The crowds are gone. But the weather’s still pretty good. Fall is a fabulous time of year to explore European cities and villages. Here are some of my favorite places to check out in Europe in autumn, including Portugal, Italy, France and Austria. WESTERN ALGARVE, PORTUGAL We stayed in the village of Burgau, Portugal a few years ago with friends, and absolutely loved it. It’s a small, huggable little town with several nice restaurants, but it’s not as well-known as other villages on the Algarve and never seemed crowded with visitors. You’ll find fabulous hiking along the cliffs in both Read more
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Call it revenge travel. Call it bucket-list travel. Call it what you like, but the folks at South Africa Tourism are pleased to see more Canadians heading their way. Representatives from South Africa’s New York City tourism office jetted north of the border this week to talk with the travel media about the amazing variety of things to see and do in a country that offers a truly unique travel experience. They also presented some unusual video footage, including amusing bits from South Africa TV host Trevor Noah and action shots of rhinos mating on a grassy South African Read more
A gorgeous patio overlooking the runway and San Francisco Bay. Tons of great food. A lovely bar with craft cocktails. And plenty of space to work. The new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at San Francisco International Airport is a great place to relax or roll up your sleeves and work. The lounge opened last month at Terminal 2 at SFO, and it’s a beauty. The rooms are decorated in soothing shades of tan, grey and soft brown, with floor to ceiling windows in many areas. There are plenty of quiet, cozy corners for a business person to plug in. Read more
It’s always great to get away to the wonderful J.W. Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort and Spa. It’s doubly great when you get a fabulous meal from one of Canada’s top chefs, and assisted by one of the top names in French cuisine, with wine pairings to boot! My wife and I were invited to take part in a six-course tasting menu at the resort on the weekend. It was a perfect June day, with sunny skies, temperatures around 21 C, and no visible smoke in the sky. We were treated to appetizers (including parmesan fritters) on the sun-splashed patio, Read more
By Jim Byers, Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) SANTA MONICA – Elegant. Beachy. Classy. And sometimes even cheesy. This is a California city that has a little bit of everything. You can relax at a renowned hotel and dine 17 floors in the sky, with fabulous cuisine, craft cocktails and a view of the Pacific Ocean, but you can also take advantage of happy hour at a casual Mexican place. You can go for a $200 treatment in a hushed, luxurious spa, but you can also stroll the beach for free or pose for photos at the western Read more
