I had thoroughly enjoyed my walking tour through Old Rome and marveled at some of the Eternal City’s most popular sights: the Vatican, the Piazza …
A Walking Tour of Rome’s Main Sights
The weather in Rome was absolutely perfect on my second day of explorations around the Eternal City. In the morning I decided to use up …
A Sightseeing Tour of Rome and a Trip to Ostia
My European trip was going very well. After about 10 days in Spain and another week in Austria I was embarking on the last leg …
Madrid’s Palacio Real, the Rastro and Buen Retiro Park
Madrid Spain Travel: A Bicycle Tour in Madrid During my double-decker bus sightseeing tour of Madrid yesterday I had already got a good overview of …
Spain Travel: An Excursion from Madrid to Segovia
I had spent a great morning already, cycling through Madrid with my expert guide Kaspar Winteler from Bravo Bike Tours. As I was in the …
A Bicycle Tour in Madrid
Madrid Spain Travel: A Bicycle Tour in Madrid During my double-decker bus sightseeing tour of Madrid yesterday I had already got a good overview of …
A Sightseeing Tour of Madrid’s Main Attractions
After a nice afternoon and evening in Salamanca, I rose early on the morning of June 1, 2010 to leave for my drive to Madrid …
Salamanca – A Destination for Spanish Language Learning
Madrid Spain Travel: A Bicycle Tour in Madrid During my double-decker bus sightseeing tour of Madrid yesterday I had already got a good overview of …
A Final Walk through Calgary
Our last couple of hours before our departure had arrived. We had left Banff at about 9:30 am and got into Calgary just shortly before …
Taking the Banff Gondola up to Sulphur Mountain
Our skiing had come to an end and I allocated the last full day in Banff to explore some more local attractions while my husband …
Dog Sledding with Snowy Owl Adventures
On a crisp winter day, our coldest day so far, with a brilliant blue sky, I got going early at about 7:15 am and drove …
Skiing at Lake Louise
Lake Louise strikes you for two reasons: the absolutely stunning scenery that surrounds it, and its huge size. Lake Louise is located in a UNESCO …
Skiing at Sunshine Village
We planned on an afternoon of skiing at Sunshine Village, one of the largest ski resorts in Canada. It is located just 15 minutes from …
Skiing at Norquay
Driving along the TransCanada Highway On Sunday, after our high-intensity day in Calgary and after stocking up on groceries in the Mount Royal Area,, we …
Exploring Banff and the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
The Banff Springs Hotel is one of Canada’s luxurious railway hotels that were built between the late 1870s and the late 1920s. The railroad played …
Our Celebrity Breakfast at the Twin Gables B&B
Bed and breakfast travel is one of our favourite ways of discovering new places and the historic Twin Gables B&B is a real treat. It …
Lunch at Indochine Bistro, Featuring Kevin Nguyen: from Vietnamese Boatperson to successful Calgary Restauranteur
This morning after our lovely celebrity breakfast, Nigel and I decided to walk along 4th Street all the way downtown. At 7th Avenue we split …
Dinner at Il Giardino & Meeting One of Calgary’s Most Successful Entrepreneurs
After catching a lovely and much needed rest at the historic Twin Gables Bed and Breakfast we set off to explore the immediate neighbourhood, the …
Canada Olympic Park
Our 4-hour whirlwind tour provided by our local expert Jocelyne Morrison from Time Out for Touring took us into Alberta’s second most visited attraction outside …
First Impressions of Calgary
As so many times before, I used my Airmiles to book our flights to Calgary (with the Westjet Airmiles Mastercard you get to fly out …
An Overview of our Alberta Discoveries
My husband and I try to go skiing for a week at least once a year and so far we’ve been to about 15 different …
Interviewing One of the Penitentes and My Last Day in Mexico
Yesterday I had spent my day in Taxco for the famous happenings of Semana Santa. I watched two religious processions: at noon time there was …
Hello from Taxco – A visit to Taxco’s famous Good Friday processions – a truly eerie experience
My last couple of days in Mexico were approaching fast and furiously. I packed my overnight bag early this morning and took the 9:15 am …
Hello from Cuernavaca – My last day of school and a visit to the Cuernavaca Spring Fair
This morning I headed off on the Ruta no. 2 to the Túnel area of town and started my last day at the Cetlalic Language …
Hello from Cuernavaca – A day outing to the enchanting mythical village of Tepoztlan
At roughly 10 in the morning I walked through beautiful residential streets in the north end of Cuernavaca to the so-called Glorieta de Zapata, a …
Hello from Cuernavaca – My most intense day so far: more language studies, 3 interviews, a guided eco-hike and dinner at the Marco Polo
I have a habit of cramming a few too many things into my schedule, and I think yesterday was such a day. I started my …
