Oddly enough (given my Francophile tendencies), this next step in our journey wasn't my idea. When I visited Paris in January 2019, I spent an afternoon exploring the city with my dear friend Virginie, her friend and her friend's baby. Virginie's friend told me about how much she struggled to make her way around the …
Our train from Vienna arrived in Staré Město, and our next train was scheduled to leave in exactly five minutes. Strýček Petr, Děda's brother, was waiting for my family of four, my brother's family of four and our parents on the platform. We basically threw all our bags off the Vienna train and gave as …
I returned from Bonaire in February 2020, shortly before the Covid shutdown, and stayed in Canada for the duration of the pandemic. As the world was starting to open up, I became pregnant with twin boys. Eric and Ian made their grand entrance in April 2022, two months before their due date. Just over a …
When we landed in Bonaire, we stepped off the plane right onto the tarmac. After feeling that first wave of humid air, I had only one thought: I need to chop my hair off. I told my plan to my sister-in-law, Alana, when we arrived at her parents' home right on the coast. "Be careful …
Dad and I took the Thalys train from Paris to Rotterdam, just as I had done the year before. We met up with my friend Natasha, who is originally from Ottawa and who is currently living in Rotterdam. We had lunch at the Markthal, where I had the opportunity to right a terrible wrong. The …
I wasn't even in Paris an hour before I hopped on the metro and headed to Ladurée, the bakery where I've discovered countless delicious delights. On this visit, I skipped the macarons entirely and went straight for a vanilla Saint-Honoré. I was not disappointed. Last year, I shared an intimate moment with one of those …
When I planned this trip, I left one weekend free for a spontaneous adventure anywhere in France. As luck would have it, Valérie Bénaim, my favourite French TV host, author, blogger (and now YouTuber) announced that she would be hosting a book signing in Mérignac, near Bordeaux. I had read her latest book, Kiffeuse en …
Dad and I took the Flixbus from Lyon to the Italian town of Oulx, then hopped on a local bus to Briançon. We had fallen in love with the ski town last year, and we were absolutely thrilled to be going back. I spent the first ten minutes of the winding bus journey looking down …
I flew from Ottawa to Lyon via Montreal to start the Europe portion of my January 2020 travels. My Dad, who had already been travelling in Europe, flew from Vienna to Lyon at about the same time. We found each other in the arrivals hall and took the train into the city. Everything went so …
In the months leading up to this vacation, my boyfriend Chris and I went back and forth several times before picking a destination. Our options were Scotland or Nova Scotia (New Scotland!) Would we brave the Scottish Highlands, or traipse along the Cabot Trail? In the end, the battle came down to the Canadian dollar …
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