23 Mar
Vancouver Tours Blog

Famous Living Walls

Living walls are often used to enhance the appearance of a building and provide a dramatic facade. Here are a few examples of some famous green walls from around the world.

1. Van Gough Wall – The National Gallery – London

The National Gallery in London's Trafalgar Square delighted tourists in 2011 with a Van Gogh inspired green wall. 'A Wheatfield with Cypresses' was re-created with vertical planting. Excitingly, once the plants grew and became more established, the picture became more visible. The wall incorporated over 8000 plants and was located immediately outside the gallery itself. It took only three days to install, and remained in place throughout the summer months.

2. Musee du Quai Branly – Paris

Installed in 2005, this vertical garden wall covers 4 stories and 8600 square ft of wall, in fact, the entire north west wall. It's prominent location (on the banks of the Seine close to the Eiffel Tower), makes this example one of the most famous (and most photographed) living walls in the world.

3. Semiahmoo Library Green Wall – Vancouver

The Semiahmoo library in Vancouver, Canada, is the largest of its type in North America. It covers 3000 square feet and contains over 10,000 plants, including perennials, shrubs and even small trees. The design company aimed to encourage 'bees, butterflies and hummingbirds' to the area. The wall was installed in 2010 and continues to flourish and delight.

4. Caxia Forum – Madrid

Installed on the side of an old power station, the vertical garden wall of the Caxia Forum is four stories high and contains 15,000 plants. Now a modern art gallery and museum, the building contrasts the green of the wall with the rusted iron on the surrounding roof, to provide a dramatic landscape in this cultural Spanish hotspot.

5. Crystal Cruises Living Wall

Amazingly, living walls have now made their way onto the high seas, in the form of a green wall on board a cruise ship. The wall measures 37.7 ft by 7.9 ft with its design incorporating, quite fittingly, a map of the world.

6. Hampton Court Flower Show & Chelsea Flower Show

In recent years, green walls and vertical gardens have become a regular feature of the main horticultural shows, including Chelsea and Hampton Court. Many show gardens feature living walls heavily. As a rule, once they have appeared at Chelsea, it's only a matter of time before they start appearing in back gardens across the land.

Source by Armando Raish

15 Mar
Vancouver Tours Blog

Famous Living Walls

Living walls are often used to enhance the appearance of a building and provide a dramatic facade. Here are a few examples of some famous green walls from around the world.

1. Van Gough Wall – The National Gallery – London

The National Gallery in London's Trafalgar Square delighted tourists in 2011 with a Van Gogh inspired green wall. 'A Wheatfield with Cypresses' was re-created with vertical planting. Excitingly, once the plants grew and became more established, the picture became more visible. The wall incorporated over 8000 plants and was located immediately outside the gallery itself. It took only three days to install, and remained in place throughout the summer months.

2. Musee du Quai Branly – Paris

Installed in 2005, this vertical garden wall covers 4 stories and 8600 square ft of wall, in fact, the entire north west wall. It's prominent location (on the banks of the Seine close to the Eiffel Tower), makes this example one of the most famous (and most photographed) living walls in the world.

3. Semiahmoo Library Green Wall – Vancouver

The Semiahmoo library in Vancouver, Canada, is the largest of its type in North America. It covers 3000 square feet and contains over 10,000 plants, including perennials, shrubs and even small trees. The design company aimed to encourage 'bees, butterflies and hummingbirds' to the area. The wall was installed in 2010 and continues to flourish and delight.

4. Caxia Forum – Madrid

Installed on the side of an old power station, the vertical garden wall of the Caxia Forum is four stories high and contains 15,000 plants. Now a modern art gallery and museum, the building contrasts the green of the wall with the rusted iron on the surrounding roof, to provide a dramatic landscape in this cultural Spanish hotspot.

5. Crystal Cruises Living Wall

Amazingly, living walls have now made their way onto the high seas, in the form of a green wall on board a cruise ship. The wall measures 37.7 ft by 7.9 ft with its design incorporating, quite fittingly, a map of the world.

6. Hampton Court Flower Show & Chelsea Flower Show

In recent years, green walls and vertical gardens have become a regular feature of the main horticultural shows, including Chelsea and Hampton Court. Many show gardens feature living walls heavily. As a rule, once they have appeared at Chelsea, it's only a matter of time before they start appearing in back gardens across the land.

Source by Armando Raish

23 Apr
Vancouver Tours Blog

Famous Peruvian Women

There are few famous Peruvian women, because of the fact that many other countries do not share the same ideas as to what constitutes a famous person. One woman that has went beyond these stereotypes is Kina Malpartida, a boxer. Born in 1980, she is in the super featherweight division of boxers, and stands only five foot eight inches tall. Her name in the ring is Dinamita, and she currently lives in the US in California for her career. Born in Lima, Peru she is an icon to women everywhere in Peru.

Silvana Arias was born in 1977 in Lima and is an actress who also has a fashion design degree. She began her career as an actress in a series on television in Peru before becoming known in the US. She was on the NBC soap opera Passions as character Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald and decided to leave when the show moved to DirecTV. As of this time she is working as character Veronica Jessica Murillio in a show called Perro Amor.

Susana Baca is yet another famous Peruvian woman, who became a singer of Afro-Peruvian descent. She was a key person in the revival of her music in Peru, which was prior to her work, largely unrecognized. Now a major part of the culture, she has made many steps towards the recognition and popularity of her music. Her album released in 1995 offered a song called Maria Lando and was also released by Luaka Bop, a record label owned by David Byrne who was the front man for Talking Heads.