Hello from Cuernavaca – A new language school, visiting ‘Casa Vamos’ and an evening with a very sad ending
A new week began yesterday, after my wonderful weekend in Taxco, and after a quick breakfast I took a taxi to my school which is …
The Walking Hall of Fame of the PGA Father Son Challenge at ChampionsGate
After our exciting round at Mystic Dunes, it was only mid-afternoon on a gorgeous day with blue skies, so we decided to take a 10 …
Golf at Timacuan Golf and Country Club
On our last full day in Florida we had a chance to play another beautiful golf course, this one located about half an hour north …
Golf at the Royal St. Cloud Links
For a real links-style golf experience we discovered the Royal St. Cloud Golf Links, located in St. Cloud, about 25 minutes southeast of the Orlando …
Golf at ChampionsGate
Several days after attending the Father-Son-Challenge at ChampionsGate we actually got out and played the International Course ourselves. It was an exciting experience to play …
The Ultimate Golf Theme Park
My husband loves playing golf and I am myself am pretty decent at the sport. So it was a given that we would be playing …
Our quick stopover in beautiful historic St. Augustine
On our way home from Orlando, a little more than an hour into our 20+ hour road trip back to Toronto, we stopped in St. …
Central Florida – wildlife galore
When you go to Florida, wildlife confronts you everywhere. Especially all the exotic birds fascinated me, often you come up close to subtropical bird species …
Central Florida – a haven for naturalists
Florida has a great amount of biodiversity and nature lovers will enjoy the great variety of plants found in the Sunshine State. On our recent …
Serenity at the Historic Bok Sanctuary
The Historic Bok Sanctuary is located about an hour southwest of Orlando near Lake Wales, also home to the Florida’s Natural Visitor Center that I …
Learning about the Story of Citrus at Florida’s Natural Visitor Center
One of the things that Florida is known for is, you guessed it, is orange juice! The citrus industry has been playing a big role …
Orlando’s historic neighbourhoods and parks
Downtown Orlando offers a welcome reprieve from the purpose-built areas to the south-west of the city that have been created solely to accommodate tourists. In …
Orlando’s Loch Haven Park – center of arts and culture
On this overcast day we decided to explore other areas of Orlando in more detail. About 10 minutes north of downtown Orlando is Loch Haven …
Exploring scenic Mount Dora on the Herbie Express
In my quest to find unusual destinations to visit in the Orlando area, I stumbled over a little town by the name of Mount Dora …
A picnic in downtown Kissimmee
After our exhilarating airboat ride and swamp buggy tour at Boggy Creek, we snaked our way north towards Orlando and decided to have a picnic …
Our High and Low Speed Adventures at Boggy Creek Airboat Tours and Swamp Buggy Rides
After my rather quaint and leisurely scenic boat ride through Winter Park, a rather different boating experience was in store for me: a high speed …
A Walking Tour of Downtown Winter Park – Orlando’s Lake District
Just a few minutes north of downtown Orlando awaits Winter Park, a charming picturesque suburb steeped in history. After my excursion on the Scenic Boat …
The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour
The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, founded in 1938 and located just 15 minutes north of downtown Orlando, is one of these lovely side trips …
Hello from Taxco during Semana Santa – The famous Palm Sunday Procession
This morning I woke up early, way before 6 am. I lay awake looking at the blinking lights of Taxco right outside the window of …
An evening walk around Lake Eola
After our interesting visits to the Orange County Regional History Center and the Well’s Built Museum of African-American Culture and History, we decided to continue …
Hello from Taxco – The city that silver built
My friends Alberto and Elisabeth picked me up early Saturday morning and dropped me off at the Estrella de Oro bus station at 8:45. We …
The Well’s Built Center for African American History and Culture
After I had received a general overview of the history of the Orlando area in the Orange County Regional History Center, I wanted to delve …
Hello from Cuernavaca – Opening of a South African photo exhibition and a visit to the Palacio de Cortes
After my visit of the Newcomers Club I took a taxi to the Museo de la Ciuadad which is located directly about the Tourist Office …
The Orange County Regional History Center
Exploring Orlando “Off the Beaten Path” has been the theme for our trip and I intend to explore the Central areas of the Sunshine State, …
Hello from Cuernavaca – A presentation about ecology at the Newcomer’s Club Meeting
This morning I got up early and had a nice breakfast in the inner courtyard of La Nuestra. Shortly before 9 am Andie and I …
Orlando – Off the Beaten Path
