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For most of the twentieth century, before corporate hockey and the health kick of an hour of daily exercise, curling was a prominent sport in every city, town and hamlet in Canada – including snow-less Vancouver and Victoria. People used to dress in home-made sweater jackets, drink beer and rye whisky rink-side and pull back deeply on a filter-less cigarette while tossing a curling stone down a sheet of ice. Curling rinks were rife with alcohol and tobacco advertising; even the scoreboard encouraged avid curlers to buy a pack of smokes, preferably their brand. But those days – and many international curling champs from across Canada – are long gone, to be replaced by svelte, track-suited athletes in what is now merely a niche sport. But the many, many artifacts remain. Imagine you’re so keen on curling that you filled your basement with curling paraphernalia – then invited strangers to come and peruse your leisure activity? When Don and Elva Turner of Weyburn, Saskatchewan, both avid curlers, first started a curling museum in the basement of their home in the late 1960s, it was the first and only major museum in the world dedicated exclusively to curling.

It still is. In November 1990, when their extensive collection outgrew their re-modelled basement, the Turners went the museum to a 800-square-metre building attached to the Weyburn Leisure Centre. Recently the entire collection was went across the parking lot from the curling rink at Crescent Point Place, possibly its final resting place.

Continue reading Eccentric Museums: Rush Hard to the Turner Curling Museum

Eccentric Museums: Rush Hard to the Turner Curling Museum originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The first time I met DJ was in 2009. She was zipping around at such a speed, it was dizzying. At the time, she was a 48-year-ancient reformed sex worker and crack cocaine addict, who weighed a mere 90 pounds.

This tiny dynamo stopped long enough from her volunteer duties to tell her life tale.
She’s been raped, beaten and nearly killed. DJ has lived on the Downtown Eastside for more than two decades. From the age of 13 to 28, DJ had hundreds of “clients” and a lifetime addiction to crack cocaine.

Today, DJ, 51, weighs 100+ – she doesn’t want to divulge her exact weigh other than to say she’s “healthy” – and she’s been clean of drugs for nearly two years now.

Known as Mom on the streets, DJ credits Beauty Night with giving her purpose in life and making her feel excellent about herself – something that is echoed over and over again throughout that wintry night three years ago by many of the women there.

Continue reading Beauty Night: A Party like None Other in the Downtown Eastside

Beauty Night: A Party like None Other in the Downtown Eastside originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It might be a fool’s game to try to pick the top five beaches in a country like the Dominican Republic, which is blessed with hundreds of them. But we’re always game to try. Click on the image above to see our top five picks and a photo galley that will make you wish you were already there.

Top 5 Beaches in the Dominican Republic (PHOTO GALLERY) originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 06:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Afternoon High Tea in Ottawa is not just the purview of the Governor-General or the hoi oligoi anymore. Anyone can dress up and head for the Fairmont Chateau Laurier for their daily Afternoon Tea in Zoé’s Lounge. Just bring your discerning palate and appetite to this classic Canadian railway hotel beside the Rideau Canal.

Continue reading Northern Nosh: High Tea at Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier

Northern Nosh: High Tea at Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As a freelance travel writer, I’m particularly sensitive to this phenomenon; the pressure to turn every trip, no matter how insignificant, into one or more travel writing assignments makes sitting still for a couple hours a heroic act of willpower. Even before my unlikely career path materialized, as an American with sadistically few vacation days, any time I left home my impulse was to maximize every waking moment. Sure, I’d submit to an hour or two on the beach, but only after hours of pulse-quickening busyness. Of course there’s nothing incorrect with this vacation style, but everything in moderation, my friends.

This person looks like they’ve got the hang of do-nothing travel

Obviously, engineering a do-nothing vacation isn’t hard if you’re willing to make a few concessions. With a single phone call or a few mouse clicks you can arrange a suitably low-impact journey on a cruise ship or have a tinted van waiting at the airport to shuttle you into a fortified, all-inclusive resort and, voila!, doing nothing (and decidedly substandard eating) has been achieved.

But what precautions should those afflicted with chronically itchy feet take for successful do-nothing vacations in more natural surroundings? Based on my recent experiences, I’ve compiled the following tips:

Tip 1: Choose your destination wisely
Pick a destination that’s lovely and special, but dull as hell. I recently pulled off a spectacular do-nothing vacation in the pleasingly lackluster environs of Granada and San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua. Paradoxically, if I’d attempted a do-nothing vacation in Prague, I’d have probably despised myself – or been despised by friends and colleagues. (Probably both.) If at any time during the trip, you feel the urge to walk more than 200m all at once, you’ve chosen poorly. If the destination has more than two guidebook pages devoted to it, you’ve chosen poorly. If you ever say to yourself ‘Huh, I wonder what that thing is over there,’ you’ve chosen poorly.

Tip 2: No technology allowed
Leave all tech that allows access to work at home. Laptops are indisputably wonderful small entertainment boxes, but most of us also have work-related or work-accessible content on our laptops and that is do-nothing vacation sacrilege. Bring an ebook reader, a phone, even a smartphone to if you absolutely have to stay in touch, but any device with a trace of work content must be left behind. Also, people especially prone to Twitter and Facebook distraction should be strip-searched by a professional for access devices before leaving home.

Tip 3: Dress for a do-nothing outing
Don’t bring fancy clothes. If you bring fancy clothes, you’ll want to wear the fancy clothes, which means you’ll want to go somewhere fancy, which means a lot of fancy prep time and fancy behavior and fancy etiquette and this is already sounding like far too much effort. Going out for a decent meal while on a do-nothing vacation should not entail any preparation more rigorous than walking the dog. Here’s a excellent benchmark: any restaurant that won’t seat you while wearing a tasteful Simpsons t-shirt is probably too much work. Also, no hiking shoes. Hiking is to a do-nothing vacation as whiskey and Red Bulls are to a serene, civilized evening in Bangkok.

Tip 4: What to bring
Your do-nothing vacation destination should have, or you should bring along, at least four of the following components/paraphernalia: swimsuit weather, hammocks, body of water (pool, ocean, lake), lots and lots of towels, reasonable food within 200 meters of your bed, cocktails in primary colors within 100 meters of your bed, a vista that’s better than most TV shows, and a large variety of reading material in the following genres: humor, adventure, sci-fi, teenage wizards, biographies of people who didn’t die in an especially tragic way, superheroes being awesome, and horny vampires.

