I had thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Organic Market of San Miguel de Allende. Around 1 pm I was picked up and driven to …
A Visit to the Organic Market of San Miguel de Allende
The sun was beaming down on March 1, 2014 when I took the bus into downtown San Miguel de Allende. I jumped off at the …
The Trendy Hotels of San Miguel de Allende
Prior to my trip I had contacted the local tourism office of San Miguel de Allende, and they had been extremely helpful in developing a …
A Trolley Tour to Get Acquainted with San Miguel de Allende
After a restful night I started my first full day – March 1, 2014 – in San Miguel de Allende with a nice breakfast that …
Winter Escapes: A Trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Mexico has long been one of my favourite destinations and I have spent some time studying Spanish in Cuernavaca and Guadalajara. Mexcio happens to be …
Costa Rica Travel: An Excursion to Tamarindo
After nine days of excursions and many early morning departures with our Caravan tour of Costa Rica, the itinerary on February 15, 2013 was completely …
Costa Rica Travel: Lunch in Tilaran and Arrival at the 5-Star JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort
After our rainforest tour of Arenal Hanging Bridges and a drive around Lake Arenal we stopped for lunch in the small country town of Tilaran …
Costa Rica Travel: Experiencing the Rainforest at Arenal Hanging Bridges
The Arenal area of Costa Rica had really impressed me with it lush scenery and the gorgeous Arenal Springs Resort with the domineering Arenal Volcano …
Costa Rica Travel: Exploring La Fortuna and Wildlife at Arenal Natura
After my enjoyable walking tour of the Arenal Springs Resort, I connected with my travel partner around mid-day and we booked a taxi to go …
Costa Rica Travel: A Tropical Paradise at the Arenal Springs Resort
Following our three days on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, we had spent a restful night at the luxurious Arenal Springs Hotel. When I …
Exploring Buenos Aires: The Retiro Train Station, Plaza San Martin, Calle Florida and Galerias Pacifico
Following a nice day-time visit to Tigre, I took the “tren de la costa” (the coastal train) all the way back to its last stop, …
Buenos Aires Excursions: A Train Trip to Tigre
Visiting large cities is one of my favourite things to do, and Buenos Aires is certainly among the most interesting cities in the world. But …
A Visit to the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery and the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden
Argentina is a country of immigrants, starting in the 16th century with Spanish colonization, and continuing with a huge wave of migration from Italy, Spain …
Buenos Aires Adventures: A Graffiti Bicycle Tour and Dinner in Palermo
I had thoroughly enjoyed my morning explorations in Buenos Aires’ La Boca neighbourhood and had even caught a live tango show. In the afternoon it …
Buenos Aires Adventures: Tango in La Boca, Exploring the Caminito and the Parque Lezama
One of the most colourful areas in Buenos Aires is undoubtedly La Boca. This working class district was first settled in the late 1800s when …
Warsaw Discoveries: Umschlagplatz, New Town, Old Town and the Royal Castle
After four exciting and densely packed days in Krakow, I had arrived at the luxurious 5-star Hyatt Regency Hotel in Warsaw, which has a great …
Exploring Krakow: A Visit to Nowa Huta, the Slowacki Theatre and St. Mary’s Basilica
My time in Krakow was quickly coming to an end, but before my afternoon train to Warsaw I still wanted to get to know some …
Bicycling in Buenos Aires: A Visit to the Plaza de Mayo, Reserva Ecologica, Puerto Madero, San Telmo
On November 5, 2011 our bicycle tour group with Biking Buenos Aires had already seen the famous Recoleta Cemetery and the Plaza San Martin with …
Bicycling in Buenos Aires: The Recoleta Cemetery, the Plaza de las Naciones Unidas and the Plaza San Martin
After a couple of days in Buenos Aires, this was the day for deepening my knowledge of the Argentine capital. To do so I had …
Paris Travel: My Last Outing to Vincennes
April 25, 2012 was my last day in Paris and I was planning to embark on one more excursion before heading out to the airport. …
