Alcatraz Cruises, the official concessioner to the National Park Service, providing ticketing and transportation services to Alcatraz Island, has confirmed its partnership with the Hyatt Regency San Francisco to present “Alcatraz: Life on the ...

Palau's President Tommy Remengesau has proposed banning all commercial fishing in the Pacific nation's waters to create one of the world's largest marine reserves, covering an area roughly the size of France. President Remengesau, who was elected last ...

Unfortunately, traveling alone as a woman comes with a longer list of risks than it does for men in the same situation. Despite this, studies have shown that more and more women are choosing to travel abroad every year. These statistics can be ...

The recent 2013 Palau Shark Week attracted over 70 divers from all over the world to take part in Fish ‘n Fins’ fascinating week of encounters. Great shark dives in both new and classic dive sites were the highlights of the week as well as ...

Studying abroad is a common part of the college experience, with many college students at least considering international studies at some point during their education. In many cases, this experience sends individual college students to unfamiliar ...

Whether the long, hot summer stretches before you – punctuated only by cries of, “Mom, I’m bored!” at regularly spaced intervals – or you’re embarking on that time honored form of parent torture known as the family ...

 Chicago is a year-round destination for family fun. From enjoying a summer ballgame at Wrigley Field to ice-skating downtown, activities abound that will please kids and parents alike. And many of these adventures cost little money, a plus for ...

San Francisco is a world-class, romantic destination and there are several reasons to come visit the city-by-the-bay for the forthcoming Valentine’s Day. To begin, couples will want to explore options for accommodations.  There are two ...

Often described as the cathedral of football, the Nou Camp stadium home of Barcelona FC is a trip that cannot be missed; whether or not you love the game is irrelevant. The Nou Camp stadium opened its doors in 1957, as Barcelona FC were growing in ...

Fun in the Sun in Spain Spain - the godfather of holidays - is a wonderful place with so much to see and do. There’s a holiday to suit every taste and preference imaginable, whether you’re a shopaholic, a beach bum or a keen hiker. You ...

Conception: Deciding to Participate in a Host Program While there are some resources available to host families, it's often difficult to find information that seems to apply to your specific situation. In addition to your family's own idiosyncrasies, ...

Any cigar aficionado understands the value of a good smoking atmosphere. Not only does a good cigar bar or hangout offer high-quality cigars in a relaxing setting, but the lingering smells of the cigars – one of the item's strongest attractions ...

Well, im sure we all saw the new year in with a blast and now it is time to think about the year ahead as the travel industry is an ever-changing beast. Scott from the Travelistic travel blog shares a few thoughts on the top travel destinations for ...

Ancient Castles in Scotland Glamis Castle The castle is perhaps the most ghost inhabited castle of Scotland. It is located in the Angus area. The most significant historical value of the castle is that it was a place of residence of Queen Elizabeth ...

Everything's Big in Texas: Planning a Long-Term Business Trip in the Lone Star State Relocations are one of the risks of any job, and if you want to keep on with a company for the long term, you're wise to be willing to go where you're needed. When ...

Native American cultures are known for embracing their past, but they’re also increasingly known for using cutting-edge technology to bring their message to others. There is perhaps no tribe more adept at this than the Chickasaw Nation, who ...

Most anyone that knows me, is well aware that the last activity I would ever willingly choose to do is fishing. However, in my journey of firsts, I was compelled and encouraged to try my hand at the art of throw net fishing while in Hawaii at the ...

It’s no secret that Native Americans share a deep respect for nature. And in many areas where native tribes live, they have become stewards of the land, preserving some of the area’s most stunning natural features. That’s especially ...

Christmas in London: Family Friendly Events & Attractions London is one of the most exhilarating cities in the world to visit, especially so over the Christmas period. There’s so much to do and so much to see; activities, performances and ...

Barcelona and Catalonia are a wine lovers paradise. The city that produced Ferran Adrià is famous for its gastronomy, and enjoying good food and wine is a quintessential part of Catalan life. Wine has been grown in Catalonia and in Barcelona ...

Bringing together the past and the present, Dorset is a spectacular county in the south of England. Below you will find two great reasons to visit this fantastic location Firstly, the history of the county is something to behold as it spans over ...

Maybe you'd love to collect your stockpiled vacation days and while them away at an all-inclusive beach resort in Cancun. You and your spouse would be in heaven, but your six-year-old? He's more likely to complain of the hot sand, the boring atmosphere ...

Urban life in a major metropolis can be stressful. Considering most of Australia’s population exists within large urban centres, planning an escape is more important than ever. The great outdoors have long been an ideal location to escape the ...

So you're preparing for your first semester abroad and you can't wait to see all the sights and experience a brand new culture at your destination. Although these more exciting elements of your trip are certainly something to look forward to, you can't ...

London has a variety of stunning parks to enjoy, with a close locale to other amenities and attractions in the area. Guest writer Scott Wood offers up a selection of the best open spaces for you to enjoy. Richmond Park Watch out for the deer as ...

Florence, or as everyone here says “Firenze,” is without doubt one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. I was told this by someone who has travelled a lot as I was packing my suitcase, getting ready to go. Having visited Venice, Milan, ...

Taking a day trip is one of the ways we can enjoy some sense of escape and sanity when working in an office environment of endless emails, phone calls, meetings and other stressful aspects of professional life. Unlike long-distance vacations, a day ...

