%)
Stevenson
Screensaver, anyone?
18/05/10 16:29 Filed in: Europe
Greetings readers! I’m just on my way back from a 12-day trip to the UK and Holland. Got a couple of exciting 
Sleeping Arounds (yes, I just pluralized Sleeping Around for the very first time even though it sounds awkward, and let me tell you, it feels amazing) visited the blustery seaside haven known as the Isle of 
Wight and I dropped by Holland’s famous Keukenhof gardens just before the tulips released a cumulative sigh and dropped all their petals into a rotting heap.
Thought I’d share a couple of Holland pix with you. Mostly because it would be weird to post these in November.
In other news, we’re releasing a new Ed and Jenny episode on Thursday, so be sure to check back here to see it before all of your friends do!
Thought I’d share a couple of Holland pix with you. Mostly because it would be weird to post these in November.
In other news, we’re releasing a new Ed and Jenny episode on Thursday, so be sure to check back here to see it before all of your friends do!
|
BYOS (Bring Your Own Sweat)
14/04/10 11:17 Filed in: Gear | Active Travel
$38.00 at Lululemon
From my travel gear column in
It's a Shoe Inn!
Opus is known for chic, creative flair (rooms are designed around five fictional “lifestyle concierges named Mike, Billy, Pierre, Susan and Dede) while Fluevog has been an eccentric fashion icon on the West Coast for decades.
“Both organizations have a loyal following and neither are afraid of a splash, a dash or a pop here and there,” says Fluevog.
What’s more is, unlike most hotel uniforms, The Porter Shoe is not mere eye candy: guests can purchase a pair of their own from the mini bar menu for $329.
For more information, visit www.opushotel.com or www.fluevog.com
Mhor Than a Scottish Country Inn
Story and photos by Reb Stevenson
PERTHSHIRE, SCOTLAND - A posh fish n’ chips shop, a back-to-basics cookery school, a rural tearoom, a traditional bakery, a working farm and a stylish boutique hotel: this is the mighty clan of Mhor.
Set amongst the Scottish Highlands in Trossachs National Park, Mhor is a vertically integrated tourism product masterminded by award winning chef Tom Lewis.
“We’ve got so much on our doorstep, it makes it easy,” says Lewis.
It started simply enough: once upon a time Lewis’ mom hung a sign reading “Tea and Scones” outside their pink farmhouse. Read More...
Capital C-O-O-L
1. Pricey “MP’s Wife” designer boutiques, a.k.a. SHOULDER PAD CENTRAL.
2. Musty vintage stores.
So you can imagine the combination of shock/delight that I felt when I visited Ottawa this week and found some top-notch shopping and eats. I’m talking about stuff that even us stuck-up Torontonians would call cool. Furthermore, many of them are masterminded by hip, young girls.
Another awesome pick is Workshop, a funky store that specializes in goods that are handmade by Canadian (and mostly local) women. Looking for an edgy Canadian souvenir - check out these political finger puppets, featuring Olivia Chow, Stephen Harper and the gang!
Shacking Up with Sugar
A Taste of...The Dutch Caribbean
What is it? Keshi Yena
Where is it? Aruba
Describe it? There is a very strong Dutch flavour on the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), and that flavour is gouda. Though they seem a tad incongruous with the steamy Caribbean environment, wheels of this Euro-cheese abound in local grocery stores. But the best way to go Dutch is to sample Keshi Yena at a traditional restaurant. It’s a succulent stew of ground beef, chicken, raisins, prunes, nuts, olives and spices, all stuffed into a gouda and baked.
How much? $16 at Papiamento, a restaurant set in an old colonial manor (Washington 60, Noord)
FROM MY FOOD AND SOUVENIR COLUMN IN
Read on for the recipe from Papiamento.... Read More...
Aruba's Aloe-mentary Therapy
By Reb Stevenson
ORANJESTAD, ARUBA –Alongside tobacco, unprotected sex and high fructose corn syrup, sunburns rank amongst the 21st century’s biggest health no-no’s.
However, just one glance at Aruba’s pristine white beaches reveals that many a sunbather shrugs off the doctor’s orders and persists in baking their epidermis into a deep, throbbing scarlet.
On the bright side, for folks who feel that “colour” yields incomparable bragging rights upon their return to Northern climes, Aruba is quite possibly the world’s best place to burn.
This is because the small Caribbean island, which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is the world’s largest exporter of a popular natural remedy for ailing skin: aloe vera.
READ MORE...
The Clouds are Alive...with the Sound of Movies
22/02/10 22:45 Filed in: Gear
$29.85 US at www.magellans.com
From my travel gear column in
How 'Bout a Belly Buster Tonight?
By Reb Stevenson
You can find a slab of fatty beef snuggled between two half moons of nutritionally bankrupt white bread pretty much anywhere in America. These days, the ultimate reward for burger-seeking tourists is to stumble upon something out of the ordinary. More often than not, that also happens to be something that will send them directly to hospital. Here are a few possibilities: Read More...
Heating up in Icy Places
Sometimes, you just need to kick back and chill out in order for that romantic spark to ignite. Besides, there’s nothing quite like the threat of frostbite to send you running into your honey’s arms for a good, old fashioned body heat exchange session.
Make one of these icy places your next hot destination:
Read More...
Gear: Luggage Express
15/02/10 14:13 Filed in: Gear
$14.95 US at www.trainreaction.com
From my travel gear column in
New Video: Sleeping Around in The Shining
Check out my new video for my Toronto Star column, Sleeping Around!
Corresponding story runs in The Star on February 27.
Corresponding story runs in The Star on February 27.
And while we’re at it, here’s a sneak peak from an upcoming video/column on The Jane, an awesome and affordable hotel in NYC!
Smitten with Britain
Gear: A Breath of Fresh in the Air
09/02/10 09:53 Filed in: Gear | Lookin' Good
$20 at www.beautymark.ca
From my travel gear column in
Colours of Aruba
07/02/10 10:16 Filed in: Caribbean
Got there fast, Takin' it slow
05/02/10 22:24 Filed in: Caribbean
Hey everyone! I’m happy to report that within just five hours of landing in Aruba, I heard Kokomo played on a steel drum. What I’m sayin’ is: this place really delivers.
All my ’80s dreams of bright colours and cheesy songs about living recklessly on tropical islands are coming to life. Thus, I am allowing myself to write in this bold turquoise font.
More to tell you in the coming days...stay tuned!
Good FOUR You!
This year, I’ve had the opportunity to experience LOTS of fine dining in various countries. And eating rich, cream-smeared, foie-gras injected foods day after day is great - especially if you want to be a contestant on the next Biggest Loser. Seriously...this is one of my major travel pet-peeves. I’m all for indulgence, just not for a week straight.
That’s why I was delighted to discover FOUR - a restaurant in downtown Toronto where all the dishes weigh in at under 650 calories.
Is it called FOUR because they only use lettuce, celery, water and aspartame? I wondered that myself. The answer is...(drumroll) no. Actually, I don’t know the real answer. And lets not ruin the mystery by finding out.
Given FOUR’s slick, modern ambiance, it’s especially popular with the Bay Street lunchtime crowd (types that are eating out 5 days a week), but I think it would be a wise choice for health-conscious travellers as well.
Chef Matt Rosen consults a nutritionist about each and every creation to ensure that meals are balanced and within the calorie limit.
“It’s a challenge to make something that tastes good and is under the 650 calories,” he says.
“The key is to use things that have really intense flavours, like a tapenade.”
Instead of going all funky and serving things you’d have to look up in the Dictionary of Rare Hippie Health Foods, FOUR is decidedly traditional. Think Beef Tenderloin, Greek Lamb Salad and Chicken Meatballs. Sure, elements like bran fusilli and flax seed crisps sneak in there, but they don’t overwhelm the dishes.
I really enjoyed my meal at FOUR...in fact, I could hardly discern that I was eating at a “healthy alternative.” I especially loved the fresh-squeezed blueberry lemonade, the brie, almond and apple burger ($9) and the cute little shot glass desserts ($2). Of course, if you shoot more than one you’re also shooting your calorie count in the foot.
FOUR VITALS:
Address: 187 Bay Street
Hours: 11:30am to 11pm, Monday to Friday
Phone: 416-368-1444
Price Range: $9 to $25 for a main.
Also, note that FOUR is participating in Toronto’s Winterlicious Event. Check out their menu here:
FOUR Winterlicious Menu 2010
The Big Picture: Parisian Rapunzel
27/01/10 18:02 Filed in: Big Picture | Europe
Sleeping Around: Arizona
25/01/10 15:41 Filed in: Sleeping Around | USA
Here’s the second installment of my monthly travel column, SLEEPING AROUND. If you have suggestions for a future destination, please leave them in the comments area below!
BISBEE, ARIZONA - I never thought I could fall in love with a trailer park.
My attitude toward them was nothing short of disdainful. And given that their current ambassador is a four-eyed doofus named Bubbles, can you really blame me?
Then, one dark Arizona night, I saw the light. It was neon light, and it illuminated the words “The Shady Dell.”
A collection of ten vintage trailers dating from 1949 to 1959, the place is a glorious celebration of mid-century modernism and a throwback to golden age of the tow-your-own hotel-room movement.
My lodging for the evening was a 1959 Boles Aero, the park’s newest addition. Upon entering, I discovered that its shiny metallic exterior was really just a big old time capsule.
Read More...
My attitude toward them was nothing short of disdainful. And given that their current ambassador is a four-eyed doofus named Bubbles, can you really blame me?
Then, one dark Arizona night, I saw the light. It was neon light, and it illuminated the words “The Shady Dell.”
A collection of ten vintage trailers dating from 1949 to 1959, the place is a glorious celebration of mid-century modernism and a throwback to golden age of the tow-your-own hotel-room movement.
My lodging for the evening was a 1959 Boles Aero, the park’s newest addition. Upon entering, I discovered that its shiny metallic exterior was really just a big old time capsule.
Read More...
Take it Home...Colorado
Where is it? Fort Collins, Colorado
Describe it. Finding a brewery to tour isn’t tough. Finding one that’s as inspiring as The New Belgium Brewing Company is nearly impossible. Yeah, they’ve got some more-than-drinkable Belgian-style beer (and you’ll sample multiple glasses of it along the way), but what’s really intoxicating is the fun, progressive vibe of the company itself. They’re so big on both sustainability and treating their staff right that they award employees a cruiser bike after their first year. They also sponsor a major bike festival and have a beer called “Fat Tire.” The staff are clearly stoked on the fun factor. Maybe it’s because they get to use a spiral slide instead of a staircase. You’ll be grinning, too, when you get to try it at the end of the tour.
How much? $5 US in the brewery gift shop. For more information visit www.newbelgium.com
FROM MY FOOD AND SOUVENIR COLUMN IN
W-E-I-R-D Museums
20/01/10 20:14 Filed in: Europe
By Reb Stevenson
Between The Wall and the city’s infamous nightlife, it’s easy to overlook one of Berlin’s other major tourist attractions: museums. But we’re not talking about glass cases full of ceramics or art galleries dedicated to impressionist paintings, here. We’re talking about niche museums that are – for lack of a better word – just plain weird.
Here is a peek at four of them: Read More...
So Beautiful It Gives Me Shivers
15/01/10 13:36 Filed in: USA
Calling this music “cool” would be a massive understatement. The tunes emanating from the new Crystal Grotto at Colorado’s Beaver Creek Resort are downright frozen. From now until April 4, the mid—mountain ice cave-cum-concert hall will feature chilling tunes played on whimsical hand-carved acoustic ice instruments, including a violin, cello, viola, guitar, fretless bass, xylophone, rolandophone, mandolin, banjo and drums.
Tickets are $10 US per person, and can be purchased on site. For more information, visit www.beavercreek.com
Gear: Grin Envy
$20 at www.tilley.com
From my travel gear column in
Denver Souvenir Shopping's a Snap!
God, I love finding the ultimate souvenir. So often, you end up with that “what was I THINKING?” moment when you get back from a trip, 
as you pull that ugly-ass piece of native art out of your bag (it looked good in its original setting, I grant you that) and commit it to a lifetime of attracting dust on the top shelf of your bookcase.
Personally, I’d rather pick up functional souvenirs. Topping the list: CLOTHING.
