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woops, sorry that ended up a bit wide there

I had an elcheapo digital camera that I just loved*snap snap* I was back home staying with my parents at easter time and I headed up to the Point at sunrise. I took a few shots( it was freezing cold and the surf was huge) and it wasn't until later when I got home here and downloaded the pics, I realised they could have made a good panorama. I wish I had realised and taken more care.
It was a great place to grow up. I liked surfing on a mat and riding my horse along the beach. **blessed**
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Lennox Point Good Friday 2003 :heart:
the sun was coming up , as the moon was going down. i love it when that happens.
I don't have a good representative photo of the Clarence Valley and where I live now. I'll try to find one.
 
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<~ Grand Rapids, Michigan. Born and raised here. Decent sized city (actually now has more people in its metro than the population of Detroit).

We're known for getting all of the worse, extreme forms of weather. Blizzards, sub-freezing temps and ice storms all winter, a very LATE SLOW spring, 90+ and humidity in the summer, lots o' severe weather (our last devastating storm was in 1998 and was likened to an inland hurricane). It has rained, stormed, hailed, flooded, and been cloudy non-stop for the past three weeks.

Two of the richest families in the country live here, the Van Andels and De Voses, founders of Amway/Alticor and EVERYTHING has their name (Van Andel Arena, De Vos Childrens' Hospital, etc). Our local economy is dominated by office furniture companies (Steelcase, Herman Miller, etc) and the Van Andel/De Vos clan .

As far as attractions, we've got a nice big zoo, baseball park, sports/concert arena, the Frederick Meijer Gardens (a huge bio-dome like building with a mini-rain forest, desert, etc), the Van Andel Museum, a children's museum, the Gerald R Ford Museum, a big international airport....the usual stuff, oh, and I guess Egypt Valley is a popular golf course.

Our city has a large river downtown and about 20 mins away from 4 popular beached on Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is the one thing I like about living here b/c it gets warm in the summer and seems like an ocean, but is not salty so it's good for water sports.

When my grandpa grew up here, it was Dutch, Italian and Polish. I'm 100% Dutch and in my socio-economic community that is the majority of us.

We have two seasons: winter and road construction. :|

I don't like it here anymore b/c a) I've been here all my life and b) I prefer hot climates with NO SNOW EVER.

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Nice descriptions of Stillwater and Tulsa, Dano! :up:

I live in Norman, Oklahoma. Last I heard it was the third largest city in Oklahoma (behind OKC and Tulsa) with about 90,000 people. Norman is home to the University of Oklahoma. As Dano said, football is king in this state, and OU currently has 7 national championships.

Seasons here are pretty much Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer, and Christmas. :wink: Most people have terrible allergies in this region, including myself. :down: And we certainly get our fair share of tornado craziness.

Norman is a pretty cool place to live. The university gives the city an intellectual but crazy-fun feel. Besides immersing yourself in the insanity of home football games in the fall, we've got lots of other great college sports teams to see (our men's and women's b-ball, men's and women's gymnastics, softball, baseball, wrestling, and hockey teams are all usually excellent). We also have our fair share of concerts, plays, and the like. In the spring we have a huge medieval fair, which is always fun.

Norman is also close enough to OKC to drive up there quickly to do things. Downtown OKC always has something going on, and we've been getting a lot of big names in concert with our new venue, the Ford Center. There are also lots of nice restaurants and clubs, plus some minor league teams. We're also only about 2 hours from Tulsa and 3 hours from Dallas. I have certainly atttended many cool concerts and hockey games in those cities. :up:

Anyway, Norman is a cool town and Oklahoma is a nice state. So y'all come visit me! :D
 
I'm originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina but since last year I spend most of my time in Dublin ( ebcause my bf is Irish)

Buenos Aires is usually called the "Paris of South America" because it's similiar in its architecture. Although I think it looks more like MAdrid than PAris.

As I don't really feel like writing at the moment ( lol) I'll just copy and paste a few descriptions about my city( Sorry about the length of the following text, but i just can't leave these things out! lol):


After a typical Argentine breakfast of coffee and medialunas (croissants), you are ready to head out into the big city. First stop: the Retiro Neighborhood of Downtown. Directly across from the Retiro train station in Plaza Fuerza Aerea, you will discover one of the most beautiful towers in the city: The English Tower. Dedicated in 1909 and recently refurbished, it is beautiful during both day and night. Directly across Avenida Libertador in the huge Plaza San Martin, sitting under the shade of trees and flowing Argentine flag is the Malvinas War Memorial. Similar to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., it is a wall with the names of the 655 Argentine men killed in the bloody battles to control the Malvinas Islands between 1976-1983.