Tip 5: Words to watch out for
Whenever anyone utters the following words/phrases, they need to place a dollar into their companion’s cocktail fund:

• ‘What time is it?’
• ‘Overslept’
• ‘Pants’
• ‘Should’
• ‘Hard Rock Café’
• ‘Work’
• ‘Work out’
• ‘Too much’
• ‘Too late’
• ‘Too early for [insert alcoholic beverage]‘
• ‘Too fattening’
• ‘Too drunk’
• ‘Too naked’
• ‘The economy’

Do you have any do-nothing vacation tips to add?

Leif Pettersen is a Lonely Planet author, freelance travel writer and polyglot. He’s visited 47 countries (so far) and can be found @leifpettersen.

Lonely Planet blog

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Canoë – Voyages

1. Collaborative travel

Despite economies plummeting and a shaky job market, Lonely Planet readers don’t plot to hibernate through the crisis. As purse strings tighten, travellers are getting more creative, and readers predict collaborative travel to be a huge hitter for 2012. Couchsurfing, service sharing and skill swapping are smart ways to travel far on the power of generosity (as well as buy enviable anecdotes about stopping over in a thatched-roof Japanese country house or crashing on a hip New Yorker’s apartment floor). Whether you make a beeline for CouchSurfing and CrashPadder, arrange a group hitchhike or lift-share or soak up local knowledge online and on the ground, this coming year may see more of us than ever relying on the kindness of strangers.

2. Inspector Gadget

You may be bedding down on a local’s floor and exchanging your home-made jam for a day’s bike hire, but give up your technological toys? Not a chance. 2012 will see more travellers glued to their smartphones and walking into things than ever – your GPS didn’t warn you about that lamp post, did it? The portfolio of travel apps on the market is getting more diverse by the day. Travel guides in ebook form reduce the risk of that weighty guide to Italy fraying your bag straps, and translation widgets like Lonely Planet’s own app can even handle those tough foreign-language menu moments for you. You might be making an iPad scrapbook as you go, checking the weather in your next destination or scoping out restaurant reviews remotely, but will you be too busy looking for a wifi signal to make any eye contact?

3. Snail’s pace travel

Could the age of frenetic airport dashes and madcap itineraries be at an end? Many of Lonely Planet’s readers seem to hope so. Epic train rides, meandering road trips and your own two feet are what you say will be powering your travels next year. Classic tourist sights may take a back seat to the sheer joy of driving Australia’s Fantastic Ocean Road, or admiring the view from the Trans-Siberian railway. While some of you plot to staycation, others will be seeing just how far their own two feet can get them. 2012 is certainly the year to invest in a sturdy pair of hiking boots.

4. To infinity and beyond

A number of offbeat destinations were predicted to be huge for 2012, from Antarctica to Sudan, but Lonely Planet readers don’t feel they’re truly off the beaten track until they’re bobbing in zero gravity. Yes, the largest fantasy is space travel, and with this week’s dedication of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic gateway to space, the dream of pleasure flights to space is getting stronger for adventure-minded travellers. The 0,000 price tag doesn’t sit well with the revival of shoestring travel, but luckily there are plenty of earthly destinations to whet the appetite of wannabe astronauts. The final frontier is within reach, but it’s still an dreadfully long way to hitchhike…

For all your travel inspiration and tips for the coming year from Lonely Planet’s experts, pre-order Best in Travel 2012 now!

Best in Travel 2012 also available for pre-order on the iBookstore.

Lonely Planet blog

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Canoë – Voyages

In the Lost in Translation photo contest on the Lonely Planet Facebook page, travellers are posting some of their best photos of #epictranslationfail from around the world – and the results are surprising and hilarious. The contest is only a few days in, and already some of the submissions have been making waves of giggling around the Lonely Planet offices. Here is a sampling of some of the staff favourites so far:

1. Do not give that cow the keys, no matter what it says

2. Don’t press that red button

Really? At the lift??? – Photo submitted by Nadx S.

3. Proof that there are lost in translation moments even within the English speaking world

4. Everyone enjoys riding the Norse

5. Kids these days

6. Wait, this sign doesn’t mean ‘camel parking’?

7. Never dread, the anti-fire things are here

Things for anti-fire – Photo submitted by Dave K.

8. This might be a excellent time to turn around

9. Welcome to Obviousville

It’s obvious. - Photo submitted by Masdyanna B.

10. Man, it’s cold as ice to take Foreigner’s luggage.

11. This has all the makings of a romantic comedy

Coca-Cola way or Pepsi way…..Which one should I take?? (Carmelo, Uruguay) – Photo submitted by Andrea D.

12. Probably best to follow these instructions

What kind of orphans are we talking here? Taken in Nairobi, Kenya – Photo submitted by Jesse O.

Do you have a fantastic lost in translation photo from your travels? Enter the contest on the Lonely Planet Facebook page (end date: 17 November) for a chance to win an iPad and the new Lonely Planet Offline Translator apps, and vote for your favourites!

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Never get lost in translation again with Lonely Planet’s new Offline Translator apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.

Lonely Planet blog

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Canoë – Voyages

The Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago is quite a mouthful but in the Windy City, people here just call it “The Trump” since it opened in 2009. Now Chicago’s newest, largest and most luxurious property boldly slices the city’s downtown skyline like King Arthur’s Excalibur sword; at 92-storeys, The Trump easily dwarfs 1920s neighbours like the Wrigley and Chicago Tribune buildings. The Trump Chicago is like a modern in-fill house in a 1920s neighbourhood with polished stainless steel, iridescent-tinted glass – and a whole lot of elegant luxury.

Continue reading Sleeping Around: This Chicago Hotel Trumps All Others

Sleeping Around: This Chicago Hotel Trumps All Others originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

There are scores of haunted houses across this country, from coast to coast. We’ve rounded up some of the best spooky experiences so you can go out and find the spookiest attraction in your corner of the country.

