You emerge from the metro station, climb a few steps and bang! It’s there, seemingly an illusion because of its size.
But it’s real – and stunning.
Suspended between two large office blocks and connected to their walls, it looks ‘too present’ to be really there…
It’s a brilliant piece of art and architecture.
It was erected in June 2022.
The sculpture weighs around 23,000 kilograms (51,000 lb), spans 30 metres (98 ft) and cost over 5,000,000 Canadian dollars of taxpayer and private money.
The sculpture is heated to prevent snow buildup, and has vibration dampers to prevent damage during high winds and possible earthquakes.
It’s amazing, as is so much of Montreal.
©️Stephen Tanham, 2025. Photos by the author.
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The lower basin of Niagara Falls, from which the water-borne tours originate, can be approached in many ways; some more expensive than others!
Most visitors arrive on foot, being funnelled into the large and streamlined ticketing system, which culminates with the issuing of the ubiquitous red plastic raincoats that are recycled at the end of tbe trip.
Niagara comprises two giant waterfalls. They lie along the border between the two countries, the USA and Canada.
Both are spectacular, but the Canadian falls – the farthest from the ferry point – are curved in a giant half-horseshoe and are simply a ‘bigger experience’.
Both falls are visited by the standard boat tours so there is no need to choose between them.
The American falls are more easily seen from the descending road above, whose foliage often obscures the larger horseshoe of the Canadian falls. This makes the size of the Canadian horseshoe a shock and a surprise when you finally get to them by water.
Now red-suited passengers, we take our places on the tour boat, filling the upper deck. The boat casts off and we enter the perpetual mist that issues from the base of the American falls. Almost immediately, the volume of noise increases and we get a clearer view of the grandeur ahead.
To our left is a giant structure whose fine detail is unclear, as though there were small ‘spikes’ on the upper surfaces. As we get closer, this resolves itself into hundreds of tiny human figures moving up and down a series of viewing platforms.
Minutes later, and closer to the American bank, we look up through the thick mist and see a series of smaller falls with walkways close to the down-flow of water. In other locations each of these would be noteworthy.
The boat makes a slow arc around the base of the falls, then heads back out into deeper waters. The noise changes, and there is an increasing sense of anticipation…
We round a headland and the mist once again thickens. For a few seconds, most of the passengers fall silent, taking in the new vista…
Then…
To be continued.
©️Stephen Tanham 2025
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We couldn’t visit Toronto without taking a trip up the CN (Canadian National) Tower.
It’s now the world’s tenth tallest structure standing on land, and it dominates the view of the city from the shores of Lake Ontario.
When it was constructed, in 1973, it was the tallest building in the world, and remained so for 32 years, finally being overtaken, in 2009, by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Here are a few of the shots taken during our short trip:
Toronto is an amazing city and a busy place!
©️Stephen Tanham, 2025. Photographs taken by and property of the author.
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Passengers cling tightly to the boat’s metal rails. Everyone on board the Niagara Thunder is jammed down the port side of the vessel.
No-one is screaming… the intensity is colossal. We are all too absorbed in the sheer ‘presence’ of millions of gallons of water thundering down in front of us on the Canadian side of the falls, turning the basin of the waterfall into a massive generator of fine water molecules; a spray so fine it seems part of the air, itself.
We see these natural wonders of the world in old films or comic books when we are young. Often, they are lesser when we finally meet them.
Niagara isn’t one of those. In reality, it’s simply enormous…
I’d like to share that experience via photos and a small commentary over the next couple of blog posts.
In reliving it, I’ll be having as much fun as I hope you will reading about it – and looking at the photos.
©️Stephen Tanham 2025
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We’ve finally made it to Canada! After years of wanting to, the presence of my son on a two year contract to Toronto has enabled a week-long trip to this lovely – and very friendly – city.
We feel entirely at home here.
As a special treat, we’re being taken to Niagara Falls, today. Can’t wait!
Lots more photos to follow!
The opening shot was taken yesterday at Oakville, looking along the coast towards a distant and barely visible Toronto, but the great city is there if you look.
©️Stephen Tanham
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Alness: about ten miles north of Inverness on the famous A9 highland road to John O’ Groats and the port of Thurso.
We hadn’t planned to visit Alness but an internet lookup for a decent pharmacy showed it was the closest supermarket town to where we were staying on The Black Isle.
