In mid-January, Dad and I flew out to British Columbia to visit my brother Tony. Alana and Hannah (his wife and daughter) were in Bonaire, where Alana's parents have a winter home. Tony was going to be joining them in two weeks, but in the meantime, he needed some company. We were only too happy …
After spending Christmas in Ottawa, my brother Tony, sister-in-law Alana and niece Hannah and I flew to Sioux Lookout, Ontario, to visit Alana's family for a week. Alana grew up in the small town a four-hour drive north of Thunder Bay. Her parents still live there in a beautiful home on a lake. Alana and …
"I can't, I have dance" is what I'll likely say if you ask me whether I'm available to do something on a Friday or Sunday night, in any season. I've been Ukrainian dancing since I was five years old, and I plan to keep dancing until I'm in my 100s and my legs no longer …
If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you probably think that all I do is gallivant around the globe. If only that were the case! The truth is, like most other adults, I spend the vast majority of my waking hours from Monday to Friday at work. Luckily, my job is in Ottawa, the …
I flew from Paris to Amman, then on to Aqaba, where I wanted to do some diving in the Red Sea. I stayed at a nice little hotel/dive centre in the hills above South Beach. I was lucky enough to arrive during the night of the Eid celebrations. The family that owned the hotel was …
Back Story To keep my skills sharp for my job, I consume a large amount of French media. When I lived in France in 2004-2005, I watched a great deal of TV. It was all part of the immersion experience! I would have loved to have attended the taping of a show. However, most (all?) shows …
Katrina, one of my best friends from high school, had the brilliant idea of renting an Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen for one week at the end of April. All the kids born in '86 (that includes me) are turning 30 this year, so we wanted to celebrate. Also, Katrina is moving from Canada to …
Our hotel in La Fortuna was awesome in every way. It had its own hot springs, and 13 mini rock pools of varying temperatures. We also had a perfect view of the famous Arenal volcano. Our first night in Arenal, we went to a fantastic water park. Since it was the evening and also pouring …
Continue reading Costa Rica – Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio
I had booked a Contiki tour of Costa Rica, since I wanted a stress-free vacation. At this time in my travel life, I am perfectly willing to pay extra to have someone else work out all the logistics and leave me free to simply enjoy myself. My two previous Contiki tours in Greece (September 2011) and Italy …
Continue reading Costa Rica – San Jose, Tortuguero, Sarapiqui
As our flight from Cusco landed in Puerto Maldonado, I peeked out the window. There was nothing but trees for as far as the eye could see. It was time for major adventure #3: the Amazon rainforest! When we stepped off the plane, we were blasted with a powerful wave of heat and humidity. I …