Paris Museums: Immigration Museum, Sewer Museum & a Visit to the Gare de Lyon & Promenade Plantee
So far, my stay in Paris had been very enjoyable and interesting, despite all the rainy weather. Well, not surprisingly, April 24, 2012 was another …
Loire Valley Discoveries: A Walking Tour of Tours and a Return to Paris with a Visit to La Madeleine
The weather during my spring visit to the Loire Valley just did not want to cooperate much as April 24, 2012 was also a pretty …
An Excursion to the Loire Valley: the Chateau de Chenanceau, Chateau d’Amboise, Clos Luce with its Connection to Leonardo da Vinci
On April 23, 2012 I had an out-of-town excursion planned from Paris: a train trip to the historic city of Tours, which is located right …
Discoveries of Paris: Notre Dame Cathedral, Tour St. Jacques, City Hall & the Marais
After my adventures in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, one of Paris’ most beautiful urban parks, I hopped on the Metro again and exited on …
Buffalo Travel – Art Deco Splendor at the Buffalo City Hall, Lofts on Pearl & Lunch at the Pearl Street Grill
After visiting two iconic destinations on the outskirts of Buffalo (the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Garden and the imposing Our Lady of Victory Basilica) …
Buffalo Travel: The Splendour of Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna
After our colourful visit at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens we did not have to go far to our next destination: a few …
Buffalo Travel: A Splendid Natural Oasis at the Buffalo Botanical Gardens
September 23, 2013 was our last day in Buffalo and we had a few more hours to explore Western New York State’s metropolis. We started …
Buffalo Travel: The Forest Lawn Cemetery and Dinner at the Blue Monk
As the sun came out we continued our walking tour of the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo and admired the large collection of mausoleums and …
Buffalo Travel: Exploring the Elmwood Village and the Forest Lawn Cemetery
After our architectural education during the Open Air Bus tour of Buffalo, we arrived back in the Elmwood Village and headed for lunch to Ahskers …
Buffalo Travel: A Buffalo Architecture Tour in an Open-Air Bus
Our third day in Buffalo was a bit windy and cool, but we were off on another great adventure: an open-air bus tour with OpenAirBuffalo, …
Buffalo Travel: Outstanding Modern Art at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery
On this rainy day in Buffalo we continued our program with a trip to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the city’s modern and contemporary art museum. …
Buffalo Travel: The Hotel Lafayette – An Astounding Transformation from Flophouse to Architectural Jewel
Day 2 in Buffalo was a rainy day, but we had a great indoor program: a visit to the historic Hotel Layafette which was opened …
Buffalo Travel: Dinner at the Pearl Street Grill & a Walk to Buffalo’s Theater District
After our extended explorations of Canalside, Buffalo’s recently revitalized waterfront district, we were now ready for dinner and chose to head to the Pearl Street …
Buffalo Travel: Exploring Canalside and Going Inside Silo City
As a passionate architecture lover, I am always on the lookout for great destinations that feature historic architecture. With a home base in Toronto, I …
Zurich Switzerland – Exploring the Old Town: Grossmünster, Fraumünster, Lindenhof Hill
May 15, 2013 was my last full day in Switzerland and my amazing month-long adventure in Europe was rapidly coming to an end. The 120 …
Zurich Switzerland: Riding on the Dolderbahn, a Visit to the Zürichhorn & the Chinese Garden and a Final Dinner
On my last day in Europe I only had about six hours to explore Zurich, Switzerland. By mid-afternoon I had explored both the east and …
Bern Switzerland: Exploring the Minster, Bern City Hall & the Botanical Garden
During my explorations of Bern Switzerland on May 14, 2013 I left the Old Town, crossed the River Aare on the Nydeggbrücke and arrived at …
Bern Switzerland: Explorations in the Old Town – the Zytglogge and Marktgasse
In the morning of May 14, 2013, before departing for Bern,Switzerland, I had a chance to sit down with Rene Klopfer, who is the owner …