In Denver this week, I scored this sweet cowgirl shirt at Rockmount Ranch Wear. Not only is it country chic, but it’s got authenticity to boot: this is the very store where the snap-up Western Shirt was invented in the ’40s. Yee Haw!
They’ve got loads of cute, contoured girly shirts as well as scads of dude wear. And even if you don’t get a kick out of Western wear, get some for your lover’s sake. They’ll appreciate the convenience of the snaps, if ya know what I mean.
Have you ever come home with an awesome piece of souvenir clothing? What was it?
Personally, I’d rather pick up functional souvenirs. Topping the list: CLOTHING.
In Denver this week, I scored this sweet cowgirl shirt at Rockmount Ranch Wear. Not only is it country chic, but it’s got authenticity to boot: this is the very store where the snap-up Western Shirt was invented in the ’40s. Yee Haw!
They’ve got loads of cute, contoured girly shirts as well as scads of dude wear. And even if you don’t get a kick out of Western wear, get some for your lover’s sake. They’ll appreciate the convenience of the snaps, if ya know what I mean.
Have you ever come home with an awesome piece of souvenir clothing? What was it?
Hopping Around Fort Collins
After two nights in room 217 at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park (The Stephen King Suite), I was very pleased to slip between the sheets at the un-haunted Armstrong Hotel in Fort Collins, Colorado. I’m loving the art deco theme (see their website, I’m a big fan of the design) and fresh colours that liven up this boutique property in the heart of the old town!
Postcards from Creepsville
08/01/10 21:46 Filed in: USA | Sleeping Around
Shot today at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, where I am working on my 5th Sleeping Around column. Want to play with me?
A Rocky Start to the Day
06/01/10 04:46 Filed in: USA | Big Picture
The Star's Best in Travel '09
03/01/10 16:17 Filed in: USA
The Toronto Star recently asked me to submit my “Best Travel Experience of 2009.” Read my pick HERE. But, really, this was only one of many amazing adventures that I had the great fortune to experience last year. Stay tuned for my 2009 travel awards (no actual statues awarded), coming to this blog within the next couple of days!
Gear: Rest Stop Relief for Moms
02/01/10 20:38 Filed in: Gear
$3.99 US for a package of 20 at www.gottagomitts.com
From my travel gear column in
The Holiday Mullet
A few weeks ago, my little brother Jacob announced that he was going to light up the Christmas table with a disgusting “Holiday Mullet.”
(Cue communal groan from the family).
Jacob’s reasoning for recklessly succumbing to the scissors was this: “I want to shock all the old friends I haven’t seen for ages when I go home for the holidays. They’ll think I’ve turned into a total redneck! HAHAHAHA!”
You have to admire the dedication.
At Victoria’s Salon Astoria, the stylist couldn’t stop giggling as she removed large wads of hair from the sides and top of Jacob’s head. She almost seemed guilty. At one point, she declared “this is seriously unfortunate.” But nonetheless, Jacob emerged with the embarrassing ‘do that he desired.
Where to test out the hockey hair? Why, the arena of course! On boxing day, we moseyed on down to the Parksville Arena and strapped on the hockey skates. But, really, the fact that it was a “Winter Wonderland” family skate didn’t really do much for the hair’s toughness factor. Nobody did a double-take or tripped on their skates. Maybe he should have enhanced the effect with a six pack of brewskies and a few choice swear words directed at kids. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...
Just when we thought the mullet may have been for naught, salvation came...in the form of playable drum and guitar t-shirts (which you may remember from THIS blog). My brother Zach (right) got these from www.thinkgeek.com and the random, distortion laden music they produced was just as hideous as Jacob’s noggin. Isn’t it lovely when things come together like that? I dare say it’s a Christmas miracle!
*inserts ear plugs*
The Holiday Mullet
A few weeks ago, my little brother Jacob announced that he was going to light up the Christmas table with a disgusting “Holiday Mullet.”
(Cue communal groan from the family).
Jacob’s reasoning for recklessly succumbing to the scissors was this: “I want to shock all the old friends I haven’t seen for ages when I go home for the holidays. They’ll think I’ve turned into a total redneck! HAHAHAHA!”
You have to admire the dedication.
At Victoria’s Salon Astoria, the stylist couldn’t stop giggling as she removed large wads of hair from the sides and top of Jacob’s head. She almost seemed guilty. At one point, she declared “this is seriously unfortunate.” But nonetheless, Jacob emerged with the embarrassing ‘do that he desired.
Where to test out the hockey hair? Why, the arena of course! On boxing day, we moseyed on down to the Parksville Arena and strapped on the hockey skates. But, really, the fact that it was a “Winter Wonderland” family skate didn’t really do much for the hair’s toughness factor. Nobody did a double-take or tripped on their skates. Maybe he should have enhanced the effect with a six pack of brewskies and a few choice swear words directed at kids. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...
Just when we thought the mullet may have been for naught, salvation came...in the form of playable drum and guitar t-shirts (which you may remember from THIS blog). My brother Zach (right) got these from www.thinkgeek.com and the random, distortion laden music they produced was just as hideous as Jacob’s noggin. Isn’t it lovely when things come together like that? I dare say it’s a Christmas miracle!
*inserts ear plugs*
Egg Nog French Toast, Hells Yeah!
While perusing the dairy fridge at the store the other day, it occurred me to that egg nog is pretty much French Toast without the bread. So I decided to invent this extra special holiday recipe just for you folks!
With a fork, blend the following in a shallow dish:
- Two eggs
- One cup egg nog, in all its fatty, creamy glory
- One teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
Dip thick slices of Challah Bread into this glorious mixture (French Toast is ALWAYS better with challah, a braided Jewish egg bread. I made my own for this project, but you might be able to find some in your grocery store. If not, opt for thick-cut white bread.)
Fry in REAL BUTTER (cannot stress enough, shun the margarine for the love of god!) until golden.
Serve with a spiced cranberry sauce. For mine, I boiled a cup of fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/2 cup sugar, pinch cinnamon, pinch nutmeg and a dash of spiced rum until the cranberries broke down and it seemed to be a saucy texture.
Garnish with coconut and fresh mint for that Christmassy look! And don’t forget to serve with real maple syrup...even if you’re American.
Makes about 5-6 pieces.
So...We Thought We Could Dance
Last year around this time, my dad Jack started exhibiting some bizarre behaviour. Whenever he had a spare second, he would obsessively watch instructional dancing DVD’s as though they were a combination of cocaine and porn. Sometimes, when I got up in the morning, there he was, dancing on the spot in the living room. He might have been there all night. I’m not sure.
Now, my dad has had many obsessions over the years - guitar, baseball, apple orcharding, chemistry, Mac computers, cashews...- but this once seems to be enduring. Flash forward one year and he is still taking multiple dance lessons every week.
.
We Tree Kings
For years now, I’ve been meaning to check out the annual Festival of Trees at Victoria’s ivy-clad stalwart hotel, The Empress. Mostly because I heard it was free. Today that dream was realized.
It’s actually a charity fundraiser - you spend $2 to cast a ballot for your favourite tree and the proceeds go to the BC Children’s Hospital. The trees have all been decorated by various organizations and businesses.
My fave? No contest, it’s the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Tree. Hang Quatchi (the sasquatch mascot) on anything and it will win my affection. A ticking bomb with a Quatchi on it? Gimme!
Two other trees worth noting:
1. Not since the Michael Keaton seasonal family flick Jack Frost has a snowman seemed so freaky and inhuman: yes, meet the Twilight tree.
2. You should have seen the looks of heavenly delight that lit up the kiddies’ faces when they saw this tree festooned with realtors’ business cards. Binab, Desmond, etc: you guys sure know how to keep Christmas commercialism at bay. Thank you for your festive gift to mankind.
Another Notch on the Bedpost
18/12/09 14:50 Filed in: Sleeping Around | Canada
Sorry I’ve been lax on the Christmas posts over the last few days, but I wanted to let you know (brace for excuse) that I’ve been busy filming my fourth SLEEPING AROUND segment here at the loverly Sooke Harbour House near Victoria, British Columbia. It’s going to be a winner! And I promise the video will be far better than my totem impression, right!
Back soon with some cool xmas recipes and such. How are your holidays going (please make my day and comment below)?
Sweet n' Salty in Victoria
1. She always, ALWAYS lives in a cute “character house.”
2. When she says “want a snack?” she doesn’t rip open a bag of finger-staining Cheetos. She whips out a frying pan and cooks up something like homemade warm artichoke dip.
3. Everything she touches turns to Martha Stewart home style perfection. Even her kitty litter looks like it could be on the cover of a magazine, I bet.
Therefore, it was only natural to ask Gina to demonstrate a cheap Christmas craft for this blog. Since she was already making bath salts (she would be), she let me in on the action, which I will now share with you!
First things first: INGREDIENTS and SUPPLIES!
-Mixing spoon
-Poinsettia (to look cool in the background)
-Bottles (dollar store ones will suffice)
-Ribbon
-Epsom Salts (find these at the drugstore)
-Essential oils (Gina used Neroli and Jasmine)
-Dried lavender
-Fresh Rosemary sprigs
1. Pour Epsom Salts into the bowl.
2. Drip in the essential oils.
3. Mix in lavender.
4. Stuff a sprig of rosemary into each bottle, then carefully fill with your salty concoction.
5. Decorate with ribbon (don’t forget to curl it!), and finish it off with a gratuitous piece of rosemary on the exterior.
VOILA!
6. Last but not least, don’t forget to test out your product....
Keep checking back here throughout the holidays for more Christmas frivolity!
And if you haven’t seen my latest video yet, you can still do so HERE!
Gift Idea for Bookish Travellers, Part 1
My Maasai Life
By Robin Wiszowaty
Me to We Books; 316 Pages; $22.95
At 21, Robin Wiszowaty bid farewell to malls, SUV’s and household debates about Frosted Flakes vs. Cap’n Crunch and said hello to bare feet, true communal living and cabbage.
In My Maasai Life, Wiszowaty takes the reader along on her transformative journey from suburban Chicago to rural Kenya. At first an overwhelmed outsider who barely speaks the language, Wiszowaty sticks it out for an entire year, ultimately gaining acceptance in a traditional Maasai family.
“I wasn’t treated as a visitor, I was treated as a Maasai daughter,” says Wiszowaty, on the phone with The Citizen.
Far from a dry travelogue, Wiszowaty’s story is compelling, charming and tear-jerking at times. Though her quest for personal escape soon turns into a lifelong commitment to international development (Wiszowaty is currently the Kenya Program Director with Toronto-based Free the Children), My Maasai Life never seems contrived or overly preachy. Read More...
Gift Idea for Bookish Travellers, Part 2
Good Night and God Bless, A Guide to Convent & Monastery Accommodation In Europe, Volume 1: Austria, Czech Republic, Italy
By Trish Clark
Hidden Spring, a division of Paulist Press; 264 pages; $20
Ever traipse around a city for hours searching in vain for a hotel with vacancy, then exclaim “oh thank God!” when you finally find one?
Trish Clark knows that feeling well. Especially the God part.
In 1970, she was backpacking in Rome and, finding her youth hostel of choice fully booked, reluctantly ended up at a convent near the Spanish Steps.
Would there be rigid rules? Would the sisters be stone-faced? Would fun be banned? Would she be forced to pray?
The questions clanged in her head like church bells.
But Clark’s fears were quickly hushed when she was greeted warmly then led to a former nun’s cell that was both clean and comfortable.
“I was woken by the sound of the nuns singing hymns during morning Mass. I soon learned that when the singing stopped breakfast was ready,” says Australia-based Clark.
At the table, she was joined by other travellers who shared stories and tips as they dined on fresh bread rolls, homemade jam and “delicious, steaming hot milky coffee.”
Read More...
KEVIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seeing relatives after a long stretch of absence is such a lovely feeling. You tell them about your latest promotion, they whip out photos of the dog having a blast at the cottage last summer, you laugh when somebody reminisces about the silly things you used to say when you’re a kid.
Everything is bliss! The angels sing from on high! The trumpets blare! The lords a leap!
24 hours later, the homecoming honeymoon screeches to a halt.
After that, it’s back to ways of yore. Mom gets teary when you joke about her mushy brussels sprouts, sister chews with her mouth open, grandma tells the same story every hour, on the hour.
You know what this signals: time to medicate with the boob tube.
Thank goodness for Christmas movies.
