two religions may resemble each other, the philosophies are quite different.
In simplest terms, Taoism stresses harmony with nature while Buddhism looks to reach Nirvana.
Music is an important part of Taoist ceremonies and, while we were inside the main temple building, a group of monks donned colorful robes and began playing a variety of instruments.
The instruments and music were unfamiliar to our untrained ears, but we learned that the outcome promotes the concept of balance, Yin and Yang, and is demonstrated through each sound.
WATCH:
For us it was more of a fascination, the strains of unusual melodies carried us far away from the modern world.
We took in all of the sights, sounds, and smells of the services until the monks finished their ceremony, then exited the temple into a courtyard leading to a gate that opened up to the outside world.
Walking out of that gate was like walking through a time portal, we were instantly transported back into the present.
Once again traffic clamored by and we found ourselves gazing upward, mesmerized by the twenty-first century towers reaching up for the sky.
Music is an important part of Taoist ceremonies. Watch this group of monks don colorful robes and play a variety of intriguing instruments… See more about City God Temple >>
Music is an important part of Taoist ceremonies. Watch this group of monks don colorful robes and play a variety of intriguing instruments… See more about City God Temple >>
So very unlike the disturbing mush-meat sausages we find when we pop the top on little cans marked “Vienna,” we found the city in Austria to be substantial, gorgeous, and tasty.
Thanks to Viking River Cruises for inviting us along and providing this adventure! As always, all opinions are our own.
So very unlike the disturbing mush-meat sausages we find when we pop the top on little cans marked “Vienna,” we found the city in Austria to be substantial, gorgeous, and tasty.
How could these two things ever have been connected?
The potted mini-dogs do have some tiny resemblance to the local wieners –meaning from Vienna — sold on the streets of the city, but equating the two products takes some serious imagination.
REAL Vienna sausages
We chose to drive the thoughts of mysterious lumps of pork by-products from our minds and consume as much of the majestic namesake city as we could on our one-day shore leave from the Viking Longship Skadi.
Christmas market in front of Vienna’s Town Hall.
While the history of settlements along the Danube where Vienna now stands dates back some twenty-five hundred years, the city we visited is completely dominated by the heritage of The Hapsburgs.
The dynasty ruled the Holy Roman Empire, then the Austrian Empire, and finally the Austro-Hungarian Empire for over six hundred years until 1918. Their palaces, churches, and government buildings are everywhere in the old city center.
The Brangelina of Vienna
From the river, we caught the subway into the heart of the old town and came up from underground right next to the Albertina, named for Marie Antoinette’s sister Christina and her husband Prince Albert of Saxony.
The couple was famous for marrying for love, a rarity among the Hapsburgs who generally used nuptials as a means for combining power. The two became the Brangelina of their day, with the love-struck prince building an art museum that used their combined names, Albertina.
From the terrace of Albertina we could see the Imperial Palace — or at least part of it.
The huge mansion we were overlooking was the Neue Burg, or New Castle, and is actually only a small portion of the incredible Hofburg Palace that consists of about a dozen buildings covering several blocks.
Everything is SO substantial!
Since its beginnings, around seven hundred and fifty years ago, the complex has grown to include much more than royal residences.
Churches, museums, the Imperial Treasury, the Austrian National Library, the Burgtheater, the Hofburg Congress Center, Imperial Horse Stables, and the famous Spanish Riding School are all part of the sprawling complex. Every one of these is amazing in its own right, but combined… it was almost overwhelming.
As we made our way along Reitschulgasse we came to Josefsplatz, where a full-sized statue of Emperor Joseph II stands aboard his trusty steed in front of the National Library and old horse stables.
Nowadays the horses are found at the Spanish Riding School next to the old stables, the home of the world renowned Lipizzan stallions.
Spoiled horses: The stables at the Spanish Riding School.
Our most impressive view of the palace came at Michaelerplatz, where a huge gate opens into the complex, more or less as the front door. Those Hapsburgs really knew how to put on a show for the neighbors.
Kaffeehauskultur – yeah, baby!
From the palace, we turned toward the city center and made our way toward the Graben, one of Vienna’s most famous streets.
Along the way were stopped by a life-sized figure of a woman, made entirely of sugar, standing in the window of Café Demel.
Seemed like as good as any place to grab a cup of joe and dip a toe in the Viennese coffeehouse culture.
Founded in 1786, Café Demel certainly has the pedigree to be one of the city’s top coffeehouses, but it is perhaps better known as a sweet shop.
On our way to a table we passed the bakery, which is glass encased so we could watch all of the sensations being created.
Struck us as a kind of confectioner’s aquarium.
Café Demel is the kind of place that made us want to linger over our coffee and bread, but with some much to see we pushed on.
The first sight that greeted us when we reached the Graben was Peterskirche.
Believed to be on the site of the first church in Vienna, the existing version was modelled after St. Peter’s in Rome and built in 1701.
This St. Peters had to be squeezed into a much smaller space.
A Bit of a Pox on Emperor Leopold
In the center of the bustling pedestrian walkway is a plague monument, The Pestsäule.
Most cities in this part of Europe have one, and this towering testament was constructed by Emperor Leopold I following the Great Plague of Vienna in 1679.
Leopold left town when the sickness hit, but promised to build a mercy column if the epidemic would end.
What a guy!
Perhaps that’s why the artist chose to portray the ruler in a less-than-flattering likeness. Or maybe old Leo was simply very funny looking.
At the end of the Graben we came to Stephansplatz, the square at the geographical center of Vienna.
It is named for the Stephansdom, Vienna’s cathedral and one of the tallest churches in the world.
The main tower reaches four hundred and forty-five feet high and is the tallest building in the city.
Built on top of two older churches, the current structure was begun nearly seven centuries ago.
It was spared from destruction near the end of World War II when Captain Gerhard Klinkicht, thankfully, refused to obey orders to shell it with cannon fire.
Heading back to the subway we came upon a somber piece of graffiti that stated: Vienna is Full of expensive Sadness.
While we could understand part of the writer’s sentiment, Vienna is filled with opulence, we didn’t really see the sadness.
But we know the graffitist could find a can of melancholy mystery meat that is anything but expensive… even in Vienna.