We bought our supplies at the supermarket then parked up and wandered down the small town’s Main Street. At its southern end the road descended quite steeply to a modern bridge over a small river.
Searching for a park to give the collie a run, we stumbled on a beautiful river valley at the southern end of the highland town.
A quick check on the iPhone showed it to be the River Averon, and its woodland course through the brough had been turned into a nature park.
Unusually for this far north, it was a very warm afternoon. I wanted to reflect this ‘sultry’ feeling in the photos. To that effect, I played about with the photo settings, using the best configuration as a template to augment each of the others.
©️Copyright Stephen Tanham 2025.
Stephen Tanham is a writer of blogs and mystically-oriented fiction.
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What secret value do I hold
That this – with dying seconds –
Bestows its once-glory on my eyes
And now on yours…?
—-
What is this act of seeing
That knits the view and viewer new
In such a way and with such love
They were not ever two but twin?
—-
And yet…
—-
And yet kaleidoscope of ‘it’
Mocks egoscope of ‘me’
For being tied to ‘here’
—-
‘It’, never the same, unparalleled
In its newness, laughs at my desire
To fix, as foe, my shifting self.
—-
This dance of eye and I is
Nature’s gift to smooth and soothe
The monkey-mind’s raw peril.
—-
When Self comes calmly knocking
Upon the cracks of it and me
To shatter Life assumed as matter
—-
Then let my arms be love and open
My mind surrender here and there
My heart, awake, stride free and far
Into the after-where…
©️Stephen Tanham 2025
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With labyrinthine grace
Not lacking pace
The human mind:
The snake devourer of the here
Makes shapes of what it likes
And doesn’t…
—-
The sum a palette:
A well-stuffed wallet
‘Embrace, avoid or pass’
The money says
As hissing head explores in dread
A painting made by self
In which its power of choice
Is just a word…
—
Come heart and flower
And give me back my soul
Freed of the past
And seen in shining brow
Like arrows of the now.
—-
©️Copyright Stephen Tanham 2025.
Image by the author. Setas de Sevilla. Seville, Andalusia, Spain.
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St Peter Parasol
With higher vision
Perceives the Earth rotating
Round and around
The endless quest for truth
In human mind revolves
Crucified by greed
And children’s slaughter
His gaze seeks out
The pretenders…
That they, one day,
Might know themselves
In heart and share
The tears…
©️Stephen Tanham 2025
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Beyond the Hawthorne
Skies of blue
Trick eye to thinking
Summer’s due
Not yet! The mind
Replies, as frozen fingers
May betray
Spring’s breeze for
Deeper pockets’ warmth.
©️Stephen Tanham 2025
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I love photographing fires. Domestic ones, usually. On Guy Fawkes’ Night (5th November), I can indulge this passion outdoors.
But that’s a distant memory now.
Usually, the results fail to justify the effort… The ‘euphoric’ energy and fulsome nature of the flames fails to come through to the image.
But this shot – taken through the glass of the log-burner in our lounge – did fulfil its promise.
It was only when I was gazing at it, later, that I began to see the ‘Egyptian figures and faces’.
Over to you!
-🔷-
©Stephen Tanham 2025
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12ProMax.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher.
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There’s a tiny road that leads out of our village of Sedgwick, to cross the deep gorge of the often thundering River Kent. A quarter of a mile later it connects with the busy A590 that links the M6 motorway with the heart of The Lake District.
There is usually one day, often in January, when a severe winter frost turns the leafless and dead-looking ‘bridge road’ into a twinkling grotto.
Very occasionally – as here – there is a blue sky. When the blue sky and the frost come together, the place becomes magical.
You can’t see it from the village. You have to be in the gorge, itself, to catch it. In previous years, I’ve had other motorists behind me who would not have taken kindly to my stopping on the narrow road to photograph the scene, no matter how fine the view was.
But on this occasion, with no-one behind me, I was able to stop the car and – leaning out from the driver’s window (and keeping a keen eye on the rear-view mirror) snap a few hasty shots. I was surprised how clearly they came out.
So here it is, in all its winter glory. It’s great to be able to share it.
Enjoy!
-🔷-
©Stephen Tanham 2025
All photos taken and processed on an iPhone 12 ProMax.
Stephen Tanham is a writer-photographer and mystical teacher.
Sun in Gemini 
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