Europe is a fantastic area for history, art and food buffs. I love how so many countries are within an easy train ride of each other. I try to go as often as I can and when I do I write about it! Check out first trip to Europe within my Italian adventures which essentially inspired me to begin this blog.
You can also find my very first experience in France which includes Reims, a Champagne day trip, Versailles and many more excursions and tours to help you discover what it worth doing and what is worth skipping.
Ireland has been a wonderful love affair as I have explored it thoroughly with stops in Sheridan’s cheesemongers, the Howth seaside and numerous castles!
The Greek Islands are one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world but many people that have never visited before don’t know which island they should go to. Each island has its own...
Read MoreLooking for a local’s ultimate graffiti guide to Madrid? Juliette of Discovery Madrid has the details so that you can conduct your own DIY tour of this gorgeous Spanish city’s streets. I am no stranger...
Read MoreHaving a holiday booked to look forward to is a great way to motivate yourself through those tough work days or cold winter months ahead. It can somehow make the tough days bearable, knowing that...
Read MoreA hotel may be your first choice when looking for a place to stay while on vacation but should it be? I’ve stayed in a wide range of unique stays from convents to apartments. Take it...
Read MoreAfter a decade since studying abroad in Italy I look back at each city I visited and reflect on what I learned. For a budding foodie, Italy is one of the best places to nourish...
Read MoreThis is not a guide that covers how to get from the airport to your hotel. Nor is it a guide that talks about what you should do with your 6 hours before you need...
Read MoreHistoric Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide® have inducted 17 historic hotels into membership through April 2017. These historic hotels date back to the 13th century. The 17 iconic hotels represent different independent hotels, brands, and collections...
Read MoreRows of cragged trees with wandering branches lined the curvaceous roads along the River Boyne. I was on a tour with Irish Day Tours – the only tour group who featured the lesser known...
Read MoreIreland might not be famous for its food but it should be. You probably think of fried foods, soda bread and blood sausage but there’s so much more to it! Delectable seafood, sticky ribs, hearty...
Read MoreAs you can see from the picturesque postcards from Ireland in this post, it is a stunning country. Ireland is one of my favourite countries so far. I first visited it in 2013 with my...
Read MoreI depart for London in just over 3 weeks and I’ve got plenty on our to-do list for that trip. But I have my sights on June 2017 (always wanderlusting) in Provence. I figured it...
Read MoreIf you haven’t been paying close attention to my little breadcrumbs I’ve been leaving throughout the past few months then you may not know where we decided to go for our honeymoon. With the wedding...
Read MoreLife has been so busy lately I have barely had time to celebrate the year my website turns 5. It’s official birthday was in March of this year but with the redesign underway I wasn’t...
Read More“It’sa the most expensive coffee in de worrrld.” Our very Italian Walks of Italy guide annunciated to us, a slightly buzzed group of 20 travelers from around the world. We had just arrived at the...
Read MoreOk. Maybe I should rephrase that. One of the best meals I had in Paris was in fact eaten at a Greek restaurant in a terribly touristy area. France has just beat Nigeria in the...
Read MoreRaised on my tippy toes I struggled to see the hall of mirrors for what it was in its entirety. People of all nationalities and all languages were buzzing about to and fro without any...
Read MoreJust in time for the month of love and floating mischievous cupids the ArtSmart Roundtable is taking aim at the depiction of love in art. If you’re new to ArtSmart Roundtable you can follow us,...
Read MoreHow is it possible this year is already coming to a close? It’s time for a look back. This is 2014 in review. This year has offered opportunities I had only dreamed about when beginning...
Read MoreA narrow quiet candlelit dinning room with accents of slate, natural woods and a chalkboard with expertly handwritten “Shalapata” across it in white chalk. We were the typical tourists that night dinning at an early...
Read MoreFor those of you new to the ArtSmart Roundtable, we are a group of travel bloggers with a passion for art. We write monthly about a designated topic publishing it on the first Monday of...
Read MoreEveryone has imagined what it would be like to live in another city or foreign country. I’ve always imagined myself in Paris. Having grown up in the French immersion education system here in Canada you...
Read MoreNo matter how your trip is going in Paris – good, bad or a topsy-turvey mixture of both – nothing will settle you in more than a relaxing drift along the Seine. There we were...
Read MoreHave you ever spontaneously visited a country you least expected? That was the case more than one year ago for me. I submitted my application for Bloghouse by Navigate Media half expecting not to be...
Read MoreThings never quite work out how you planned them to be. This is especially the case while traveling. Before departing Canada I had customized our own tour of the Champagne region for 6 people. I...
Read MorePlanning a birthday in Paris is tough believe it or not. My birthday falls within a week of my moms which meant we would be celebrating two birthdays in the city of light. Luckily I...
Read MoreI remember hearing that the Louvre only has 10% of it’s collection on display in Paris. If you haven’t been before it is a massive museum and would take you over a month to explore...
Read MoreI can’t remember if it was when I was in high school while talking with my teacher about her travels to France and Germany or if it was when I tasted my first escargot...
Read MoreI love wine. I visit plenty of wineries. I enjoy learning about the ancient elixir. Trying to pair it with meals is a delicious trial and error. I even enjoy photographing it. But I have...
Read MoreThis month the ArtSmart Roundtable theme is “An Art Day in…” and having just returned from my first time in Paris I have plenty to write about. Almost every day was an art day in...