An Electric Bicycle Tour of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and Dinner in the Mountains above Interlaken
Finally, on May 13, 2013, my last full day in Interlaken, the weather had improved just a little bit, which was important for my plans …
Salzkammergut Discoveries: Hallstatt in the Rain, a Hike by the Toplitzsee Lake and Lunch in Bad Aussee
On May 7, 2013, we started our drive back south from the Upper Austrian Salzkammergut region to Styria. It started out as a rainy and …
Discoveries in the Bernese Highlands: A Visit to Meiringen and Thun
Following my visit to the Ballenberg Open Air Museum on May 12, 2013, I drove to the small village of Meiringen, the location of the …
Salzkammergut Discoveries: A Visit to the Attersee, Bad Goisern and the Imperial Villa in Bad Ischl
Our Salzkammergut tour on May 6, 2013 took us from St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen past the Mondsee lake to the Attersee, another picturesque Alpine …
Swiss History in Action: The Open Air Museum of Ballenberg
May 12, 2013 was another rainy day and I was originally planning to go biking that day. But with the bad weather I decided to …
Salzkammergut Discoveries: St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee Lake
On an initially cloudy May 6, 2013, we started our excursion of the Austrian Salzkammergut lake district. From Bad Ischl we drove to St. Wolfgang, …
Interlaken Adventures: A Train Ride on the Jungfraubahn & a Visit to Brienz and Interlaken
May 11, 2013 started out as another overcast, grey and drizzly day. On this day I had big plans: a trip up to the famous …
Interlaken Discoveries: Lunch on the Harder Kulm, Souvenirshop Zryd and a Chocolate Show
With our impromptu visit to the Grand Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau complete, we strolled by a series of historic hotels on the main street of Interlaken during …
Interlaken Discoveries: Unterseen, the Bödelibad, the Kurpark and the Iconic Hotel Jungfrau-Victoria
Following a soggy evening in Lucerne, I checked out of my hotel in Beckenried and got on the highway during the morning of May 10, …
Lucerne in the Rain: Still one of Switzerland’s Jewels
After a few gorgeous hours on Lake Lucerne, it was now late afternoon on May 9, 2013, when I finally drove into Lucerne. As I …
Sorrento Travel: Villa La Terraza, La Sorgente Agriturismo and a Visit to Massa Lubrense and Sant’Agata
April 26 was my last full day in Sorrento and in the morning I moved from the Hotel La Favorita, which was fully booked, to …
The Island of Capri: Villa Jovis, the Natural Arch, Anacapri and Monte Solaro
I had been really lucky so far – the weather in Sorrento had just been absolutely perfect, and April 25, 2013 was another magnificent day. …
Sorrento Travel: An Electric Bicycle Tour to Villa Nella
On April 24, 2013 I started another gorgeous day with a stroll through the narrow medieval alleyways of old Sorrento and watched as the locals …
Salzkammergut Travel: A Visit to Traunkirchen and Bad Ischl
After our explorations of the pretty town of Gmunden we drove south on the west side of the Traunsee and stopped at Traunkirchen, a beautiful …
Salzkammergut Travel: Discoveries of Gmunden, Seeschloss Ort and the Traunsee Lake
In the morning of May 5, 2013, my brother, sister-in-law and I departed early from Styria for a two-day excursion to the Salzkammergut Region, the …
Arrival in Switzerland: Beckenried, Emmetten, Seelisberg and Lake Lucerne
My time in Austria came to an end on May 8, 2013 when my brother and sister-in-law dropped me off at the train station in …
Austria Travel: A Visit to a Farmers Market and a Big Birthday Party in St. Kathrein
Saturday, May 4, 2013, was market day in my home town of Weiz. Every Wednesday and Saturday, local farmers from the area come to the …
Austria Travel: A Piano Concert and a Hike in St. Radegund
On May 2, 2013, we attended a concert in the Kunsthaus Weiz, a modern multifunctional exhibition and performance venue right in the center of town. …
Austria Travel: A Hike in the Raabklamm River Gorge
May 1 is a public holiday in Austria – Labour Day. On this gorgeous summer-like day, my brother, sister-in-law and I decided to go for …
Austria Travel: A Visit to my Hometown of Weiz in Eastern Styria
