Thursday, May 28, 2015
HIROSHIMA: CITY OF PEACE
By guest blogger Kris Madden
8:15
am on 6 August 1945 was the moment the world changed forever. It was at this
time Hiroshima became the target of the world’s first atomic bomb attack. This
August commemorates 70 years since that devastating attack, which effectively brought
an end to WWII in the Pacific.
There
are many attractions in Hiroshima that are a reminder of that day, but the city
is far from a depressing place. Present-day Hiroshima is a vibrant city with an
internationally minded community. Reborn from the ashes, it offers a chance to
learn about the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity.
The city of Hiroshima means ‘Wide Island’ in Japanese.
The city of Hiroshima means ‘Wide Island’ in Japanese.
Hiroshima’s
leafy Peace Memorial Park is dotted with memorials, one of the main ones being the
Cenotaph, which contains the names of all the known victims of the bomb.
Some
may find it upsetting as many of the displays are confronting, but Hiroshima’s
Peace Memorial Museum is an essential place to visit. It presents the history
of the city prior to the bomb, along with some gruesome dioramas and artefacts
recovered in the aftermath of the blast, such as ragged clothes, glasses, and twisted
remains of roof tiles that bubbled with the heat of the explosion.
There
are video testimonials from some of the survivors of what they witnessed that
day, and in the years following. The museum also displays the development of
even more powerful and destructive weapons in the years since 1945.
'Hello, Kitty', Hiroshima is far from a depressing place.
Across
the river, the A-Bomb Dome is possibly the starkest reminder of the city’s
destruction. The bomb exploded almost directly above the building. Remarkably, although
everything around it was razed, the propped-up ruins still remain, and were declared
a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.
While
the memorials and displays relating to the blast are sobering, ‘The City of
Peace’, inspires hope for the future.
A-Bomb Dome.
The
Children’s Peace Monument is inspired by Sadako Sasaki, who survived the
bombing as a baby, but developed leukaemia 10 years later. She decided to fold
1000 paper cranes, which in Japan are a symbol of longevity and happiness,
convinced that if she reached that target she would recover. Unfortunately
Sadako died before she reached her goal, however her classmates folded the
rest. The story inspired a nationwide spate of paper crane folding that
continues today. Many places give away free paper cranes as a symbol of the
city.
Folded paper cranes are a symbol of the city.
Children’s Peace Monument.
This
August commemorates 70 years since the bombing of Hiroshima, and the city has
designated it the year “to share Hiroshima’s desire for peace”. Around 35 projects
marking the 70th anniversary will begin, under the themes of “enhancing the
city’s ability to convey its call for peace; supporting A-bomb survivors and
handing down the desire for peace to future generations; expressing peace
through culture and art; and appreciating the attractiveness of the
reconstructed city and its ongoing development”.
My
last stop is the Flame of Peace, which will remain lit until the last nuclear
weapon on earth has been destroyed. Let’s hope we see it extinguished in our
lifetime.
The Flame of Peace.
Getting there
Hiroshima
can be reached in 4 hours from JR Tokyo Station by high-speed bullet train. It
is 1 hour and a half by shinkansen from Kyoto Station.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Discover Southern Queensland - more flights!
QantasLink
now has two extra weekly return services between Sydney and Toowoomba’s
Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport (WTB). The
new services equate to an additional 296 seats a week with a total of 1924
QantasLink seats offered weekly.
Added to the extra flights is the discovery of the beautiful new airport that Toowoomba is puffing its chest out about - and so it should.Sitting in the middle of what looks like a vast paddock, the gleaming, architecturally snappy building boasts modern, clean, contemporary lines that stand out in the landscape.
A large entrance with plenty of room to move, interesting photographic décor across some walls gives the history vibe total regional relevance to this building and what it functions as.
(And you can buy excellent coffee here. Trust me.)
QantasLink is the foundation customer for Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport, Australia’s newest Airport, which welcomed its first flights on 17 November last year. The airport is also serviced by Regional Express Airlines (REX) providing intrastate Queensland services.
With this new schedule, holiday-makers will be able to fly-in from Sydney on a Friday eveing and depart Sunday afternoon or first thing (6am flight) Monday.
A weekend away in Queensland could do the 'stress relief 'trick!
Southern Country Queensland is home to myriad food and wine trails, funky festivals, iconic events, roaring rodeos, natural wonders, artisan delights, luxurious escapes and fun family attractions – all delivered with authentic country hospitality.
The weekend Get Up & Go was in Toowoomba (16-17 May), there was the fantastic First Coat street art festival (the largest outdoor gallery in the state); the tasty nearby Hampton event (food and wine); the 1000 paws walk and there were many cute canines taking their owners for walks through the many parks and leafy streets.