Read MoreLocal Venetian life is like an exclusive club you can only inherit or purchase your way into like Elton John. But, I’ve found a bit of a shortcut that doesn’t cost you over €4000 per...
Read MoreSo much good food! Yes I am still alive after so much traveling within these past 4 weeks. From Italy and France to Northern British Columbia I have returned with many stories to tell....
Read MoreVenice, as I explain to anyone who asks, is one of those places that makes your heart glow when you think about it. At least it is for me. Where else can you see history...
Read MoreArtSmart is a group of bloggers who write about a specified topic to be published on the first Monday of each month. You can see my colleagues’ posts at the bottom of this page. This...
Read MoreWith only 1 month to go until I return to Venice. I have been allowing myself to binge on all things Venetian during the weekends. This includes watching usually bad movies set in the gorgeous...
Read MoreVisiting the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice for the first time is an experience to remember. But visiting it for the first time as the sunsets at a private party with booming music and an Aperol...
Read MoreIt’s been a while since I’ve written a Sunday Pranzo. What brought me back was the visions of cheese dancing in my head as I cut back on all things delicious and decadent for a...
Read MoreYes I am counting down the days (83) until I leave for my European vacation involving both Venice and Paris. Two cities that embody elegance, classic art history narratives and artists as well as fabulous...
Read MoreIn my family I am renown for planning, admittedly it can end up to be too much. I tend to overcompensate for those who tend to not plan at all. But over the years I...
Read MoreDay trips in Ireland, such as the one I took with Day Tours.ie , are different. The Irish guides tell you their nation’s stories of the past, present and potential future during your trip throughout...
Read MoreI had heard a lot of mixed things about Guinness. My boyfriend, an avid beer drinker of Budweiser, said I wouldn’t like it. I can’t say I am a fan of Budweiser either. But Anthony Bourdain...
Read MoreThe Wicklow Gap stop turned out to be a bit of a let down during our day tour. So when my sister, Taryn, and I finally arrived at Glendalough I was relieved. We had...
Read MoreIn Wicklow County, Ireland the landscape changes from the typical green rolling hills being grazed by sheep or cows to a brown valley at the Wicklow Gap. Once a frozen glacier the light tumbles across...
Read MoreThe rain is different in Ireland. I was expecting big ol’ fat rain but instead it was an annoying mist that would cloak you like a blanket of damp. When my sister Taryn and I...
Read MoreWhen I told my sister, Taryn, we would have to wake up at 5:30am for our Monday full day tour with DayTours.ie she groggily looked at me with jet lagged eyes and said “Okay”. What...
Read MoreTo this day one of the most oddest sandwich shops I have ever step foot in was in Rome very near to my hotel, the Holiday Inn Express where we admittedly cheaped out on our...
Read MoreJune marked my 3 year anniversary since I first met and became infatuated with Venice and its history. I traveled there in 2010 to study art history and in particular the Reniassance of Venice and...
Read MoreHappy April Fools! As we indulge in the last of the winter’s helpings of hearty vegetables and salty ham or turkey we may want to take care in accepting mama’s special plate made just for...
Read MoreI am very excited to be writing my first post for the ArtSmart Roundtable which is a group of brilliant bloggers who write once a month on a topic or theme, each...
Read MoreWant some nautical adventure in the middle of a historic city this May? Why not sign yourself up for the Vogalonga in Venice? While Venice is celebrating Carnival this February, I am reminiscing about a...
Read MoreThe Vatican Museum was a highlight of my trip to Rome. However, the weather was not cooperating at all so my boyfriend and I stood in the rain (with sandals) for 45 minutes...
Read MoreI first saw San Gimignano on the cover of my DK Italy guide book. It being my first trip abroad I would consult the guide for vague help before arriving somewhere new. When I realized...
Read MoreThe first time I stood before the Duomo di Firenze I was consumed with the vast amount of detail on its exterior façade of green, creamy-white and soft, aging burgundy...
Read MoreBesides being a foodie’s dream location, Bologna also offers a wealth of activities where visitors can interact with its gritty, ancient and intellectual history. It is home to one of the oldest Universities in...
Read MoreIf you’ve been to Venice you may have your mind made up on whether or not you love it or hate it. The streets are narrow and difficult to manoeuvre amongst the dense lines of...
Read MoreHands down, Venice was my favourite city of Italy. This goes against popular opinion where some seem to think it is not worthy for a lengthy visit. This couldn’t be more wrong. I wrote a...
Read MoreWhile on the topic of markets this week I must share a most unusual and exciting market in the small town of Mantua (AKA Mantova). You know…that place where Romeo was exiled from fair Verona?...
Read MoreOne of the best “strolls” I have ever had the privilege to take was in Vicenza, Italy. Actually, to be more specific, it was from the centre of town up into the hills over looking...
Read MoreMy final day in Rome I saved the best for last or what you expect to the best… the Colosseum. I had worried that I built this iconic symbol to be something more grand than...
Read MoreOne thing that drove me nuts while in Italy was the lack of bacon and eggs. I learned very fast that the Italians aren’t big breakfast people and, often, the only thing I could turn...
Read MoreIs Capri, Italy worth the trip from Rome? It is a question I get asked by those looking to spice up their trip to Italy with a glam location full of sun and azure...
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