Summer can be much too hot, and winter is often far too cold, but fall is the “just-right” season for an outdoor vacation. Not only do you avoid the summer vacation season traffic with a fall trip, but a fall vacation gets you outdoors just ...

Many college students at some point consider the benefits of studying abroad. Although this approach to enriching your education comes at an increased cost over earning your credits domestically, international studies provide a wealth of opportunities ...

For us Canadians, shopping in the States has become a regular activity.  Even more so, since our laws were changed in June, allowing Canadians to bring back double the prior amount of goods, duty-free.  For those of us who live in Ontario, ...

Many people vacation just to see the sites – the Eiffel Tower, Pearl Harbor, the Empire State Building – but you're interested in a more meaningful trip. You want to go beyond photographing landmarks to experience other cultures and ways of ...

The period of United States history in which the “Trail of Tears” occurred isn't one of our proudest moments in, but it's a highly important event that should be considered essential to a foundational education. Unfortunately, history books ...

While I am committed to trying on new experiences in HerJourneyTo50, there is also something to be said for returning to favorite places for a reminder of what one loves best. Palau is that place for me. I’ve been visiting Palau every year for ...

I need to admit something. I am not a seafood lover at heart. In fact, it is my wife who likes seafood the most. So it was somewhat unfair that I was chosen to judge the 2012 PEI Oyster Grower of the Year competition and not her. But such is the life ...

There is something incredibly relaxing about plying the waters of a favourite lake, fishing rod in hand and your line stretched tight off the bow. Watching it touch the water, images of massive walleye and pike come to mind. I imagine the line being ...

Wow, a very warm summer indeed. Actually, the hottest day I have ever experienced in my 58 years was in Chain O Lakes  State Park in Albion, Indiana, 97 degrees Fahrenheit. With the humidity, it felt much warmer than this. It could be one of ...

Think of an unusually distinctive town built on several levels, cut by footbridges, sliced in two by high ground on which is perched a crumbling 12th-century castle - that's Scarborough. Throw in oddities such as a gigantic central hotel built in the ...

Story by: Greg Mountenay Day 1- The Adventure Begins! So today I spent the morning at the Lansdowne Canadian Tire in Peterborough getting to tell some local reporters about this amazing experience. The Peterborough Examiner wrote an article you can ...

In our globally accessible world, we often think we need to board a plane to have a memorable travel story.  Although seeing new sights, trying exotic food and encountering new cultures is valuable and exciting, sometimes a great experience is ...

Every year when the kids finish school we head up north to our cottage in Dorset, Ontario.  It is amazing how a 3 hour drive north out of the city brings you into the most beautiful and natural landscapes you can ever imagine.  It doesn't ...

Finally posting a couple from our Germany trip!We only had a short time to spent in Heidelberg but we had a nice stroll around the old town. We climbed up to the castle and walked around it but to me, the castle seems the most impressive with the way ...

On June 30th we took a few trains to Liege and one was a rinkety dinkety train that was really small and so all the people trying to get to the tour de france got all squished, and that was after we couldn't stuff ourselves into the first train! We ...

On June 30 we went to Liege to watch the start of the Tour de France. To get there we had to go on 4 trains, first we went from Amersfoort to Utrecht, then Utrecht to Maastricht, Then from Maastricht to Liege on an old run down Belgian train. after ...

Our museum cards paid off for us the day we went to the Van Gogh Museum. They allowed us to skip the line of about 45 minutes. Unfortunately, that didn't help much when we got to the crowded exhibit halls and had to strain to get close to see the ...

Beyond windmills and clogs, bikes are the things people probably most associate with Holland, and for very good reason - they're everywhere! It really is amazing to see how ingrained, pervasive, and ubiquitous cycling is as a means of transport here. ...

The day after my birthday, we went to Florence and spent most of the day going to the Uffizi Gallery. By most of the day, I mean 2+ hours in line and about 3.5 hours in the galleries! Since Karen did art studies with the boys, I had been very anxious ...

Since knowing we would be coming to The Netherlands, the Anne Frank House has been on our list of places to visit. This  museum is the actual warehouse and business in which Anne Frank and her family and 4 other Jews hid  during the Nazi ...

By Julianna Wintemute My friends and I back packed Thailand for 2 weeks which was one of my first real backpacking experiences. We decided to choose the most economical mode of transport between Bangkok and Koh Phangan. This happened to be an ...

After a 13 year hiatus of RV travel vacations with our daughters in their grandparent’s motor home, my husband Rick and I purchased an RV back in February of this year.  We had three requirements, the first, that it be less than 21 feet for ...

Wow, the cycling in Bormio is just phenomenal, with three amazing days of riding during the Pez 10th party. It was a real treat having expert guides such as Giacomo and Daniele, as we didn't have to worry about picking out the route or getting lost. ...

Poets Cove Resort & Spa Sailing from Tsawwassen to Otter Bay takes approximately 2 hours, but the time passes quickly as British Columbia scenery stretches as far as the eye can see. I call it eye-candy for the soul as it has a supernatural way of ...

It's crazy to think, but our website www.pezcyclingnews.com is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, which is just phenomenal in the internet age. To mark the occasion, Rich Pestes organized a week-long party in northern Italy for our ...

Monday May 21, a group of us at the TNO lab organized to rent an evening at the velodrome (cycling track) in Amsterdam for a "learn to ride" night. "Standard" velodromes are now 250 m (used to be 333 m), though the Forest City Velodrome in London, ON ...

