Technoparc Montréal - Quebec, Canada

Technoparc, Montréal – Canada

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Hi Folks,

Visiting Montreal in Canada, what a way to finish the year!

Wayne Gretzky, Neil Young, Pamela Anderson, Jim Carrey, Leonard Cohen, William Shatner and Scotty, Ben Johnson, Mike Myers, Steve Nash, Keanu Reeves, Jacques Villeneuve and many, many others were given to the world by the generous people of Canada, or more formally the Democratic People’s Republic of Canada. And how did the world respond to the generosity of the Canadians. Well, quite well I would say. In return a Canadian random dude named Kyle Broflovski was given one of the leading parts in a super popular TV-series South Park.

One might wonder what is left in Canada when the stars in all areas of life have left from there. That’s a fair question and deserves an answer. Not much I guess. There’s still Technoparc Montréal, it’s kind of cool if you are into all kind of weird things like science. But please be a responsible adult (even in Canada), try protecting your children from science or they may end up like Jesse Pinkman.

– Gart

Dingwall, Scotland

Dingwall – Scotland

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Hi Folks,

In the Highlands of Scotland you may still hear the echo of Sir William Wallace’s voice: “… they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… our freedom! Or maybe it was Sir Wallace’s squire Mel Gibson who used those inspiring words. It’s difficult to remember all the details precisely after over 700 years. Sir Wallace and Mr. Gibson spent many of their holidays in Dingwall which is even today one of Scotland’s main attractions – plenty to do and a lot to see, if it is not raining. Sir Wallace was appointed as the Guardian of Scotland but later hanged, drawn and quartered. A quarter may have been buried in Dingwall, although very little evidence is available to support this theory.

About two hundred years before the time of Sir Wallace, Macbeth – King of Scotland – was born in Dingwall. Later on a certain historian William Shakespeare made Macbeth famous in his research with a working-title The Tragedy of Macbeth. I understood from Shakespeare’s report the tragedy having been that Macbeth was slain and beheaded. I heard a rumor from some quite trustworthy looking fella in the Mallard, the most prominent tavern of Dingwall, that Macbeth’s head may have also been buried in there.

Dingwall – what a history, what a place!

– Gart

National Art Museum of Catalonia - Barcelona

National Art Museum of Catalonia – Barcelona

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Hi Folks,

Culture in Catalonia is beyond me. Messi, Neymar, Suárez… In Catalonia the work of the best known contemporary artists may be viewed at Camp Nou, the home stadium of FC Barcelona. Camp Nou is the largest stadium in Spain by capacity, yet it’s too small for the greatnesses performing in it. In addition to football the Catalonians take Roman Catholicism quite seriously. Sagrada Família, a Catholic church in Barcelona, has been under construction since 1882. I heard from some Catalonians that they want to make sure that the Church will be large enough for the greatness that will perform there once the church is completed. Fair enough, I guess it would be dumb to repeat the mistake they made with Camp Nou. Regrettable I didn’t ask who will be the main performed. Some say that Messi is the greatest – could it be he’s signed a contract to appear also in Sagrada Família?

The huge palace in the photo is National Art Museum of Catalonia (abbreviation MNAC). MNAC is dedicated to Catalan art and design from the 19th and 20th centuries. At least the curators of MNAC have plenty of space. MNAC is the perfect spot to hang out they day after FC Barcelona’s game. Here’s an idea: why not sell combo tickets that would allow an entry to Camp Nou and also to MNAC. If the order is double sized, a tour around the construction site of Sagrada Família would be included.

– Gart