My faves are: Home Alone, The Claymation Rudolph, Little Women (Winona Ryder version), any interpretation of A Christmas Carol, One Magic Christmas and...clearly, Bill Murray’s SCROOGED.
Others you may wish to stock up on include:
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
The Christmas Shoes
Elf
The Santa Clause
Bad Santa
A Very Brady Christmas
A Christmas Story
Prancer
The Grinch
It’s a Wonderful Life
Home for the Holidays
Die Hard
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Love, Actually
The Holiday
Gremlins
(Thanks to all my Facebook friends for contributing their picks!)
The cheesiest of all has to be Jingle All the Way starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and ... wait for it... SINBAD. I say this with bitterness because this movie, um..actually made me cry. For realz. Like, tears of true emotion and joy. And I hate myself for that.
What’s your favourite holiday movie? Have I missed anything? Talk to me!
Everything is bliss! The angels sing from on high! The trumpets blare! The lords a leap!
24 hours later, the homecoming honeymoon screeches to a halt.
After that, it’s back to ways of yore. Mom gets teary when you joke about her mushy brussels sprouts, sister chews with her mouth open, grandma tells the same story every hour, on the hour.
You know what this signals: time to medicate with the boob tube.
Thank goodness for Christmas movies.
My faves are: Home Alone, The Claymation Rudolph, Little Women (Winona Ryder version), any interpretation of A Christmas Carol, One Magic Christmas and...clearly, Bill Murray’s SCROOGED.
Others you may wish to stock up on include:
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
The Christmas Shoes
Elf
The Santa Clause
Bad Santa
A Very Brady Christmas
A Christmas Story
Prancer
The Grinch
It’s a Wonderful Life
Home for the Holidays
Die Hard
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Love, Actually
The Holiday
Gremlins
(Thanks to all my Facebook friends for contributing their picks!)
The cheesiest of all has to be Jingle All the Way starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and ... wait for it... SINBAD. I say this with bitterness because this movie, um..actually made me cry. For realz. Like, tears of true emotion and joy. And I hate myself for that.
What’s your favourite holiday movie? Have I missed anything? Talk to me!
Christmas Undesirables: Uncles n' Mall Santas
Righty-o! Back on the Christmas beat today, folks!
Now, despite my love for all things green n’ red, I sometimes feel that we gloss over the freakier aspects of Christmas. Namely, the weirdos who emerge to taunt us with inappropriate hugs, force reluctant kids to sit on their knees and blame way too much on the spiced rum.
Take, for instance, the ubiquitously terrifying mall Santa Claus. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out this ode to nightmare-inducing St. Nicks that Billy Reid from Very Tasteful just released (see right). Which one do you think is the creepiest?
Sometimes the nut jobs are in your own house, which is even worse because you can’t just duck into a JC Penney change room and hide for hours. To help you identify these misfits, I created this chart for Two magazine. Oh, and looky who just happens to be there...mall santa. Just another incentive to shop online, people.
Now, despite my love for all things green n’ red, I sometimes feel that we gloss over the freakier aspects of Christmas. Namely, the weirdos who emerge to taunt us with inappropriate hugs, force reluctant kids to sit on their knees and blame way too much on the spiced rum.
Take, for instance, the ubiquitously terrifying mall Santa Claus. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out this ode to nightmare-inducing St. Nicks that Billy Reid from Very Tasteful just released (see right). Which one do you think is the creepiest?
Sometimes the nut jobs are in your own house, which is even worse because you can’t just duck into a JC Penney change room and hide for hours. To help you identify these misfits, I created this chart for Two magazine. Oh, and looky who just happens to be there...mall santa. Just another incentive to shop online, people.
Sleeping Around in Paris
We interrupt our regular Christmas programming to bring you the latest in the Sleeping Around series...would you stay here?
You can see the other videos in this series (Berlin and Arizona) on my YouTube Channel! Don’t forget to subscribe!
You can see the other videos in this series (Berlin and Arizona) on my YouTube Channel! Don’t forget to subscribe!
The Ghost of Crimbo Past
Christmas is like a golden thread that runs through our lives, connecting our childhoods to our present selves and beyond. 
I often catch myself drowning in a big, warm, cinnamon-scented pool of nostalgia at this time of year.
What I wouldn’t give to hold the present in the telltale shape of a She-Ra figure! Or hear bells streaking through the backyard (a neighbour, pretending to be Santa - not actually streaking, but then again it was dark so who knows). Or decorate the tree with my two brothers, bickering over who gets to hang the coveted ornament known “The Cute Santa Claus.”
Today I’m thinking about the two Christmases I spent in Lewes, England, the little town that romanced my imagination and refuses to relinquish its hold on my heart.
Snow was a no-show, but the air was chilly and wet, which suits my Westcoast-born self just fine. The lead-up to Christmas was laden with traditional fare like mince pies, mulled wine and Christmas cake. Also, they say “Happy Christmas” instead of Merry Christmas, and Christmas is occasionally abbreviated to “Crimbo.”
While we’re at it, “pants” are underwear, “a minger” is an ugly girl and a “minge” is...not suitable to discuss in a Christmas blog.
Lets get back to nutcracking, shall we?
On Christmas Eve, the friendly, family-run pub I frequented (The Brewers Arms) was packed. One year, a friend and I brought our guitars and played carols as the entire pub sang along - a moment that could easily have been plucked from Victorian times. It was one for the mental scrapbook!
But the real piece de resistance has to be the plum pudding, a thick, mudlike clump of dried fruit and booze that was inevitably set on fire before serving (see photo, right). As a child, I would have balked at this for sure. But now I love it, if only as a tool to help me remember my precious English Christmases. (For a traditional plum pudding recipe, click HERE)
I guess it goes to show that Christmas nostalgia needn’t be relegated to childhood - it’s a work in progress. So remember that this year’s Christmas is next year’s fond memory, and make it count.
What’s your most cherished holiday memory?
What I wouldn’t give to hold the present in the telltale shape of a She-Ra figure! Or hear bells streaking through the backyard (a neighbour, pretending to be Santa - not actually streaking, but then again it was dark so who knows). Or decorate the tree with my two brothers, bickering over who gets to hang the coveted ornament known “The Cute Santa Claus.”
Today I’m thinking about the two Christmases I spent in Lewes, England, the little town that romanced my imagination and refuses to relinquish its hold on my heart.
Snow was a no-show, but the air was chilly and wet, which suits my Westcoast-born self just fine. The lead-up to Christmas was laden with traditional fare like mince pies, mulled wine and Christmas cake. Also, they say “Happy Christmas” instead of Merry Christmas, and Christmas is occasionally abbreviated to “Crimbo.”
While we’re at it, “pants” are underwear, “a minger” is an ugly girl and a “minge” is...not suitable to discuss in a Christmas blog.
Lets get back to nutcracking, shall we?
On Christmas Eve, the friendly, family-run pub I frequented (The Brewers Arms) was packed. One year, a friend and I brought our guitars and played carols as the entire pub sang along - a moment that could easily have been plucked from Victorian times. It was one for the mental scrapbook!
Upon the big day itself, the English tend to eat “Christmas Lunch” in the afternoon. Sometimes the main course is even goose (Dickens-approved).
I guess it goes to show that Christmas nostalgia needn’t be relegated to childhood - it’s a work in progress. So remember that this year’s Christmas is next year’s fond memory, and make it count.
What’s your most cherished holiday memory?
Gift Idea for Male Species: Interactive T-Shirts!
Admittedly, we girls have PMS, say cryptic things and expect men to read our minds about 90 per cent of the time. But you know what, guys? YOU are hard to shop for.
So there!!!!!!!!!!!!
Luckily, there’s this awesome website called www.thinkgeek.com that offers all kinds of funky gifts for the omnipresent male inner child. I get an extra large kick out of their set of interactive t-shirts, such as the Personal Speaker Shirt, WiFi Detector Shirt and the (all-new) Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt. Battery powered? Yes. Hilarious? Yes. Annoying? You know it.
But after looking at these, how can you possibly give soap on a rope again?
Even Oatmeal likes to Dress Up for Xmas
Of course you have. And so do I. Every. Single. Day.
I’ve never been much of a blog reader, but recently someone posted a link on Facebook that got me addicted to a blog called Kath Eats Real Food.
Basically, this girl named Kath Younger who lives in North Carolina blogs about everything she eats. It all started when she realized that she had put on a fair bit of weight in college. Determined to get back in shape, she shed 30 pounds by eating healthy and exercising (shocker, I know! And all these years, I thought inhaling KFC skin was the secret to success!!!).
What’s great about Kath’s blog is that she’s likeable, honest and inspiring, and she understands the value of posting oodles of photos. Turns out, other people have just as much of a voyeuristic streak as I do - Kath’s blog is immensely popular, garnering hundreds of comments every day!
So, what does this have to do with Yuletide?
- Well, one of Kath’s huge passions is oatmeal (see her instructional video, left), and last year she concocted a rather creative version of her fave breakfast for a contest. She has agreed to share it with y’all on my blog today.
Season's Greetings!
I've made hundreds (and hundreds!) of oatmeal combinations throughout the past two years of food blogging and this holiday Winter Wonderland oatmeal stands out as one of my most unique and delicious recipes. I didn't expect the flavors to work so well together, but peppermint and coconut were made for one another. Happy Holiday Eating!
- Kath
And here’s the recipe:
Winter Quakerland Oatmeal
Serves 1
- ¾ cup Quaker Old Fashioned oatmeal (heart-healthy serving)
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ¼ cup Silk Soy Milk Egg Nog
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp (about 4 grams) crushed candy cane
- 1 tsp (about 7 grams) chopped walnuts, toasted in a dry skillet if desired
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
- Crush candy cane in a zip top bag with a heavy pot, mallet, or rolling pin
- Combine oats, water and Silk Nog in a non-stick pot and set heat to medium.
- When oatmeal begins to thicken, begin to whip vigorously with a spatula, allowing the starch to be released.
- Continue whipping oats until reaching desired thickness, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in nutmeg.
- Pour oatmeal into bowl and top with crushed candy cane and walnuts.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
- Enjoy!
Something Lovely Under the Mistletoe
IN CANADA, BUY THE ALBUM HERE
IN THE US AND ELSEWHERE, BUY IT HERE
Other news: If you’re in Toronto, you can catch the Good Lovelies’ Christmas CD release party, Dec 6 at Hugh’s Room!
Calendar Girl
01/12/09 19:28 Filed in: Holidays
It is December 1st and I am celebrating two things today:
1. The fact that I managed to pay my rent yet again without selling my body.
2. The beginning of advent calendar season!!!!!
Now, I don’t know about you, but my advent calendar MUST be chocolate. I know there are fabric ones, and advent calendars that reveal little nativity scene pictures, but I feel that if the wee baby
Jesus doesn’t melt in my mouth then he’s got no business in my advent calendar.
In fact, what I’d really like to see is an adult sized advent calendar that conceals progressively larger full chocolate bars. Like, on Dec. 21 your door swings open and, wowee, you’ve got yourself a Mr. Big. YEAH BABY!
A couple of years ago, Harrods came up with a calendar made from “burr elm and walnut wood” that was aimed at adults. At least, that’s what I’m guessing by the $50,000 price tag.
Personally, I was shocked by the $9.99 calendars I saw at Shoppers Drug Mart today. Granted, they were Kinder and Lindt (drugstore chocolate royalty), but I feel those chocolates are totally riding their Europeanness beyond their worth. Like an ugly dude with a Swiss accent. I’m not falling for that again.
Leaving Shoppers in my wake, I made a detour to Starbucks, where I shared my quest with a most introspective barista.
“OMIGOD, I THINK I’D JUST EAT THE WHOLE THING ON DAY ONE!” she exclaimed.
She had a point - now that I’m an adult, will I be able to control myself?
Just when I thought I might have to resort to filling a recycled yogurt bucket with bulk candy (as we did back in ’86, when my parents didn’t get to the store before the calendars were sold out), I found my prey at Metro grocery store: the crappiest, cheapest advent calendars going (Disney Princess, $1.99 a pop).
But the question remains...will I daintily eat them day by day, one-by-one? Or will I allow my inner child to emerge, tear apart Belle’s face and liberate the underlying plastic chocolate tray in a nanosecond?
Even if I did, the repercussions would be mild: given that the chocolates are pathetically miniscule, the entire thing is just 300 calories!