Mother's Day, Eric and Astrid's (kids Dorien and Jacco) and us got together for a lunch at their place and then took an afternoon trip 40 km south to the town of Amerongen to visit their Kasteel (castle). It was a really cool old house from the 17th ...

“It tastes so salty,” I quipped when surfacing from my first dive of 32 minutes in the German Channel of Micronesia. My boyfriend Mike and I had the unique opportunity to get PADI certified in one of Jacques Cousteau’s favorite ...

Well, May 8 we landed in the Netherlands and to the final (theoretically!) main stop of the sabbatical adventures! It was a smooth but long day of travel from Rome to Amsterdam, all for a short 2.5h flight but 10 h door-to-door. We're in the little ...

Aside from having one’s own Private Island, Palau is a North Pacific paradise that appeals to those who truly want to get away from it all, especially for couples who want to enjoy a romantic interlude, far far away.  Ideal for those who ...

The Pantheon (Pan=all; theo=god) is a Roman temple for all of the gods. Tiberius, one of the Roman emperors and later another emperor wanted to put Jesus in the Pantheon as well as the Roman gods, but the Roman Senate did not approve of that. The ...

Circo Massimo (or Circus Maximus in English) is a place where the Romans had many chariot races and other contests. There are chariot races like the chariot race in the movie "Ben-Hur". One problem in that movie is that they do nine laps instead of ...

The Swiss have always been the guards of the pope. Swiss mercenaries have been bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards. Michelangelo actually designed the yellow and blue "costumes" for the Swiss guards or the guards of the Vatican. The ...

FlightAware Travel App  When going somewhere on a trip, whether it be business or pleasure, flights are one of the most common sources of issues. There are many difficulties that can arise when taking a plane such as delays or cancellations. The ...

On Monday (May 8) we went to Vatican City (country #15!) and St. Peter's Basilica. We were hoping to go to the Vatican Museum, but the lineup was so long that it went along the Vatican walls almost to St. Peter's Basilica (>1 km!). Daddy took the ...

Often labelled the most powerful city in the world, Washington D.C. is about much more than just politics and makes a great travel location for people of all ages. With over 17 million visitors in 2010, Washington D.C. is becoming a very popular travel ...

OK, St. Peter's Basilica and Square are soooo big and amazing that we need a couple of blogs. It's much easier and quicker to get into than the Vatican Museum, which is where the Sistine Chapel is. How bad is the VM lineup? At 1000h, it stretched along ...

After Tuscany, we spent a few days in Rome before continuing to the Netherlands. On Sunday (May 6) we went to the Collosseo. The Colloseo was built on top of the place where Emperor Nero's house once was, but they built it over top to show how much ...

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born in the village of Caprese, Tuscany on March 6, 1475. Caprese is a small village with a population of 1600 and it was renamed Caprese Michelangelo to honor the famous artist, sculptor, architect and ...

Quick dash on Sunday to Bologna to drop off Olaf at the airport for his flight home (grazie for the grand times Olaf!), giving us a couple of hours to wander around the old city of Bologna after a long drive from Chitignano. Olaf being Olaf, he guided ...

On Friday night we went to the republic of San Marino, our family's 14th country on this trip! The country is only 61km2. San Marino is surrounded by Italy and is located on a mountain named Mount Titano. Mount Titano is on the east side of the ...

How do you celebrate 8,000,000 Facebook Fans? If you are Ferrari, you take the 458 Italia for a little ride and say a big thank you!

If you are like me, the new camera section of any weekend newspaper flyer from Best Buy or a local camera store is one of the first things I like to read. I scan the specs, go online and get more details and contemplate how best to score the next best ...

The city of Arezzo in the south east part of Tuscany is also the capital of the province of Arezzo. It is now a city of over 100,000, but the historic old part of the city is surrounded by stone walls and filled with churches, piazzas, old shops and ...

Wednesday we went for a walkabout-driveabout from the villa over to the nearby town of Poppi, set up on a hill overlooking the surroundings plains. I was getting nervous twitches from seeing all the cyclists out on the roads but mostly managed to keep ...

Yesterday as we were heading out for the east coast of Italy to visit the beaches and the coastal towns, we found a real treasure. Passing through the village of Chiusi della Verna, 10 km away from our villa, we found that this was the village ...

If the road to baseball immortality runs through New York City, the back roads of the state offer an equally tantalizing field of dreams to explore. Mohonk Mountain House rises majestically from the surrounding forest at the end of a winding two lane ...

A relaxed, but inspiring drive through Austin and the surrounding Texas Hill Country eventually leads to the main gate of Lake Austin Spa Resort. Entrance is granted only to those whose names appear on a list, so I am pleased when the gate buzzes in ...

Tuesday evening, Hunter's dad and I took advantage of the nice evening by taking a drive along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. It really is an astoundingly beautiful drive. It's along the Blue Ridge mountains, part of the larger Appalachians range ...

Bedford, VA. It was awarded to Bedford by Congress because the town suffered the highest per-capita losses on D-Day (19 Bedford soldiers out of 30 died on June 6, 1944). It's a nice bit of symmetry being at Normandy in December and now here. It's ...

A city of approximately 140,000, located on the east coast of Greece bordering the Aegean. It sits at the foot of Mount Pelios (or Pelion), which is known at the Land of the Centaurs. It is the main home of the University of Thessaly and the ...

This weekend, we travelled back to Ioannina and spent the weekend with Stephen's Simon Fraser lab-mate, Thanassis and his family. Thanassis did his PhD at Simon Fraser U in Vancouver and then returned to Greece to do his army service. Now he is ...