Maritimes’ Most Haunted Spots
Party with the Local Ghouls in St John’s
Spooky Saskatchewan: Regina’s Annual Haunts

Vancouver’s Spookiest Attractions
West Coast’s Top 5 Most Haunted Places
BC Restaurant with a Ghostly Past
Parade of Lost Souls Haunts Vancouver’s East Side

And for those that like real tales of ghosts and right gory crimes that resonate today, here’s a ghostly tour for the curious:

Autopsy Room, Cemeteries & Right Crime Scenes:Vancouver’s Ghoulish Trolley Tour

Spooky Canada: Best Spots to Get Your Haunt On originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I’m in Ottawa in search of local food and it’s time to unfold the map and explore some area farms for the source of the tasty ingredients for local chefs’ inventive dishes. There are an incredible 1267 farm operations within Ottawa’s civic boundaries – more than other farms within city limits in Canada – so that makes it tempting to farm-gate for local food products.

Continue reading Day Trip: Ottawa is Farm City

Day Trip: Ottawa is Farm City originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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27 September is the United Nations’ World Tourism Day and places around the world are marking this year’s theme of ‘Linking Cultures’. In Jaipur, historical monuments have been illuminated while in Rwanda, the government is using the day to encourage domestic travel with the message, ‘tourism, it starts with YOU’.

At the Lonely Planet office, we’re reflecting on the differences that the last year has made to travel: the birth of a new country; the knowledge that the largest threat to your holiday is a volcano in Iceland; the speed at which technology is changing the way we travel.

Still, in travel some things stay the same. The importance of linking cultures through travel has always been at the heart of Lonely Planet’s belief system. Sure, we travel for many reasons, but getting to know other cultures – and bringing that understanding home with us – is perhaps the most vital reason of all. To mark World Tourism Day, we thought the best thing we could do was point you in the direction of some travel inspiration. To that end, here are five of our favourite features from Lonely Planet’s new 1000 Ultimate Sights with 50 travel thoughts to get you on your way:

• The greatest wildlife spectacles
• Most fairytale-like European castles
• Splash out: the world’s most incredible waterfalls
• The most intriguing lost cities
• World’s most incredible natural phenomena: it’s raining fish!

As a special for World Tourism Day, we’ve discounted our 10 most well loved mobile travel apps – take advantage of the sale until Friday 30th September.

Lonely Planet blog

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Canoë – Voyages

Sound excellent? Download your the app to your favorite city now!

• Amsterdam Travel Guide
• Barcelona Travel Guide
• Berlin Travel Guide
• Istanbul Travel Guide
• London Travel Guide
• New York City Travel Guide
• Paris Travel Guide
• Prague Travel Guide
• Rome Travel Guide
• San Francisco Travel Guide

Need some inspiration? We’ve pulled together 50 excuses to travel from Lonely Planet’s new book 1000 Ultimate Sights

Have some friends that need a bit of prodding to get them to travel? Show them this: The importance of owning a passport by TV host and world traveler Phil Keoghan.

Lonely Planet blog

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Canoë – Voyages

As they do every fall, Ottawa Senators fans are dreaming that this, finally, will be the year their team wins the Stanley Cup.

Even though the odds of a Sens Cup victory don’t look particularly promising (one Vegas odds-maker has place them at 70:1), there are plenty of other reasons for hockey lovers to come to Ottawa this season. Such as…

Continue reading Five Fantastic Reasons Hockey Lovers Should Visit Ottawa This Winter

Five Fantastic Reasons Hockey Lovers Should Visit Ottawa This Winter originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ulysse

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In the last year alone, a handful of farmers’ markets in Edmonton have risen from the firmament, pulled like carrots from the buried desire to eat local. From Castle Downs bungalows to Riverbend’s quasi-mansions, the 100-mile diet movement and its ilk have everyone suddenly interested in wanting to “shake the hand that feeds you,” as Michael Pollan says.

But one farmers’ market in Edmonton predates all this fanfare, having emerged over a century ago when the only philosophy was “Eat food, anything, so hungry.”

The first carnation of the City Market Downtown on 104th – which sounds like it was named by IT consultants for search engine optimization – emerged in 1903 on Rice Howard Way. Over the decades it went around until finding its foothold on Edmonton’s trendy promenade in 2004, just in time for the aforementioned locavore craze.

Unlike the larger Ancient Stratchona Farmers’ Market south of the North Saskatchewan River, this one is outdoors – for as long as possible. When the time comes, usually in October, it’s went four blocks away inside city hall.

The selection stays quite steady, as the vendors are pretty committed to making this the Saturday food excursion of choice amongst Edmontonians. And because of this community spirit, matched with the outdoor setting and urbane attitude, it truly is the best farmers market in all of the city.

This Thanksgiving, let the City Market vendors be your suppliers. Get your plump pasture turkey from Sunshine Organic Farm and stuff it with bread from Prairie Mill Bread Co., always preservative-free. Whatever your side salad, the best oil dressing comes from Mighty Trio Organics, which produces an award-winning hemp seed oil, nutty and smooth. And, I’m told by one colleague, that the zebra tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouses are worth early rises. (I’d find out for myself if I could ever get there before the stock is depleted.)

It’s also a fantastic lunch spot, with Don Antonio’s Mexican always around with steaming tamales, and Eva Sweet Waffles‘ van at your service.

City Market Downtown on 104th is open every Saturday – sunny or snowy, though not always in the same place – from 10 am to 3 pm.

Feast with Edmonton’s Downtown Farmers Market for Thanksgiving originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Many downtown Toronto residents are accustomed to staying up well past the witching hour on Saturday nights, but on Saturday October 1, they’re going to have a lot more company. That’s because it’s once again time for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, the all-nighter that turns Hogtown into a living, breathing, participatory artwork.

This year’s incarnation of the well loved one-night art festival/extravaganza promises to be spectacular, with the city space set to be effectively annexed by an abundance of art the likes of which may be unparalleled in the city’s history. And even if that’s total hyperbole, it’s still going to be a wild, long, art-filled night that’s sure to have something for everyone.

For the uninitiated, the thought for what would grow into the international art celebration that is Nuit Blanche — literally “white night” in French — started in 1984. Jean Blaise is widely credited with the concept that grew into Nuit Blanche, and events in Nantes, France (Les Allumées) and Helsinki, Finland (Night of the Arts) that took place in 1989 started the thought in practice.