2. The beginning of advent calendar season!!!!!
Now, I don’t know about you, but my advent calendar MUST be chocolate. I know there are fabric ones, and advent calendars that reveal little nativity scene pictures, but I feel that if the wee baby
In fact, what I’d really like to see is an adult sized advent calendar that conceals progressively larger full chocolate bars. Like, on Dec. 21 your door swings open and, wowee, you’ve got yourself a Mr. Big. YEAH BABY!
A couple of years ago, Harrods came up with a calendar made from “burr elm and walnut wood” that was aimed at adults. At least, that’s what I’m guessing by the $50,000 price tag.
Leaving Shoppers in my wake, I made a detour to Starbucks, where I shared my quest with a most introspective barista.
“OMIGOD, I THINK I’D JUST EAT THE WHOLE THING ON DAY ONE!” she exclaimed.
She had a point - now that I’m an adult, will I be able to control myself?
But the question remains...will I daintily eat them day by day, one-by-one? Or will I allow my inner child to emerge, tear apart Belle’s face and liberate the underlying plastic chocolate tray in a nanosecond?
Even if I did, the repercussions would be mild: given that the chocolates are pathetically miniscule, the entire thing is just 300 calories!
Homepage for the Holidays!
Let’s not mince words here: I heart Christmas.
I love the scent of a real tree, the look of lights twinkling against the snow and the possibility of eating sugar plums, even though I don’t have a freakin’ clue what those are.
I even sorta, kinda, maybe like Wham’s Last Christmas - even after the 100 billionth play at the mall. (Pretty much the worst video ever though...I can’t believe the edited out the orgy scene)
To indulge my love of this gloriously excessive holiday, for the month of December I will be dedicating this blog to all things XMAS - cooking, crafting, decorating, obnoxious carolling, movie watching, weight gaining, some travel, gift ideas and general merrymaking! Follow me as I make my way from Toronto back home to Vancouver Island, where I vow to add to the dysfunction by assaulting my family with my camera and compulsive need to blog!
Here are a couple o’ pics from “Last Christmas” - my bros and I giving our mom a human sleigh ride, and my dad simultaneously playing the keys and cutting the turkey.
I love the scent of a real tree, the look of lights twinkling against the snow and the possibility of eating sugar plums, even though I don’t have a freakin’ clue what those are.
I even sorta, kinda, maybe like Wham’s Last Christmas - even after the 100 billionth play at the mall. (Pretty much the worst video ever though...I can’t believe the edited out the orgy scene)
To indulge my love of this gloriously excessive holiday, for the month of December I will be dedicating this blog to all things XMAS - cooking, crafting, decorating, obnoxious carolling, movie watching, weight gaining, some travel, gift ideas and general merrymaking! Follow me as I make my way from Toronto back home to Vancouver Island, where I vow to add to the dysfunction by assaulting my family with my camera and compulsive need to blog!
Here are a couple o’ pics from “Last Christmas” - my bros and I giving our mom a human sleigh ride, and my dad simultaneously playing the keys and cutting the turkey.
Most importantly, I want to hear from you! Got a favourite holiday recipe, craft or tradition you’d like to share? Just email me a photo of yourself with said cake/wreath/game of naked holiday twister along with the instructions and I’ll post it here!
As Emilio Estevez uttered in Young Guns: “I’ll make you famous.”
(Of course, then he shot the person. I wouldn’t do that, not at Christmas.)
To kick things off, I offer you this look at HOLIDAY DESSERTS FROM EUROPE, a little story I penned for aol.ca.
~Hark, what is yon sound? 'Tis the sweet tooth singing "Hallelujah!" For between the sugar plums, the candy canes, the gingerbread and the chocolate oranges, Christmas is a veritable blizzard of granulated sugar. Looking for some new ideas to enliven your table this year? Try some old ones. Check out our gallery of traditional European holiday desserts.~
(Click this link for descriptions and recipes from England, Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Denmark!)
Sleeping Around: Berlin
25/11/09 14:00 Filed in: Sleeping Around | Europe
Here it is, the first installment of my monthly travel column, SLEEPING AROUND. If you have suggestions for a future destination, please leave them in the comments area below!
BERLIN, GERMANY - “Are you going to put the lid down?!”
That’s the first question friends and family lob at me when I mention that I’ll be staying in room #31 at Propeller Island City Lodge in Berlin.
They’re not talking about the toilet seat – they’re referring to my coffin.
Just for the record, I don’t have a cloak collection, I get my fair share of UV rays and I’m not attracted to steak done blue rare. I’m just a regular gal who loves an imaginative hotel room.
In fact, devout goths reject room #31.
“They say it’s not dark enough,” says manager Valentina Gennadis.
Perhaps they could make do with #16, a tubular room with concrete walls that evokes a mine shaft, or #42, home to two cage-beds propped up on 1.5 metre stilts.
Each of Propeller Island’s 27 rooms is so different, so surprising and so fundamentally bizarre that it’s hard to imagine anyone failing to find inspiration in the lineup.
You can barely call this joint a hotel. Propeller Island offers none of the trappings of your average Ramada. Room service, televisions and coffee makers? God no, that would wreck the illusion that you’ve just overindulged at the hallucinogen buffet. Read More...
BERLIN, GERMANY - “Are you going to put the lid down?!”
That’s the first question friends and family lob at me when I mention that I’ll be staying in room #31 at Propeller Island City Lodge in Berlin.
Just for the record, I don’t have a cloak collection, I get my fair share of UV rays and I’m not attracted to steak done blue rare. I’m just a regular gal who loves an imaginative hotel room.
In fact, devout goths reject room #31.
“They say it’s not dark enough,” says manager Valentina Gennadis.
Perhaps they could make do with #16, a tubular room with concrete walls that evokes a mine shaft, or #42, home to two cage-beds propped up on 1.5 metre stilts.
Each of Propeller Island’s 27 rooms is so different, so surprising and so fundamentally bizarre that it’s hard to imagine anyone failing to find inspiration in the lineup.
You can barely call this joint a hotel. Propeller Island offers none of the trappings of your average Ramada. Room service, televisions and coffee makers? God no, that would wreck the illusion that you’ve just overindulged at the hallucinogen buffet. Read More...
A Taste of…Mexico
Where is it? Guadalajara
Describe it? Despite all the teachings of the venerable Taco Bell academy, the truth is that Mexican food in Mexico goes well beyond the burrito. Case in point: tortas ahogadas. This ultra-local dish is consumed almost exclusively in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city. A crusty baguette is filled with tender, roast pork and served alongside a searing sauce (dried chili pepper, vinegar, garlic and oregano). The idea is to lubricate the Sammie with the spice and chase away last night’s tequila binge. And make sure you really immerse it – after all, “ahogadas” means “drowned.”
How much? $4 at this restaurant (El Abajeno) in the suburb of Tlaquepaque.
Gear: Tress SOS
20/11/09 09:13 Filed in: Gear | Girly Stuff
You’re not high maintenance or anything, but arriving at a hotel only to discover a sachet of dish soap masquerading as “conditioning 
shampoo” makes your hair want to throw a hissy fit. To assuage angry locks, these days you have to bring your own products. With carry-on liquid restrictions in effect, a solid shampoo bar is a cunning choice. LUSH, that fragrant oasis of handmade cosmetics, makes compact bars that are equivalent to 750 ml of regular shampoo – roughly 50 to 80 washes, depending on your hair. Some offer conditioning properties, which is crucial for long tresses on long trips. The yummy smelling Godiva Bar (pictured here), for instance, is packed with macadamia nut oil, shea butter and coconut oil. Eco-maniacs should also note that the bars produce far less waste than plastic mini bottles.
$10.50 at LUSH
From my travel gear column in
$10.50 at LUSH
From my travel gear column in
Travel Tips for Twosomes
18/11/09 15:46 Filed in: Misc
I know what you’re thinking as you peruse that glossy new guidebook: sunset strolls by the Seine, slow 
motion high-fives on Machu Picchu, steamy lovemaking on a secluded beach in Thailand where the sand doesn’t get in the way.
What you’re leaving out: non-existent street signs, less-than-aromatic local public transit and disappearing reservations.
And—oh God—that hellish reservoir of sweat that develops between your back and a knapsack on a hot day. Blech.
CONTINUE...
What you’re leaving out: non-existent street signs, less-than-aromatic local public transit and disappearing reservations.
CONTINUE...
Sleeping Around #2: Arizona
Check out my new video for my Toronto Star column, Sleeping Around!
Corresponding story runs in The Star on November 28.
Corresponding story runs in The Star on November 28.
Sleeping Around #1: Berlin is HERE.
Remembering the Wall and The Fall
08/11/09 18:46 Filed in: Europe
Story and photos by Reb Stevenson
On November 9, if all goes according to plan and no klutzes intervene during the set-up, a two-kilometre chain of giant dominoes will tumble in sequence from Berlin’s Reichstag to the Brandenburg Gate and on to Potsdamer Platz. Then an orchestra will play, kicking off a two day “Festival of Joy.”
Far more than a publicity stunt touting the joy of dominoes (though, lord knows, they could use a boost), the spectacle marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
If you can’t make the party, there are plenty of ongoing events and exhibitions taking place throughout the city to solemnly note the 28 years that the wall stood and celebrate the day that it toppled.
Here are some of the options: Read More...
Let Them Eat Macaroons!
Patricia runs several classes out of a stylish little kitchen that is situated right in the heart of Versailles. The one that is best suited to tourists starts with a guided visit to the old market followed by a traditional french cooking class.
The market definitely delivered in the culture shock department: apart from the expected baguettes and cheeses, I saw chickens with their heads still attached, furry rabbits strung up and a whole arsenal of gamey terrines, mousses and other scary blended meats.
Unfortunately, the macaroons were a multi-step process that took well over an hour so I doubt I’ll be making them anytime soon in Canada. Besides, Marie Antoinette’s openly verbalized passion for desserts certainly didn’t help her get ahead (pun intended).
Married by Martha
No whopping church wedding for you, thank-you-very-much: you and your sweetheart are heading to the Caribbean for a laid back beach wedding. As for the decorations? You can’t be bothered with those, either. 
May as well assign that job to the next best person: Martha Stewart. The relentless homemaker has teamed up with Sandals Resorts, offering a selection of six customizable themes with names like Flutter of Romance, Chic & Natural, Jailbirds in Love and Vision in White. Couples can expect all the usual good things that come with Martha’s tasteful touch: coordinated colour palettes, flowers, cakes, favours, etc. Fun extra add-ons include parasols to shield guests from the sun, petal-strewn aisles and candy buffets.
Starting in January, Weddings by Martha Stewart will be available at all Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean. For more information, go to www.sandals.com/weddings or call 1-877-SANDALS.
Starting in January, Weddings by Martha Stewart will be available at all Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean. For more information, go to www.sandals.com/weddings or call 1-877-SANDALS.
Sneak Peek: Sleeping Around #2
27/10/09 01:06 Filed in: Sleeping Around | USA
Let’s just say that the only trash I found in this trailer park was firmly nestled in the dumpster.
Coming to The Toronto Star in November 2009. Meanwhile, you can read Sleeping Around 1: Berlin HERE.
One Ultimate Experience Book
07/10/09 08:17 Filed in: Books | Active Travel
In keeping with the 1000 Places to See Before you Die, 100 Things to do Before you Die and 30 Angry Phrases to Scream Before you Die trend in publishing (ok, made that last one up), Lonely Planet is releasing 1000 Ultimate Experiences this month. Thankfully no death theme this time - that was getting a little depressing. 