Activities here at A Little Sossus Lodge are more then plentiful. There will always be something for our guests to do, and something for everyone. We have activities for the whole family as well as for those who prefer quiet times. The most popular ...

Water is one of our most valuable resources in the Namib desert, therefore it must be used very sparingly. We get our water from 3 boreholes ranging from 70 – 100 meters deep. Two of these boreholes use diesel engines with mono pumps to pump the ...

On Saturday 31 March, A Little Sossus Lodge for the first time participated in the annual Earth Hour. Hundreds of millions of people, businesses and governments around the world unite each year to support the largest environmental event in history ...

One of the many reason that I love travelling is experiencing the local culture and history.  What makes this place unique?  Who lived here in days long past? What is the local cuisine and what influences made it so?  Does it have a ...

A little while ago, I went with three of my close friends on a three-day trip to Budapest, Hungary. We started out by meeting up with one of our friends who was living there at the time. One of the first things we did was try some of the food. The food ...

Huntsville Transformed By The G8 Summit After hearing that the G8 summit was coming to Huntsville Ontario our family decided to skip our annual trip to the town. Hearing about the tight security in and around the area it was a good decision to by-pass ...

Pro-ee-oh-min-no Sa-vah-to (Last Saturday), we took an afternoon drive around Lake Plastira, a big man-made lake about 30 km SW of Trikala. It was built in the late 1950s to control the Tavropos River from flooding, and for irrigation, ...

Last Saturday (Pro-ee-OO-mi-no Savvato), we took advantage of the glorious weather (bright sun with not a cloud in the sky, >15oC) to take a walk across the other side of the Pyli bridge. Meanwhile, both Andreas and Andres wasted the best weather of ...

The Perama Cave was discovered during World War II when the local people were looking for a place to hide from the enemy bombs and artillery fire.  It is located about 4 km north of Ioannina in the willage of Perama at the base of Mount ...

Meteora is about 30 km north of Trikala, and it literally means "hovering in the air". These gigantic sandstone rock are a rare geological phenomenon and a mystery of nature. The monasteries that have been built on them are a marvel of man and the are ...

Cycling here in Trikala reminds me somewhat of Ljubljana, Slovenia, where I spent two months during my last sabbatical in 2004/5. In both places, you can go in all directions for many kms on flat roads dotted with small villages. But also, both places ...

It’s not easy carrying around a 40 lb. jacket on your arm along with a packed carry-on and duffle bag plus a camera bag. But so is my existence for the time I am here in Sweden as our host from Volkswagen Canada made sure we wouldn’t freeze ...

You never know what you're going to find under the sea!  Just a few short steps off of the Coba Beach in the Rivieria Maya is a maze of coral reefs.  This is our second attempt at snorkelling off the beach and we find much greater success ...

A few years ago I took the opportunity to enjoy a frankfurter in Frankfurt, Germany. I was on my way to India for a 10 day mission’s trip and my best friend convinced us the ride in from the airport would be worth it. We had five hours to ...

There are days when I feel as though I am acting out my own version of a scene from Transformers- Revenge of the Fallen. That moment in the somewhat forgettable movie, at least that’s what the so called experts say,  where ...

The first part of our trip in Ottawa was a blast with ice sculptures and skating on the canal, to eating Beaver Tails and watching fireworks to start the Winterlude celebrations.  The second day we found ourselves in the Snowflake Kingdom at ...

According to some, we are headed in the wrong direction for this time of year.  In some ways I would agree.  It would be nice to escape the cold weather and bask in the warm sun on a white sandy beach, but over the past couple of years, our ...

Overall, it was a short but fabulous time in the Eternal City. Had a great talk, met and got to know interesting new colleagues, ate lots of Italian pasta, pizza, and tiramisu. And thanks to Christina and Inge, I had a great short and very wet tour of ...

I have the privilege - and as a guy, am pretty lucky - to know personally a very esteemed automotive and travel journalist: Jeff Voth. With over 25+ years of experience in the car industry, from driving and selling at the high end level, to reviewing ...

How can you help but laugh? Had a problem-free but a very long day of travel today to get from Trikala to Rome for the IP-SPALC. 3h bus to Thessaloniki, 1h city bus to the airport (through some downtown roads that made Brussels roads look like wide ...

The Hotel Farnesina is on Via de Farnesina, which is a block up from the river and the very nice Ponte Milvio (Milvian Bridge). I'm going to need to look up some history of the bridge, but it certainly was incredibly beautiful walking across it in ...

Just got back from Bulgaria and, if there's one thing I've learned, the GPS is no bloody substitute for checking out a map beforehand! Our drive from the Bulgarian border to Bansko was a total nightmare. Right from the border, the GPS took us off to ...

One of the pleasures of living in the Ottawa area is the changing beauty of four distinct seasons: even if it’s sometimes in one day.  It’s been a strange winter. Still, I very much enjoy the natural beauty of the Ottawa/ Outaouais ...

The hazards of living an online existence with homeschooling, and of actually going to a physical brick-and-mortar school, is what happens when you're socked in by 50 cm of snowfall overnight in Greece! Our first snow day in 7 years of homeschooling! ...

We have just finished 3 days of skiing and snowboarding at Bansko Ski Resort in Bansko, Bulgaria. Bansko is one of the premier ski resorts in Eastern Europe and there were World Cup races here in 2009 and 2011. It was a very fun trip and we ...