One of my husband’s favourite places is Florida, since he is an avid golfer and likes to get away from the cold Canadian winter for …
Hello from Cuernavaca – A conversation with Andy Grater, local B&B owner and President of Cuernavaca’s Newcomers Club
I am currently staying at, “La Nuestra“, a comfortable bed and breakfast with 4 guest rooms, a private swimming pool and an outdoor breakfast area …
Hello from Cuernavaca – An excursion to Lake Tequesquitengo and a visit to the doctor
Today was my last day at the Ideal Language School. My teacher Estela and I had a very interesting conversation about Mexican culture, the church, …
Hello from Cuernavaca – An excursion to Las Estacas, checking out orchids and a meeting at El Cafecito
After a beautiful breakfast in the garden at Roxana’s place with Helga, the young lab with shiniest black coat, dancing all around me, I went …
Hello from Cuernavaca – A lovely dinner at Marta Elena’s
As a gesture of appreciation for Marta Elena’s outstanding hospitality, I decided to get her some flowers since I know that she absolutely loves gardening. …
Hello from Cuernavaca – The Robert Brady Museum and the Jardin Borda
spend my mornings in Cuernavaca studying Spanish and I arranged to have the afternoons free to explore the city. At the Ideal language school today …
Hello from Cuernavaca – Getting to know my B&B hostess Marta Elena – a true riches to rags story
After my arrival in Cuernavaca and the lovely dinner at Vanessa’s aunt’s place the whole family took me to my temporary home for the next …
Hello from Cuernavaca – Arrival in Cuernavaca
This morning, on our last day in Mexico City, we had one more relaxing breakfast with “hot cakes” (the Mexican version of pancakes) and around …
Hello from Mexico City – Exploring the Paseo de la Reforma, the Bosque de Chapultepec and a nice evening in San Angel
This morning another wonderful Mexican breakfast was in store: Vanessa had made “tlacoyos con nopales“ (fried dough covered with fruits of the prickly pear cactus …
Hello from Mexico City – A relaxing evening in Coyoacan
Last night after our big first discovery of Mexico City I had a couple of hours of rest before Vanessa and her mom took me …
Hello from Mexico City – The Zocalo, the Cathedral, a healing ritual and university dedicated to a 16th century female poet
After our visit to the huge government-owned pawnshop, Nacional Monte de Piedad, we saw a side view of Mexico City’s and Latin America’s biggest cathedral: …
Hello from Mexico City – A skyscraper, a little horse and a government pawn shop
This Friday morning the chirping tropical birds in the courtyard outside the building woke me up early. Vanessa had fixed a real Mexican breakfast: fruit …
Hello from Mexico City – First impressions
After a few very hectic days before my departure I got up at 4:30 am yesterday and my husband drove me to the airport. Since …
Mexico 2006 – My cultural immersion experiment
I had been to Mexico twice before, once many years ago in Manzanillo, and more recently in 2003 in Puerto Vallarta. Essentially both of these …
The Elmwood Village Inn
After my three-day adventure in Niagara Falls, Ontario we crossed the border into the United States for the second portion of our winter getaway: from …
A Cyling Tour Through Corktown and Mexicantown
My discoveries of Detroit were slowly but surely coming to an end, and I had seen so many interesting places already in my whirlwind tour …
Detroit Travel: The Westin Book Cadillac Hotel Shines Again
One of the main reasons I had come to Detroit was the fantastic architecture that this city has to offer. Detroit celebrated its heyday in …
Architectural Rejuvenation at the Inn on Ferry Street
My abode for my last two days in Detroit was the Inn on Ferry Street, a beautifully renovated complex of six historic buildings in the …
Cows, Sheeps and Tractors – The Canadian Agriculture Museum
After my very interesting introduction to sheep shearing and all sorts of wool processing techniques I had a chance to link up with David Sutin …
The Sheep Shearing Festival and Learning about Wool
Once a year on the May long weekend, the Canada Agriculture Museum puts on its Sheep Shearing Festival. It is held on the Saturday, Sunday …
The Canadian Tulip Festival Features the Flotilla: Parading Boats on Dows Lake
For a period of almost three weeks, the Canadian Tulip Festival offers a wide range of special events and festivities, and the Flotilla on the …
The Splendour of Tulips at the Casino du Lac-Leamy
After my historic train travel experience on the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train I decided to explore the surrounding neighbourhood. The Casino du Lac Leamy, located in …
History and Luxury at the Wakefield Mill Inn & Spa
To experience the charms of the quaint village of Wakefield, I combined my unique transportation experience on the Hull-Chelsea Wakefield Steam Train with a lunch …
A Historic Train Travel Experience on the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train
