Welcome to Life with Alegria, where I savour the joy in the journey AND the destination.
Join me for travel stories written from a soulful perspective and my exploration of the magical moments of life. Ones that inspire us to connect with nature, humanity, and ourselves so we can live life with alegria (joy).
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He raced around the island, stopping at every tourist attraction. The view from Timothy Hill was fantastic, parting the Atlantic and the Caribbean. The time spent at Wingfield Estates was well worth it, but the speedy drive around the road that circles the island was making me nauseous. “What’s the hurry man?” I asked him. …
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On the Canadian shores of the magnificent Niagara River, which connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, stands an old fort that has a long history of protection and preservation. This is Old Fort Erie, sometimes referred to for student education and in historical journals as Fort Erie National Historic Site of Canada. Forts are often…
Read MoreShe stood at the kitchen window pensive and disconnected. The sink full of dishes had been waiting all night. Her wrinkled hands picking up a dish absent-mindedly as she gazed into her neighbour’s kitchen. The early morning sunlit rays highlighted the dust floating in the air. She followed the beam with her eyes. It landed…
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This narrow door beyond the lavender was an inviting focal point for me in the garden at Villa Le Corti, the residence of the Principe Corsini and his family in Chianti Tuscany. The 230 acres of the estate set in the Tuscan landscape is splendid, but this garden door set in an ancient stone wall…
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Experience Niagara through the eyes of three families in this historical and adventurous multi-generational fictitious epic by prolific Author, Margaret Lindsay Holton. Trillium is a riveting story set around the shores of Lake Ontario, covering 250 years and begins with Tom Hartford. Tom, the eventual patriarch of the Hartford family, crosses the treacherous Niagara River…
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The doors all over Florence, Italy are enormous heavy wooden doors that grace the façade of buildings and lead to fabulous courtyards tucked away from the bustle of the city. This magnificent door is on Lungarno Torrigiani which runs along the Arno river. This river that runs through Florence separates the neighbourhoods geographically, but the…
Read MoreWe sat under the sunshine warm and toasty waiting for those rays of gold to do their work. We weren’t good enough as is, we needed to be brown. Brown was better. People wanted brown. By afternoon we were ready. Shirley picked us up one by one shining our smooth skin with the soft cloth…
Read MoreThe bell had rung. The line had shut down. The place was empty. Artur did his rounds as he usually did. Securing doors, turning on alarms, unplugging the toaster. Then he’d sit and practice. Two hours every night without fail. He was going to be a famous pianist one day. Go to school they…
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On the shores of Lake Ontario in Beamsville sits 30 acres of lush vineyards. This is Legends Estate Winery. The vineyard is a stunning backdrop for a wedding with its lovely white gazebo overlooking the lake. Or imagine a picnic on the grounds with a Legends Estate wine in hand. The wine shop offers Legends‘…
Read MoreEvery Wednesday afternoon Ella Gitterman brought her Tupperware containers filled with delicious dinners and desserts for her aging aunt. Poor Aunt Esther hadn’t left her house in 12 years. Disabled and penurious, Ella was her lifeline, dutifully bringing meals, helping with cleaning, shopping, and all the other things Ella knew how to do well. Ella…
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Looking for some fun and interesting things to do this November in Niagara? Here’s a list of events that fit every budget and will keep you busy all month long.
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I sat alone in a white wicker chair in the backyard of an ancient abbey overlooking the Tuscan hillside. There wasn’t a soul around. I swallowed. The kind of repetitive swallow that indicates a looming sore throat. Is it really sore? Will it get worse? I swallowed. Here I was on my third day of…
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The golden hour, coffee in hand Gentle waves shift the sand Twilight flows, the glare it mellows the lines on her face and the leaves in yellows Sun dips down over the hill Her hands at rest, her heart is still Peace is here 44 words, by chance. I’ve missed the last two Friday Fictioneers,…
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South of the QEW, high above Lake Ontario is the Niagara Escarpment, lovingly referred to as The Mountain, by Niagarans (I think that’s what we’re called) and Hamiltonians. Although it doesn’t fit the description of a mountain, this beautiful geological wonder is essentially a cliff that runs from Niagara Falls all the way to Tobermory…
Read MoreShe sat slumped, her hands face up, resting in her lap. Their weight like sandbags, barely holding the tissue that she would use to wipe the tears that fell onto her arms. It was just yesterday when he was still here. His blood spattered across the court. Today they washed the chalk lines and his…
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Looking for some fun things to do in Niagara this October. Here’s a list of fun, spooky, and thankful things to enjoy around the Niagara region.
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Words swarm me, exploding like fireworks bright and brilliant, full of meaning. Their essence heavy on my chest. Waiting for a chance to reveal themselves. Waiting to dive deep beneath the dark blue surface. For now, they wait. Held by responsibilities. Standing in a neat row. Protected and silent. Waiting for the door to burst…
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Along picturesque Lakeshore Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake you’ll find Strewn winery. Tucked inside the winery building is the delectable OLiV Restaurant. Strewn winery is a 10 acre property that once was a tender fruit cannery and was purchased and brought to life in 1997 as a winery. Though it is one of the smaller wineries in…
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