The weekend Get Up & Go was in Toowoomba (16-17 May), there was the fantastic First Coat street art festival (the largest outdoor gallery in the state); the tasty nearby Hampton event (food and wine); the 1000 paws walk and there were many cute canines taking their owners for walks through the many parks and leafy streets.
Throughout the year here, you can party at the picnic races, meet the wine maker, plunge into fruit picking and grape stomping, reconnect at a family farm stay, wonder at amazing waterfalls or curl up in front of a log fire.
From pasture to plate, the region is a foodies delight as Australia’s second biggest agricultural basin. It’s also home to the Granite Belt wine country, almost 1000metres above sea level boasting a cool Alpine climate year round – perfect for a delicate verdhello and bold shiraz. Many wines in the region have received rave reviews from critics such as James Halliday.
o WTB-SYD, 7pm on Fridays
o SYD-WTB, 6.35am on Saturdays
o SYD-WTB, 1.05pm on Sundays
o WTB-SYD, 3.10pm on Sundays
(Negotiations were also continuing with QantasLink for other routes, with Melbourne a high priority.)
Editor of Get Up & Go, Bev Malzard was a guest of Southern Queensland Country.
Visit: www.southernqueenslandcountry.com.au
www.somewherecountry.com.au
Sunday, May 10, 2015
REDISCOVER MANHATTAN’S FLATIRON DISTRICT
This neighbourhood is undergoing a quiet transformation . . .
There is no better time to re-discover the Flatiron District of New York City, with the monumental art exhibition in Madison Square Park on view while it is being installed for the June 1 opening day, the debut of the New York EDITION luxury hotel this month, the much-awaited reopening of Shake Shack and the Big Apple BBQ happening here later this spring.
The Flatiron District (above) is named after the signature 1902 Flatiron
Building named so because of its resemblance to a cast-iron clothes iron.
The wedge-shaped building sits on a triangular island-block formed by Fifth
Avenue, Broadway and East 22nd Street.
Experience the Flatiron District like a local
- Getting
there: The Flatiron District is easily accessible by the N, R and 6 subway
lines.
- Madison
Square Park Art: The most ambitious art sculpture to be mounted in the
park, Fata Morgana by Teresita Fernández
features golden, mirror-polished discs that will hang over some 500 feet
of the park’s walkways. On view in its entirety on June 1, visitors can
now enjoy sections of the exhibit as they are installed throughout the
park.
- Museums: The Grand Masonic Lodge features a library and museum open to the public that is dedicated to notable American Masons like former NYC mayor Fiorella LaGuardia and founding father Benjamin Franklin. Visitors can learn about the evolution of human sexuality at the Museum of Sex, which has more than 15,000 objects in its permanent collection. The Museum of Mathematics makes math fun, with interactive exhibitions on the connection between math and everyday objects.
- Italian
Dining: The Flatiron District is home to an array of Italian food options
from gourmet pizza at Tappo
Thin Crust Pizza, to contemporary and casual Italian
dining at Obicà,
to Eataly’s
50,000 square foot-plus, high-end Italian food market and its rooftop
restaurant and brewery Birreria.
- Restaurants: Craft Restaurant features green-market cuisine and family-style meals, while KOA offers a twist on modern Chinese cuisine with Japanese influences. Visitors craving a taste of the American South can also enjoy the soulful dishes of Blue Smoke. Shake Shack, popular for its custards, burgers, hot dogs and crinkle-cut fries, will be reopening later this spring after renovations at its original location in Madison Square Park.
- Shops:
Abracadabra
Superstore is a unique, all-in-one joke shop, novelty
warehouse and magic emporium. Manhattan
Saddlery carries equestrian gear for those looking to
saddle up in fashion. The Limelight
Shops is a retail destination with more than 50 upscale
vendors, including Soapology and Mariebelle Chocolates.
- Nightlife:
From old-school cocktails at the Flatiron
Lounge, to world-class live music at Jazz Standard, to
Ping-Pong at SPiN,
the Flatiron District comes alive with a variety of things to do when the
sun goes down.
- Events:
Madison Square Park features food festivals year-round, including Madison Square Eats
through May 28 and Big
Apple Barbecue from June 13–14.
NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation, today announced Manhattan’s Flatiron District as the next area featured in its NYCGO Insider Guides. As part of the neighbourhood’s promotion, a short documentary is available online that features locals who recommend the Flatiron District’s must-see places, venues and more that make it distinct. To view the documentary and neighbourhood highlights visit nycgo.com/insiderguides.
For more information, visit nycgo.com
Images by: Kate Glicksberg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)