Sofia Mulanovich Aljovin was born in 1983 in Lima and is a surfer. She was the first ever female surfer from Peru to win the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour. She was inducted into the hall of fame for surfers in the 10th anniversary celebration and is the first South American to ever have the honor.

With all the talent that abounds from Peruvian women, there is no wonder so many men choose Latina marriages. Not only are many of these famous women talented, but all are beautiful in their own rights. Offering athletic bodies, voices worth swooning over and skills unmatched by others, these women are charismatic and each woman in Peru offers attributes of the same. Many of the most beautiful women have came from Peru, as 12 beauty queens have been from the area. In 1989, Mrs. World was won by Lucila Boggiano de Zoeger, and in 2004 Miss World was won by Maria Julia Mantilla, two of the most beautiful women in the world from Peru.

Not only does Peru offer many tourist attractions, but some of the most beautiful and talented women in the Americas. Latina women are strong and independent but very affectionate and caring. Always dedicated to home and their relationships, Peruvian women are easy to please and quick to please their mates.

Source by Joe Lindsey

24 Dec
Vancouver Tours Blog

10 Famous Ways to Go on the Best Sightseeing Tours

Here are a few valuable points to assist you in planning the best sightseeing adventure. Time to tour! Almost every tourist destination has sightseeing potentials. It not only adds to the appeal of that place, but also provides quite an insight about the place. Counted amongst must do’s, here are 10 famous ways to go on the best sightseeing tours.

1. Consider a good tour operator who has a range of sightseeing tours catering to your needs and budget. Select the one, which best suits you.

2. Select a good guide who is well acquainted with the place and who can communicate well with you.

3. Select a clear day with mild weather so the visibility is clear and you can enjoy the tour.

4. Carry sun block as you may need it as most the sightseeing tours are outdoors.

5. In many places, one can see most of the sightseeing hot spots with a single pass. Get it in advance or ask your tour operator to arrange it.

6. Carry necessary accessories like binoculars, camera etc. with you.

7. Different places have different travel mode, which are great for sightseeing. Opt for the best mode for sightseeing.

8. At times, you may need multiple tickets for seeing different places. Ask your tour operator or your guide to arrange them before hand as to avoid unnecessary hassle and confusion.

9. If you are on a group sightseeing tour, know the time and place to assemble at the sightseeing places to make sure that you are not left out.

10. Try to avoid a group where there are too many people for sightseeing, as you may not get what the guide is explaining.

11. If there are elder people or kids with you, take special care for their needs. You can carry a folding chair for the elders in case they want to rest awhile. If you are taking children with you, keep them under supervision.

Source by Veron Ho

25 Jun
Vancouver Tours Blog

His Most Famous Painting (Eiffel Tower Series) – Robert Delaunay

French painter Robert Delaunay (1885-1941) was a truly dynamic artist from the twentieth century. His art style kept shifting between the triangular creative zone formed of ‘Orphism,’ ‘Abstraction,’ and ‘Cubism.’ Robert’s ‘The Eiffel Tower Series’ consisted of the most powerful works of his life. The Tower, the very icon of urbanization, always fascinated Delaunay. Being a radio tower, the Tower represented boundless communication and its unique construction was symbolic of the evolving machine age. Robert created around 30 works (sketches, window paintings, and oil paintings) using Eiffel Tower as the subject, during his self-termed ‘destructive phase.’ All these paintings depict the tower surrounded by tall buildings, from different angles and viewpoints. Three oil paintings from the ‘Eiffel Tower Series,’ created between 1909 and 1912, are considered Delaunay’s true art masterpieces.

The three famous oil paintings from Robert’s Tower Series were:

o Tower with Trees (49 ¾” x 36 ½” canvas)

o Tower (Tour Eiffel) – Measuring 79 ½” x 54 1/2″ canvas, this painting shows the tower emerging from the drape of skyscrapers around.

o The Red Tower (63 ¼” x 50 5/8″ canvas)

The ‘Eiffel Tower Series’ by Robert Delaunay epitomizes ‘Modernism.’ All the paintings are dramatic portrayals, pulsating with energy and present an elusive visual. A vibrant flow of vivid colors, form a pool of interesting abstracts. All three paintings present an angular view of the Tower. Robert has used a bright but narrow color palette, such as red, orange, brown, gray, white, black, and the shades of blue, in his ‘Tower Series.’ His innovative approach in the series was free from all the then set creative norms, ‘Impressionist’ landscapes to be precise.

Delaunay adapted a distinctive style, which appears ‘Cubist’ in nature with a touch of ‘Fauvism’ (due to the use of vibrant color). He invented the non- imitative form of art, where color, instead of an object-inspired form, plays a key role in the painting. The fragmented layers of color form the fascinating patterns of fractured spaces, left to be perceived by the viewers mind. The genius of these very futuristic illustrations tends to provoke the inner physic and elevate one to a different level of self-awareness.

Robert Delaunay’s unique conceptualization in ‘The Eiffel Tower Series,’ established his name as a pioneer in ‘Abstract Art.’ Clement Greenburg once said about Robert Delaunay, “He was an enterprising painter whose influence to the art world was much greater than his art.” The paintings “Eiffel Tower with Trees” and “Eiffel Tower” currently rest at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, while “The Red Tower” is at the Arts Institute of Chicago.

Source by Annette Labedzki