Friday, May 31, 2019

I Am Sevastopol (1975)

Sevastopol (Russian: Севасто́поль; Ukrainian: Севастополь; Crimean Tatar: Акъяр, Aqyar) is the largest city on the Crimean Peninsula and a major Black Sea port. The city is administered as a federal city of the Russian Federation following Crimea's annexation by Russia in 2014, though Ukraine and most of the UN member countries continue to regard Sevastopol as a city with special status within Ukraine.

Sevastopol has a population of 393,304 (2014 Census), concentrated mostly near the Bay of Sevastopol and surrounding areas. The location and navigability of the city's harbours have made Sevastopol a strategically important port and naval base throughout history. The city has been a home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is why it was considered as a separate city in Crimea of significant military importance and was therefore once a closed city.

Although relatively small at 864 square kilometres (334 sq mi), Sevastopol's unique naval and maritime features provide the basis for a robust economy. The city enjoys mild winters and moderate warm summers; characteristics that help make it a popular seaside resort and tourist destination, mainly for visitors from the former Soviet republics. The city is also an important centre for marine biology; in particular, dolphins have been studied and trained in the city since the end of World War II.

Morning Walk (1888) and Miss Elsie Palmer (1890) by John Singer Sargent.


Sunday, May 26, 2019

Now reading The Story Of The Heavens by Robert Stawell Ball...


Near Metrotown station in Burnaby. Winter of 2018.

Metrotown is an elevated station on the Expo Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station is located in the Metrotown area of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is the fifth-busiest station in the SkyTrain system. The station is located between Central Boulevard and Beresford Street, east of Willingdon Avenue.

Metrotown station was built in 1985 as part of the original SkyTrain system, on what is now known as the Expo Line. The overhead walkway that led to Metropolis at Metrotown shopping centre was added to the station in 1989. Originally, the bus loop was open-air and connected to the station via an at-grade street crossing.

The station was originally designed as a suburban station serving residential neighbourhoods and local transit connections. It experienced a major traffic increase due to the opening of nearby shopping centres and the redevelopment of the neighbourhood, leading to passenger loads and circulation surpassing the design capacity of the original station.

In 2007, TransLink established plans for a major retrofit and redesign of the station to improve passenger flow and increase station capacity. Construction began in February 2015, with an estimated cost of $55.5 million.

On November 15, 2016, TransLink closed the pedestrian overpass that connected the station to the Metropolis shopping centre. The closure was a result of preparation work required in rebuilding the east stationhouse. No timeline was provided for when a replacement overpass would open. The closure has led to criticism and extra travel time for many passengers.

The centre stationhouse opened to the public on March 24, 2017, and features new stairs and elevators. On July 24, 2017, the west stationhouse opened, featuring four escalators.

The rebuilt east stationhouse opened on March 19, 2018, and—like the west stationhouse—it also features four escalators. Upon completion of the third phase, the station has a total of eight escalators, three elevators as well as stairs to and from platform level.