New car

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car, Charlottetown, Hyundai, PEI

I decided last week, after receiving the umpteenth letter from the dealership that I would go in to look at a possible new car. The current one an Elantra GL 2012 is still very clean with no mileage or Km on it, under 30,000Km which makes the car dealers salivate.

So I went in to see what they had, first it is the end of the month and for any car salesperson this is the time when they have to report how many units they sold in the month and counts on their appraisal as a good or bad sales person. I also wanted a good price for my car as a trade in, no nonsense.

Elantra GL 2012

Buying a car, any car is a con game and I have yet to meet one person who enjoys the exercise. Despite the advertised prices and the promises made, once in the show room you will know that what ever you were told is just flash and no substance. You will have the sales person who takes you on a spin in the model you might want to buy, then the finance guy who will explain how much it will cost. If you have a trade in  well the used car manager is involved and he will offer a price for your car, always much lower than what you expect. Then the Manager comes in to say hello with all the sincerity of a serial killer. Everyone pretends that they are looking out for your best interest but it is so insincere and false it is laughable. I have to say I do not envy these poor fellows, pawns in a game tailored to make the dealership owner rich and the car manufacturer a hefty profit.

It’s a cutthroat business literally, so I came prepared, pencil, calculator and paper to note everything said. I was careful to keep a poker face expression and saying as little as possible. No I am not excited about buying a car, as I told the Manager for me it is the same as buying a dishwasher, a totally utilitarian transaction. I laid down the things I wanted and pointed out I don’t get them, then no deal, I walk. They were careful also not to give too much of their game. So I pushed them to make me an offer I could consider. First offer they made I rejected out of hand, telling the car sales guy that his colleague was losing him the sale with his poor attitude. Second offer was a little better but still not what I wanted completely. So I told them that I was busy and had to go, maybe they could better it some more. Once at home I wrote them an email with my final position. Within 10 minutes I got a reply telling me that all was ok. So I told them that I would return after the weekend. On Monday, all was resolved, I got what I wanted, signed the paper work and I will get the new car tomorrow.

What I bought, Elantra GL 2017. The colour is Blue Star gazing, I call it Plum colour.  I see a similarity with the BMW 5 series in the body design.

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20 years

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Bridge, Canada., Confederation bridge, Jean Mueller, PEI, transport

Today 31 May 2017 marks the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Confederation Bridge linking the mainland  of Canada to PEI. The construction of the bridge required a special amendment to the Canadian Constitution because it involved the clauses which allowed PEI at the time a colony to join Confederation. The Island Government had a special condition that in joining in 1873 they would get financing for the railway on the Island and also a ferry service paid for, operation and maintenance, by the Federal Government. A special referendum was held and 60% of the Islanders voted in favour of the construction of the bridge and the end of train service on the Island.

Construction of the 12.3 Km sea bridge over the Abegweit channel of the Strait of Northumberland took place between 1993-1997 at a cost of $1.3 Billion dollars. The architect was Frenchman Jean Mueller who developed a new technique of pre-cast concrete for such a construction making it a marvel of engineering, the longest bridge over sea water locked in ice in winter.

the footing of the bridge on the sea bed

 

The bridge under construction around 1995.

The bridge in Winter ice, this is when storms are at their worst with 100Km winds being frequent, but you can still cross with a private car.

What it looks like when driving across at the middle section point

The opening of the bridge was a very big deal for PEI and in the years that followed saw an increase in investments and business, day trips are now common to the Island, we are only 2 hours away from Moncton and 3 hours from Halifax, it put an end to the isolation and made going to and from New Brunswick or Nova Scotia much simpler and faster. What was lost was the adventure of the ferry service.

From my home in Charlottetown I am at 35 minutes from the bridge going West. The sticking point to this day is the toll to use the bridge at 46$ return. It is believed that in 2036 the toll will be removed once the contract with the private firm maintaining the bridge ends.

The golden hour

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Beach, Canada., PEI

Here is a photo of the golden hour at the Beach in PEI. So peaceful, so quiet.

Photos

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PM, pope, Sistine Chapel, Trudeau, Vatican

Yesterday I got a newsletter from the Canadian Club Of Rome, we use to be members when we lived there, lots of nice activities for Canadians living in Italy.

This caught my eye, the Embassy of Canada to Italy not to be confused with the Embassy of Canada to the Holy See (Vatican), is participating in Gay Pride 2017.

