When I saw The Lego Ideas Book: Unlock Your Imagination by Daniel Lipkowitz arrive at Calgary Public Library, it brought back memories of when Lego ruled our world. I’m nostalgic for the days when a Lego magazine’s arrival in the mail was a major event. All activity would halt as the magazine was devoured cover to cover. The required money was tallied, the piggy bank counted, and all upcoming birthdays and holidays taken into account. Then quick to the phone to sweet talk Grandma! All hands were on deck as 1000 pieces of Lego were spilled on the dining room table; parents in charge of sorting Lego by colour, while the chief builder did the assembly without a break until it was done.

Legoland Florida opened in October on the site of the old Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven. We haven’t visited this one, but looking at the map shows they’re using some of the popular features from other Legolands. Our first visit was to Legoland California in San Diego. My strong memories are not the rides, but the clever Lego statues that dotted the park. In the medieval section there was a little pink grunting pig. Down a darkened tunnel was a menacing polar bear. For a photo op, you could stick your head in the jaws of a roaring lion.

We also visited the Legoland in Windsor, England. You can take a train from London for a day trip. Getting off the train, you grab a bus or taxi, skirting around the Queen’s Windsor Castle. There are two huge colourful dragons on the Viking’s River Splash. Trolls dump water on you at the end of this water ride. We all enjoyed the Kid Power Tower in which two people pull their seat up in the air with a rope to get a good view. As in all Legolands, there’s a model miniland in the middle of the park with some architectural highlights of the surrounding country. Miniland is my favourite part of Legoland. It’s fun to look back at places you’ve been, and to look forward to the next destination.

The library’s Lego books are very popular, and sometimes you need to place holds to get the latest titles. We scoured the books on the history of Lego. The little yellow headed people are important; a friend’s child dressed up as one for Halloween. Standing Small: A History of Thirty Years of the Lego Minifigure chronicles their story. There are lots of X books too- easy readers with limited vocabulary for those learning to read.

Books devoted to specific Lego collections are also popular. Right now, Harry Potter is flying off the shelves. Harry Potter: Building the Magical World has colour photos of the sets no longer available. The Star Wars book is also great, and a lot easier to flip through than poking through E-bay!

Lastly, we recommend the DVD Lego: the Adventures of Clutch Powers. Clutch is an action hero minifigure in this animated movie suitable for young kids. There are five Legolands to visit: in Florida, California, England, Germany, and Denmark, the original. Block on!

How to see the great cities of Europe and not spend a lot of money? Try walking the streets.

Calgary Public Library has many books on walking and walking tours. Just recently received are these great guides from National Geographic.

Walking London and Walking Paris are "part of a brand-new series from National Geographic that showcase the world's great cities, These guides are divided into the following sections. The Whirlwind Tours section shows you how to see the entire city in a day or a weekend; what sights will interest kids most; plus, a hedonist's tour that's pure pleasure from dawn to midnight and beyond. The Neighborhoods section of the book presents each city broken down into itineraries that lead you on a step-by-step tour to the best sights in each of the cities' greatest neighborhoods...Travel Essentials provides information on how to get to the city and how to get around, as well as hand-picked hotels and restaurants."

Check out our other guidebooks, such as:

Think about using local transit to get around various cities. Check out the options for purchasing a transit pass for multiple days or stops.

You can also save money in many European cities, by purchasing a European City Card. Thirty-six of Europe’s most popular cities now offer ‘city cards’. Most City Cards offer free public transport, free entrances and discounts in restaurants, shops and entertainment.

Sandeman's New Europe Tours offer free tours of 14 European cities. Their guides operate on a 'tips only' basis.

Are you staying in Calgary with the family for Spring Break? There are many opportunities in the city for fun family activities, starting with Calgary Public Library.

Our libraries are always great places to spend a few hours, browsing for books, CDs, and DVDs. As well, many of our branches are offering special programs during the week, starting on March 23rd.

PD Day Movie at Central in the John Dutton Theatre.

Come watch a feature film on your day off! Call branch for movie title.

Kids - with a parent/caregiver, 1:30 - 3:30 on Friday, March 23rd. No registration required.

Chess in the Library at Forest Lawn Library

Join members of the Calgary Chess Club and Calgary Junior Chess Club for the opportunity to play chess, supported by coaching. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

Kids & Teens - Ages 6 to 20, Sunday March 25^th, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Registration Not Required

Spring Break Movies at Signal Hill Library

Join us on your school break for a selection of short, funny films from the Library's collection.
Ages 5 to 12, Tuesday, Mar 27, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. No registration required

ESL Teen Talk at Fish Creek, Nose Hill & Saddletown Library

ESL teens and tweens can practice English language skills and enjoy a variety of fun activities at the Library.