Continue reading Toronto Bracing for Another Nuit Blanche All-Nighter

Toronto Bracing for Another Nuit Blanche All-Nighter originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s pretty simple. You talk, it translates.  Just record your voice (or type in the text) and you will be presented with an audio and text translation – all without any data or roaming charges.

We are really excited about this product. Making an effort to speak the native language enhances your travel experience and is a fantastic way of connecting with people and a place. This app makes this simpler and is also helps with the everyday practicalities when travelling in a non-English speaking country.

There are a couple of features that we reckon make this worthy travel companion:

• 100% offline. Unlike other translator products, it does not require an internet connection or data roaming. You can use it anywhere, anytime without incurring any costs. We reckon this is essential given you will want to use this overseas (and roaming fees can sting!).
• Bi-lingual. You can translate from English to a foreign language, and also from a foreign language to English.  This particularly useful given sometimes you want to know what is being said (or written) and other times you want people to know you. You can really have a two-way conversation with the app acting as the translator.

The Offline Translator apps makes communicating simple, and are far more effective than the common approach of talking slower, and louder, while making unrecognizable hand signals.

So go check them out!

• Available for Apple iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) and Android devices
• Apps are currently available for Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Iraqi Arabic, and Tagalog with more languages coming.
• Special introductory price of US.99 / AUD.49 / £2,99 / 3,99 €

We would also like to thank Jibbigo – whose award winning, state-of-the-art speech technology powers the apps.

Watch the video below to see the Lonely Planet Translator in action:

Lonely Planet blog

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RelaxNews

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Possibly in opposition to a world full of huge box grocers and taste-less imported produce, more urban Saskatchewanians are grabbing their reusable fabric grocery bags and heading for their local farmers’ market. The growing outdoor farmers’ markets in Saskatchewan’s three largest cities, Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert, are a excellent example of Saskatchewanians’ continuing connection with the land, the satisfying search for quality ingredients and the chance to mingle with other like-minded people.

Saskatchewan’s urban farmers’ markets usually operate early May to mid-October to coincide with seasonal crops. But fall is the best time to haul away sacks of fresh potatoes, beets, carrots, squash, parsnips, corn and pickles that somebody else grew (and canned) for you.

Continue reading Harvest Time at Saskatchewan Farmers’ Markets

Harvest Time at Saskatchewan Farmers’ Markets originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last week, TV host and traveller Phil Keoghan provided his take on the importance of owning a passport in advance of

‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page,’ said St Augustine. I’ve spent most of my life trying to read as much as possible. I’ve always wondered if Mark Twain’s brilliant observation that ‘there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or despise them than to travel with them’ applied to his travel companions or the people he travelled among, but travelling has taught me that I like nearly everybody.

Take Iran, a country not on everybody’s ‘most friendly’ list. I spent a couple of weeks there in 2004, and I can’t remember the last time I was treated with such hospitality. The Iranians like to picnic, and every time I walked through a park I seemed to get invited over to join somebody’s picnic. Perhaps it’s because tourists are pretty unusual there, but an dreadful lot of Iranians want to talk to you, and a surprising number of them speak English and want to practice it. They also like to drink tea, and I never visited a tea house without a waiter or a fellow tea drinker coming over for a chat. While dining alone in restaurants, I’d regularly get invited over to join another table. By the end of my visit I had a collection of photographs with Iranian families who wanted me to join the family snapshot. ‘Well,’ I thought, ‘so this is what life is like on the Axis of Evil.’

Or take France? Snooty, aloof and they make fun of your inability to speak their fantastic language, right? Well, I lived in Paris for a year in the mid-’90s, and I started every morning with a jog around my neighbourhood, concluding with stops at the newsstand to buy a paper and at the patisserie to buy bread (the best bread in the world, as long as you eat it within half an hour of buying it). After a week of that regular morning circuit I’d become a fixture, somebody to be greeted with a cheery ‘bonjour, Monsieur’ and a quick French lesson. Aloof? Snooty? Forget about it!

Take rich and poor. Somehow we in the developed world, the first world, have gotten the thought that it takes money to be pleased. Tell that to a group of islanders from the tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu who party like there’s no tomorrow. Go to a village dance on the magical Indonesian island of Bali, and you’ll start to wonder why anyone ever bothered to invent television. Take a trek in Nepal, and it’s clearly obvious how proud your Sherpa camping crew is of the gorgeous Himalayas and the brilliant job they do in guiding you along the mountain trails.

Take religion. Of course, it’s fascinating to come into contact with other people’s religions, whether it’s Buddhism in Thailand, Hinduism in India or Islam in any of the Arab countries, but it can be a real surprise to run into some of the earliest reminders of Christianity in Syria. ‘Didn’t you realize this was one of the places where Christianity started?’ your Syrian hosts may clarify. Or go to Ethiopia, where monks painstakingly produced illuminated manuscripts centuries before a quill pen was ever dipped in ink in a European monastery.

Travel is full of pleasant surprises, but it’s also enormously vital for many other reasons, ranging from economics to global relations. International trade and business become more vital every day, and you won’t even comprehend the market, let alone make the sale, if you don’t know the marketplace. It’s through travel, first and foremost, that we meet and know the outside world. We can read all about other countries in papers and magazines or see them on television, but it’s remarkable how different places turn out to be when you really visit them. The media feed us scare tales about those in other countries, but the reality is that most people in the world are searching for the same things we are – a better life, a better future for their children – and they’re only too ready to lend a hand to a fellow human being. Today, travelling to other countries is more vital than it has ever been.

Keep up with Tony and his travels on his blog.

Lonely Planet blog

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Canoë – Voyages

Here we are at the beginning of the well-known West Coast Hiking trail; home to some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in British Columbia. A few hours earlier we had arrived at our destination, the Wild Coast Cottages in Port Renfrew. One of our neighbours quipped that these quaint wooden cabins are dubbed by other guests as ‘the Yuppy way of camping.’

Indeed, the fully equipped cabins with wrap-around deck, which are about the size of a hotel suite, are the only way I like to camp!