A short stroll up the long hill in Plaza San Martin takes you to a large park filled with the unusual, locally typical Ombu tree and a massive statue honoring Jose de San Martin, liberator of Argentina (as well as Chile and Peru). The plaza is an oasis inside the city center of excessive traffic and crowded streets. Surrounding this plaza is also the monumental buildings of Palacio San Martin and the Military Palace.

Across from Plaza San Martin (on the southwest side) is the beginning of the pedestrian street named Florida. It is famous for its leather shops, souvenir stores, famous standards such as Tower Records and McDonalds and many small specialty bookstores (many of which carry English titles). Hop into any of these stores for souvenirs to take with you when you leave Buenos Aires.
After lunch, a ten block walk along Florida will take you to Avenida de Mayo. This avenue, inaugurated in1894, connects the Legislative and Executive branches of government. A quick glance to your right when you reach Avenida de Mayo will give you a view of the National Congress building eleven blocks away. Turn left and head towards Plaza de Mayo. On your right before reaching the plaza, you will see the old Cabildo. This is just a remnant of the original which was built in 1765 and used to surround the entire plaza. Straight ahead is the recently repainted Casa Rosada (finished in 1882) which is the executive branch of the government (the president does not actually live there, but has offices in the building). In the basement, you may visit free of charge the Museo de Casa de Gobierno parts of which date back to 1845 when the Customs office was located there.

The plaza is flanked by other important historical buildings as it was once the main trading and market square of the original port of Buenos Aires in the 17- and 1800's. Those buildings include La Catedral Metropolitana, built in 1827 on the site of a 16th Century adobe ranch temple, Banco de la Nacion , an impressive neoclassical structure designed by the well-known national architect Alejandro Bustillo and built in 1944, and finally the Palacio Municipal. This french-style building was finished in 1902. It sits across the street from the Cabildo and houses the offices of the government of Buenos Aires.

If you happen to visit Plaza de Mayo on a Thursday, you may have the chance to see the Mother's of Plaza de Mayo march in protest to their sons that went missing during the military regime of the late 70's/early 80's

Before reaching the Congress on the walk along Avenida de Mayo, the avenue is intersected by Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest avenue in the world. Look to your right and you will see the towering symbol of Buenos Aires: the Obelisk. This Washington monument look-alike is 67 meters tall and was built in 1936 to commemorate the raising of the first flag and also the 400th anniversary of the proclamation of Buenos Aires as capital of the country.

Ready to learn more about porteno (Buenos Aires native) culture? Then the first stop today will be a real learning experience for you! Being a port city, Buenos Aires was flooded with immigration in the mid 19th century. One dock area that received the brunt of Italian immigration after 1820 was the area of the city called La Boca. During this time, La Boca received thousands of immigrants specifically from Genoa, Italy. The cultural mix plus low income salaries from the marine workers and meat packing factory people produced a neighborhood rich in culture yet low in resources. Both of these factors are still highly visible today. Our first stop today in La Boca is Caminito.

Located at the corners of Del Valle Iberlucea and Magallanes is the very beginning of the diagonal street Caminito. Upon first glance you will see the old sheet iron houses taken directly from the interior of abandoned ships (an old custom of the genovese), the brightly painted buildings (in homage to locally loved painter, Benito Quinquela Martin), and the high sidewalks and elevated buildings due to flood waters that overtake the area frequently. If you look back over the Vuelta de Rocha port along Avenida Almirante Brown, you will see the Puente Nicolas Avellaneda. Built in 1940, this landmark bridge was the largest of its time in South America. It links the neighborhoods of Avellaneda and La Boca by crossing over the Riachuelo (the main waterway linking the ports). It is even possible to take an elevator to the top of the bridge to get an aerial view of the neighborhood. Vuelta de Rocha is also known as a ship graveyard as many ancient vessels still remain half-sunken in the pungent toxic waters.

Sundays are a special time in La Boca. The legacy of the famous painter Quinquela lives on in the form of an artist's street fair on Caminito.
Here, original paintings, leather goods, mate paraphernalia, and silver items may be purchased. Because La Boca was the heart of tango in its heyday, tango dancers perform constantly for tourists along Caminito on Sundays.


