Berlin – before the Wall fell

 by Dan McCarthy November 9, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall; an epochal event of the 20th century that presaged the dissolution of the Soviet Union two years later. Political philosopher Francis Fukuyama foretold this evolution earlier in 1989, in an essay “The End

Fabulous Foods and World-Class Wines in Magical Saxony and Saxony Anhalt

 Julia at the German tourism bureau tells me that Berlin is their number one destination for Canadian tourists. I get it. Just a short taxi ride through Berlin has me eager to return – for at least a week. The energy is high and the ubiquitous graffiti speaks of the rise of

Book Review: Torp

 The landlord, the husband, the wife, and the lover. ABOUT TORP Giulio di Orio, an assistant lecturer in Philosophy, brings one of his students, known as Torp to the Vancouver flat he shares with his wife Nicole. Soon their landlord is convinced that Torp is the devil incarnate, and the

Making a Machine-Made Rug!

 Having just returned from a whirlwind trip to Berlin and Brussels visiting their state of the art Flooring Factories, I am excited to share with you ‘The Making of a Machine Made Rug.’ Machine made, as the name suggests, are technically very different from handmade rugs. The most prominent difference

The Wonderful Works of Andrea Warren

 All photos courtesy of Andrea Warren Some artists create their work for fame and fortune, but some, like Ottawa-based visual artist Andrea Warren, create art for much more significant reasons. Warren’s art is unusual and enchanting. In some pieces, Warren combines multiple acrylic colours together to create an almost stained

The Coolest Capital in Europe and the German Riviera

 The Germans do it all and have it all. Exceptional in every way, it is no surprise that Germany continues to hold the annual record as one of the world's most visited countries. In fact, it is one of the most educated and economically successful countries in the world. It