Upon returning from another trip to Cuba, Varadero this time, I am reminded of the wisdom in praying before even undertaking a trip.   God is so good, faithful and true.  We almost went to Holguin but at the last minute, 12 hours before ...

We left Brussels on Monday morning after our 2 ½ month stay there to head to Trikala, Greece. Thanks to Maija Besky for picking us up and driving us to the airport. We left home at 9:00AM and arrived at the airport quickly despite busy traffic ...

Dear Friends,   I hope this finds you all well and that you had a great Christmas season and that you are enjoying the New Year. We had a good break from school during the holidays and then got started back just in time to disrupt our schedule ...

Part of my not-so-hidden agenda when planning out this whole sabbatical year was to be locate myself in the heart of cycling-mad Belgium during the fall cyclocross season. As you've seen, that's worked spectacularly well with our getting to the ...

In case you haven't been paying attention, Belgium is truly nuts for cycling, so I fit in perfectly here. How nutty? Along with Manneken Pis and Tintin, my podium for top 3 most famous Brussels resident is the one and only Eddy Merckx, the greatest ...

The final stop on our early-December trip through WW1/2 battle sites was Iepers (Iepers is the Flemish name, we might know it better by the French name of Ypres) in the west side of Belgium. There stands Menin Gate at the entrance to the old city. The ...

Each Friday and Saturday in London near London Bridge and Southwark Cathedral (where  Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales begins), there's the big Borough Market, which is a big food and produce market with tons of variety. We went there with my ...

The Vimy Monument was made after the Battle of Vimy Ridge as a monument to the Canadian soldiers who fought there.  The area of Vimy Ridge was important because from the hill, you could see all the way to Belgium, so if the enemy didn't want the ...

The British countryside holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many Canadians. Driving at a brisk pace through merry old England on this day, fleeting images of rolling hills dotted with grazing sheep, children playing a spirited game of ...

A short plane ride northwest from the Big Island of Hawaii, Oahu rises from the Pacific Ocean awash in emerald green foliage and neon. The most populated of the infamous islands, we make the quick jaunt in less than one hour via Hawaiian Airlines ...

The Loire Valley, France - slide show

The Bayeux Tapestry is a big 70 m long tapestry that was embroidered in the 11th century. It tells the story of how King Edward II of England sends Harold to Normandy to tell William, Duke of Normandy that he will succeed King Edward when he dies. When ...

Monday was the rainiest day on our trip to France; it was very wonderful weather  (if you happened to be a duck). So it was a perfect museum day. We spent 5 hours at the Caen Memorial and then drove to see the Bayeux ...

The coolest things usually aren't found along the big, busy freeways or well-manicured main streets. That's true for scenery and also for life in general, not to mention science! Instead, fun, joy and adventure happen unexpectedly when you stop and ...

Last Tuesday we went to Vimy Ridge and took a tour of the tunnels used in ww1. There are 13 tunnels extending for 10 km all together. they had to dig very quietly so they couldn't use explosives. The rock was soft chalk but it was white so they ...

Three wars: Abbaye aux Hommes, site of William the Conqueror's tomb in Caen; St. Julian's Monument, marking the site of Canada's fight during the first gas attacks of WW1; and the boys at Juno Beach, site of the Canadian landings in Normandy in ...

A contrast in styles in Normandy. On the left is the German cemetery for the fallen in the Normandy campaign in the town of La Cambe, on the western end of the Normandy beach area. Over 20,000 Germans are commemorated here, marked by bronze markers ...

I achieved one of my deepest, most cherished goals today. I visited Dieppe and walked along its beaches. Growing up, I was a complete World War II nerd, reading pretty much anything about the war I could get my hands on - fiction or nonfiction. I still ...

  ST MORITZ, -- Regarded as the birthplace of winter tourism in the Alps, St Moritz has been a popular winter destination for sophisticated travellers since the middle of the 19th century. Johannes Badrutt was the pioneering host who enticed the ...

Today we went to the spot where the battle of Waterloo was fought. Wellington, and Blucher, who where the English, and Prussian marshals, Against Napoleon from France. The battle was on June 18, 1815, with 120,000 French and 240,000 ...

Thursday:   I got a late start to the day, as jetlag set in and I wasn't able to fall asleep until 3am, even though I was exhausted! When I did wake up, I found out none of my adapters worked on anything other than my phone charger, so I set off ...

For Canadians looking for that perfect winter getaway, getting to Grenada just got a little bit easier. Beginning December 15th, 2011, Caribbean Airlines will have a new direct flight (Thursdays and Sundays) between St. George’s, Grenada and ...

Great Roads: The Salmon Glacier   A short ride out of Stewart and you encounter one of the most jaw dropping landscapes the Province of British Columbia has to offer – the Salmon Glacier. Undoubtedly, this is a destination worthy of member ...

Our family of 6 recently took advantage of the Niagara Sleep Cheap event in support of local charities and booked a room at Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls.  An indoor water park is the perfect mid-November getaway, a little piece of ...

A Westminster Dream Come True!     I started out by stopping into Caffe Nero for a cappuchino and an almond croissant, then walked down Millbank along the Thames to get to Westminster Abbey! As you can see from my pictures, the abbey was ...

Nov 19, the boys and I did the all-important Belgian pilgrimage to watch a real Euro cyclocross race. This was the 25th edition of the GP Hasselt, part of the Gazet van Antwerpen season series (one of three season-long points series of races, along ...