After an amazing 10 days in Southern Italy, April 30, 2013 was the first day in my native country of Austria. I arrived in my …
Sorrento Travel: A Day Trip to Positano, Nocelle and Montepertuso
After my first full day in Sorrento I decided to visit Positano on April 23, 2013. Although the town is officially less than 20 km …
Sorrento Restaurants: An Evening at O Parrucchiano
In the afternoon of April 22, 2013 I went for another walk through the old centre of Sorrento and admired many historic buildings such as …
Naples Travel: Excursions to Marechiaro, Bagnoli, the Campi Flegrei, Baia, Miseno and Caserta
In the morning of a brilliant April 28, 2013, my local host Nino Pezzullo embarked with me on another excursion on the outskirts of Naples. …
Naples Travel: The Chiaia Area and a Guided Tour of the Tunnel Borbonico
After our stroll along the Lungomare, on the way back downtown, we walked along the Via Chiaia, one of Naples’ most important shopping streets with …
Naples Travel: The Galleria Umberto, Piazza del Plebiscito and the Castell dell’Ovo
Local host Nino Pezzullo and I continued our walking tour of Naples on April 27, 2013 with a visit to the Galleria Umberto I, an …
Naples Travel: Exploring Spaccanapoli, San Gregorio Armeneo and Lunch at Pizzeria Da Michele
On April 27, 2013 I left Sorrento on the very crowded Circumvesuviana Train and arrived in Naples in the rain in the late morning. During …
The Historic Charm of Amalfi
April 20, 2013 started with an early morning and breakfast with my Salerno hostess, Annarosa. I found out that she is an urban planner and …
A First Stroll through Sorrento and a Tour of the Gran Hotel La Favorita
In the morning of April 22 it was raining cats and dogs in Sorrento and I took my time getting ready in the elegant Grand …
Goodbye to Salerno, a Crazy Bus Ride and Arrival in Sorrento
April 21, 2013 was my last day in Salerno. I got up early and my hostess Annarosa fixed me a pleasant breakfast and equipped me …
Salerno, Italy: The Giardino della Minerva, the Presepe Dipinto and the Duomo of Salerno
After my initial visit of Salerno’s waterfront promenade, the Lungomare, and the Villa Communale public park, I continued back into the historic quarter of the …
Salerno, Italy: A Visit to the Lungomare and the Villa Communale
On April 19, 2013, a new travel adventure started: Southern Italy! I was going to spend the first ten days of my four weeks in …
Clarington Travel: Orono, Newcastle and Bowmanville
After my adventures in the Enniskillen area, all part of the Ontario’s Clarington’s travel region, I drove about 20 minutes south east to the small …
Clarington Travel: 1 Stop Alpacas and Gallery on the Farm
August 3, 2012 was a packed day for me during my getaway in the Clarington travel region: after a tasty breakfast at the Our Valley …
Clarington Travel: The 4th Line Theatre & Our Valley View B&B
Ontario is a beautiful place in the summer. With its rolling hills, its fertile farmland and the rocks and lakes of the Canadian Shield, Ontario …
Ontario Travel: A Visit to Goderich and a Huron County Drive
The second last stop on our discoveries of Ontario’s West Coast on October 11, 2011 was Goderich, with about 8000 people the largest town in …
Ontario Travel: The Blyth Festival and the Benmiller Inn
Our last day, October 11, 2011, on Ontario’s West Coast had begun. It started with a nice home-made breakfast at our bed and breakfast, Clair …
Ontario Travel: A Country Bike Trip and Dinner at the Little Inn in Bayfield
After a good lunch at the Black Dog Village Pub and Bistro on October 10, 2011, we were now ready to embark on our afternoon …
Ontario Travel: A Hike in Bayfield & Lunch at the Black Dog Pub
This sunny Thanksgiving Monday, October 10, 2011, started with gorgeous sunshine again, a perfect beginning to an action-packed day in the picturesque village of Bayfield. …
Ontario Travel: The Little Inn of Bayfield, Hullet Marsh and Clair on the Square
One of Bayfield’s signature properties is the Little Inn, a historic inn that was built in the 1850s, although an earlier stagecoach stop had existed …
Ontario Travel: The Enchanting Main Street of Bayfield
In my quest to savour every last moment of fall, my travel partner and I embarked on a 3-day getaway to Ontario’s West Coast, starting with the town of Bayfield, on October 9, 2011.
