Stone is Way Cool in Canada

With the release of her new book, Terry Murray takes a look at an ancient subject and gives it a modern, entertaining spin (see review) in Faces on Places, A Grotesque Tour of Toronto.

Faces on Places also happens to be the inspiration for this post, which takes a look at other sites around the Net devoted to cities of stone in Toronto and throughout Canada.

Naturally, the first stop is Toronto - where a recent outcry helped save Old City Hall (and the subsequent renovation of its famous flying gargoyles) which Murray colorfully retells and photographs for Faces on Places. The recently published travel handbook also includes a guided tour, and an eyeful of the University of Toronto's gaggle of faces & grotesques, along with a chapter devoted exclusively to Other Things with Wings.

If you're in Quebec this summer, also be sure to check out the walled Old Quarter where the stone colossus Chateau Frontenac dominates the skyline, and don't miss Parliament Hill in Ottawa - a major draw for lovers of Gothic.

Gargoyle spotters have also put Montreal on the map for its easily accessible historic city center, where traditional French Canadian architecture abounds in such diverse places as Notre Dame Basilica and the Royal Bank.