Here are the ultimate Canadian experiences included in the book:
Best Road Trips -- Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island
Classic Train Trips -- Rocky Mountaineer
Most Extreme Environment -- Banff National Park
Best Adventure Travel Ideas -- Cycling the Icefields Parkway
Top 10 Boys (and girls) - own Adventures -- Cattle drive, Alberta
Best Party Cities -- Montreal, Canada
The World's Best Human Races -- Grouse Grind Mountain Run
Most Lip-Smacking Street Food -- Poutine
The Best skiing in North America -Blackcomb/Whistler, British Columbia, Canada,
Whitewater, Nelson, British Columbia and Banff, Alberta
Sea kayaking -- Johnstone Straits, Canada
Here are the ultimate Canadian experiences included in the book:
Best Road Trips -- Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island
Classic Train Trips -- Rocky Mountaineer
Most Extreme Environment -- Banff National Park
Best Adventure Travel Ideas -- Cycling the Icefields Parkway
Top 10 Boys (and girls) - own Adventures -- Cattle drive, Alberta
Best Party Cities -- Montreal, Canada
The World's Best Human Races -- Grouse Grind Mountain Run
Most Lip-Smacking Street Food -- Poutine
The Best skiing in North America -Blackcomb/Whistler, British Columbia, Canada,
Whitewater, Nelson, British Columbia and Banff, Alberta
Sea kayaking -- Johnstone Straits, Canada
Just Another Day At Work
30/09/09 11:19 Filed in: Europe
Into the Deep, Dark Woods
28/09/09 15:27 Filed in: Europe | Active Travel
This being the Fairy Tale Route, I have been thinking a lot about The Brothers Grimm and why their stories were so captivating. For me, it wasn’t the nubile Princesses or those evah-so-clevah talking animals. Nah, it was the scary bits. Namely:
1. Getting eaten up (you can’t just say “eaten,” you must say “eaten UP” in a fairy tale).
2. Having a terrible spell cast upon you.
3. Ingesting poison.
4. Administering poison.
5. Listening to the ’80s hair band Poison (well...I think that’s frightening).
6. Being given the old heave-ho from your loving dad, who has shacked up with a warty new wife.
7. Good news: you’re getting a new bedroom. Bad news: it’s a child-sized oven.
Hamelin’s old town is delightfully picturesque, but today I went off in search of something a little moodier than rat toys and McDonalds’ in Tudor houses. The air was thick with moisture, lending a nice gloomy touch to the area (yes!). I was headed up the mountain that overlooks Hamelin - possibly the very mountain over which the Pied Piper led the children, never to be seen again (double yes!). As soon as I started up the steep footpath, I felt so very alone. And vulnerable. And - what the HELL was that leaf noise!?!!!! - jumpy.
2. Having a terrible spell cast upon you.
3. Ingesting poison.
4. Administering poison.
5. Listening to the ’80s hair band Poison (well...I think that’s frightening).
6. Being given the old heave-ho from your loving dad, who has shacked up with a warty new wife.
Hamelin’s old town is delightfully picturesque, but today I went off in search of something a little moodier than rat toys and McDonalds’ in Tudor houses. The air was thick with moisture, lending a nice gloomy touch to the area (yes!). I was headed up the mountain that overlooks Hamelin - possibly the very mountain over which the Pied Piper led the children, never to be seen again (double yes!). As soon as I started up the steep footpath, I felt so very alone. And vulnerable. And - what the HELL was that leaf noise!?!!!! - jumpy.
CRUNCH! CRACK! CREAK!
The forest has its own voice, you see. It tells you this: there is most certainly a hungry wolf lurking around the next tree. Or, if not a wolf, it’s a big fat Wildschwein that smells pork sausage on your breath and wants to avenge his cousins. No - it’s a cursed woodsman who hasn’t seen a woman for a hundred years, and boy oh boy is he ever “amorous.”
(Let us keep this blog PG rated).
Moreover, the forest reveals this secret: out of fear, humans walking alone through the woods develop wild imaginations - so wild, they start inventing stories that aren’t true. You might even call them fairy tales.
A piece of the Pied Piper
27/09/09 16:34 Filed in: Europe
Oh wunderbar, nobody speaks English
German may well be related to English, but when you are already hangry* and receive a menu that contains about 900% more letters than you are used to, those shared linguistic roots aren’t enough to get you fed.
I’ve been travelling in the North of Germany for five days now and have come to the conclusion that English is as scarce as green vegetables ‘round here.
Now, when you go to Germany, a dozen or so know-it-alls will probably say: “don’t worry, they speak English better than Americans.” Little do you know, your sources probably WERE talking to Americans, but were so drunk** they mistook them for Germans.
In any case, I strongly urge you to bring a phrasebook. Conveying “just a minute” with your index finger and flipping through numerous pages in order to find the translation for “one” is character building. Especially when you realize that you were ALREADY expressing “one” with that very finger.
Failing that, here’s a list of some phrases you might find useful:
Hello. Hallo.
I don’t speak German. Ich spreche kein Deutch.
Do you speak English? Sprechen sie Englisch?
Yes!? Ja!? Thaaaank you. Daaaaanke.
Which way is a public toilet? In welcher richtung ist eine offentliche toilette?
I have diarrhea. Ich habe durchfall.
Seriously man, don’t look at me with that confused face we have approximately six seconds here. (Just go pale and flail arms wildly).
.......
I had an accident. Ich hatte einen unfall.
Sorry. Entshuldigung.
Goodbye. Auf wiedersehen.
*so hungry you’re prone to angry outbursts, especially when debating directions or walking really, really far.
**Oktoberfest, naturally.
This is Hooge!
24/09/09 15:08 Filed in: Europe
Nick Nolte, you may be the Prince of Tides, but the residents of the Halligen - a series of ten islands in Northern 
Germany - are collectively the king. For centuries, these people have been putting up with the sea as they would a demanding live-in mother-in-law. Five or so times a year, the sea level rises and floods the islands (an event they call “Landunter”), sparing only the houses, which are built upon metre-high hills called Wafts.
Landunters last one to two days and the residents simply wait them out in their homes. Are they worried? Nope. I look at the photo to the right and think: “Sweet Jesus, the apocalypse has come, where are my water wings?!” They think: “Great, time to catch up on my knitting.”
But in 1362, the flood DID spell disaster. Back then, there were tons of Halligen and they were well populated...until the sea rose and swept most of them away. The death toll was in the thousands.
Landunters tend to come in the winter, though the island I visited (Hallig Hooge) just experienced one three weeks ago. A one-hour ferry ride from the Schleswig-Holstein mainland, Hooge registers 120 year-round inhabitants. 
It seems awfully quiet, except for the wind that screeches in your ears. But in actuality, it’s a thriving tourist destination: would you believe there are seven restaurants and some 500 guest rooms for rent on this tiny speck? There are nine Warfts on Hooge, the busiest of which is Hanswarft (see how cute it is, left).
Many of the houses have thatched roofs and the oldest (like Königspesel, below, which dates to 1760) are full of Dutch tiles. There’s also a museum, little cinema, several cafes and souvenir shops on the island.
But really, we all know what the main attraction is. If I could do it over again, I’d take a month off, bring a few books, maybe a dvd or two (NOT the Prince of Tides), hunker down and take a “wait and sea” approach to my visit.
Cool, hey? If you’ve got questions or comments about Hallig Hooge, please leave them below!
But in 1362, the flood DID spell disaster. Back then, there were tons of Halligen and they were well populated...until the sea rose and swept most of them away. The death toll was in the thousands.
Many of the houses have thatched roofs and the oldest (like Königspesel, below, which dates to 1760) are full of Dutch tiles. There’s also a museum, little cinema, several cafes and souvenir shops on the island.
Cool, hey? If you’ve got questions or comments about Hallig Hooge, please leave them below!
Crucial Travel Information
Here’s what I had for dinner on my Toronto-Dusseldorf Lufthansa flight last night...
...because we all know it’s the petty details - not security or landing gear maintenance - that matter.
Also, while we’re talking overnight flights, I’d like to make a few observations:
1) When you get up from your seat for a comfort break, DO NOT use the seat in front of you as a railing with which to steady yourself. There is usually a person trying to sleep in said seat - a person who will not appreciate the man-made turbulence.
2) Dear Lufthansa: maybe, just maybe, you could remove those ashtrays instead of leaving them as a terrifying reminder that we’re flying on a vintage plane. You build flying metal birds. I think you have the technology to bust out a screwdriver and get rid of those suckas.
3) Dear Luddites: when you encounter a touch-screen entertainment system, freaking out and spastically hitting the screen over and over will not make Angels and Demons start to play.
4) Dear Lufthansa: Hi..it’s me again. Sorry, I forget something. While you’ve got the screwdriver out, maybe you could look at making muzzles for babies who feel the need to air all their pent-up grievances between takeoff and landing (I’ve seen them in customs afterwards, all dimples and coos...I’m onto them). Oh, sorry, am I being heartless? Maybe we could stow them in the overhead bins instead. Give ‘em a blanket and a pillow or something. See? I care.
Gear: Now Hear This
18/09/09 11:28 Filed in: Gear
Are you one of those hip cyclists who pedals down busy city streets with earphones blasting in your aural orifices? Thought so (the bruises gave it away). If repeatedly barreling into pedestrians and getting clipped by cars is 
growing tiresome, consider a neat little gizmo called cy.fi. This rechargeable sports speaker will enable you to hear both your precious music and ambient noise. Cy.fi connects wirelessly to your iPod, mp3 player, iPhone, PDA or Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, picking up a signal from up to 30 feet away. Mounting brackets are included, so you can attach it to your bike, stroller, backpack, etc. Waterproof and portable, cy.fi is also ideal for traveling – what better way to share the gift of Celine Dion with a bunch of newfound Russian friends in a train compartment?
$149 US (Bluetooth version) and $159 US (iPod version) at www.mycyfi.com
From my weekly travel gear column in
$149 US (Bluetooth version) and $159 US (iPod version) at www.mycyfi.com
From my weekly travel gear column in
"Best kept secret in the Midlands"
13/09/09 10:29 Filed in: England
Story and photos by Reb Stevenson
WARWICK, ENGLAND – A gang of grandpas doesn’t stand much of a chance against dragons, princesses and knights.
The Lord Leycester Hospital is wise. It knows that competing against its neighbour, Warwick Castle (a.k.a. “Britain’s Ultimate Castle”), is a losing battle. Especially since, to really pare things down, Lord Leycester Hospital is an old folks’ home.
And so it idles quietly near Warwick’s original town gate, never trumpeting its existence. In fact, the hospital doesn’t do any advertising, period.
“We are the best kept secret in the Midlands,” boasts Gerald Lesinski, the delightfully eccentric 32nd “Master” of the hospital. What makes him so delightfully eccentric? Well, for starters, the man uses a monocle. Read More...
10 for T.O.
By Reb Stevenson
Hogtown is abuzz with events this fall: between the Toronto International Film Festival, Nuit Blanche and about a zillion boring work conferences, there is a good chance that you, too, will be sucked into the “T-Dot.”
As the rest of Canada likes to point out as often as possible, Toronto herself is a high maintenance female dog. So it should come as no surprise that the city isn’t content relinquishing all the glory to George Clooney and other incoming celebs. She wants some of the attention for herself.
Throw her a bone, would ‘ya? While you’re in town, check out some of Toronto’s best nooks and crannies.
Dine in the dark at O. Noir (620 Church Street), www.onoir.com
Even if you’re not on a blind date, eating at this restaurant – which just opened in late June – is out of sight. Literally. Taking after the popular pitch-black dining trend that has already swept through Europe, Australia, L.A., New York and Montreal, O.Noir both scares and thrills by leaving you at the mercy of your remaining four senses and the charity of the visually impaired wait staff. At $39 for a three course meal, it’s pleasantly affordable (they save on lighting costs) and daredevils who don’t mind pawing at their plates can opt for “surprise” meals.
Read More...
Like dry cleaning...for your head.
06/09/09 23:38 Filed in: Gear
$8.99 at Zellers.
From my weekly travel gear column in
Five Feasts in Vancouver
By Reb Stevenson
Finding a restaurant while travelling is a lot like lookin’ for love.
a) You want something you can brag about.
b) You don’t want to think that too many people have been there before you.
Vancouver boasts schools of fancy fish restaurants, where fillets are stacked just so atop rare root vegetables and drizzled with some sort of reduction or foam. And while these high maintenance lovelies are nice to look at, they’re not the charming down-home locals that you could be meeting.
Here are five independent Vancouver restaurants that are delicious, unusual and off the beaten path.
Can I have your (seat) number?
A return ticket on the Matchmaking Flight from Ottawa (connecting through Los Angeles) costs from $1,698. For more information, go to www.thematchmakingflight.com.
Slaughter the Swine Terror
29/08/09 17:35 Filed in: Misc | Central America
By Reb Stevenson
Swine flu: when it broke back in April, I was in the eye of the storm. The heart of the action. The centre of the burrito.
Mexico.
