The gentle nudge into open waters reminds me of the birthing process. I’m not sure if children choose to be born, but they are pushed out into this wild world without a paddle or a rubber tube. At least I had each of those on my river tubing adventure down the Layou River in Dominica.…
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Oh the pastel streets of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, charming barely describes it. As I wander down Calle San Miguel, I veer off toward the colourful residential streets away from the Malecon. That too is a sight, but wait till you hear these stories, all occurring in the pastel streets of Old San Juan.…
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Nature is a profound teacher. There is so much we humans can learn from her. Commensalism is just one concept that exists within the natural world that adds to our humanity. I walked into the enclosed courtyard of the Museo de San Juan in Puerto Rico. The bright yellow arched walls contrasted perfectly with dark…
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The large expanse of green grass looked inviting under the Puerto Rican sunshine. I’d been here before, entering through the front of El Morro previously. This time I decided to explore El Morro in reverse. Perhaps that decision was a little flawed, but who would have guessed at the time. Beginning our adventure at…
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The boat pulled into the dock revealing a sunlit morning, palm trees swaying in the light breeze and transparent turquoise waters clear as glass. “This is Bequia!” I thought, “Wow! I can’t believe I’m here!” I’d read about Bequia in a book called, Tales of Bequia by Thomas Carl Thomsen, while in my 20s, and…
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With no pre-planning or research we had set out on our Maritimes road trip ready to wing it and come what may. It was post-pandemic Summer 2022 and people still weren’t travelling as much. Most days therefore worked out fine and we were able to find accommodation on the fly, most times. So with Google…
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I decided to forego the curved pathways that snake their way towards the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, and walked the giant granite rocks carved by the ocean over hundreds of years, into smooth gently ambling shapes. The Atlantic air was fresh and warm, not cold and blustery as would be expected in winter. Stratus clouds…
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What are the 5 Rs you ask?, first let me tell you a bit of where this inspiration came from. In Niagara Falls you’ll find a famous tourist attraction, The Niagara Floral Clock. It is said to have been photographed as often as The Falls itself. I haven’t taken a picture every time I’ve been…
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It has been a few years since I’ve been in Florence, but the memories are as fresh as my morning coffee, that is full of possiblities. Having just arrived the night before, I walked with my best friend along the narrow streets to a cafe in Florence. Yes, that Florence! The one in Italy that…
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I stepped out of the port terminal in Miami ready to hail a cab. Signs pointed me in the direction of the taxi stand and as I approached, an older man standing outside his cab waved to me. I nodded in agreement as I walked around to meet him, navigating the people control barriers. As…
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An older gentleman pushing a walker came towards me through the gates at Paletta Lakefront Park. This was the end of my informal self-guided tour and the beginning of his. “Hi sweetie” he said in a joyful tone. “Hi,” I responded, “beautiful day for an adventure isn’t it?” As he walked past me towards Paletta…
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Beneath the waters of the Bay of Fundy lay sea caves carved by the Atlantic Ocean from the soft sandstone cliffs. You don’t have to go diving to explore these amazing hollows, you simply have to wait. Each day in a twelve hour cycle the tide goes out revealing the ocean floor and the beautiful…
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It was a rainy spring day, the kind tailor-made for an unrushed cozyafternoon tea. And Abigail’s Tea House in St. George, Ontario was the perfectspot to indulge in some hygge and cozy relaxation over High Tea. The welcoming green door on the corner of Main St. in the quaint littletown of St. George is impossible…
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There’s something about Port Colborne that I really like. It has a quaintness to it that isn’t imbued in perfection. It’s rough edges similar to the coarse brown-sugar Lake Erie sand found on Nickel Beach. There’s something very human and personal about this little Niagara town and I have lots of happy memories of summer…
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There is something divine and decadent in the ritual of afternoon tea. Experiencing it in the lavish Drawing Room at the historic Prince of Wales Hotel in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake certainly elevates the affair of afternoon tea, especially in the company of good friends. Afternoon tea was something I grew up with. Not as resplendent as…
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I’ve had a fascination with and a long distance love affair with Prince Edward Island ever since I read Lucy Maud Montgomery’s books as a young girl. Her descriptions of the island and its many natural spaces have held my interest for decades. As fortune would have it I was able to visit this beautiful…
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With the sweet taste of Amapola still lingering on my tongue, I threw myself onto the day bed in the front verandah of my childhood home. As I often did on summer afternoons while others siestad, I pulled a classic from my father’s collection. What I didn’t realize at the time was the indelible impression…
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If you’ve driven along the QEW between Toronto and Niagara Falls there’s a good chance you noticed the pirate ship in Jordan Harbour. The story of La Grande Hermine is about dreams. And it was someone’s dream that brought this ship to the Niagara Region of Lake Ontario. In 1535 the great French Explorer, Jacques…
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