One of the great things about London is that a lot of the museums are free. Jacob says the British Museum is one of his favorites. We went there twice and still only saw a small portion of it.Our Second London Flickr Album!Rosetta StoneOne of the ...

The holidays have arrived in full power this year. Shopping center have begun decorating their decorations on their storefronts, Christmas chimes are inconcert on the radio and in stores, and shopping centers have even lobbied to move Black Friday a ...

The Oregon Coast in all its splendor...brought to you by Oregon Coast Magazine, naturally.Photographs by Michael Burkett, original music by Glen Rose.Bring the dream to your mailbox! Get a free copy of Oregon Coast Magazine at ...

For the first time in its long history, Grand Hyatt Berlin presents its collection of contemporary art in a specially created guide.  Paintings, sculptures and other objects d’art from Eberhard Havekost, Jaehyo Lee, Dieter Roth, Sylvie ...

Nevsky Prospect is one of the main streets in St. Petersburg, so let's take a walk on a beautiful Wednesday since everything in the city is closed! There are at least 6 cathedrals on Nevsky Prospect. One is called the Armenian cathedral and another is ...

Well, we are getting settled for our second stop of our trip. We came to Brussels on November 1 without our luggage. Fortunately it followed us later that night with the added benefit that we didn't have to haul it all along with us as we looked for ...

A walk through Heathrow Airport from one terminal to the next is anything but a leisurely stroll. Armed with this knowledge, I arrive with plenty of time to spare, or at least so I think, but soon realize London has stepped up security measures in ...

OK, so here's the cool second half of our London adventures at the Globe (see previous post). The other three main theatres of the time were the Rose, the Swan, and the Hope. The Rose was the first of these built on Bankside in 1587, and this was where ...

In 1599, the original Globe Theatre stood on the south Bankside of London. It was there because they wouldn't allow theatres and other amusements (such as bear-baiting) in the actual city of London. Shakespeare's company learned 30 plays or more a ...

We spent Remembrance Day in Brussels, about 150 km away from the town of Ypres and the heart of "In Flanders Field." For me, the Remembrance ceremony was surprisingly small and sparsely attended for a nation which was the epicentre of the First World ...

On Friday we went to the Natural History Museum. It was pretty good. We didn't get to see the animals but we did get to see the areas about the earth's crust, volcanoes, earthquakes. There was a big area about geology and rocks.Part 1 of our London ...

It is 5:00 am and the ebony sky above is filled with stars. At this time of day, the only creature awake should be the rooster at the farm just around the corner from our hotel. Yet here I am, fumbling in the shadowy hallways of a 12thcentury Abbaye, ...

Nothing beats the bike as a means of exploring, and I've been especially fortunate that, every Sunday the past two months, the weather's been dry, sunny, and generally pretty pristine for a long ride in the roads to the west and northwest of ...

Here is a handstand picture atPeter and Paul fortress (with thetop of the pointy spire cut out of the picture). One of the places that was closed on Wednesdays was Peter and Paul Fortress. The grounds were open but the cathedral and ...

Had an interesting chat this afternoon with this gentleman down by the harbour, where he was carving small wooden bears. Carving these particular style of bears is a Finnish traditional craft, and actually is shared across much of the north of ...

Chicago is is called the 2nd city, not because it is 2nd to New York but because the great Chicago fire of 1871 burned a lot of the city to the ground over a few days. The city was completely in ruins and was rebuilt, hence the pet name the 2nd city. ...

Getting dropped off by the ferry's bus at St. Isaac's Cathedral, we were perusing a large city map when an older gentleman asked in broken English where we were going. When we told him the Hermitage, Anatoli's eyes lit up and he insisted on taking us ...

Sunrise from our apartment The fall colours are making for a beautiful walk to the lab. I really think the fall is my favourite time of the year. Something about the brisk air, the rustle of your feet kicking through the falling ...

View outside on the Fontanka There are many mini-hotels in St. Petersburg that are established in apartment building that were built in Soviet times. There apartments would be divided into sections that contained several rooms (up to ...

For those that want to celebrate the coming holiday season with a festive, city lights-inspired bay tour, Red and White Fleet has packaged up San Francisco’s only “Holiday Twilight Cruise,” available from November 10 through December ...

Alexander's column and Rossi's arch! Alexander's Column (Aleksandrovskaya Kolonna) stands in the middle of Palace Square in between the Hermitage Museum and Rossi's arch. It was built after 1812 as ...

The Hermitage Museum is one of the world's largest art collections housed in a magnificent palace and inspires awe in the 3 million visitors who come here every year. The halls and hundreds of rooms of the museum cover 20 km and can only display 5% of ...

We didn't plan out our Tallinn posts very well so we are planing these St. Petersburg posts a little bit better.I am calling this post St. Petersburg: Closed on Wednesday because we had a big laugh when we noticed that everything ...

Monday Night Football began its season on September 12th with Miami playing against the New England Patriots. A division foe is always fascinating to see due to the fact that you don't know what to expect.I will be absent from the game on Monday as I ...

Market SquarePolice, Oulu I spent two days this week just south of the Arctic Circle in Oulu visiting my colleagues Hannu Rintamaki, Juha Oksa, and Sirkka Rissanen at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. We're all regulars ...

The weather is certainly changing here - the trees are changing to brilliant yellow (not as much red and orange as in Ontario), there has been lots of rain and the temperature is getting colder. Apparently there has already been snow in northern ...