Here is a promotional photo taken in the garden of the Chancery of the Embassy on Via Salaria with the staff and the Ambassador holding up the letter D.

They will have a float for the parade which starts at Piazza Repubblica and winds down into the centre of the City.

Today our Prime Minister met with the Pope at the Apostolic Palace for 42 minutes, one on one and many topics were discussed. Sophie Grégoire his spouse joined them for the photo afterwards in the Office of the Pope. The Prime Minister then walked around the Palace which in itself is a museum (not open to the public) and is attached to the famous Sistine Chapel built in 1473. Everyone was smiling on the photos and you could see a good rapport between the Pontiff and Trudeau. The Pope was invited by Trudeau to visit Canada.

Photo courtesy of the CBC. It is rare to see the chapel so empty, it was closed to allow the couple to visit quietly. The Prime Minister then gave his press conference in the beautiful and vast gardens of the Vatican. I once visited the chapel with just 10 other people on a private tour, it beats being in the chapel with the multitudes. Our guide explained the various figures and pointed out that God the Father stands above in the centre of the ceiling wearing a diaphanous pink like toga mooning us. Perhaps a little artistic liberty Michelangelo took with the topic while painting The Last Judgement ceiling between 1508-12, apparently Pope Julius II did not say a word about it. The Sistine Chapel also known as Cappella Magna took its name from Pope Sixtus IV.  The architects were Giovannino de Dolci and Baccio Pontelli.

During the reign of Sixtus IV, a team of Renaissance painters that included Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Roselli, created a series of frescos depicting the Life of Moses and the Life of Christ, offset by papal portraits above and trompe oeil drapery below. These paintings were completed in 1482, and on 15 August 1483 Sixtus IV celebrated the first mass in the Sistine Chapel for the Feast of the Assumption, at which ceremony the chapel was consecrated and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The past week in the World

Tags

Free Trade, G7, NATO, pope, Sicily, Trump, Vatican

The German Magazine BILD quoted the German Chancellor Angela Merkel today in a Speech she gave in Bavaria at a political rally of her party CSU: We can’t rely on the US anymore. I have experienced this in the last days. We Europeans should take destiny in our own hands. ~@BILD

In the past week we have seen Donald Trump destroy 70 years of diplomatic relations and turn the USA into a laughingstock that no one can trust. He went to Saudi Arabia where he has business interests and made his speech again on terrorism thinking that the Arab leaders will fall for it. They are far more astute than he and saw right through his words. What he really wanted to do was sell weapons with no other objective in mind. Not understanding that singling out IRAN when there is already an agreement on Nuclear weapons is not wise and plays against US interests.

Then on to Israel and Palestine where under the guidance of his son-in-law Jared K. he gave full support to the right wing government of Netanyahu without a thought to the consequences. He believed he had left the Middle-East, it was not clear where he thought he was presently as if Israel was a continent. Trump wanted everyone to believe that he had the Peace solution in hand.  Again petulant and arrogant, ignorant of the issues of the region, unable to grasp the complexities. What Trump knows is what his prejudices have taught him and what he sees on television, he does not want to see further or ask questions.

Goes to see the Pope at the Vatican and the photos speak volumes, what a disaster again. The Pope gave him the document, encyclical letter Laudato Si, he wrote on the topic of care for one another, in light of the battle to repeal Obama care a rather pointed message. Visits to the Vatican are highly organized, choreograph affairs, the Holy See has 1400 years of diplomatic experience, Trump barges in as if he is at the OK Corral, his beliefs and attitude are highly insulting and in direct contradiction with social justice, human rights and the agenda of the Pontiff. Under the guidance of US diplomats Trump could have modified his message to be more appealing and avoid the worst but no, why bother, we are dealing with Archie Bunker here.

At Nato in Brussels, he lectured and insulted the other World Leaders, why? Trump like his supporters believes that the USA tells the World what to do and how high to jump. The new French President Macron said today that the handshake he gave Trump at their meeting  was tight on purpose, he does not like the man. So you can see the USA-France relationship cool and become difficult.