Continue reading Port Renfrew: Gateway to the West Coast Trail

Port Renfrew: Gateway to the West Coast Trail originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Targa Newfoundland is the first and only event of its kind in North America, and its tagline is “It’s About the Drive.” Yep, that catchphrase sums it up pretty adequately: this driving competition covers 2200 kilometres and requires a LOT of endurance. Could it be the most intense road trip in Canada? It’s likely! Plus it’s all taking place right now, until the 17^th of September.

This is how it works: the “Targa” sections (meaning “competitive”) are held on roads that are closed to the public, and amount to about 25% of the total course. The goal here is to meet or slightly exceed the stage times set by the organizers, depending on individual vehicle age, displacement, and modification level of the vehicle.

Continue reading September Must-See Event: Targa Newfoundland

September Must-See Event: Targa Newfoundland originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A collection of charming tin toys awaits at the equally charming Toad Hall Toys in Winnipeg’s Exchange District.

You’ve come a long way, baby. Winnipeg’s Exchange District started life at the turn of the century with a flourish. Then it wilted and nearly perished. But the pulse is returning. Sewing factories and warehouses-complete with towering windows and grand architecture-now house chic boutiques, hoppin’ nightclubs and lots of fantastic places to eat. Whether it’s a pressed tin ceiling overhead or a slightly creaky wooden floor underfoot, there’s a small touch of history in every shop. But make no mistake, there’s nothing ancient-fashioned about this district.

Continue reading Shopping in Winnipeg: The Exchange District

Shopping in Winnipeg: The Exchange District originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BUM

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

In many ways, Halifax is increasingly becoming a cycling friendly city. In May 2011, Nova Scotia became the first province in Canada to enact a bill that requires drivers to allow for one metre of space between their car and the bicycle when passing, and also prohibits them from parking in cycle lanes. Riding a bike around the city is a fantastic way to get around, as motorists are pretty respectful here and there are several dedicated bike routes and trails.

Continue reading Halifax for Cyclists

Halifax for Cyclists originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL Travel Canada

September 11, 2001 was a normal day for Hotelier Hans Gerhardt and his wife, as they sat together finishing breakfast. When the phone rang he answered. It was his son, Ralph, calling from the 105th floor of the World Trade Center in New York.

“Dad, something just happened here,” he said, his voice quivering. “We either got hit by a bomb or by a plane. I’m okay, we are okay, we’re evacuating, and I will call you later. I like you.”

Continue reading 9/11 Anniversary Exclusive: Author Talks About Losing His Son on 9/11 and His Book ‘Hotel Biz’

9/11 Anniversary Exclusive: Author Talks About Losing His Son on 9/11 and His Book ‘Hotel Biz’ originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL Travel Canada

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

Visit the Comox Valley and the Cowichan Valley in the fall and you’ll know why food critics call both regions on Vancouver Island the New Provence.

Like the well-known food basket of France, both areas on the island’s east coast grow all kinds of decadent produce and craftsman turn it into even more tasty treats. Animals, vegetables, and fruit flourish in the rich soil and mild climate. With them bakers, vinters, cheese makers, craftsman and chefs make incredible treats. Really the entire east coast of Vancouver Island should be called new Provence and the best way to sample it why is to visit one of the many farmers’ markets, right now.

Continue reading The Best Farmers’ Markets on Vancouver Island

The Best Farmers’ Markets on Vancouver Island originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL Travel Canada

With the latest go by American Airlines to start charging for window and aisle seats, it’s now clear that airlines will charge for pretty much anything, no matter how much it annoys passengers. This got us wondering: what could airlines possibly charge for next? Here are some predictions for what might be coming soon to an airplane near you. One tip: bring a roll of bills.

Pre-flight

• Accurate departure gate info –
• Rat-free waiting area –

Seating options

• In plane – ; ON plane – free
• Guaranteed Gerard-Depardieu-free aisle –
• Left half of seat cushion – free; both halves of cushion –
• Underseat legroom not replaced by beehive –
• charge per unit of attractiveness of person seated next to you (reservable in advance).
• Having chatty neighbor went to other seat – 0

In-flight charges

• Opening and closing the overhead lockers during flight –
• to open coin-operated seat belt once the seat belt light has been turned off (only US Sacagawea coins accepted).
• All passengers must pay for captain to ‘make up time in the air’ after a delayed departure.
• All passengers must pay or Gallagher performs watermelon routine.
• Air sick bags – reserved in advance, 0 at moment of need.

Entertainment and meal service

• Live feed of people enjoying themselves in first class – to turn off
• Cup of water not dumped in lap –
• Pour drink in hand – free; cup –
• ‘My Humps’ on permanent repeat on personal entertainment system – to turn off
• 15 seconds to use the intercom for improv beatboxing or knock-knock joke –

Lavatory charges

• per square of toilet paper, or buy five get one free!
• or for use, depending on your, ahem, requirements.

What do you reckon will be next for airline fees?

• How to redesign the airplane for the modern traveler
• How not to behave on an airplane: a passengers’ bill of rights

[Photo: Kristie Wells]

Lonely Planet blog

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

After a long cross-country trip filled with cramped days in a car and crashing at sketchy hostels, I was ready for some huge-time R&R. Enjoying some luxury with a room at the Pan Pacific Vancouver seemed like a excellent thought…and I was right.

The superior architecture of the building and its fancy interior need not fool you: everybody inside is as humble and friendly as you would hope them to be. The bellhops practically jump at the opportunity to help you, and as I struggled in the elevator with three large bags, at least three different staff members offered to help. My room, incredibly large with the most inviting bed I have ever seen, gave me a tasty view of the city.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some of the hotel’s perks.

Continue reading Pillow Talk: A Small R&R at Vancouver’s Pan Pacific

Pillow Talk: A Small R&R at Vancouver’s Pan Pacific originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL Travel Canada

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

But question yourself – would you ever have gone to Bilbao if the Guggenheim hadn’t been there? How far would you go out of your way to take a chance on a place like this? An impressive gallery can transform the fortunes of a town (according to Forbes.com a visitor survey in 2002 revealed that ’82% came to the city of Bilbao exclusively to see the museum or had extended their stay in the city to visit it’ ) and twist the armature of your itinerary into a more fascinating shape.