One of the oldest and most historical places inside the capital is San Telmo. Here, because of a 1970's decree preserving San Telmo as a historic zone, you can find many houses and buildings dating back before the turn of the 20th Century. If time permits, you may get to San Telmo from La Boca by taking a taxi (it is approximately 16 blocks from La Boca).

If you are lucky enough to be in Buenos Aires on a Sunday, you can experience the sights and sounds of the San Telmo Sunday Antiques Fair. Surrounding the Plaza Dorrego (on Defensa and Humberto 1) you will find booths of eccentric people selling every antique item imaginable. In the plaza you can usually find a live tango show as well as on some of the side streets. Almost all narrow, cobblestone streets leading to the plaza are filled with artists peddling their wares. Though San Telmo may not seem as exciting on the weekdays, it is a famous historical area and should not be missed. It was the site of the city founding by Pedro Mendoza in 1536. In 1806 it was the site of one of the most important battles against the British (which in turn ignited the Argentines to fight for independence from Spain). Relics of this battle and other important periods of Buenos Aires history are housed in the museum inside the Basilica del Rosario.

A stroll through San Telmo is a stroll through time. Take time to languish in its narrow streets filled with antique shops and cafes playing tango music. It is worth it! There are several very good cafes and restaurants to stop and have lunch in.
By this your third day in Buenos Aires, you have learned much about the history and roots of the city. Today you will have the chance to visit one of Buenos Aires' most famous (albeit non-living) citizens, Eva Duarte Peron. "Evita's" final resting place is in the Recoleta Cemetery in the neighborhood also named after the Franciscan monastery that once dominated the landscape there.
Millions of people visit Eva Duarte Peron's tomb each year to leave flowers and prayers. She is surrounded by Buenos Aires' elite upper class forever. Taking a look around the cemetery (open 7am-6pm) you will see the names of famous generals and politicians that made Buenos Aires what it is today.
 
I live in Newport Beach, California. A city of immense financial wealth, perfect weather, "beautiful people", and rampant consumerism.

As you can imagine, many try to maintain an image to cover the emptyness in their lives. Families are broken, emotionally and spiritually empty, and children bond with their nannies.

We stay here because we feel called to serve in our church - also, our son is in a great local public school and we have some good friends in the area.
 
Mobile, Alabama. Major claim to fame is that Mardi Gras actually originated here and then New Orleans took it to that extreem Bob Dyaln got stuck inside here once - with the Memphis blues. Jimmy Buffett sings about it being his hometown, and Alabama has made his song, Stars Fell On Alabama, it's state's song. We are a port city with an ecletic population but still trying to hang on to the "Old Southern flavor with Mansions and oak trees lining major roads to downtown and it's aganist the law to cut down an oak tree without city approval. This is the home of the Senior Bowl but we don't have our own football team from Mobile. We do have the Alabama Crimsom Tide and the Auburn Tigers which is enough of a rivalry for one state anyway. University South Alabama has been in the NCAA basketball tournaments/finals for years and when these games are over everyone heads to the Gulf (of Mexico) which is just a couple hours from here. We used to have major concerts and rock bands come here in the 70's and early eighties, but alas our esteemed leader's were caught skimming off the profits and we developed a bad reputation around the concert circuit. Decades later we still don't get near the concerts we used too. We are however, just a few hours from New Orleans and Biloxi, Ms and Pensacola, Fl where a lot of groups make stops. U2 played in B'ham's Legion Field in the early 90's, so I can only hope they will make a repeat performance there. (I doubt it) so that leaves, New Orleans, Atlanta or somewhere in the panhandle of Florida as my best hope's for the shortest road trip to a concert.
Otherwise, we just sit in the shade and swelter in the summer and there is not much winter to speak of. It snow's about every decade or so and we run from hurricanes in the summer. Spring time brings out the azaleas, magnolias and everything that can grow/bloom in a garden. It's a nice place to live and visit, but hot as hell from this point on thru Sept. Thats why we tend to have a southern drawl. It's takes too much energy to think how to speak properly. Oh yeah forgot to mention the seafood. You name it, I"ve cooked it and even caught it either fishing in the creeks and rivers or deep sea fishing. Yall come now, ya heer!! I'll make shrimp gumbo :wink: :wave:
 