My group of Canadian travel journalists was calmly taken aside by a Mexican Tourist Board representative and given a debriefing that began with something to the effect of: “now don’t freak out, but…”
At that point, though, the severity of the virus hadn’t hit home. Most of my companions’ health concerns centred around treating today’s tequila hangover and acquiring tomorrow’s.
A few days later, we connected through Mexico City’s airport and – bam – the panic response kicked in. That’s what happens when one in three people are wearing surgical masks and your breathing holes are naked.
Cougar Cruisin'
Cougars love to cruise for younger men – now they can cruise with them. The US-based Singles Travel Company just announced the first ever International Cougar Cruise, summoning older women and Cubs (men who prefer a 
mature lady). The event takes place from December 4-7, 2009 aboard Carnival’s Fun Ship Elation, leaving San Diego and visiting Ensenada, Mexico.
Despite the emphasis on young men/older women, Rich Gosse, chairman of The Society of Single Professionals, says nobody will be grilled about their age upon registration.
“If a 60-year-old man wants to date 70 or 80 year-old women, he’s welcome to come,” he laughs.
The guest of honour aboard the cruise will be Miss Cougar America (apparently Demi Moore was busy).
The trip costs from $125 US per person (double occupancy). For more information visit www.singlestravelcompany.com or call 1-888-286-8687.
Despite the emphasis on young men/older women, Rich Gosse, chairman of The Society of Single Professionals, says nobody will be grilled about their age upon registration.
“If a 60-year-old man wants to date 70 or 80 year-old women, he’s welcome to come,” he laughs.
The guest of honour aboard the cruise will be Miss Cougar America (apparently Demi Moore was busy).
The trip costs from $125 US per person (double occupancy). For more information visit www.singlestravelcompany.com or call 1-888-286-8687.
Ooh! Ooh! Eh!
23/08/09 10:25 Filed in: Misc | Sleeping Around
By Reb Stevenson
The next time you hear a hot n’ heavy racket going on in the hotel room next door, don’t be surprised if you detect an “eh” amongst the “oohs.”
The survey polled 12, 500 frequent travellers in ten countries. Overall, 51 per cent reported that sleep was their top priority when checking in to a hotel, but only 48 per cent of Canadians felt that way.
“Either we have different customs, or we were more truthful than others in answering the question,” says Jean-Luc Barone, General Manager of the Westin Bayshore Vancouver. Read More...
It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Free Food!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Porter Air, for being the last airline in Canada to provide free food to customers. Sure, it’s just half a boring sandwich, arid Melba Toast and a wee Babybel, but it’s appreciated, as is the classy glassware.
From Toronto, Porter now flies to Ottawa, Quebec City, Montreal, Halifax, Thunder Bay, St. John’s, Boston, Chicago and New York. So if you don’t feel like blowing $8 on a roast beef wrap that looks like it’s been trampled in a stampede, consider flying Porter.
Photo of the Day: Sunset Wake
Normally, I turn my nose up at sunset pictures (too typical, bad eye-to-camera translation), but I couldn’t resist this dramatic sunset scene last month when I was travelling on The Clipper ferry between Victoria, B.C., Canada and Seattle,Washington, USA. The air was thick with grey storm clouds but somehow the sun managed to peek out before retiring into the horizon.
Read More...Cheese As Entertainment
STORY AND PHOTOS BY REB STEVENSON
You could call it the mother of all cheesy tourist attractions: Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, a place that prides itself on delivering “cheese as entertainment.”
Set against picturesque Mount Arrowsmith in the middle of Vancouver Island, B.C., the Cheeseworks is both a mecca for foodies and a destination for a simple, tasty afternoon in the country. Read More...
The Coffee Buzz
A trip...
.When simply drinking coffee is not enough of a caffeine fix, why not partake of an entire vacation that revolves around java? Finca Rosa Blanca resort in Costa Rica is offering a three night Coffee Harvest Package this autumn. Guests will be lodged in suites overlooking the coffee fields at this lush boutique
property, which was deemed one of the top 10 eco-resorts in the world by Trip Advisor. But the buzz won’t stop there: they’ll be supplied with traditional woven baskets, hats and scarves and sent out with local pickers to harvest, clean, dry and roast the beans. Then comes the “coffee cupping session” – a lesson on rating gourmet beans – and a workshop on making cappuccino, lattes and a traditional Costa Rican cup of coffee using the chorreador method. Finally, caffeine cravers will be permitted to crash a little during the Tiramisu Spa treatment: an organic coffee, clove and citrus bath soak, honey and almond body exfoliation, facial and full body massage.
The Coffee Harvest Package runs from October 1 to December 14 and costs $1398 (based on double occupancy. For more info, visit fincarosablanca.com, or call 506-2269-9392.
And a sip...
What is it? A Starbucks Mug
Where is it? Seattle
Describe it? Everybody and his brother is striding around with a Starbucks cup of some sort these days. Yawn. If you really want to rise above all the cappuccino commoners, you must get yourself down to Seattle’s Pike Place Market, site of the very first Starbucks, which opened in 1971. The ubiquitous green logo is conspicuously absent: this location bears the original brown insignia, harkening back to the days when they sold coffee, tea and spices to Westcoast hippies. Buying a piece of souvenir merchandise like this java vessel here might suggest that you were a fan before Starbucks “got big and sold out.”
How much? $11
FROM MY FOOD AND SOUVENIR COLUMN IN
.When simply drinking coffee is not enough of a caffeine fix, why not partake of an entire vacation that revolves around java? Finca Rosa Blanca resort in Costa Rica is offering a three night Coffee Harvest Package this autumn. Guests will be lodged in suites overlooking the coffee fields at this lush boutique
The Coffee Harvest Package runs from October 1 to December 14 and costs $1398 (based on double occupancy. For more info, visit fincarosablanca.com, or call 506-2269-9392.
And a sip...
Where is it? Seattle
Describe it? Everybody and his brother is striding around with a Starbucks cup of some sort these days. Yawn. If you really want to rise above all the cappuccino commoners, you must get yourself down to Seattle’s Pike Place Market, site of the very first Starbucks, which opened in 1971. The ubiquitous green logo is conspicuously absent: this location bears the original brown insignia, harkening back to the days when they sold coffee, tea and spices to Westcoast hippies. Buying a piece of souvenir merchandise like this java vessel here might suggest that you were a fan before Starbucks “got big and sold out.”
How much? $11
FROM MY FOOD AND SOUVENIR COLUMN IN
Wild, wild West
12/08/09 12:44 Filed in: USA
Former boom town is a rootin' tootin' hoot with a touch of tacky and a bonanza of colourful characters
BY REB STEVENSON
VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA–The Ponderosa Mine is already feeling a bit cramped.
Mainly because ... um, it's a mine. And those don't come in any size but extra small. To boot, a dozen other people are crammed in it.
Then, without warning, guide Mark Lonero blows out the only candle.
"Now that is total darkness," he declares.
I want to squeal and cling to the male next to me. Mind you, he's 7-years-old and that might set off the world's next mine disaster.
It's these very blips of gritty realism that elevate Northern Nevada's Virginia City from a tacky Old West anachronism to an absolute gem of a place – a lost world in which steam locomotives, loveable town whores and dishonest-to-goodness saloons are part of everyday life.
Canada: Sleep Cheap
Just got wind of two AMAZING summer deals in Canada.
Boutique at Thrift Prices
Super chic Opus Hotels sent me an email regarding a 50% off deal. Book before August 15 and you can score a room in Vancouver for $165/night or in Montreal for $119/night. Click HERE.
Smells like Savings in Toronto
Now that the interminable garbage strike has come to an end (mine still hasn’t been picked up, mind you. I might open my own raccoon zoo soon), Toronto is desperately trying to coax tourists into spending the last of their summer vacation in the big smoke. Check out The Best of Toronto Package, which includes an overnight stay at The Sheraton Centre Toronto or Westin Harbour Castle, a top-priced ticket to a Mirvish Productions theatre performance (such as The Sound of Music), a three-course dinner at one of 14 nearby restaurants and admission to one of the following: the CN Tower, Ontario Science Centre or a Toronto Tours city bus tour. At just $149 per person, perhaps you shouldn’t turn your nose up at it.
Go to www.seetorontonow.com/summer or call 1-800-461-3333.
Super chic Opus Hotels sent me an email regarding a 50% off deal. Book before August 15 and you can score a room in Vancouver for $165/night or in Montreal for $119/night. Click HERE.
Smells like Savings in Toronto
Now that the interminable garbage strike has come to an end (mine still hasn’t been picked up, mind you. I might open my own raccoon zoo soon), Toronto is desperately trying to coax tourists into spending the last of their summer vacation in the big smoke. Check out The Best of Toronto Package, which includes an overnight stay at The Sheraton Centre Toronto or Westin Harbour Castle, a top-priced ticket to a Mirvish Productions theatre performance (such as The Sound of Music), a three-course dinner at one of 14 nearby restaurants and admission to one of the following: the CN Tower, Ontario Science Centre or a Toronto Tours city bus tour. At just $149 per person, perhaps you shouldn’t turn your nose up at it.
Go to www.seetorontonow.com/summer or call 1-800-461-3333.
Google's Latest e-Gadget
05/08/09 11:39 Filed in: Misc
Operating on the universally accepted premise that celebrities know better, Google Maps has launched a new application that pinpoints restaurants, shops and other destinations that public figures love. 
Favorite Places tells us that Al Gore thinks we should see The Maldives before they’re submerged by rising ocean levels, Regis and Kelly recommend their own show in New York and Jean-Michel Cousteau is eschewing the great oceans in favour of Lake Itasca in Minnesota. Athletes, authors, comedians and artists also weigh in, making for a handy word-of-mouth reference point for travelers. Not to mention stalkers…
www.google.com/favoriteplaces
www.google.com/favoriteplaces
This Pearl is Fishy
Where is it? Macedonia
Describe it? One of the oldest lakes in the world, crystal clear Ohrid is a popular holiday spot and a source of major pride for Macedonians. It is also a source of the unique Ohrid Pearl, which is crafted from the scales of the endemic Plasica fish. But buyer, beware: only a handful of local families sell genuine Ohrid Pearls, so we’re thinking it’s best to bypass the makeshift souvenir table near the McDonalds. Just a hunch.
How much? This silver ring cost $32.
FROM MY FOOD AND SOUVENIR COLUMN IN
The Curtsy Conundrum
By Reb Stevenson
Like Cinderella to the ball, I was going to Buckingham Palace to meet HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and the king of questionable quotes.
There was no doubt as to how I would greet him. The choreography had been outlined in an email entitled “Royal Protocol.”
“Upon being presented to HRH, it is customary to give a short bow from the neck for gentlemen and a curtsy for ladies.”
A curtsy!? My generation’s formal greeting consists of a sloppy salute and a rhetorical “howz it goin’?”
As usual, the guys were getting off easy with a simple head bob. They had that action down pat, as (from my understanding) it’s a customary response for males when they encounter one another at a urinal and feel the need to offer an acknowledgement but not an invitation to get beaten up.
A curtsy requires elegance, grace and balance. For there is a dangerously fine line between a delicate plie and toppling into a disheveled, bruised heap directly upon a royal’s polished shoes.
The occasion: some 70 travel writers from around the globe were summoned to Buckingham to ogle the State Rooms and learn about a new public exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth.
To pique our interest even more (and, in my opinion, provide comedic fodder for our articles), Prince Philip agreed to make an appearance even though it happened to be his 88th birthday. Read More...
Cruise Blues
25/07/09 23:26 Filed in: USA
Being of the somewhat shallow opinion that taking a ride on any unusual type of transportation automatically makes an attraction worthwhile, a couple of weeks ago I eagerly hopped aboard The Tahoe Queen paddlewheeler for a 2.5 hour cruise.
History on an Industrial Scale
21/07/09 12:32 Filed in: England
PHOTOS AND STORY BY REB STEVENSON
ENGLAND–Any alumnus of Grade 10 history knows this about The Industrial Revolution: there were factories. Lots of them.
As for any other details, they're about as foggy as a breath of London air circa 1860.
The problem is that this event failed to stimulate the youthful imagination like the knights of the round table, the guillotine and – well, geez – even Sir John A. Macdonald seemed sexy in comparison. Yes, sexy.
So when I heard that this year marks the 300th anniversary of the start of the Industrial Revolution in England, my instinct was to fall into an instant coma on my desk.