The Asturian city of Avilés hopes its spectacular Oscar Niemeyer Arts Centre will deliver the ‘Guggenheim effect’, bringing tourists to this coastal town in northern Spain. Featuring  an open square, concert venues, galleries, a film centre, restaurants and a cocktail lounge among other things, this could be well worth a visit – and who knows what you might learn en route? Instead of just aiming for Madrid or Barcelona, a place like this arts centre can be the ideal impetus for a north-bound roadtrip to a seaside town. Alternatives open up when a cultural carrot is dangled off the beaten track.

Russian-bound lovers of culture would naturally hightail it to the knockout museums of Moscow and St Petersburg. But if you want to take it a small left-field, you could aim for the Perm Museum of Contemporary Art. Choose to detour to this gallery and not only will you get your fill of edgy contemporary and graphic art, you’ll also learn a riverside city with a continental climate, on the borders of Asia and Europe. Would you have gone there without the art motivation? Maybe not. But if you didn’t, imagine the unique Russian experiences you’d have missed out on.

People heading to Australia may gravitate to the well-known east coast cities of Sydney and Melbourne, but consider a trip way down south. The pretty Tasmanian city of Hobart is attracting many weekenders with the advent of the spectacular MONA (Museum of Ancient and New Art). Hobart is a fresh-aired and attractive city anyway, and Tasmania’s luscious landscape has always attracted the outdoorsy types, but now the art lovers are booking flights down there for a dose of challenging art in architecturally wondrous surrounds. If it piques your interest, why not detour off the road more travelled? Going off-route can show you the flipside of a place and add another dimension to your view of it.

Or maybe you don’t detour for art but for another reason. Maybe you prefer plants and flowers instead. Say you’re headed to Atlanta, chances are you’d visit the enormous, luscious Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Or you could find out about something a bit more unique, like Finster’s Paradise Gardens in Summerville, Georgia, and head to these overgrown, folk-art-filled acres instead. It might not be as simple to get there but isn’t that half the fun?

Have you ever spun the compass and found yourself learning another, unexpected, side of a country because of a gallery, museum – or any major attraction for that matter – that caught your eye? How far out of the way have you schlepped to make your pilgrimage? Was it worth it? Tell us your tales!

Lonely Planet blog

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

The dominant feature of their tales is nearly always the austerity of their trip; ‘real travel’ is considered to be without luxuries. The precedents for this position are the deprivations and dangers endured by explorers and adventurers such as Lewis and Clark. The modern-day appeal of hiking through the wilderness of national parks is to retrieve some of the reality of such explorations. Extreme nature lovers see luxuries such as hotels as having supplemented the real experience of destinations to the point where hotels are the main experience of a destination.

Image by thombo2

The next level down from these quasi-explorers are travellers who avoid the fancy hotels with jacuzzis, room service, etc. I confess I’m one of these travellers. I don’t need shiny faucets and marble when I spend 90% of my time at my accommodation asleep. And, like the quasi-explorers, I also see the uncalled-for luxuries of fancy hotels as supplanting the experience of the destination. I’d rather stay at a locally-owned guest house or hostel than an international hotel chain, whose experience is designed to be similar whether I’m in Hong Kong or Buenos Aires.

Image by Mark Broadhead

But is there really such a difference between ‘real travel’ and ‘luxury travel’?

Post-structuralism has taught us to be suspicious of such privileged binary oppositions. For example, Derrida has demonstrated how philosophers through the ages (like Plato) have maintained that communication by writing is somehow less ‘real’ than the communication of speech. One of the criticisms of writing is that while speakers are present (for their listeners), writers can be absent (from their texts and their readers) and if absent, writing may be understood in ways that were unintended by the author. And yet, as meaning in both speech and writing is constructed by re-presenting words from previous contexts, the full presence of their words is always already absent for the speaker to some degree. In the same way we can see how the opposition between real and luxury travel can be easily undermined by pointing out that all leisure travel, including so-called ‘real travel’, is a luxury.

Image by prayitno

No one’s life depends on going to a national park or a museum, although it may prolong and enrich said life. Also, a lot of my travel involves enjoying luxuries by proxy…most of the world’s fantastic buildings were once upon a time (or still are) the luxurious domiciles of royalty or similar dandies, and who doesn’t like to visit castles and palaces. Then of course there is the art in museums and religious buildings. Art itself may be the very epitome of luxury.

Image by Mark  Broadhead

So all leisure travel is luxury travel, whether you’re sleeping in a tent or staying at the Bourgeois à l’Arabe. In the realists’ defence, but, I do agree that the more gratuitous luxury one incorporates into a trip, the less one experiences a destination as a local knows it. Moreover, extreme luxury not only distances yourself from the destination, it is usually a larger waste of the world’s limited resources. On the other hand, cheap doesn’t always mean more real. Sleeping only in train stations may be less insightful of a destination than sleeping in farmstays where they make their own cheese. Instead of staying only in either extreme (austerity or luxury) try instead to be ‘post-structuralist’: occasionally splurge on fancy meals where your wallet allows, and skimp on luxuries to see how a destination can surprise you. With both sides of the coin you’ll get a more complete picture of a destination.

Further reading: The freedom of travel.

Mark Broadhead is Research Librarian at Lonely Planet

How do you like your travels – with lashings of luxury or a bit of penny pinching – or both? Check out Lonely Planet’s travel debate: budget vs luxury travel.

Lonely Planet blog

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

Regina may not have a large Asian population yet it still has a large appreciation of the culture. This plays out in the Queen City’s annual Dragon Boat Festival, a two-day event held on the Labour Day weekend (September 2-3) in Wascana Centre.

Now in its 20th year, the objective of the Regina Dragon Boat Festival, a volunteer-run, non-profit event, is to foster better understanding, appreciation and awareness of Asian culture and heritage in Regina. Held in the Queen City’s urban oasis, Wascana Centre, the central festival draws 20,000 spectators over two days as 65 teams race on Wascana Lake, with the statuesque Legislative Building in the background. And, best of all, admission is free.

Continue reading Regatta de Wascana: Regina’s Dragon Boat Festival

Regatta de Wascana: Regina’s Dragon Boat Festival originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL Travel Canada

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

In its heyday, the Steveston canneries were a hotbed of racism. So says playwright Nicola Harwood. She spent two years researching the history behind the lives of the immigrants who came to work at the once thriving shipyard. “I explored the history of the canneries along the waterfront going back to the late 1800s up to 1942, to the internment of the Japanese,” said Harwood. “At the time, the Steveston canneries were like the Gold Rush, people were rushing to Steveston in droves to take part in the fishing and canning,”

The racism that ensued was stunning. Much of what she learned was the inspiration for the play, Salmon Row, which runs until August 28^th at the Britannia Heritage Shipyard. Salmon Row delves into the tales of immigration, labour strife, ethnic conflict and of painful memories that Harwood read about.