Trump’s attitude is that the USA saved the World and the World owes the USA everything. As one American tourist said on a trip we took on the Danube, the Germans need our money, we saved them from Hitler. Problem is Germany and the EU today are strong economies and the Second World War ended 70 years ago and the Cold War ended 28 years ago. The world has changed and Trump is unaware. To make the statement to other G7 members that he found investing in Europe difficult because the Europeans are too difficult when he is negotiating to build new golf courses, is hardly an intelligent economic argument. That Chancellor Angela Merkel has to explain to him that German car manufacturers create thousands of jobs in several plants in various US States and that Americans want to buy quality German products is not a bad thing, it is called the Free Market and Capitalism. It reminds me that the US Armed Forces have a special program to allow its personnel to buy at reduce cost tax free BMW cars. I am sure Trump still does not understand, he does not want to believe that we live in a interconnected world, there is no one way street. Europe is an important economic power of 500 million people, we are no longer in the 1950’s, John Wayne is dead.

The way he shoved his way to the front by pushing the Prime Minister of Montenegro, his refusal to walk with other leaders taking a golf cart instead, his condescending attitude and smug self satisfied smile on every picture is truly sad. His failure to re-affirm the NATO principle of mutual defence all the while demanding that countries pay up the 2% in defence spending because it is not fair to America. Excuse me but the 2% is a goal not an obligation and countries have until 2024 to reach it, so as the expression goes, Chill Donald just chill. Refusing to adhere to Principle 5 of the Alliance when the USA invoke it after September 11, again shows his complete ignorance of facts.

The last straw in Taormina, Sicily in the shadow of Mount Etna, could no one push him into the volcano and do the world a favour? Such Summits have a pre-determined agenda, Summits are highly scripted affairs and the final communiqué is always prepared in advance of the Summit. Only small changes are made before it is released at the end of the Summit. Everyone had agreed on the wording to re-affirm support for the Paris Agreement on the Environment and on other economic issues like Free Trade. Trump decides to say he will let everyone know by next week. Hello!!! Trump get with the program, this is not how Summit work. The G7 leaders said that the conversations were unsatisfactory, disappointing and no agreement was reached on anything, diplomatic speak, the translation this Summit with Trump was a total failure and he is an idiot.

It is now obvious that the USA cannot be trusted and Trump is an ignorant boor. So Angela Merkel is right in saying that the EU can no longer count or trust the USA. Canada is also now having to re-negotiate NAFTA, we cannot trust the USA, the current Administration has declared economic war on us and on Mexico. Canada and the EU must now look out for their own interests and count on ourselves and not the USA.

This last week the USA declined in the World, no longer leading, Trump is not interested in that role, going back to the isolationist policies of 1919 is pretty sad for a once such great country.

Architecture

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Basilica, Cornelia, Italy, Rome, St-Peter, Vatican

There is a lot of beautiful architecture in this world, old and modern and then you get the crap that developers impose to make a fast buck by proposing buildings designed by a computer program. Here is one example of decorative architecture which followed a plan, an idea and involved the beauty of art in the Baroque Era.

View of the bronze baldacchino of the Papal Altar in St-Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. The bronze came from the coffered ceiling of the pantheon. Designed and built by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) who was chief architect and decorator of the Basilica with his arch competitor Francesco Boromini.

Truly an impressive monument amongst many in St-Peter. The Basilica is probably the least used church in all of Christendom, used only for Papal Masses and State occasions at the Holy See. On most days it is seen by thousands of tourists and does have the feel of a museum.

The bronze and gilded baldachin was the first of Bernini’s works to combine sculpture and architecture and represents an important development in Baroque church interior design and furnishing. The canopy rests upon four helical columns each of which stands on a high marble plinth. The columns support a cornice which curves inwards in the middle of each side. Above this, four twice life size angels stand at the corners behind whom four large volutes rise up to a second smaller cornice which in turn supports the gilded cross on a sphere, a symbol of the world redeemed by Christianity.

The four columns are 20 metres or 66 feet high. From the cornice hangs a bronze semblance of the scalloped and tasselled border that typically trimmed the papal baldacchino. The structure is decorated with detailed motifs including heraldic emblems of the Barberini family (Pope Urban VIII was born Maffeo Barberini) such as bees and laurel leaves.

There are many things to see inside St-Peter’s Basilica but this one element is well worth looking at in detail. The other part of the Basilica is the ruins of the original St-Peter’s from the fourth century immediately beneath the Papal Altar and the Via Cornelia Roman cemetery which dates backs to Republican times. Entrance to that site is by reservation only on specific days. A fascinating place and the highlight of any visit to Rome.

On This Island

A true and funny story about Island living.

