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
cities
JIM BYERS PHOTO 104th St. in downtown Edmonton is filled with hip spots. EDMONTON – This might be the next great Canadian city. Or at least the next cool one. Lots of folks in Toronto pooh-pooh Edmonton. Yeah, it’s a city that’s still rough around the edges. And, yeah, it’s a tad chilly in winter. But there’s a very sizable gentrification going on, not unlike what has happened in Winnipeg and Calgary and St. John’s, and I get the feeling that folks won’t recognize this Alberta city’s downtown five years from now. Not that it’s turning into Toronto or Montreal or Read more