“The play focuses a lot on the massive influx of immigrants who came to Steveston and how racism figured prominently in how the Chinese, Japanese and Caucasians treated each other,” she said. Then, when you factor in that at the time, up and down the boardwalk also co-existed gambling and bawdy houses.

“There was lots of alcohol and opium being taken back then, which played a part in the misery and conflict,” Harwood said. “Although there is lots of tragedy, Salmon Row also has music and a lot of humour in it.”

Continue reading Best of B.C.’s Outdoor Theatre: Salmon Row

Best of B.C.’s Outdoor Theatre: Salmon Row originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL Travel Canada

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

Canoë – Voyages

1. What are your interests?

If you’re a history buff, you might want to take a walking tour of a neighbourhood. If you’re into culture, a trip to a gallery might be more fun for you. If you’re an adrenalin junkie, the two suggestions we’ve just made sound like a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. Work out what you’re interested in and start from there.

2. How much time do you really have?

Factor in your morning personality. If you’re a ’Hey, you’re missing the best part of the day!’ early bird, you’re going to have a bit more time up your sleeve, but if you’re a natural night owl, it may take a small more of that precious time to get going. Some day trips mean getting up early to make the most of the excursion; other times you’re limited to a smaller chunk of time. Make the most of what you’ve got - if you’ve only got four hours, a six-hour boat cruise is off the cards, but a turn around a market and checking out a bar is not.

3. Can you be in the right place at the right time?

Can’t get to Angkor Wat in time to catch a glorious sunrise? It can happen to anyone. Tweak your ambitions – it’s much, much simpler to catch sunsets instead.

4. What do you want to get out of the day?

Some days are made for abseiling, others are made for sitting in the sunshine or picking through fleamarkets and record stores. Question yourself what you’re in the mood for - adventure, fun, relaxation or something else entirely.

5. What’s the weather forecast?

Rainy days don’t have to spell distaster. It’s just a sign that some indoor activities might be in order. Do some seasonal research beforehand so you can have a rough thought of what to expect and have a couple of Plot Bs in your back pocket.

6. How long will it take for you to get there?

Be realistic about transit times. Sometimes public transport will get you from A to B quicker than a taxi if traffic is peaking; other times you’re better off on foot. Study your transport options and make sure you’ve got enough time to get where you need to be.

7. What’s nearby?

If you’re staying in the heart of the action, this question probably doesn’t apply to you – although you may want to pick a few prime places to hit first. Once you’ve settled on an attraction or an activity, it can be useful to reckon about where you can grab a meal nearby. If there isn’t anything nearby, you’re going to have to pack some provisions.

8. How much cash do you have to splash?

Even with no money in your pocket you can usually find something fun to do (here’s a whole list of free attractions). Simply hitting the streets and soaking up the atmosphere or the scenic views doesn’t cost a thing. Some galleries and museums have free entry at certain times. Deciding how much you have to spend can help you shortlist your choices.

9. What’s on?

Guidebooks can give you a rough thought of what’s on, but asking a local is always a excellent bet for a hidden gem. Too frightened to question? For options on sports matches, gigs, exhibitions, festivals, comedy, theatre, dance, club nights, check out listings in the local street press or online.

10. Is it open?

There’s no point rushing across town to get somewhere only to find it closed. Or worse, having to loiter around for a while until an attraction opens. Check opening hours in your guidebook or online to avoid disappointment.

So, what are the questions that you question yourself while you plot a day trip?

Lonely Planet blog

The quickest, simplest way to get to the Yukon is to hop on a small flight to Whitehorse from Vancouver or Calgary. But why rush? Even before your Yukon adventure starts, arriving by land or sea can be another adventure in itself.

The Alaska Highway is a legend. It was built at record speeds, across extraordinarily daunting terrain, to provide better military access from the Lower 48 to Alaska during the war with Japan. In the years since it opened to civilian traffic, it has became an iconic North American road trip. Today it caters to the full range of drivers: campers, RVers and those who prefer a nice hotel bed.

The highway starts in Dawson Creek, B.C., 600 kilometers northwest of Edmonton and 400 kilometers northeast of Prince George.

Continue reading Getting to the Yukon, Part 1: Driving the Alaska Highway

Getting to the Yukon, Part 1: Driving the Alaska Highway originally appeared on AOL Travel Canada on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL Travel Canada

One thought is to always be ready to travel at small notice. This is of course dependent on your ability to get time off work and make arrangements for things at home to be taken care of. But if you can manage this, then airlines and hotels will dramatically slash rates if there are spaces going on planes departing soon, or rooms unbooked with days to go. You can make a huge saving.

It is also worth thinking about heading off the beaten track. Yes, you may like Miami. So do lots of other people and that’s why travel agents can charge the earth for flights and bookings on holidays there. There are other places, ones you have not seen, that are well worth visiting – and they cost less, as well as having less of a crowd – so you can relax and find your own way.

There again, you can still go to more well loved destinations as long as you are prepared to go there when it’s off-season. Yes, most people want to go in high season – but that means that if you go in December, most people won’t be there. It’s cheaper and it is often more enjoyable, because you don’t have to queue for as much nor do you have to rush for a spot on the beach.

There are some things worth remembering if you are going for a last-minute holiday. For one thing, they are exceptionally hard to book as a package deal – instead it will be a case of finding out the availability of hotels and then finding a cheap flight. Whatever you do, don’t book an overnight flight without booking accommodation first. Being in a foreign country with nowhere to sleep can really kill the buzz of a holiday.

It is also vital to ensure that you have all the necessary documentation in order before hopping to the airport. It is not unheard of for people to be waiting to check in at the airport only to realize their passport has expired. There is no waiving the conditions when it comes to passports – if it isn’t valid then you’re not flying.

