Notre Dame de Montreal: Quebec’s Celestial Cathedral
Friday, August 1st, 2008The Notre Dame de Montreal is less famous than its big sister in Paris, but no less glorious. Canada’s most famous Catholic cathedral was designed by an Irish-American Protestant, James O’Donnell, who converted to Catholicism on his deathbed so he could be buried in his own church.
Guggenheim Museum, New York: Modern Masterpiece
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008The Guggenheim Museum is its own main exhibit - the Kandinskys, Klees, and Mondrians are ornaments on a Frank Lloyd Wright sculpture. Visitors to the Museum of Non-Objective Painting ride an elevator to the top and stroll down the spiral ramp, admiring the art they don’t understand.
Tokyo Tower, Japan: Needle of Steel and Light
Friday, September 7th, 2007Tokyo Tower is Eiffel Tower on a diet: a little taller and a lot lighter. About 3,000 tons lighter. It’s the tallest steel tower in the world, and the tallest steel building in Japan - at least for now. On a clear day, it’s also a great place to view Tokyo’s steel jungle.
Globe Theatre, London: Return of the Bard
Wednesday, August 15th, 2007The Globe had a glorious but short career. Here many of Shakespeare’s plays made their debut. The Globe was built in 1601 in a part of London full of pickpockets and prostitutes. It was a popular theater, but in 1624, a prop cannon misfired during Henry VIII and burned the theater to the ground.
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco: The Steel Harp
Wednesday, August 15th, 2007It’s 1937. America is in the depths of the Great Depression. People need hope, they need food, they need jobs. San Francisco needs a tourist landmark. The Golden Gate Bridge is the answer. On May 27, President Roosevelt pushed the button, traffic began to flow, and it’s still flowing 2 billion vehicles later.