Jan

London, Lost and Foundling

by Joyce McGreevy on January 20, 2020

An array of silver charms seen on Marchmont Street are evocative markers of Britain’s past, inspired by historical tokens at London’s Foundling Museum. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

I spotted one—then several—fascinating artifacts in the pavement. What were they?
© Joyce McGreevy

Historical Markers Lead to Fascinating Discoveries

I’d walked along Marchmont Street often yet never noticed them—small, mysterious objects embedded in the pavement. Unlike London’s “blue plaques,” historical markers at eye level that link figures of the past with buildings of the present, the Marchmont Street objects were easy to overlook.

On Marchmont Street, London a token embedded into the pavement becomes an historical marker for those with the focus to spot it. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Some historical markers hide in plain sight.
© Joyce McGreevy

Here was public art at its least public, eloquent objects underfoot, shyly waiting to be seen and heard. Yet they, too, were historical markers, clues to a poignant chapter of London’s past. Read more...

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Cultural Symbols/Discoveries/England/On Foot/Travels to the Past

Oct

Travel Tip: See Chicago in Close-Up

by Joyce McGreevy on October 14, 2019

Chicago at night features surprising little details of America’s best big city, prompting the travel tip “slow down and focus.” (Image © by Jennifer Kleiman)

Chicago’s sweeping views are mosaics of historical detail.
© Jennifer Kleiman

A Big City’s Surprising Little Details

Poet Carl Sandburg called Chicago “The City of the Big Shoulders.” America’s third biggest city is known for big sights—as a few little details will show: Read more...

First skyscrapers? Sorry, New York. They started right here in the 1880s, soaring from 10 to 110 stories in nine decades.
That body of water to the east? It’s massive Lake Michigan, more of an inland sea.
A “world-dazzling” wheel that rivaled the Eiffel Tower? George Ferris engineered it for the 1893 World’s Fair. We know it as the Ferris Wheel. Today’s version at Navy Pier is a Chicago icon.

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On Foot/The World's Art & Design/USA

Jul

Summer Like a Local

by Joyce McGreevy on July 8, 2019

Public street art on Rue St-Famille, Montréal reflects the everyday pleasure of exploring the urban culture. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The Widespread Pleasures of Montréal’s Urban Culture

No wonder jazz is a top attraction for visitors to Montréal. The largest city in eastern Canada doesn’t just reflect urban culture, it riffs on it, reinterpreting it in endless variations.

Since visiting Montréal as a child, I’ve returned numerous times, always encountering new layers to its creative nature.

Most first-time visitors stay within a compact area around the Vieux-Port (Old Port), where cobblestone streets and picturesque buildings date to the 17th century. Charming though it is, visiting in peak season can give the impression that all 10 million annual visitors have shown up at once. Read more...

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Canada/Crossing Cultures/Discoveries/On Foot

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