Transportation is an integral experience of any trip, and when you get a chance to experience a unique mode of transportation it’s even better. Even …
Bistro 115 – Authentic French-Canadian Fare in the ByWard Market
After my nerve-wracking yet exciting TV appearance at Majors Hill Park it had started to rain and by this time it was close to 7 …
Reporting Live (on TV!) from Major’s Hill Park
My day today so far had been completely dedicated to exploring nature: first I visited the Fatal Attraction Exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Nature …
Gatineau Park – An Easily Accessible Nature Experience
After my visit to the Museum of Nature an adventure of an altogether different nature was awaiting me: the outdoor splendour of Gatineau Park, a …
Fatal Attraction at the Canadian Museum of Nature
My day at the McGee’s Inn started early with a breakfast at 7:30 am. I plunked myself down at one of the two-seater tables in …
The Historic McGee’s Inn – 2 Couples Come Together to Become Hospitality Entrepreneurs
During my assignment here in Ottawa to cover the Tulip Festival I am staying in one of my favourite types of accommodation: a bed and …
Aboriginal Cuisine at Sweetgrass
As always, I like to focus on unconventional travel ideas and experiences, and food is part of this experience. So before I left for Ottawa …
Doubling up on Antiquity at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Today culture was on my mind. After enjoying two interesting exhibits at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, I made my way across the river …
A First Walk Down-town to Check out Contemporary Photography
When I left Toronto this morning at 10 am it was raining cats and dogs. But fortunately rush hour was finished and traffic was flowing …
A Parade of Boats and an Interview with the Organizers of the Tulip Festival
Canada’s capital has become one of my favourite getaways. At 4.5 hours of driving it’s pretty close to Toronto, it’s easy to get to and …
The Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography and Sunil Gupta’s Photographic Explorations of the Immigrant Experience
My schedule in Ottawa this past weekend was extremely compressed, but there was one place I wasn’t going to miss: the Canadian Museum of Contemporary …
The Canadian Museum of War and ‘Weapons of Mass Dissemination’
Anybody who knows me and my personal family background knows that I absolutely abhor violence and war. War and conflict has existed all throughout human …
The Lord Elgin Hotel – A Historic Landmark in the Heart of Ottawa
As far as travel to Ottawa is concerned, you’d be hard pressed to find a more central lodging location than the Lord Elgin Hotel. It …
Darcy McGee’s: a Historic Irish Pub on Sparks Street
When travelling to a new place, you might as well combine history with a unique dining experience and good food. So literally steps away from …
Confederation Park and Other Winterlude Locations
Confederation Park is one of the main centres of Ottawa’s Winterlude Festival, and what was excellent for us was that we were staying right across …
The 26th Annual Bedzzz Race at Dow’s Lake
When I was making my travel plans to Ottawa I had a look at all the events that are part of Winterlude, Ottawa’s Winter Festival, …
A Perfect Winter Adventure: Skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway
There is no denying it: Ottawa is known is one of the coldest capitals in the world (only as far as temperatures are concerned though). …
An Early Morning Walk to Parliament Hill
One of the interesting features of Ottawa is its architecture and Ottawa has many heritage sites. Parliament Hill with its historical neo-Gothic buildings was an …
The Mardi Gras Experience at Fat Tuesdays
After our arrival in Ottawa this afternoon and a very brief rest at our hotel, we went out in search of a satisfying dinner. The …
First Impressions and an Overview
My partner in crime Theresa and I went to Ottawa 3 or 4 years ago in the winter to catch Ottawa’s famous winter festival “Winterlude“. …
My Packed 2-day Itinerary for Winterlude
For a while my friend Theresa and I had been planning to go back to Ottawa and experience “Winterlude”, Ottawa’s winter festival. About three years …
Ottawa River: Mating in the Wild and Other Diversions
On July 23 and 24 my friend Leslie and I went on a weekend adventure: a learn-how-to-kayak weekend on the Ottawa River. We had a …
Ottawa River: Reflections on City Life
So Friday I decided to head out on a kayaking weekend with my friend Leslie. This was the first time in about 8 years that …
Ottawa River: How the River Kicked My Ass
Way back when in February I went to the Outdoor Adventure Show and I twisted my friend Leslie’s arm to go on a learn-how-to-kayak weekend …
San Francisco – City by the Bay – Part II
For a long time I have wanted to travel to San Francisco again. Finally, in February of 2008, I had an opportunity to visit one …