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I LIVE IN ROTTERDAM,HOLLAND.
IT HAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST HARBOURS IN THE WORLD AND HAS GREAT ARCHITECTURAL BUILDINGS.AND ONE OF THE BEST FOOTBALLSTADIONS IN THE WORLD'"THE KUIP".U2 PLAYED HERE A LOT.
IT HAS ALSO HAVE ONE OF THE BIGGEST DANCE EVENTS IN THE WORLD,THE HEINEKEN FAST FORWARD DANCE PARADE.
THE RIVER THE MAAS RUNS THROUGH THE CITY AND DIVEDES IT IN TO PARTS.THE CITY CENTRE AND THE SOUTHSIDE.
IF YOU LIKE TO PARTY AND LIKE TO SEE THE REAL HOLLAND(NO WOODEN SHOES,TULLIPS AND MILLS)THAN COME TO ROTTERDAM.\
AND SOFTDRUGS IS STILL LEGAL HERE.AND YOU CAN DRINK WHEN YOURE 16!!!!!!!
:ohmy: SSSSSHHHHHHH
 
Well i've lived in 3 places:

San Antonio, Texas. I was born here and lived here for 21 years. It is the best city ever. I love my city. We are the home of the Alamo, The riverwalk, the Spurs. It is honestly one of the most beautiful cities i've ever been in and I appreciate it more now that I don't live there.

Here's a couple of pics and i'll talk a bit about them:

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The Alamo is in the heart of San Antonio and definitely needs to be visited by anyone that goes to San Antonio. It used to be a mission and was where the Mexicans and the Texans fought in the battle of the Alamo. It's a really cool place to visit, they have lots of weapons that they used back then, the uniforms and that kinda stuff.

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This is the San Antonio Riverwalk. It flows through downtown san antonio and there's hundreds of restaurants and shops along the river. It is the most beautiful spot in the city. There's the boat ride that'll take you on an hour long tour of the riverwalk. It's really neat. :)

Then I lived in Dublin. I think we all know what that looks like. LOL...lived there from March 2002 to July 2002

Now I live in North Beach, MD. We live 3 blocks from the Chesapeake Bay. It is really pretty to walk on the boardwalk. We live about 45 mins from Washington, DC, and about an hour from Northern Virginia as well.

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I live in ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, most famous for being the birthplace of Cheap Trick, and for being "that town near Chicago"

Population: about 150,000

Its a nice town. I hear all my friends say they hate it, but I like it here. The summers are hot, but not uncomfortably hot. The winters are cold, but not uncomfortably cold. The weather is quite nice all year. A lot of storms though.
 
shari schultz said:
As for the Milwaukee part we have many, many, many, many, many....well you get the idea, festivals. The season kicks off with Summerfest www.summerfest.com........ So much music so little time. Also lots of incredible food and a fabulous view of our lakefront. Italian Fest. Polish Fest. Mexican Fest. German Fest and others. There is also Irish Fest-my favorite :heart:!!!!!
http://www.irishfest.com/festivalinfo/index.htm Incredible music, good food, shopping and a dog show with some of the biggest Irish Wolfhounds you have seen.

The art museum was designed by Santiago Calatrava
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and is gorgeous!
The Bucks and Admirals play at the Bradley Center-U2s concert venue for the Elevation tour. The Brewers play at a beautiful ball park-Miller Park-and they seem to have gotten the whole leaking roof thing under control. We also have some excellent college teams around here-Marquette Goden Eagles(in my heart they will always be The Warriors), Panthers and the Badgers in Madsion. To the north are a little team called the Green Bay Packers-:heart:

We also have an amazing zoo and public museum. The winters last for what seems forever but all of a sudden you look up and it is all green and blooming-Spring. Summers can be a wee bit hot and humid, but ya deal with it. Autumn, although it is not my favorite season, is quite a beautiful thing around here.

All in all, I guess I love my city. :yes:

I am from Milwaukee as well ...

Don't forget about Milwaukee's famous frozen custard. :drool: High in fat and calories, but worth it.

Milwaukee has an incredible arts scene (visual arts, performing arts, etc) that doesn't get the attention it deserves, amazing restaurants and a pretty hip night life.

As Shari mentioned, the summer "fests" along the lakefront make this city great and celebrate our diversity.

