BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – How did I not know this city was so fantastic? I was the Travel Editor at the Toronto Star for five years. I’ve been to Europe a dozen times. I’d read a lot of stories about Brussels , albeit many about moules frites and Belgian waffles and Belgian beer and Belgian chocolate and Belgian comic books, which seem to be everywhere. But somehow I didn’t realize the city was so beautiful, with so many spectacular buildings and cool streets and funky, lively neighborhoods and wonderful museums and so much more. I only had a short time here Read more
June 2014
Jim Byers photo A memorial to fallen Canadian troops at the Brooding Soldier monument at Vancouver Corner in St. Julian, Belgium. YPRES, BELGIUM – I take a train through rolling fields of prosperous farms and frisky Holsteins and small, black sheep grazing on deep, green grass. I dive into perfectly cooked sole at a stunning restaurant. I wander adorable streets filled with attractive brick buildings and drink rich Belgian beers on lovely squares and stroll through romantic parks with tiny bridges over pretty marshes and silent fishermen trying their luck I have a lovely time in this small town and Read more
MUSKOKA – I love a hotel where a general manager pitches in and gets his hands dirty. In the case of the Sherwood Inn up in Muskoka, it’s true in both a figurative and literal sense. I arrived with my Dad and a friend last week, only to see GM (he calls himself the ‘general manipulator”) Esa Paltanen in shorts and a t-shirt in the lobby. He’d been planting annuals that day and was planning to do so again the next day with a member of his family. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d prefer a GM in shorts Read more
Jim Byers photo Cabot Links is the best golf course in Canada in my view. CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA – Two fabulous properties with vastly different styles. Two wonderful golf courses. And what looks like a killer third one on its way. I had a chance to check out both Cabot Links in Inverness and Highlands Links in Ingonish last week. And got to stay at both properties, as well. I also got a chance to scout out the new Cabot Cliffs course, which is being built just up the road from Cabot Links. It looks like it could be Read more
Jim Byers The pretty village of Chester, Nova Scotia. NOVA SCOTIA – Drives in Cape Breton get most of the international attention. And deservedly so, with those plummeting cliffs and the ocean views and pretty villages. The drive from Halifax to the South Shore of Nova Scotia isn’t as dramatic as Cape Breton. But it’s drop dead gorgeous, and so easy. Whereas Cape Breton is several hours from Halifax and the Cabot Trail another hour beyond, the scenic route from Halifax to Lunenburg takes only an hour or two, depending on how much time you take gawking and snapping Read more
