Clover Hill Park

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 50 St. Joseph Street,
Date: June 2021

    Primrose the donkey was born prematurely in England in 2012.  She needed to wear casts on her front legs until they grew stronger.  A nice pair of pink casts were made for her.  Now Toronto, Canada has a statue of Primrose in its Clover Hill Park.

   When we saw some photos of the Primrose sculpture, we couldn't resist to go down and say hello for ourselves.

    Primrose is not alone.  There is a group of wooden sculptures sitting on the other side of the park.  There is a small colony of rabbits and a couple of snails.

  Not that Toronto needs more of them, but there is also a wooden raccoon sculpture.  We were happy to visit all of Primrose's little friends.

  To add even a little more magic to the park, there is also a cluster of mushroom seats.  You could even perch up on top of one like the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland if you wanted.

  The real Primrose is all grown up now and no longer needs her casts.  If you want to see her at her cutest you can visit Clover Hill Park on Bay Street where she will forever remain that little preemie donkey.

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Map of Our World
Primrose , Clover Hill Park

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Post # 302

Absolute Condos

Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Address:  50 Absolute Avenue
Date:  August 2018
Website:  www.50absoluteworld.ca

  As you drive along Highway 403 in Ontario, you can't miss the Absolute World condos twisting up into the sky.  The curvy design stands out and has earned them the nickname of the Marilyn Monroe towers.  There are five towers in Absolute World, but the two that stand out are 50 and 56 storeys tall.

 

   The towers are located just across the road from the popular Square One mall.  The Mississauga skyline is getting more crowded each year but when the towers were completed in 2012 they really stood out.  At the time of writing this they were still the tallest buildings in the city.

 

   When you get right up close to the condos you can really admire the curves.

  By the time you reach the 56th floor, the twist has rotated about 198 degrees.

  Outside the front entrance are a group of horses made of curved metal.  The sculptures are called Buen Amigo which means good friend.

  Hazel Mcallion who turned 100 years old in 2021 was mayor of Mississauga from 1978 to 2014.  She has said she was glad that the artwork in front of the condos included horses as she used to be able to see cows and horses grazing from city hall many years ago.

  On the opposite side of Mississauga City Hall sits a large metal sculpture.  This 3,500 pound sculpture is called Contemplating Child and looks like a stick figure child holding its head in its hands.

  Could the child be trying to figure out how the designers and engineers built the Absolute Towers?  In the photo above, the towers can be seen through the sculpture and in the distance.

 

 

  As the sun starts to set we head on our way.  The Absolute Condos give us something to enjoy and think about as building designs become more and more complex.  Will we be back again to check out the towers and more artwork around Mississauga? Absolutely!

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Map of Our World
Absolute Condos
Contemplating Child , Buen Amigo

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Post # 301

Sydney Opera House

 

Location: Sydney, Australia
Address:  Bennelong Point
Date:  May 2012
Website:  www.sydneyoperahouse.com

  As our plane made its approach into Sydney airport we caught a glimpse of one of the world's most recognizable buildings.  Sticking out into the harbour is the famous Sydney Opera House.  The opera house has been completed since 1973 and was deemed a UNESCO heritage site in 2007.  While we never did make it inside the building, we had a chance to admire its exterior up close.

  The opera house is designed to look like a group of shells or sails.  It was designed by Jorn Utzon who was the winner of a design competition.  

 

    When we walked up close to the  Opera House we could really appreciate the design and work that was involved in its construction.

 

    You would expect it to be something exceptional since it was only anticipated to take 4 years and 7 million dollars to build but ended up taking 14 years and costing 102 million dollars.

    The building looks different from every angle. 

    From across the harbour it appears almost as if the groups of sails can fold down onto each other .

    In the evening, the Opera House is lit to highlight the curves of the sails against the dark Australian night.  We can only imagine what the building looks like inside, but it is definitely worth a visit just to admire its exterior. 

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Map of Our World
Sydney Opera House

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Post # 300