Perched on a rock in the middle of Howe Sound, less than a half hour from downtown Vancouver, was one of nature’s grandest flying creatures: a bald eagle. Though we could not see the bird in its entirety, we could not miss its white head gazing down imperiously on a pod of harbor seals snoozing in the sun below. Our 30-foot-long rigid hull inflatable boat, powered by twin 225-horsepower Mercury Verrado engines, motored slowly by as the six of … [Read more...]
Summer Highlights in Québec
With plenty of Festivals, Food events and Road Trips - summer time is a busy time to be in Québec. Geographically, this is Canada's largest province and the second largest by population. With so many activities coming up this summer, I have picked out a few of more intriguing ones. Festivals The Feux Loto-Québec is Montreal's International Fireworks Festival having been held annually since 1985. Not only is this a spectacular fireworks event … [Read more...]
5 Top European Adventures You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
There are certainly the go to and much loved destinations in Europe. Cities such as London, Paris and Rome quickly come to mind. However, the focus of this list is to highlight some lesser known European locations and adventures. Have you experienced any of these or been to these locations? Suggest some of your favorites: leave comments below. For experiences similar to the ones mentioned below, Contiki Tours (age 18-35) offers a number of … [Read more...]
Kotor, Montenegro – June 2013
Kotor Montenegro is truly one of the gems of this small country. This picturesque charming town is located along Europe's southern most Fjord. Tall mountains rise from the salt water bay which on clear days is cobalt and deep blue. The entire old city itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains narrow stone walkways, boutique shops and outdoor seating at restaurants line the small courtyards. Homestays are quite popular here - one way you … [Read more...]
Sticker Shock!
Norway has got to be one of the most expensive countries in the world...oh and along with Iceland perhaps and maybe Switzerland. Here are a few examples of prices we paid: Small Bowl of Pho (soup) at a hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant: nearly $20 US dollars! Two chicken drumsticks, a small cup of rice/veggies and a fruit drink (non alcoholic): nearly $30 dollars! Aside from the high prices there is plenty to do in Oslo under the … [Read more...]
Flam Norway
We find ourselves under the grey skies at the marina in flam Norway overlooking the beautiful fjord. Another blog iPhone update! We are slowly making our way to western Norway fighting the cold rain and grey skies for the past week. Today we became uber excited upon seeing the sun for the first time in Norway. This was as the train cruised past the impressive glaciers on top of Europe's highest plateau. The last hour of today's train ride … [Read more...]
Select Highlights of South East Europe
These are some of the highlights of visiting select locations in Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia. This trip was totally unscripted and unplanned. All we had were our plane tickets to Europe. We used public transportation to get around - buses, trains, city trams and metros where available. Note that while distances on the map don't look that far from each other especially along the Dalmatian Coast, the roads are narrow, windy and very … [Read more...]
Kotor Montenegro
We are chilling high above the scenic town of Kotor (rhymes with Motor) situated in this amazing, southern most Fjord in all of Europe. We are staying with a family in their home in the hills above the main part of town. The city is lit up, the breeze warm, and the musty earthy smell of the surrounding fig trees all around us. We are also enjoying a late harvest dessert wine from Oremus, one of Hungary's finest wineries in the Tokaj region. Not … [Read more...]
Shh…Quiet. I’m in Norway
July 7 - Subject: Greetings from quiet Norway! Shh... the first words we heard on the train from the airport to the city center were "please respect the quiet zone." And its been incredibly quiet ever since! A well known Norwegian painter once wrote that the beauty of the mountains moves him into silence. If that's the case then perhaps people will stop talking altogether once we drive into the mountains. I always like to be keenly aware … [Read more...]
AFS Peaks of Patagonia & Chilean Vineyards
Dramatic landscapes provided us a continual Kodak moment throughout. It is late spring in the region and the weather was cooperative with a lot of sunshine. This however is a land where the unexpected is the norm, so we came prepared for occasional wind and rain. After a rest at the lovely Hotel Neruda and a city tour in Santiago, we flew south to Punta Arenas. There we transferred 2 hours by coach to Puerto Natales at the Patagonia steppe. We … [Read more...]