It’s 5 am, running shoes donned and I’m ready to go.  Today’s adventure is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon!  After careful research, I have booked a tour with Las Vegas Grand Canyon Tours, the ...

A MINI Cooper powered by electricity was a bolt out of the blue for the automotive industry as we gathered in Los Angeles for a drive event. Powered by a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor, the new MINI E demonstrates all that is good about not using ...

  I could smell it in the air.  September 23rd marked the first day of Fall and that makes it my favorite time of year. It doesn't have anything to do with the fact that it is almost my birthday.  It has everything to do with the ...

Everyone has choices, especially when it comes to travel these days. Every year Fodor’s Travel makes their selection by designating the leaders in travel and hospitality for service, quality and value as a Fodor’s Choice property. For the ...

There is no such word as "too much" in Las Vegas.  We arrived yesterday to the lights and glamour of this ostentatious city that never sleeps.  We drive from the airport down the Strip to get to the Encore Hotel and I'm overwhelmed with the ...

We arrived in Napa in the early evening to check into the sold out Napa River Inn. The Inn is one of the Historic Hotels, located at the site of the Historic Napa Mill established in 1884, and has been completely refurbished to the height of luxury. It ...

We took the ferry for a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia. In Tallinn we went to the town square where there were lots of stalls there were even some strawberry hats. There were lots of seuveneirs like an Estonian oven mit and ...

As I sit on my tropical balcony, surrounded by palm trees and bursts of exotic colour, I close my eyes and image myself on a secluded island.  The gentle trickle of the fountain is briefly interrupted by a hummingbird investigating the tantalizing ...

Medera, California is a small town, but it is home to various wineries, including Mission Bell, owned by Constellation Brands. So, Medera was a deserving stop on our California whirlwind trip.  The central valley, home also to Napa and Sonoma, is ...

Bay Voyager, San Francisco’s newest, one-of-a-kind bay cruise, just announced its Fall 2011 schedule.  In addition to the scheduled tours, as per below, Bay Voyager also offers custom cruises as well as four other specialty ...

Sept 20 we went to the Helsinki Zoo, located on an island just across the water from Helsinki (Like "The Island of Dr. Moreau!" - Daddy). From the Island you can see the cathedral. There were about 150 different species on the left is a picture of ...

"While the global economic recovery may in fact be slow and unpredictable, we must not lose faith in ourselves, in our product, in our countries and in our region. We must maintain our confidence in the value that the Caribbean brings to the world of ...

Article Written by Seattle Dredge of Seattle's Travels   It was my first time in Trinidad, in May 2008. My best friend and neighbour in University lived there, and I went to visit her and stay with her family. As it was my first time ...

I’m trapped! There is no way out! Just hold on! The realization of my perilous predicament crystallizes in with each click, clack, click, clack, of the slow moving car as it inches toward the crest. Great drops of sweat pool in the palms of my ...

Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, or Castle Haut Koenigsbourg, lies 55 km south of Strasbourg along the Alsace wine route.  Fully restored in 1900, it is well worth the trip to visit the castle if you are in the area.   Rising up ...

As I celebrated the wedding of a dear friend this Summer, I was inevitably drawn back to my own wedding and honeymoon.  One cannot help but reminisce and I was reminded of the day my groom and I boarded a plane bound for the West Coast of ...

New York City is known around the world as The Big Apple. A term first promoted in the 1920’s by John J Fitz Gerald, it essentially means a disproportionately large city. Suffice it to say, NYC is a little more cosmopolitan when it comes to most ...

This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of when the United States was under attack in New York City.  It is a day that all of us will never forget as this event affected each and every one of us, no matter where you were in the world that ...

Imagine if you will, spending decades and a king’s ransom to build your dream castle, but never having the opportunity to set foot in the completed structure and call it home. Such was the fate of King Ludwig II of Bavaria.   “We ...

Thursday night Helsinki held their big fireworks championships at the beach just next to our apartment in Toolo. It ended up being PERFECT for us. Not only are we on the highest (11th) floor of the building, our side window was just ...

Sintra, Portugal - picture slideshow

The drive to Kiawah Island is a spiritual journey back to a simpler time. Bohicket Road, a well utilized two lane highway, points arrow straight through the heart of Bible belt country. History tells us that South Carolina was founded on the principles ...

Observations about the Finns The Finns are very concerned with time and schedules. Our breakfast runs from 7 - 10am at the apartment and donät try sneaking back for a cookie at 10:05. They are cleaning up then. They pride themselves that the ...

The year was 1899. A scant nineteen years after the creation of the first automobile by Karl Friedrich Benz, innovative German automaker Adam Opel began production of their first automobile. In the new world, Cuba stepped out from under the shadow of ...

When the Italian Trade Commission calls and asks if you would be their guest at a winery equipment show, a Canadian Engineer could hardly refuse!  Some of the best equipment in the business is made by these artisans who certainly know their ...

If there is a bigger playground in North America than the state of Utah, I haven’t found it. Disney World, Six Flags Parks and Canada’s Wonderland come to mind as all having large acreage and a spectacular selection of fun things to do. But ...

"When I travel to international culinary events and I see how people over there use their indigenous ingredients, I always wonder why in Suriname we don't use our own ingredients more...We have diverse ingredients over here, but unfortunately we use ...

Recently opened, the Palau Eco Theme Park introduces a whole new brand of adventure to this Micronesian paradise. The theme park features Palau’s only zip-line course for those who enjoy the adrenaline rush of flying above ...