Ages 10 to 14, Monday, Mar 26, Tuesday, Mar 27, Wednesday, Mar 28, Thursday, Mar 29, Friday, Mar 30, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Gaming For all ages at Nose Hill Library

Bring your friends and enjoy video games with the Nintendo Wii, such as Beatles Rock Band, Wii Sports, and selected Mario games. Wednesday March 28^th, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Kids & Teens - Ages 7 and up Registration not required

LEGO Club at Fish Creek & Shawnessy Library

Join us to build, create, and explore! Legos provided.

Kids & Teens, Registration not required

Create Fantastic Creatures! at Alexander Calhoun

Create creatures a la Parrototter or Rhinostrich inspired by "Mixed Beasts" by Wallace Edwards, learn pencil crayon shading, and read, write, and share rhymes. Presented by Pinkmittens2.

Kids - Ages 9 to 12, Saturday, Mar 31, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Other Venues

Heritage Park's Gasoline Alley Museum is offering Spring Rally in the Alley from March 23 - April 1, 9:30am-4:00pm.

The Calgary Zoo offers daily programs and special programs and has to be a great place to be with all this great spring weather. What a great chance to see the new penguin exhibit. (Of course, it is snowing as I write this! Spring in Calgary!?!)

Spring is an excellent time of year to visit the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. My bird-watching friends tell me that you have a better opportunity to see the birds before the leaves are on the trees.

Star Night - And speaking of viewing, why not take advantage of a great opportunity to view the stars. Clear or cloudy skies, The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and Fish Creek Provincial Park are offering viewing of the night sky with telescopes, astronomy presentations, interactive games and displays. Everyone welcome, no charge!

Telus Spark, the new science centre, is offering special programs for spring break.

Fort Calgary is open every day through the spring break, offering a chance to see where Calgary first started at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers.

Mom, Tot and Kids' Show website describes itself as a fun and interactive tradeshow for Alberta Families. More than 100 exhibitors will be present showcasing the latest in technology, apparel, furniture, products and toys. they invite you to come and play with your kids, be entertained, explore and just have fun!

When we travel to far distant shores, many of us are looking for a deeper meaning to our travels and our lives, searching out places that are sacred and mystical. The following book will help you move beyond the mainstream tourist destinations.

Sacred Britain: a Guide to Places that Stir the Soul by Martin Symington

"Britain is packed with places to visit that can be called ‘sacred’. Many are mainstream tourist sites, such as Iona, Lindisfarne and Stonehenge. Many more are out-of-the-way pilgrimage destinations, druidic circles, holy wells or obscure islands that few people would find without this book. Some are only recognised as ‘sacred’ by people with a special interest: Karl Marx's tomb in Highgate cemetery, the island on Althorp where Princess Diana is buried, or Twickenham rugby stadium. This is a travel guidebook to places in England, Scotland and Wales associated with a sense of the sacred. The book journeys from pilgrimage sites with tombs of martyrs and scenes of medieval miracles to the remote islands of Iona, Bardsey and Lindisfarne, as well as to modern Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic shrines. It visits pre-historic stone circles and ancient chalk hill carvings such as the phallic Cerne Abbas giant. As well as sites of myth, legend, and apparition it covers shrines to philosophers and locations revered for their connections with art, music, literature, sport, and crime." (Syndetics)

You can find more books about spiritual travel in a past blog. And if you are looking for appropriate accommodation for your spiritual journey, take a look at our blog on monasteries.

We have a fascination with those who face the challenges of the north. Here are three books about such men, the first chronicling the story of Richard Proenneke in Alaska, an inspiration for naturalists. The second takes on the controversial flight of Richard Byrd to the North Pole. The third is the story of S.A. Andree who attempted to fly to the North Pole in 1897 in a hot air balloon.

One Man's Wilderness: an Alaskan Odyssey by Richard Proenneke

"This book made a big splash when it debuted in 1973. Keith based the text on the journals and photography of Richard Proenneke, who, after racking up years of 50-hour work weeks, did what many of us only fantasize about: he chucked it all and went to live in the woods. Now in his 80s, Proenneke still abides in the log cabin he built with his own hands and has become an icon for naturalists. Though few will follow Proenneke's lead, his story can be quite inspiring." (Library Journal)

Show Me a Hero: the Sin of Richard Byrd Jnr by Jeremy Scott

"Richard Byrd wanted to be the first man to fly to the North Pole. By telling one momentous lie he become an all-American hero, received the highest distinction his President could bestow, and secured a lifetime of celebrity. The cost to others of that race proved fatal, the price Byrd paid himself was no less than his own soul. This is the story of Richard Byrd, who claimed to have won the race to the Pole in 1926, and the consequences of the lie he told."

(Amazon)

The Ice Balloon: S.A. Andree and the Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration by Alec Wlkinson

"Wilkinson recounts the thrilling story of the visionary Swedish explorer S.A. Andree, who in 1897, at the height of the heroic age of Arctic endeavor, attempted to discover the North Pole by flying over it in a hydrogen balloon." (Syndetics)