What happened on Tuesday September 25th?

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that to many talented people are dying latley. The Canadian art world has just lost Ken Danby. He passed away on sunday while on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park.

Danby was what is called a realist. He painted the world as he saw it, as you would capture it with a camera. His work included nature, animals and iconic Canadian scenes.

Danby was a artist known during his lifetime, he was able to make a living doing what he loved. I hope that he passed with as little pain as possible, doing something he has always enjoyed.

Portofino Harbour, Italy

Portofino Harbour, Italy, originally uploaded by Andrew Crump.

When we were in Genoa, we went to the world famous Aquarium they have there. We did not take the excursion from the cruise line, because we wanted to walk around Genoa for a while, then went to the aquarium. Wow, it was worth it, I was happy.

Afterwards, Wife wanted to see Portofino, because she had heard so much about it. It's about a half hour from Genoa. I didn't thing we would be able to make it ( the cruise line only allowed one excursion a day), but Wife and the Father/Daughter team that we were with talked me into it. So we got on the train (4 euros each-return trip) and went to Santa Margherita Ligure where we caught a bus (1 euro each way) to Portofino. We spent about two hours walking around Portofino and then reversed the trip to Genoa and the ship. Made it back 15 minutes before it left the port.

What a great day, I would say one of the best of the trip. I definatly want to spend more time in Santa Margherita Ligure, what a beautiful town.

Map reading in Mdina, Malta

Map reading in Mdina, Malta, originally uploaded by Andrew Crump.

Wife looking at a map in Mdina, Malta. This is a walled city going back to the early history of Malta. Its a very pretty town/fortress/city, worth the visit.

Oh yea, for you plumbers out there .. see the pipe on the wall to the right. That is the waste pipe for the building. They couldn't but it inside the solid stone wall.

By the way, any photos you see of wife are a series I call "photos postérieur", she just kept on moving and I could only get the shots from behind.

back alleyway in Menton France (4)

back alleyway in Menton France (4), originally uploaded by Andrew Crump.

This is a back alleyway in Menton France. Menton is a small city to the east of Monaco, it has a beautiful stone beach, orange trees lining the roads and has the claim to the grave of the man who invented rugby.

Shopping in Monaco

Shopping in Monte Carlo, Monaco, originally uploaded by Andrew Crump.

Wife shopping on the "Rock" in Monte Carlo. Very touristy things, nothing special.

The buses in Rabbat Malta

Bus in Rabbat Malta (20), originally uploaded by Andrew Crump.

Beautiful country, Malta, I would go back in a minute! If you want sun, water, history .. go to Malta.

Deep in the heart of the Souk, Tunis

Souk in Tunis, originally uploaded by Andrew Crump.

The Souk was a roofed over shoping district in Tunis. The men (all the sales people were men) stood at their shop doors and tried their best to get you in their doors. Some went as far to chase you down the walk way. A very big tourist trap. Not your kind of shopping Nic!

Yesterday was a sad day for WOT fans. James Oliver Rigney Jr AKA, Robert Jordan has passed away after a long illness at only 58 years old.

I have been reading WOT ever since Joe Mahoney came up to me in the old CBC tech lounge and said "Have to read this!" It was the first book of the Wheel Of Time, Eye of the World. I have been trapped since. Jordan created a world, with realistic characters that you wanted to find out more about. He left you wanting to know what happened next. Now I have trapped my Eldest into reading these great novels.

As far as I know he has not finished the series, so we may never know what happens to Rand Al'thor

What happened on Thursday September 13th?

Well we are back. Had a great trip. Swamped with work, so once I get a chance to get my head above water I will give you a full review of the trip. For now, enjoy some photos.

The Lion of San Lorenzo, Genoa

A Blue fishing boat in the Monte Carlo harbour.


A sewer grate in Portofino, Italy.


Night effects walking along the Tiber in Rome


Trevi fountain, Rome. You would not belive the amount of graffiti in Rome, most of it in english, but what a wonderful city especially at night.