BAIE ST. PAUL, QUEBEC – As a friend of mine, Allan Ryan, used to say: “Ooh. And la. And la.” I’ve been to some pretty spiffy hotels in this land called Canada. But Le Germain Hotel Charlevoix is my new favourite; a sleek and stylish spot that has so many wonderful touches and small surprises. It’s also a remarkable combination of hotel, restaurant, bar, art gallery, train station, spa, a skating rink, snowshoeing, fire pits, an outdoor swimming pool for summer and a performing arts centre; a crazy combination anywhere in the world but perhaps a bit unexpected for folks Read more
Cirque du Soleil
LAS VEGAS – I used to think I wasn’t a Vegas guy. That seems to be changing. The scale of the city, with its towering hotels and spraying fountains and oceans of pulsing lights, can be overwhelming at first. But the more I get to know it the more I find it to be a truly remarkable place. People came here years and years ago when there was little but rocks and dry desert scrub, and they’ve turned it one of the tourist meccas of the world. And also the most popular U.S. destination for Canadians. All of this is Read more
LAS VEGAS – I remember it as if it was yesterday. I’m a huge Beatles fan, and it was my first time seeing a Cirque du Soleil show and my first time in Las Vegas. I was given tickets to see LOVE at The Mirage when I came here in 2010 (I think). And I was curious. I didn’t leave curious. I left with a grin on my face that could’ve lit up the Strip. I was gobsmacked by the flying artists and the dancing and the performers and the staging and the musical montages of Beatles tunes. So Read more