What else ... well, if I ever lift Milwaukee, I would surely miss real brats, Goldman's (if you can't find it anywhere else, you can find it at Goldman's), the "Peperoni Canoli" guy, Lake Michigan, the "God Mobile" patrolling Wisconsin Avenue ... and too many other things to mention :heart:

100 things to do in Milwaukee

100 more things to do in Milwaukee
 
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San Francisco, California...Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Victorian Houses, Cable Cars, North Beach, the Beat movements, the Hippies, trees, hills, the Pacific Ocean and the beautiful bay among other things. A great, open-minded place to be!
 
I have lived on the Sunshine Coast for 19years. The sunny coast is comprised of many suburbs or towns that hug the coastline for about 60 kilometres and it also has a hinterland that is about 40 klms deep and again has many towns that make up the three shires that comprise the Sunshine Coast. Most of the time I have lived at either Mooloolaba or Coolum, which are beach side suburbs, but now and for the past 7 months I have been living at the Glass House Mountains, which is one of the southern hinterland towns. I live in a big, upstairs house that has big verandahs and lush gardens and trees all around, I kinda feel as though I live in a 'tree house', I'm actually looking for a new housemate at the moment- any takers???

The sunshine coast is a great place to live and the Glass HOuse Mtns township is lovely. I have the beautiful mountains to look at, the beach is only a half hour drive away and Brisbane is 45 mins away,

two of the Glass House Mountains
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Map of the Sunshine Coast area
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Aerial pic of Mooloolaba
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I am originally from Toronto. A great city. Rich in so many respects. But I will leave it up to someone else to talk about it because there are others on this board from T.O. I am going to talk about my adopted home, Barcelona.

I moved here a year and a half ago with my wife, who is from here. I have been in Barcelona long enough that I am over the honeymoon phase that everyone experiences in a new city. And even after this I sincerely believe that it is easily one of the best cities in the world to live in.

Where to begin? Well, for those of you who haven't passed through Barcelona in your travels, I will explain the layout of the city. The city centre is essentially the Ciutat Vella (the old city). It stretches from the Roman period until about 1850. It is not small, but it is walkable. It contains everything from Roman ruins to several gorgeous Gothic cathedrals (one of which I had the great fortune of being married in, Santa Maria del Mar. Inside this wonderlan you can find Roman walls, colums, aqueducts and part of the exacavated town of Barcino. You can also find the medieval townhouses of Catalan merchants who traded across the Mediterranean. I can say that I have nbot yet wandered down every street in the Ciutat Vella, there is always a corner or square yet to be discovered!

In 1850, Madrid approved a plan for expansion as Barcelona was bursting at the seams. This is called the Eixample. It is a grid of large blocks imposed upon the landscape that ignores the existence of the old city. It has a certain charm, but it can be somewhat cold. What it lacks in character, it makes up in architecture. It became the playground for modernist architects, the most famous being Antoni Gaudi. You have the controversial Sagrada Familia, La Pederera and the Casa Batll? amonong many.

So besides it's amazing history, why do I love this city so much? We have a flat in the Ciutat Vella. We don't need a car, we can walk to buy everything we need (have I mentioned the dozens of markets throughout the city?). Public transport is spectacular. It is very cheap, and incredibly effecient. Food...well, don't get me started. Barcelona is full of fantastic restaurants and food shops. Of course there is loads of excellent and very cheap wine. Every bar has a terrace where you can sit and have a drink and some tapas. Catalan cuisine is excellent and Barcelona is rapidly gaining a reputation for being a reputation for excellent "fusion" cuisine, as they call it.

Whoops, speaking of which. Now I am going to La Vinya del Senyor. A bar that serves only wine and has THE best olives in the world! I could go on, and on. But if any of you ever have the chance to come here. Do not pass it up.

I know it doesn't sound like I am over my honeymoon phase, but I really am! The main thing I don't like is the weather! I miss the seasons in Toronto. The winter here is long and is always the same. Like a 6 month autumn.
 
My fiance and I are going to Barcelona for a week in August on our honeymoon. Now I'm even more excited! :hyper: It's his favourite city, but I've never been anywhere outside the US or the UK (other than a few hours in Canada and driving through Ireland from the Dublin airport to Northern Ireland). :hyper::hyper::hyper:
 
This thread is better than I ever thought it would be!! I am learning so much about everyone's cities!!!! :hyper:
 
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