Looking for a good excuse for a holiday – or two? Those looking to make the most of their money will find the Nita Lake Lodge’s fall “Stay for Free” promotion an offer that they can’t refuse. Stay between October 10 and ...

If you were to ask anyone around the world to tell you what images come to mind when visualizing Canada, more often than not, the Rockies will be mentioned along with Niagara Falls and the RCMP. They are, in many ways, the symbol of what defines the ...

If the sun never shines on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia while driving the entire route over the course of several days, should it still be referred to as the Sunshine Coast? The old adage, “If a tree falls in the forest…” ...

In the midst of travelling, you're guaranteed to come across some strange sights, but a pink bicycle rickshaw pulling a giant squirrel around Olympic Stadium?FINN-d our flickr album here!This past Saturday was our first real day of playing ...

We have now made it to our first official stop  on Stephen's sabbatical trip - Finland.  We have celebrated 4 birthdays now on our travels since Stephen's birthday was on Wednesday (yesterday) and Zachary and Jacob's were in July and mine was ...

Rotorua, New Zealand

Friday afternoon while walking towards KTH to revisit my ISU past, we walked by Stockholm Stadion, site of the 1912 Olympics. While wandering around the perimeter trying to get a view of the track inside, the groundskeeper who was leaf blowing nearby ...

My husband and I began travelling south, about nine years ago, after two of our daughters had suggested that we take a trip together.  I have always liked my feet being firmly planted on the ground and was not keen on flying anywhere.  They ...

L.A.’s Rally For Kid’s With Cancer Los Angeles is a flavor that lingers on the palate long after the main course is finished. On this particular day, the sights and sounds of a classic California morning are in full swing as we approach ...

"We're gonna tear across the east blue Alberta skies!"  And we did!  We headed out from Calgary - destination Drumheller and the Alberta Badlands.  So named for their semi-arid climate, difficult growing conditions and generally ...

Yesterday we stayed at the apartment till lunch time. Then we got out the canoe parts and put it together. It was put together a little bit wrong but we fixed that in a few minutes. We built the canoe while mommy was cooking pizza so ended eating ...

We have been having a great time in Greece and the last 8 days we have been in Crete. I'm not sure if you have been able to keep up with the boys blog. Zachary has been writing a lot of it by himself now - yes, we have been reviewing rules of ...

After 2 1/2 very hot and dry weeks in Greece, we travelled to Norway where the temperature, although still hot some days (30C) was much more moderate and we actually experienced days of rain.   In general, Oslo is a very clean, neat city. We ...

Montreal is a city with a rich past, built on the pain, endurance and dreams of the first Canadian settlers.  It has seen many harsh winters, survived times of war and celebrated times of peace and prosperity.  When I visit a new place, I ...

Chicago is a city known for its food, architecture and shopping.  To hit the highlights of this great Midwest American city, one really needs a week or more.   I had four days, a long to do list and a conquering spirit!  Chicago ...

National Geographic Antarctic Cruise

The first phrase you learn upon landing in Jamaica is “ya man” which apparently means, yes, life is good, no worries, sit back, chill and relax.  This phrase epitomizes the mentality and culture of Jamaica, so it was the perfect place ...

Possibly the most magical words a child can ever hear are “we’re going to Disney World!”  For our first family vacation to Florida, we planned an elaborate treasure hunt to reveal the secret.  One snowy March afternoon, ...

On a recent trip to Spirit Ridge at Nk’Mip Resort in Osooyos, British Columbia, we discovered the true spirit behind this world class resort.  The Cultural Centre on the premises offers daily self-guided tours, celebrating the culture, ...

Mosport International Raceway     One hour, one racetrack, two Porsches. For a speed lover such as me, it doesn’t get any better than this. So it was I found myself at Mosport International Raceway north of Toronto with a decision ...

My love of sports cars dates back to a 1936 Ford Coupe equipped with impossibly wide rear tires and a rumble seat. Gleaming in metallic red with flat black accents, its low slung roofline and rakish stance looked aggressive from all sides. As a child, ...

Huntsville, Ontario is the ideal setting in which to enjoy a summer getaway. Winding roads meander through lush countryside, providing the perfect backdrop to relax and get away from it all for a while. On this particular day, the morning air in ...

The road to Hana, Maui is a narrow serpentine path through some of the most magnificent scenery on planet earth. A two-lane band of asphalt, it would be impossible to border the edge of paradise more precisely than the Hana Highway.   At times ...

  Two doors, luxurious seating for four adults, a powerful V12 engine all wrapped in a sleek package capable of quenching the costliest desires of any person on the planet. I could see it now. Driving the 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe through ...

“Ah, Venice!”   So stated bleary-eyed Harrison Ford in Steven Spielberg’s epic movie from 1989- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. To set foot in Venice is to step inside a fairytale world of implausible architecture, ...

I'm spending a quick trip up in Kelowna to visit with my colleague Dr. Phil Ainslie at University of British Columbia - Okanagan. His research interest is primarily in cerebral blood flow control, both at rest and exercise. We co-supervised a Ph.D. ...

Wednesday afternoon while the boys were at Circus School, I went on a short Walking tour of New Westminster - named the first capital of the colony of British Columbia in 1859 although it lost out to Victoria as capitol when BC and Vancouver Island ...

Upside down on Pebble Beach The past four days, we went over to Galiano Island, one of the Gulf islands between the mainland of BC and Vancouver Island. It was about a 1h ferry ride from Tsawwassen, on the way to Swartz Bay and ...