You will also need to make sure that you don’t make any mistakes in packing due to the small notice of the holiday. If, for example, you have medication that you rely on or don’t have the charger for your cell phone, you can spend the entire holiday fretting about whether you’ll be able to get through without an emergency – making the holiday a nice thought that went sour quickly.

The first thing to remember about traveling overseas is that you need your passport. Yes, it’s an obvious one, but you’d be shocked how many people forget theirs, and you can’t glide without it. In addition, you should pack well in advance. Yes, it is dull and tiring work, but if you do it a few days before traveling, you know where you stand, and have time to remember things you may have forgotten.

It is also beneficial to have some thought of where to turn in case of an emergency. If you have booked a package deal, you should have a contact at the travel company, and they will help to iron things out. Failing that, the number of your national embassy in the host country will be a excellent starting point.

Further to this, leave contact telephone numbers with someone who is remaining in your host country. If there is anything they need to contact you about, they can call and leave a message if you are not around, and you can then call them back to sort things out. All of these issues are vital when it comes to going overseas on holiday.

On the other hand, a package deal can be quite strait-jacketing for a holiday maker. When you book with a package firm, you have to follow their timetable and their choices – which airline, which flight, which hotel and even, on occasion, which sight-seeing trips to go on. It is a holiday designed for consensus, and you may want to do your own thing.

If you speak the language of the place that you are visiting, then it is not a terrible thought to try making the key bookings yourself piece by piece. You can choose when to glide and with whom, and book a hotel that suits your taste and budget – and one which has the amenities you value close by, for ease of access.

The vital thing about deciding how to book your holiday is that you don’t try to overstretch yourself, but equally avoid being bone idle in how you do it. If you can arrange it yourself it will be cheaper and suit you better. But, if you have limited knowledge of the area and don’t speak much of the language, a package deal – maybe with some room for doing your own thing – is a sound thought.

On the other side of that coin, the ease with which we can now communicate and meet with people from different cultures brings with it a responsibility – and this responsibility is all the more serious when it comes to really traveling to another country. People will look at you with greater respect and will work harder to make you feel welcome if you are prepared to live by their rules while in their country.

This does not really need to extend very far beyond trying to speak the language (if you can), dressing in a way which is suitable for their laws and customs, and observing their standards of living. In addition, if you keep in mind that you are viewed to some extent in terms of your nationality, you should try to be a excellent ambassador for your country.

To add to this, you should always be polite and try and learn something from the way that people in your host country conduct themselves. It’s not the case that your traditions are incorrect and theirs right, but reaching out a hand of co-operation is something that doesn’t cost you anything and can win you a lot of friends in a new country.

To really get the best of an overseas holiday, it is vitally vital to know how things are done in that country. For example, a visitor to France may wish to partake of some shopping before having lunch. But, in many towns the majority of shops close for lunch around midday – seen as being as vital a meal as dinner – and so you need to go before or after that time.

Other places may have a different approach to how people should dress. While it may be quite hot in your destination, just walking around in t-shirt, shorts and sandals may not be accepted, particularly if you expect to be served in a restaurant while dressed that way. Know that different places have different customs, or you risk looking like an ignorant foreigner.

Being open to a different way of life, different customs, cuisine and pastimes will make any foreign holiday much more enjoyable. After all if you want to behave and live as you do at home, you can save money and do that at home. When you have traveled to another part of the world, accept that it is different and see how they live – you might find that you delight in their ways.

Anyone who wants to be overwhelmed by the history of a location need only seek out the Pyramids of Giza. The last remaining example of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are an architectural wonder, built millennia ago (admittedly using no shortage of slave labor) and something that really needs to be seen to be believed.

The pyramids are standing tombs to some of the fantastic Pharaohs of Egypt, and the Fantastic Pyramid of Giza was really the largest man-made structure on Earth for a period of nearly four millennia. Neighboring the Pyramids, the Sphinx is another example of ancient Egyptian architecture which is noted for its epic scale and aesthetic brilliance.

If, on the other hand, you have no head for history and fancy a beach holiday with some diving thrown in, then Sharm El Sheikh is one of the world’s most well loved beach holiday destinations, and with excellent reason. This is an option for anyone who likes aquatic sports – and if you have had your fill of beaches and of pyramids, then it is also well worth visiting Cairo, the capital city – a modern city with a historical twist.

Amsterdam is, for most people, the real jewel in the crown of Holland. One of two capitals – the other is the Hague – it is certainly the Dutch city that most people visit on a yearly basis. Its wide variation of architecture spans centuries and many different schools of architecture, including its own style influenced by the art deco era – the Amsterdamse School.

The “liberal” attitude to matters such as drugs and sex should not be taken on the word of giggling frat boys. Amsterdam as a city is an simple-going place, although the political liberalism which many associate with the city is greatly exaggerated. People expecting to take drugs or fornicate openly in the streets will find their hopes dashed – Amsterdam is not exhibitionist even if it is tolerant.

It is worth exploring a small deeper into Amsterdam – yes, beyond the red light district – because the museums of modern and classical art are well worth seeing, including the work of Rembrandt and Vermeer. Sports fans can go to see the local soccer team, Ajax, whose influence upon the modern game is perhaps unparalleled by any single team, and whose three consecutive European Cup triumphs mark them out as a club unlike others.

In many ways, Spain is a “young” country – it has only been fully democratic for just over thirty-five years having lived under the fascist dictatorship of General Franco. Much of its history, too, is recent, and none more arresting than the Spanish Civil War. In Barcelona, no area is more infused with the history of the Civil War than Las Ramblas, one of the most well-known streets in the world and the scene of many fights in that war, and mentioned by George Orwell in Homage To Catalonia.

The sad history of Barcelona is just one side of its tale though, and its gorgeous Gothic architecture reflects the work of one of the most noted architects of all time, Antoni Gaudi. Sights that you must see if you go include the Sagrada Familia and the stunning Park Guell. These set Barcelona apart as the most gorgeous city in all of Spain.

Sporting enthusiasts will delight in a trip to the Camp Nou stadium, home of one of the world’s most noted soccer teams – FC Barcelona. Although outstripped for success by Spain’s “establishment” club, Real Madrid, Barcelona are loved by fans throughout the world for the dynamic style of play and sentimentally because of the efforts that have been expended in trying to beat the favored Madrilenos.