But then, like a shrill recess bell, something jostled out of my stupor. It's called Ironbridge. Read More...
Summer Camp...in Downtown Toronto
By Reb Stevenson
Move over Algonquin Park, there's a new destination for happy campers in Ontario: downtown Toronto!
(Cue chorus of laughter from tents everywhere.)
Adopting a carved wooden bear as its mascot, the hotel aims to summon your best memories of summer camp -- in a less supervised setting, of course.
"It's an adult return to that free-wheeling, nostalgic feeling of long summer days," says manager Ana Yuristy.
Read More...
Three Things You Can Bet on in Reno
The casino scene: not for me. Why? Three reasons:
1. The incessant bleepy-bloops of the slots.
2. The depressed blobs in Hawaiian shirts who play them.
3. The surreal, labyrinthine layout that has you going in circles, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of daylight so you can identify an exit!
Therefore, I set out to find a few things in Reno, Nevada, that are authentic, fun and necessitate going outdoors. Here are the spoils:
THE AWFUL AWFUL BURGER
Lured by a sign promising a $1.99 breakfast, I wandered into the back of The Nugget Casino only to find what just might be the most authentic and enjoyable eatery in Reno. The staff and customers at this 66-year-old institution were chatty and welcoming. And if you know what you’re doing, you’ll order the Awful Awful Burger (“‘cause it’s awful big and awful good”), a beef monstrosity set atop a pound of fries for $6.77. The most shocking bit: everybody was ordering it for breakfast!!!!
DABBLING IN EDWARDIAN ROAD RAGE
Because I’m of the female persuasion, I react to a “car museum” the way a male would to a “china doll emporium.” However, Reno’s National Automobile Museum is surprisingly girl-friendly. Cars from as early as 1892 are parked along cool streetscapes, there are costume displays to complement the wheels, and (best part) you can even play dress up.
BASQUE DINING
Northern Nevada had a major influx of Basque immigrants last century, and Reno is home to two unique restaurants. I popped my head into the Santa Fe, which has been serving “family-style” meals since 1949. What that means is that you plunk yourself down
at a communal table (possibly with strangers, so lose that antisocial edge for now) and you help yourself to food from great big platters.
Owner Philippe Zubillaga, a congenial and unpretentious chap, told me: “everywhere you go now, there’s a television and a sports bar atmosphere. This forces everyone’s hand because you have to talk to your neighbour. I appreciate that it can still happen.”
A full dinner consisting of regional cuisine like oxtails, Lomo Pork, beans, fries, salad, bread, table wine and dessert costs $19.
1. The incessant bleepy-bloops of the slots.
2. The depressed blobs in Hawaiian shirts who play them.
3. The surreal, labyrinthine layout that has you going in circles, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of daylight so you can identify an exit!
Therefore, I set out to find a few things in Reno, Nevada, that are authentic, fun and necessitate going outdoors. Here are the spoils:
Lured by a sign promising a $1.99 breakfast, I wandered into the back of The Nugget Casino only to find what just might be the most authentic and enjoyable eatery in Reno. The staff and customers at this 66-year-old institution were chatty and welcoming. And if you know what you’re doing, you’ll order the Awful Awful Burger (“‘cause it’s awful big and awful good”), a beef monstrosity set atop a pound of fries for $6.77. The most shocking bit: everybody was ordering it for breakfast!!!!
Because I’m of the female persuasion, I react to a “car museum” the way a male would to a “china doll emporium.” However, Reno’s National Automobile Museum is surprisingly girl-friendly. Cars from as early as 1892 are parked along cool streetscapes, there are costume displays to complement the wheels, and (best part) you can even play dress up.
BASQUE DINING
Northern Nevada had a major influx of Basque immigrants last century, and Reno is home to two unique restaurants. I popped my head into the Santa Fe, which has been serving “family-style” meals since 1949. What that means is that you plunk yourself down
Owner Philippe Zubillaga, a congenial and unpretentious chap, told me: “everywhere you go now, there’s a television and a sports bar atmosphere. This forces everyone’s hand because you have to talk to your neighbour. I appreciate that it can still happen.”
A full dinner consisting of regional cuisine like oxtails, Lomo Pork, beans, fries, salad, bread, table wine and dessert costs $19.
Simulator Takes Flyers to New Heights
BY REB STEVENSON
VANCOUVER–The ticket looks like any other boarding pass. But my seat isn't 8A or 29C ... it's a comfy chair in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 jet. Furthermore, I'm going to be flying the big metal bird.
Now, before you swear off air travel forever, I should probably clarify something: This cockpit is in an office building on the outskirts of Vancouver International Airport.
A new attraction for tourists, Flight Adventures is a simulator that gives everyday folk a taste of pilothood. Read More...
Homes Away from (Your) Home
04/07/09 13:44 Filed in: Sleeping Around | Toronto
Love your relatives, but don't want to live with them? Here are some local landmarks to put them up when you just can't put up with them
BY REB STEVENSON
It's summertime and the relatives are coming to visit. What joy!
Cue the barbecue, the digital cameras ... and the excuses for why they can't stay with you.
Need a few? Here are some classics: hole-riddled blow-up mattress, carbon monoxide leak, renovations in the guest room (suggesting that a jackhammer might start up after midnight is highly effective).
Once you've successfully persuaded your kinsmen that sleeping at your house is uncomfortable and/or life threatening, it's on to stage two: finding them a hotel.
But you draw a blank, because you live in Toronto. You've never been up the CN Tower, let alone stayed in a hotel `round these parts. This is only natural.
Therefore, I have created this cheat sheet to help you pair the right relative and room. Read More...
Their Tragedy, Tourism's Triumph
01/07/09 14:51 Filed in: Europe
Here’s what I wrote:
Why people ignore it: Because it's a departure from the predictable Venice-Florence-Rome track and you have to go through big bad Naples to get there.
Why you shouldn't: Until you experience it for yourself, it's hard to grasp the sheer magnitude of Pompeii, which was frozen in time when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and dumped a lethal storm of hot ash upon the unlucky community. Yearn for time travel? It doesn't get better than this real Roman city, complete with streets, restaurants, baths, an amphitheatre and its own impressive colosseum. The site is so large that you might find yourself alone inside an ancient home, admiring 2,000-year-old
Info: Pompeii is open year-round and entry is $17 for adults. Get there by taking the Circumvesuviana train south from Naples (which isn't that bad. Try their margherita pizza, you'll see). Budget an entire day to see it properly and don't bypass the excellent audioguide or the circular walk around the perimeter. www.pompeiisites.org
Monastery in Macedonia Provides Heavenly Peace
24/06/09 19:22 Filed in: Europe | Sleeping Around
By Reb Stevenson
KRIVA PALANKA, MACEDONIA–With all due respect to singer/songwriter Eric Carmen, sometimes you do want to be all by yourself.
Maybe you've been jostled by too many crowds. Perhaps you've just learned – the hard way – that a cruise is not your bag. Or you're just a crusty old grump.
For me, it's the cigarettes. In Eastern Europe, where there are people there is a corresponding haze of smoke. At first, it's a novelty in a "remember the '90s?" kind of way. But after a week of swatting the air at coffee shops, restaurants and hotels, I long to retreat into a lung-friendly isolation cell.
St. Joakim Osogovski Monastery, therefore, is a godsend. Tucked away in the Osogovo Mountains near the city of Kriva Palanka, it is one of the most picturesque monasteries in Macedonia.
READ MORE....
I'd Kill for Bill's
56 Cliffe High Street
BRIGHTON
100 North Road
The Big Picture: Scenes from a Storybook
17/06/09 15:00 Filed in: England | Big Picture
To anybody who pooh-poohs England on a regular basis, citing overcast skies and drizzly days, I offer this: the delightful, magical place in Lewes, East Sussex known as Southover Grange. The grounds of this circa 1572 mansion are now a glorious public garden that explodes with colour every spring. I shot this view today while I caught up with my English friend Kat in the park. We watched children happily darting about the lawn without a care in the world. It was amazing to think that kids had probably been doing just that for some 400 years!
Note the manor house on the left and Lewes Castle up in the right hand corner. Oh - and the bored teens, who probably suffer from the universal affliction of not appreciating anything at all. It’s ok, I have enough of it to cover them.
The Big Picture: Uplifting Elevator
15/06/09 13:36 Filed in: Sleeping Around | Scotland
Tonight I’m staying in Edinburgh’s brand new Hotel Missoni, which just opened last week. It’s all funky and colourful and super stylish - quite the contrast from the drab grey architecture outside. Couldn’t resist this shot in the elevator. And yes, someone walked in while I was lying on the floor. Of course.
www.hotelmissoni.com
The Big Picture: Whitechapel's Junk Hunk
12/06/09 17:56 Filed in: England | Big Picture
I was strolling through East London (a.k.a. Jack the Rippersville) yesterday and couldn’t believe my eyes when I spied this chap who looked like he had walked into a London fog some time around 1892 and emerged from it in 2009. Wearing this retro outfit, he was standing in front of an old fashioned store organizing old books.
Was he a ghost? A jet-lag induced hallucination? An extra in a new Sherlock Holmes made-for-TV movie? No, he was Andrew Coram, owner of Beedell Coram Antiques (86a Commercial Street), which is probably more photogenic than it is shoppable.
I had a peek inside but couldn’t get much further than the front door as junk threatened to eat me alive from the feet up. Everything from loose film to portraits of dour Englishmen was haphazardly stacked every which way. So instead I settled upon simply talking to Andrew, who was just as eccentric as I had hoped. What else do you expect from a person who plucks a dirty bowler hat from a trashcan and wears it with such effortless panache?
Not Paying a Princely Sum
The classic double-decker bus drove right past the hordes of tourists and parked itself right there in Buckingham Palace’s front yard. I realize that might seem kind of redneckish. But hey, we’re talking about London’s fanciest home here.
Off the bus clomped a crew of travel journalists, most of whom are not accustomed to wearing heels (myself included).
For two hours only, we were part of the royal court, invited to a special reception with Prince Philip (that bloke who shagged Queen Elizabeth and created the quotable wonder that is Prince Charles) upon the occasion of his 88th birthday.
I was initially excited by the exclusive invitation. Then my thoughts turned to red-light blinking, siren shrieking, run-for-cover terror, as I remembered that, as a travel journalist, I possess the bank account of a travel journalist. My Balenciaga was somewhere around, oh, let’s see...(converting to British pounds here)...ZERO.
However, England’s wealth of cheap and fashionable clothing stores became this Cinderella’s fairy godmother. Some careful hunting produced this outfit, which rang in under $100. In other news, I’m relieved to report I was not arrested by the Buckingham fashion police.
Here’s a breakdown:
Dress, H&M: $40
Sweater, New Look: $30
Hat, Primark: $12
For more on my visit with The Duke of Edinburgh, stay tuned for an upcoming video...
The New Phrasebook
08/06/09 01:00 Filed in: Humor
By Reb Stevenson
There was a time when terms like “passport” and “overhead bins” were as complicated as it got when it came to travel talk.
But in the last few years, a fresh generation of travel buzzwords has infiltrated our lexicon. Now you practically have to bone up on a whole new language before you pick up Conde Nast Traveller Magazine. And you thought German was difficult…
For your convenience and entertainment, The Star has compiled this short traveller’s dictionary.
Agritourism –Staying on a farm or in a rural village, often voluntarily pitching in with chores (but rarely rising with the rooster,).
Babymoon – “One last trip” taken by an expecting couple before the arrival of travel-thwarting offspring.
Barefoot Luxury – Degree of comfort whereby a Forbes 500 member will not compromise their social standing or their $200 pedicure by removing their Manolos or Italian Loafers and padding around. Read More...
The Big Picture: How 'bout dem apples?
“Stop!!” I squealed at my driver, as we sped wildly through rural Macedonia.
It took a fair bit of effort for him to do so, since our average speed was about 120 kilometres per hour (a Sunday drive by Macedonian standards).
Out of nowhere, half a dozen women had appeared by the side of the road, each manning one of these identical apple stands. I simply HAD to photograph them, which means I was obligated to buy their wares ($2 got me enough to keep the doctor at bay for a good week or so).
Gotta be honest: the fruit was mealy as heck. But what a juicy photo!
