Christmas lights that would make the Griswold family green with envy. Hot chocolate and mulled wine on a snowy winter’s night. There are plenty of traditional Christmas activities taking place over the holidays across Canada this year. But you’ll also find some oddball bits that bely our boring reputation; murder mysteries in Calgary, ugly sweater cruises in Toronto’s harbour and a festival in Newfoundland where folks are encourage to don an over-sized bra. Here’s a look at some great places and ways to celebrate the holiday season. ALBERTA The best place for winter in Canada (in my estimation) has a Read more
Drinks
There’s nothing quite like arriving refreshed after a 14-hour flight to Asia. And I can’t think of a better way to manage that than with a business class ticket on Cathay Pacific. All of us who fly economy, and that’s by far the majority of what I fly, have trudged to our seats at the back of the plane and looked enviously at the folks ensconced in those dreamy pods in the front section. I was lucky enough to fly from Toronto to Hong Kong a couple weeks ago in the biz cabin on Cathay Pacific. And I’m happy to Read more
NEW YORK – There’s Mario Batali leading a New York Jets cheer in his trademark orange sneakers. Oh, look, it’s Giada Laurentiis and her nuclear powered smile. And, BAM, there’s Emeril Lagasse boiling up some southern-style magic in front of a high-powered crowd. The city that never sleeps doesn’t do things on a small scale. They recently staged a truly massive New York City Wine and Food Festival that took up acres of empty piers on the Hudson River and featured hundreds of events with some of the biggest names in the biz, including Rachel Ray, Michael Symon and actor Read more
Hawaii puts on a great annual Food and Wine Festival, thanks in part to a rise in Hawaiian cuisine that features fresh local fish and locally grown fruits and vegetables. The food scene in the islands has come an enormously long way, making it one of the most exciting food destinations around. Here’s a story I did for the Sun Media chain in Canada a couple weeks ago, featuring top celebrity chefs such as Art Smith, Nancy Oakes and Hawaii’s own Roy Yamaguchi. http://www.winnipegsun.com/2015/09/09/hawaii-food-and-wine-festival?token=4ae95a594b2d37dc6a8d73e411b85b13
I did a great trip to Gros Morne National Park in western Newfoundland back in early August. The story appeared in the Toronto Sun and other papers in the Postmedia and Sun Media chain. Rather than post the whole story again, here’s a link to the piece. I love Newfoundland! http://www.torontosun.com/2015/08/25/discover-wondrous-gros-morne-national-park
