What makes a place?

Every place is unique. But what defines a place?

Glasgow, UK

History?

Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany

People?

Natural History Museum, London, UK

Art?

Glasgow, UK 

Landscape?

Devon Island, Northwest Passage, Canada

Economy?

Paris, France

Out and About

My last few days in Glasgow were packed with sightseeing and exploring more of the city, but most importantly: meeting up with amazing friends! God puts so many people in our lives that support, challenge (in a good way), and encourage us. But, as life changes so do the people around us.  

This is a simple, yet profound message we can either chose to reject, ignore, or accept it and embrace the change.

It is best said like this.....

Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven: 

a time to be born and a time to die, 

a time to plant and a time to pull out what was planted, 

a time to kill and a time to heal, 

a time to tear down and a time to build up, 

a time to cry and a time to laugh, 

a time to mourn and a time to dance, 

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, 

a time to hug and a time to stop hugging, 

a time to start looking and a time to stop looking, 

a time to keep and a time to throw away, 

a time to tear apart and a time to sew together, 

a time to keep quiet and a time to speak out, 

a time to love and a time to hate, 

a time for war and a time for peace. 

I will never forget the people I met and the places I've been! Heres a glimpse of how I spent my time........

Glasgow Coat of Arms

Glasgow from the Clyde 

Museum of Modern Art 

Modern Art 

Central Station 

Necropolis 

Cathedral 

Botanic Gardens 

Fossil Grove, Victoria Park

Sunset at Mukdock Country Park 

A Look into the Past

What an interesting way to look at the world...a search grounds for clues into the past. Not like a game, but real "science". The clues left behind by past generations can lead to ideas about the way of life (or death) and the cultures of these people. New discoveries are being made at many sites, leaving more and more mysteries to uncover (or let be), piecing them all together to create a more complete understanding. 


Bar Hill
A Roman fort that lies along the Antoine Wall (the mound of dirt that seems to run nearly across the center) and is thought to have been inhabited multiple times before it was abandoned. 

The central point to the site is nearly all in ruins except this structure, a bathhouse where the soldiers are thought to have gone to relax when off duty. 

Many mysteries still remain at this site, and most of them will never be discovered. 

Tappoch Broch
From the outside it looks like a small hill, not really significant in any way. 

But when you go inside you uncover a complex wall structure that seems to have some purpose.  

Apparently people lived here for some time, protected from threats, while the rest of the community lived in the surrounding farmland. 


Doune Castle
Known to many as the filming site for Monty Python and to others as the home of a King, The Duke of Albany. Built in the 1930's this castle is host to many royal features - as thought by the Medieval people who occupied it. 

The best view of this castle is not of the inside (cold stone and deep, dark windows) but of the outside (highlands, rivers, and vast landscapes). 

It may seem beautiful but their are hints towards the idea that the castle, as it stands now, is not (and never will be) complete. 

Dunblane Cathedral

A large building with lost of history. Do you notice the color differences in the stone? The Cathedral was originally built in the 13 Century around the already standing 11 Century Tower (minor improvements?). 

The inside is just as grand as the outside, with many Christian images splayed over the walls, benches, pillars, windows, and just about anywhere else they seem to fit. 

The splendor of this Cathedral is reflected in the multitude of generations who have (and still do) worshiped here. A testament to the longevity of the beliefs in an unchanging God.  

Archaeology is an interesting field of study that looks at the clues left by the people of the past to figure out how they interacted with each other and the world around them. Then providing some reasoning to explain these interactions. 

All of these photographs were taken onsite during a field excursion with an introductory archaeology class. 

More information is available (canmore.rcahms.gov.uk) on all of these sites if you are interested! 

Weekend Away: Birmingham

A bustling city of culture and history, the collision of people and places: Birmingham. I arrived in the early hours of the morning and watched the sun rise over the city. The city came alive around 6am with people rushing off to work or stepping outside to enjoy the sunshine. 

It was also the location for this years Crufts Dog Show and the streets were full of merchants who took advantage of the crowds. The street musicians came to life in the afternoon and played into the evening, with hopes to get a fair bit of pocket change in exchange for a smile and the occasional foot tapping. 

The meeting of two worlds appears at the canal system where you can travel in time to see the path of a well used trade route from inside the city to the outskirts. A lovely walk along the cobblestones of the canal and a hot sun makes it hard to believe what was necessary to obtain what we now so easily take for granted.

 A great challenge in a city such as this is to create space that attracts people for learning about the history while at the same time stimulating the continuation of learning. Such places as museums and educational sites are great displays of this as well as the city streets.

With all this going on no wonder the city is home to the rock band Black Sabbath and the factory of Cadbury Chocolate's! 

Discovering Glasgow

The city I saw from the plane is now coming to life as I explore and discover its wonders. I still cant grasp just how big it is! (compared to small-town Chester and Halifax) 

To get around I have been walking, which can be tiring, but it allows me to navigate (and see) the city a lot better than with public transportation (I know where I am, where I'm going, and where I came from!). 

The Clyde (and Kelvin) river is a central part to the city and is a great navigational aid. I have discovered a walking path that takes me from residence to the city, close to campus, in about an hour. It is a beautiful walk with sounds of the birds chirping and the river flowing alongside. 

The end point to the walk is the Botanic Gardens where many plants, trees, and flowers are kept and displayed from around the world. 

If you are looking for people the best place to go is the city center where the shops are! Whether its for food, clothes, gadgets, or just about anything else the streets always seem to be crowed with people shopping. 

Other common spaces are the museums, mostly along the Clyde. My first stop was the Tall Ship, Glenlee. A ship with a lot of history (survived 4 circumnavigations, many rough seas, wear-and-tear as a training vessel, and finally abandonment) has finally come to rest alongside the Riverside Museum of transport. 

With all of the sights in and around the city there are still lots of places to be discovered!