Dalmatia Travel: Zadar, Vir, Petrcane and Borik
In the morning of April 30, 2012, we followed our usual routine and drove downtown from our rental apartment on the outskirts of Zadar. First …
Dalmatia Travel: A Visit to Skradin and Sibenik
Until 1991, when it declared independence, Croatia was part of Yugoslavia. What followed were four years of a horrific war when the country was attacked …
Paris Attractions: The Picturesque Parc des Buttes Chaumont
April 22, 2012 was another day with very predictably unpredictable weather. One hour it was sunny, then it rained for an hour, then it got …
Poland Travel: A Visit to the Wieliczka Salt Mine
Fortunately, after my visit to Auschwitz, the second half of the afternoon of May 8, 2012 was focused on a much more pleasant destination: the …
Poland Travel: A Visit to Auschwitz
May 8, 2012 was a tough day: my program in the morning and early afternoon was a visit to Auschwitz, the most notorious and brutal …
Krakow, Poland: Exploring Kazimierz and Tyniec
After our May 7, 2012 visit to the Oscar Schindler Factory, my expert guide Monica and I crossed the Vistula River and walked into Kazimierz, …
San Jose, Costa Rica: A Guided Walking Tour
After an enjoyable guided tour of the opulent Teatro Nacional, I was ready to explore more of San Jose, Costa Rica. Theatre tour guide Jeff …
San Jose, Costa Rica: The Gran Hotel Costa Rica and the Teatro Nacional
An enjoyable 20 minute walk through the Barrio Chino had taken us from our hotel to the downtown area of San Jose, Costa Rica. Right …
San Jose, Costa Rica: Hotel Bergerac and a Walk Downtown
In the morning of February 17, 2013 our Caravan tour of Costa Rica had come to an end and most of our friends left for …
Buenos Aires Travel: Exploring the Barrio Chino by Bicycle
Our November 4, 2011 bicycle tour of Buenos Aires continued. After we left the Bosques de Palermo, it started raining so we had to put …
Toronto Travel: Canada Blooms – Canada’s Largest Flower and Garden Show
Every year, by about mid-March, I get sick of the Canadian winter, and when I don’t have a chance to travel abroad to a sunny …
Buenos Aires Travel: Bicycling through the Bosques de Palermo
My first full day of Buenos Aires travel adventures had already been action-packed. After exploring the Plaza de Mayo and the landmark buildings surrounding it, …
Buenos Aires Travel: A Sightseeing Tour, the Japanese Garden and El Rosedal
Following my quick explorations of the Plaza de Mayo on foot, I was ready to get to know the city in more detail. I figured …
Buenos Aires Travel: Arrival in Palermo and a Visit to the Plaza de Mayo
For many years I had been dreaming about embarking on a Buenos Aires travel adventure. There is just something almost magical about the name “Buenos …
Costa Rica Travel: Visiting a Pineapple Plantation
February 12, 2013 was our day for transferring from the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica to the region around the Arenal Volcano and the plan …
Costa Rica Travel: Leaving Tortuguero and Lunch in Guapiles
After two interesting and very educational days, our time in Tortuguero had come to an end and we had to move on to continue our …
Costa Rica Travel: A Boat tour of Caño Palma in Tortuguero
On February 11, 2013 I had enjoyed my personal tour of the Pachira Lodge eco-resort. In the mid-afternoon it was time for another boat tour …
Costa Rica Travel: A Tour of Pachira Lodge in Tortuguero
Following our very educational boat tour through the Tortuguero National Park, we were welcomed back at Pachira Lodge with a tasty pizza snack. I then …
Costa Rica Travel: A Morning Boat Tour inside Tortuguero National Park
In the early morning of February 11, 2013 I realized that we were indeed in the jungle inside our comfy room at Pachira Lodge in …
Costa Rica Travel: Explorations of Tortuguero Village
After our adventurous excursion to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, we were ready for some local explorations: Tortuguero Village was waiting for us. In the mid-afternoon …
Costa Rica Travel: Our Adventurous Trip to Tortuguero
Our second day in Costa Rica, February 10, 2013, started very early since we had to make it to the village of Tortuguero on the …
Costa Rica Travel: A Scenic Lunch and the Café Britt Coffee Tour
I had truly enjoyed our outing to the Poas Volcano, and for this afternoon another typical Costa Rican experience was in store: the Café Britt …