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Lesley Peterson is a Toronto-based blogger tripping on travel, art, culture, museums, cities and legendary landscapes. Catch her on Twitter as @culturetripper or contact her at lesley@culturetripper.com. All content by Lesley Peterson copyright © 2009 - Until the Present. All photos by Lesley Peterson except where other credit noted.
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Postcards from Grenada
Greetings from Grenada, an island with natural beauty so seductive that–other than a wild ride up the coastal mountains to Gouyave for Friday Night Fish Fry–I’ve spent all my time on the beach. Along the beach, an array of sunbathers that tickle me as resembling a gallery of Henry Moore’s monumental reclining women and modern […]
An auld tale of Scotland on Robert Burns Night
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne! – Robert Burns (1759-1796) A box in the basement. A brittle album, faded images tucked behind cellophane, a flood of feeling. As my husband hustled up some tea, I remembered my own auld lang syne and a very […]
Montreal to New York City by train: Amtrak’s Adirondack route
When I arranged to meet my friend writer Judy Colbert in Atlantic City last week, I thought I’d hit Manhattan first. A two-day trip turned into a much bigger adventure when I realized October was the perfect time to cross something off my bucket list: Amtrak’s Adirondack, one of the most scenic rail trips in the […]
A stroll in the treetops, Kew Gardens, London
From its 18th-century Pagoda to its magnificent Victorian glass conservatories, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew contain wonders of garden architecture as well as nature. A new experience for me this year was the Xstrata Treetop Walkway, an exhilarating stroll in the treetops of the Gardens’ arboretum. Xstrata was designed by Marks Barfield Architects, who […]
ArtSmart Roundtable: Marianne North, Victorian adventurer & botanical artist
After a month off for good times, I’m back in time for September’s ArtSmart Roundtable. Scroll to the end of this post for more on the Roundtable and links to my colleagues’ great blogs. This month’s theme of Travel Art/Art in Travel inspired me to write about Victorian artist and traveller, Marianne North. The gallery […]
02.09.2013 · Filled under: Art, ArtSmart Roundtable, Legendary Landscapes · Tags: Artists, England, Gardens
A walk home in Winnipeg
After too many years, I recently made a trip home to Winnipeg. In between sorting boxes of my childhood books and looking at old photos with my mother and godmother, I went out with my sister and revisited old haunts. Walking home from Bar Italia on Corydon Avenue one evening, I took these photos. Being […]
Tianguis Turistico 2013, Puebla, Mexico
The colour and diversity of Mexico was on fabulous display during Tianguis Turistico 2013 held in Puebla, Mexico, March 17-20. It was the first time Mexico’s principal tourism marketplace has ever been held in a colonial city. Famous for its culinary heritage and UNESCO World Heritage colonial core, the city of Puebla was a gracious host, […]
Let it snow! Wintery works by Canadian artists
Postcard-pretty weather over the holidays inspired this collection of snow paintings by Canadian artists. Here are a few of my favorites, past and present: Maud Lewis (1903-1970), Digby County, Nova Scotia. Despite her disabilities and the primitive conditions in the 4.1 x 3.8 m dwelling she shared with her husband Everett, Maud’s folk art […]
Welcome to Narnia: The Malvern Hills, England
“It all began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion.” So author C.S. Lewis explained the inspiration for his epic children’s fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. One of the books’ most memorable images is that of a gas lamp glowing in a snowy wood just beyond the wardrobe that serves as a […]
13.12.2012 · Filled under: Europe, Legendary Landscapes, Myths & Legends · Tags: Books, England, water
The Staffordshire Potteries, England
One of my favorite art and travel experiences was to the Staffordshire Potteries in the UK. The Staffordshire Potteries are centered around Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. Once the industrial heart of England, much of the area now has a rural feel with over 30 pottery-related sites snugged in a pretty landscape. Though I was there in February, my memories are warm: […]
03.12.2012 · Filled under: Art, Destination Guides, Europe, Legendary Landscapes · Tags: England, HISTORY, museums