When the hand of nature caresses urbanity; and the hand of a great architect enhances it.
Jay Pritzker Pavilion & the BP Pedestrian Bridge, designed by Frank Gehry.
November 4th, 2017
Tag: nature
Chicago || The Rainy City
I did mention that Chicago looks great in the rain, didn’t I?
November 1st, 2017
Familiarising || Gananoque
First of all, with the name. Here I was, thinking all along it was pronounced Gan-a-nók (in my best French accent), until our host let us in with a ”welcome to Gan-ə-nok-way” and put an end to my ignorance.
The quietude and laid-backness. The locals taking a break from the summer madness, before winter kicks in.
The lack of tourists. There must have been no more than ten of us at the time.
Canadian politeness. Much more than just a cliché, Canadians make even road signs seem polite!
Gananoque, ON
October 28th, 2017
Neontasmagoria
At night, the whole area along – and including – the falls, becomes a neon phantasmagoria.
The neon light show inside Galleria (shopping mall), mirrors that of the falls.
I wish I could have stayed awake to see whether the lights change all night.
I didn’t.
October 26th, 2017
Room with a View
Canada and the U.S. share the benefits of one of the world’s top tourist destinations with boat tours, walking tours, honeymoon packages, helicopter rides, resorts and casinos and all kinds of development to the detriment of the natural beauty of the environment but to the ultimate excitement of the millions of tourists that flock to Niagara Falls every year.
But for the best armchair views from your private booth you have to cross to Canada and book a ”falls view – high floor” room in one of the major chained-brand hotels that are lined along the Canadian side of the falls. The views are simply hypnotic.
Niagara Falls, ON, Canada
Taughannock Falls
Walking along the ancient path carved through the mountain by water and time.
Air. Earth. Water. Fall. Waterfall. Taller than Niagara Falls, less voluminous after the drier summer months, nothing short of spectacular in the changing light at golden hour.
All images from the Taughannock Falls Gorge Trail, except the very first one, taken from the Overlook View Point.
Ulysses, N.Y. northwest of Ithaca.
October 25th, 2017
Cayuga Lake
We almost missed the lake! Here we were, next to the longest, widest and second deepest of the glacier carved Finger Lakes and we had almost no time left to enjoy it. That’s how enthralled we had been by the beauty of Ithaca’s waterfalls! So, on our way to the most magnificent of them all, the least we could do was make a quick stop at the deserted Allan H Treman State Marine Park; and a second one in Taughannock Point, before entering the Park. It was sunny and cool and – at times – very, very breezy. It was also getting late and we still had a long walk ahead. 
Ithaca, N.Y.
October 25th, 2017
Cascadilla Gorge Trail
”Ithaca must be one of the most picturesque towns on this side of the Ocean”, I thought, as we were walking past these well-kept buildings, down neat, tree-lined streets to join the Cascadilla Gorge trail.
”No, this is paradise”, I corrected myself mentally after the first few steps alongside the cascading waterfalls, over the footbridges and up the staircases. For this stunning trail crosses right through the heart of Ithaca, connecting its downtown with the Cornell campus.
Cornell, Cornell… no matter how long you walk you’ll be hard pressed to find a place in Ithaca that is not in some way connected with Cornell. I found it rather surprising, the fact that Ithaca has actually kept its name; if one day someone decided to change it to ”Cornell City”, no one would give it a second thought, I suppose.
Then, this newspaper caught my eye. ”Anti-Semitic posters appear on Campus Buildings”. How odd is human nature, always ready to show its ugly face as if unable to bear so much beauty!
Ithaca N.Y.
October 25th, 2017
Cornell Campus || Beebe Lake
- A break for lunch at Manndible Cafe; located on campus, inside the Mann Library, but easily accessible to non-students, too; soups, burritos and such.
- Walking past Bailey Hall
- Back to the path toward Sackett Foot Bridge; wonderful views over Beebe Lake; fall yellows reflecting on water
Warm afternoon sun
Inner peace
Ithaca, NY
October 24th, 2017
Beebe Lake, Ithaca
There is a quiet path going around Beebe Lake, loved by joggers and walkers alike, where we took our first steps in discovering Ithaca.
We walked over Sackett Foot Bridge, named in honour of Colonel Henry Sackett, a Cornell student who donated a considerable amount of his personal wealth to build these paths and help preserve the natural beauty of the two nearby gorges – Cascadilla and Fall Creek.
We walked towards Triphammer Falls and the Beebe Dam, designed and built by Ezra Cornell, the very founder of Cornell University. The whole area, the falls, the dam, the lake, the path, are all part of the University campus. Can you think of a more scenic campus, anywhere?
Ithaca, N.Y.
October 24th, 2017
The Humble Fabulist 