A collection of travel narratives abroad and at home
As I eagerly anticipate my next trip - both far away and in Toronto - I've decided to share a tidbit from my creative travel writing course!¹ Last week, I wrote an account of my childhood road trips in detailed point form. By answering a few questions, I reached far into my repository of memories…
Continue reading ➞ Nostalgic Narratives: My Childhood Road Trips to Gaspé, Québec
Here is the last of my seasonal photo series of Philosopher's Walk. We've had a late start to winter for this year with mild temperatures from Christmas onward. Last Saturday, a fresh 15 cm dumping of snow blanketed the city. And it appears to be making a stay - at least long enough for me…
From gritty street art and all night techno to lederhosen, accordions, trumpets, and tankards. In my experience, no two cities that share nationalities are so culturally opposite to one another as Berlin and Munich. When I stepped off the train into Germany's third-largest city and Bavaria's capital, I briefly questioned if this was the same country.…
Continue reading ➞ Moments in Munich: Clocks, Beer, Surfers, and Subway Snafus
When there's a need to escape the city for a quiet place with family, my boyfriend and I head to the beaches and vineyards of Prince Edward County. Not to be confused with Canada's tiniest province, PEC is an island on the eastern shores of Lake Ontario, halfway between Toronto and Ottawa. Perhaps once Ontario's…
Continue reading ➞ This Lake Rocks! A Paleo-Portrait of Prince Edward County
The Christmas holidays are already here, approaching faster than you can say "egg nog." It dawned on me now that it's two days away. It's that time of year where both our bank accounts and blood pressures surge, feeling the time crunch to check off interminable lists of final chores and errands. We get vastly…
Before we knew it, the home stretch was upon us. There was an itinerary planned for our final day with shorter timed stops since Richard had to return us to Edinburgh by mid-afternoon. After breakfast, we crossed the Skye Bridge back to the mainland. The most enchanted isle of Scotland slowly sunk towards the horizon…
Continue reading ➞ Day Three in Scotland: Journey’s End with Whiskey and High Spirits
My view of Loch Ness was obscured by thick morning dew over our window. I wiped the moisture away with my sleeve and gazed outside, looking for a creature to surface above the water. Richard met us for breakfast, still wearing his kilt and outlined our schedule for day two on the Isle of Skye.…
Continue reading ➞ Day Two in Scotland: Reaching for the Skye
When you hear Scotland what comes to mind? Rugged Highlands, shimmering lochs and forgotten isles, haggis, the screeching of bagpipes and Scotsmen in kilts? These cultural symbols have been synonymous with "Scottishness" for as long as I can remember. But some travelers, perceive them as too campy for their liking, yearning instead to unravel the…
Continue reading ➞ Day One in Scotland: Hightailing Through the Highlands
Nestled on a hill lies a mysterious castle within Toronto's Annex, overlooking bustling cafes, museums and university campuses. Passersby at Spadina Road and Dupont Street would turn their heads, puzzled and enamored at the grey turrets poking out of the trees before commencing their school commute. Surrounded by aged, heritage homes, the castle's imposing nature…
Continue reading ➞ Casa Loma: The Story of Henry and the House on a Hill
Most of us see autumn as a time of change - at least I do. From the slow shedding away of old things and welcoming new challenges ahead like the impending cold and darkness of winter. The first step towards regeneration. Although we generally liken spring to life and rebirth, here in Philosopher's Walk, everything…