Willy Or Won't He

Island Distance

When we first visited the Island we heard people refer to “Island distance” or terms to that effect. And on our first trip outside Charlottetown I noticed that often none of the road signs indicated how many kilometres it was to the place we were heading, just the direction. And it seemed that when most people were asked they would say that such-and-such a place was about 40 minutes away. Now we know that isn’t quite true, many things are an hour or more away but we find we are now using 40 minutes as almost a standard. Suffice is to say that distances are compressed and as my friend Don says “It’s all a matter of scale.” And you begin to adapt to “Island distance” as a norm.

A few weeks ago I realized that I had adapted more than I thought. Our friend Cathy was visiting…

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Bells

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Bells, Canada., Charlottetown, Dominion Day, PEI, St-Dunstan Basilica

In 1978 the Saint-Dunstan Basilica in Charlottetown lost it’s bells all 18 of them. The North tower made of Island stone was not structurally sound and cracks had appeared in its walls suggesting that a larger problem existed. The soil on the Island is notoriously soft, rural roads that are not paved become impassable if it rains. The weight of the Basilica with the vibrations created by ringing bells created a lot of problems for the building. So down came the bells and they went into storage and have been there until recently. The bells were made in 1927 and given to the Church by different groups of people. One of the bigger bells was donated by the Employees of the Canadian National Railway.

Just 10 years ago a group of citizens motivated by historical interests wanted them restored, but how to do it the structural problem had to be solved and at what cost. The Bishop was dead set against any such plan and came out publicly saying he opposed any proposition or plan to restore the bells in the North Tower. Proclaiming himself the sole custodian of the building as Bishop, Roman Catholic clergy have all this tendency to proclaim themselves enlighten above the common folk. We know where that leads this is why we are celebrating 500 years of Protestant Reformation this year.

Nonetheless the group of concerned citizens forged ahead, they were surprisingly successful. The project cost $500,000 CDN. an engineer was hired to devise a safe way of going about this project and this week we saw the conclusion of the project.

The engineer came up with the idea of building a free standing steel structure inside the hollow portion of the North Tower. The stone tower simply envelops the steel structure on which the bells hang, no more stress on the walls. The steel structure is invisible to the onlooker.

So this week  we saw the big crane on Great George Street in front of the Basilica hoist the pieces of the steel structure into the top of the tower, one piece at a time and it was being assemble inside the hollow stone tower. Then the bells were brought out of their container. They had just returned from North Carolina where they were retuned, after 40 years out of service and sitting in a warehouse this was necessary. It is said that the sound is similar to that of Notre Dame in Paris and St-Patrick in New York.

Inscription, Bells made in Annecy Le Vieux by G. Paccard Fils, Haute-Savoie, Southeastern France.

Bells will be mounted with ringing equipment and GPS control systems for automatic ringing programs, a wooden keyboard console for live and manual playing of the bells, a system of automatic dampers that will protect the inside of the tower from weather but will also open to let the bells ring out and close when the bells are finished ringing

Many of us came out to see the operation and to look at the bells before they went back into the tower. As they were hoisted up, one by one, the engineer would give them a gentle tap, it made a beautiful clear sound, this operation took 3 days, very slow and meticulous.

The Bishop Richard Grecco is apparently on board now, the Basilica gets it’s bells back at no cost to the Parish or to him. You don’t look a gifted horse in the mouth. Catherine Hennessey who is a prominent citizen and local historian and Kevin Murphy who Chairs the St-Dunstan Basilica Bells Fundraising Committee and all the supportive donors have done a great job for the common good.

The Bells will ring on 1 July, Dominion Day, to Celebrate Canada’s 150th Year.

The weather did not cooperate on this operation, it was cool, windy and rainy but the work had to be done to meet the deadline. 

Ramadan

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Ramadan

The holy month of Ramadan started yesterday at Sunset. Best Wishes to all my Muslim friends and their families.  Ramadan Kareem, Mubarak!

Some Photos

Tags

Beaches, Canada., PEI, Seafood, tulips

Here are some shots of PEI at the moment.

No this is not Holland, it’s tulip fields in PEI. The Dutch community produces them including this one very special tulip for the 150th Anniversary of Canada in 2017.

Canada’s 150th Tulip

Tea cup rock at Darnley PEI. Red Sandstone

West Cape, PEI

Fresh Seafood PEI, clams, mussels, lobster and oysters

Covehead Beach PEI, minutes from our home.