Elise Parker from Walk Into Luxury tours is guiding my wife and I along the coast of Western Australia near Injidup Beach. The ocean is an achingly bright shade of blue the Benjamin Moore people haven’t created yet, and is crashing against spiky, orange-brown rocks on a pale golden beach. As we walk, she points out native plants that can be quite useful if one knows the secrets. The nectar from a Melaleuca can be licked, or collected and made into a sweet drink. Some grasses that don’t look like much can be eaten raw, or roasted. Being more of Read more
cycling
I had some great visits outside of Canada and the U.S. this year, visiting Sydney, Tasmania, Western Australia, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Scotland and England. Here are some highlights. BEST RENTAL CAR EMPLOYEE My reservation was all messed up and the Budget Rental Car counter was closed when I landed at the airport in Esperance, Western Australia. I called the phone number for after hours help and reached a very kind woman named Hope. She was about to head off to a gender reveal party but said she could drive out and get my car set up for me, which Read more
This a story I originally posted in 2018. PORT DOVER, ONTARIO – I’m feasting on a trio of fine tacos on the sunny patio at Burning Kiln Winery, a few minutes outside of this city. Dusty Zamecnik of Hometown Brew Co., who I met during a tour of the area last year, spots me and comes over to shake hands. “Welcome home,” he says. I’ve taken trips to the north shore of Lake Erie almost every summer the past few years and I definitely feel at home. I’ve grown to love the towns and the rich farmers’ fields and the Read more
There are many reasons to make Scotland the place to be in 2023. The list below is a selection of some of the major openings, news updates and events to look forward to in the year ahead. Top Stories Celtic Connections 30th Anniversary, January 2023 Celtic Connections, the home of world-class music, one-off collaborations, and genre-defying spectacles, is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in January 2023. The 30th Anniversary is a pinnacle moment for the festival as it recognises the advancements and achievements of the last thirty years and everything the organisers have overcome to bring people together in Read more
An insurance company called Luko has looked at the most bike-friendly cities in the world, and Europe came out smelling like a rose. Nine of the top ten bike-friendly cities were in Europe, led by Utrecht, Holland. North American cities fared poorly, with Montreal the only entry in the top 20 (16th overall). Vancouver came 37th, while San Francisco was the top U.S. city in 39th position. Portland, Oregon was 41st and Seattle 50th. Cities were ranked on a variety of issues, including bike accident rates, theft rates, weather, bike usage and infrastructure. Holland had two cities in the top Read more
