LONDON – I don’t know this city as well as I’d like, but I found a great new spot in the eastern-central part of town. The Montcalm at Brewery City is a fun, polished and unique property near the Barbican and Moorgate tube stops. It’s in what functioned as the Whitbread Brewery for more than 200 years, and it’s got a lot of charm. You walk into the facility through a giant archway that once formed the entrance to the brewery, past iron gates with a polished gold sign. The lobby isn’t large but there are beautiful, fresh flowers (they’ve Read more
food
Newfoundland’s Fogo Island Inn nabs prestigious Mr. and Mrs. Smith hotel award Nice to see some Canadian content in the inuagural Mr. and Mrs. Smith Hotel Awards! Newfoundland’s Fogo Island Inn, a high-end property that works with artists in a pretty remote part of the province, was this week named “Best Newcomer” in an awards ceremony held in London. Nearly 50,000 people from around the world voted for their favourite boutique properties in the Mr. and Mrs. Smith Awards, after which a shortlist of 10 hotels in each of the categories was put to a panel of 36 specialist judges. Read more
VALLETTA, MALTA – Beautiful, golden buildings on hills above the blue sea. Intimate cafes and graceful public squares. Great beaches and some of the most beautiful churches in all of Europe. There’s a lot of reasons tourists come to Malta by the boatful. In addition to the above factors, there’s also the weather. Malta residents don’t even have central heating as the Mediterranean nation is only a stone’s throw from north Africa. I arrived here the other day not knowing quite what to expect. But I was wowed by ancient temples and fabulous, rich churches and great food and wine Read more
ON THE MEDITERRANEAN WITH THE SILVERSEA SILVER SPIRIT – Great food and drinks with stunning presentation and variety. A sumptuously appointed ship with all the bells and twice as many whistles. Terrific service. And an outstanding itinerary with some of the best tour guides I’ve ever had. Yeah, living the life on a Silversea cruise ain’t a bad way to travel. It’s not a cheap way to go, but you get treated like royalty (luckily more like Kate than Camilla Parker-Bowles). The smallest suite on board is close to 400 square feet; as big as some downtown condos and considerably Read more
Golf. Beautiful deserts. Spas. Cactus. Pretty good Mexican food. Those are some of the standard cliches you hear about Arizona. And with good reason. The golf is excellent, the desert landscape haunting and lovely, the spas to-notch, the cactus ever-present and the Mexican food to die for. 53_Vineyard-Wine_Photo Credit AOT But there’s so much more to the Grand Canyon State than that. Such as olive oils. Fresh citrus and tons of other produce, including organic honey. Great shopping in cities such as Scottsdale. And very good wine. We here in Canada may think of low-lying cities like Phoenix and wonder Read more