The Big PIcture: Flipping England
02/06/09 13:33 Filed in: England | Big Picture
Three things I love:
The English Countryside
A Nice Dollop of Sunshine
Sheep that Mind Their Own Business
Speaking of which, Flip just released HD versions in Canada, which excites me tremendously. I’ve got myself the Flip Ultra HD, which I shall be testing out next week when I visit London, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Windbreaker 2009
30/05/09 13:42 Filed in: Gear
$138 at Lululemon.
From my weekly travel gear column in
Photo del Dia
28/05/09 14:48 Filed in: Central America
TABOOZE!
25/05/09 21:08 Filed in: Humor
I often pen fun humour stories for this Canadian magazine for couples. Here’s my latest...
BY REB STEVENSON
You’re all grown up now. And it’s so lovely and refined to pop open a bottle of wine that costs more than $10, recline on a pristine couch and watch HBO with your significant other.
But admit it—sometimes you secretly yearn for the university parties of yore. The days when seven of you could pile onto a brownish sofa that someone harvested from the curb, play a wild drinking game and still be laughing as you puke up a combination of rum, Molson Canadian and peach schnapps.
Well, who says that devil-may-care tone can’t resurface every now and then in your relationship? All you need is some booze, dice, cards and these sexy ideas.
READ MORE
You’re all grown up now. And it’s so lovely and refined to pop open a bottle of wine that costs more than $10, recline on a pristine couch and watch HBO with your significant other.
But admit it—sometimes you secretly yearn for the university parties of yore. The days when seven of you could pile onto a brownish sofa that someone harvested from the curb, play a wild drinking game and still be laughing as you puke up a combination of rum, Molson Canadian and peach schnapps.
Well, who says that devil-may-care tone can’t resurface every now and then in your relationship? All you need is some booze, dice, cards and these sexy ideas.
READ MORE
Fine Dining a La Recession
24/05/09 20:51 Filed in: Gear
$9.95 U.S. at www.ricksteves.com
From my weekly travel gear column in
Sandman Spray
17/05/09 18:25 Filed in: Gear
$16.85 at The Body Shop
From my weekly travel gear column in
Coffee Caddy
12/05/09 05:29 Filed in: Gear
Swine flu this, swine flu that. Everybody is so busy discussing swine flu that the true pandemic du jour is 
slipping under the radar. We’re talking Starbucksitis here folks. Symptoms include 24/7 coffee breath, attempted use of the word “venti” in the real world and a cup permanently affixed to one’s palm. Gripped by separation anxiety, sufferers usually make a point of toting a gigantic beverage on a long-haul flight. But where to put the awkward vessel? Try a Cup Pilot. It attaches to the tray table whether opened or closed, folds to stow in a pouch and can also grip the seat back or a suitcase. In the event of turbulence, it acts like a seatbelt for your java. However, please note that Cup Pilot accepts no responsibility should your caffeine buzz come to a crash landing.
$19.85 US at www.magellans.com
From my weekly travel gear column in
$19.85 US at www.magellans.com
From my weekly travel gear column in
All Aboard at Steam Whistle
By Reb Stevenson
FREE BEER.
If you're female, the acquisition of said beverage usually necessitates some serious eyelash batting and a plunging neckline. For males, it probably entails something a bit shadier, like cooler raiding at a campground.
None of the above applies at Steam Whistle Brewery in Toronto. You get two eight-ounce glasses of their premium pilsner beer just for walking in off the street -- you don't even have to take the brewery tour.
Read More...
State of Grace
03/05/09 10:55 Filed in: Sleeping Around | Caribbean
REB STEVENSON
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico–Sure, there's a beach nearby. But Old San Juan is so stacked with culture, history and nightlife that an urban Caribbean holiday suddenly seems feasible.
The blue brick cobblestone streets are still supercharged with Spanish romance, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1898. From the pastel-hued buildings to the salsa music that beckons from hole-in-the-wall cafes, it's clear that a hedonistic spirit reigns in these parts.
Hotel El Convento presides over sleepy little Plaza of the Nuns in the heart of the old town. You can't miss it – just look for a grandiose, colonnaded exterior that is almost ironically softened by a buttery yellow paint job.
Read More...
A Tale of Three Households, Part 1: Ripley Castle
30/04/09 11:36 Filed in: England
There’s a good chance your living room features a ’70s era portrait of your dad sporting stalker glasses and a moustache. That’s, like, sooo vintage, man! 
Try Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire, England, where the ancestral paintings span 700 years. The breathtaking property - now open as a museum, has been continuously inhabited by the Ingilby family since 1309. The current Ingilby is Sir Thomas (see portrait, below), who still lives in an apartment within the home.
The rest - including 2,000 acres of land - is open to the public. So much for the days of hunting, fishing and sneering away the afternoon.
“The aristocracy has changed so much in the last 60-70 years,” guide Eric Campbell tells me. “He’s inheriting a business, really.”
On the upside, everyday paupers like yours truly now get to drink in all the splendour. Ripley Castle is loaded with neat features such as the library,
which includes a 1559 medical handbook called....do you have a few minutes?.... The Secrets of the Revered Master Alexis of Piedmont Containing Many Excellent Remedies.
I climbed in.
I got bored.
But I suppose that’s nothin’ to complain about when you consider Francis’ fate. His Catholicism was eventually exposed...and so were his guts: he was hung, drawn and quartered (it’s 16th century England, what did you expect, 15 hours of community service?!)
Try Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire, England, where the ancestral paintings span 700 years. The breathtaking property - now open as a museum, has been continuously inhabited by the Ingilby family since 1309. The current Ingilby is Sir Thomas (see portrait, below), who still lives in an apartment within the home.
The rest - including 2,000 acres of land - is open to the public. So much for the days of hunting, fishing and sneering away the afternoon.
“The aristocracy has changed so much in the last 60-70 years,” guide Eric Campbell tells me. “He’s inheriting a business, really.”
On the upside, everyday paupers like yours truly now get to drink in all the splendour. Ripley Castle is loaded with neat features such as the library,
Another curiosity lies in the lovely wood-panelled Tudor Room: the PRIEST HOLE, a hiding place for those turbulent times when it was illegal to be Catholic in England (Francis Ingilby was a covert priest, you see).Bald? It prescribes “Take three frogs, fry them alive in a pot and apply to your head.” (Thinking I might have to patent this formula, if only so I can brand it FROGAINE).
I got bored.
But I suppose that’s nothin’ to complain about when you consider Francis’ fate. His Catholicism was eventually exposed...and so were his guts: he was hung, drawn and quartered (it’s 16th century England, what did you expect, 15 hours of community service?!)
The Man in the Khaki Hat
25/04/09 17:21 Filed in: Gear | On the Road With...
Want to hear about a hat trick? Alex Tilley turned a single hat into a travel wear empire that spans 18 countries and 2,600 stores.
In 1980, Ontario-born Tilley was just an amateur sailor with a thorn in his side: his hat kept hitching a ride in the wind.
So, purely as a hobby, he set about designing his own stay-put headwear.
He teamed up with a milliner, a seamstress and a sail maker. The original Tilley Hat was born and before long other sailors wanted one, too.
Tilley also designed a pair of sailing shorts with a reinforced rear, but those were a bit of a flop. But then a man asked him to create a similar pair of pants - not for sailing, but for travel. From that moment, it was anchor’s aweigh for Tilley Endurables.
Now there are six family-owned Tilley-brand stores in Canada (the flagship store is on Don Mills Road) and the hats come in 30 styles, 9 fabrics, 13 sizes and 24 colours.
The Star recently sat down for a chin wag with the man in the khaki hat. Read More...
Ask the Mask
25/04/09 17:15 Filed in: Gear
$30 at www.mytagalongs.com
From my weekly travel gear column in
Operation: Unfrump
21/04/09 20:31 Filed in: Gear
By Reb Stevenson
(Photos by Billy Reid)
Fashion: it’s a dirty word amongst “Real” Travellers.
Real Travellers rise above the vanity. Real Travellers pack light. Real Travellers don schlubby khaki shirts as they focus on virtuous things like broadening cultural horizons.
Real Travellers look like crap.
Lest you think I’m judging from the sidelines, let me tell you about the time I alternated between two pairs of pants for six months.
The low point was Rome. Sleek Italian women graced any old sidewalk with the style prowess of Iman on the catwalk while I clomped around in hiking shoes and droopy cargo pants that - after two months of continuous wear – were starting to serve as a scrapbook of souvenir stains from my trip.
Even the men looked prettier than me. Ouch.
Then again, nobody wants to be that ditzy fashionista who packs a wardrobe-on-wheels for one night of camping.
Practicality counts. Hidden compartments, zip-off sleeves and quick-drying fabrics are beneficial.
But the fundamental problem with purpose-made travel clothing is that it usually makes you look like you’re either on safari or kayaking.
However, there’s good news: nowadays travel togs can be both flattering and functional. You just need to know where to look and how to pack. Read More...
Reinventing Yourself Through Travel
17/04/09 09:19 Filed in: Books | Active Travel
You can’t afford the trip.
Giraffes scare the bejeezus out of you.
Adventure travel is for young men with six-pack abs.
Go on…make all the excuses you want. But Carol Patterson won’t buy them.
The Calgary-based author of a new book called Reinventure: How Travel Adventure Can Change Your Life, Patterson urges you to tackle risks head-on.
Why? Not so you can flaunt a stamp-riddled passport or show off a new Turkish carpet at your next neighbourhood gathering.
For Patterson, the true reward of travel is something intangible: personal growth. Read More...
Jet Pack Mentality
13/04/09 14:40 Filed in: Gear
$79.99 at Capital City Luggage (1337 Wellington Street West in Ottawa) or online at www.lugtravel.com
From my weekly travel gear column in
Cadbury Secrets
09/04/09 09:38 Filed in: England
By Reb Stevenson
It nests temptingly near cash registers, fits neatly in the palm of your hand, and incubates a satisfying embryo of goo.
The Cadbury Creme Egg: like clockwork, the ubiquitous Easter confection reappears each Spring.
But, despite its dependability, there is still a shroud of mystery surrounding the Creme Egg: just what is that filling? Why does it vanish after Easter? And is there a chocolate hen involved?
You’ll find the answers at Cadbury World in Bournville, England.
Read More...
White Knuckling at Carrick-a-Rede
08/04/09 05:32 Filed in: Ireland
It’s a lovely 1km walk along the blustery coastline to reach the bridge. If you enjoy 10,000 shades of green, dramatic cliffs and noisy gulls, you’ll be in heaven.
Luckily, with ropes on either side, the fear factor is significantly reduced these days. Mind you, when the wind swoops in and greets the bridge with a mighty blast, it does make you wonder whether YOU’LL be the next thing that’s fished out of the salty depths.
The Friendly Giant's Causeway
05/04/09 15:28 Filed in: Ireland
The Giant’s Causeway was crawling with average-sized folk this afternoon. And, I must say, this unique natural phenomenon does have HUGE appeal.
Those bizarre, hexagonal basalt columns are a result of ancient volcanic eruptions.
(Traveller’s Tip: The site is near the town of Bushmills, which boasts a quirky Inn with nooks and fireplaces and mashed potatoes and all that nice cosy stuff.)
Escape From L.A.
05/04/09 14:35 Filed in: USA
By Reb Stevenson
LOS ANGELES–Los Angeles is like its own surreal theme park.
There's valet parking at the iHop. Surgical procedures are advertised as casually as haircuts. Pedestrian? What's that? Is it a new SUV model? It's amusing, there's no doubt about it. But if you're not the type who shoots Botox for breakfast, all of the above can leave you spinning.
Good news: the escape route to nature is closer than you think. The next time you're in L.A. and gasping for air, leave the smoggy circus behind for the day and start rolling up the coast.
Read on HERE...
Ramble on (The South Downs)
02/04/09 19:03 Filed in: England
This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of rambling to from Lewes to Glynde (about 1 hour) with my English friends Julian and Andy Thomas. Andy is a presenter on Rocket FM and journalist Julian practically lives on the Downs, rambling for hours almost every day when he’s not sojourning in Hong Kong.
The roast lunch offers a choice of turkey, beef or lamb with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding (oooh yeah), carrots, broccoli, cabbage and other assorted veggies on the side. And it’s all smothered in a pool of gravy.
For more on rambling, visit www.ramblers.org.uk or watch my video from last September.