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A Layover in Guangzhou, China with China Southern
Last year I was reading emails when I saw one that said flights to Australia from Vancouver were something like $660 return. Turns out that was USD but still I jumped at the opportunity and booked myself a flight for $845 CND return. It meant I had two long haul...
The 2016 European Museum Tour Continued in Paris
Europe is one giant tourist dream with so much to see and do everywhere you go. One of the best aspects of Europe is the history. There is so much of it, and while countries and cities continually modernize, they value their history and reuse it. Paris is no...
Cairns and the Surrounding Area in Australia
[fusion_text]Having never been to a tropical weather location previously, I was quite shocked by my week in Cairns and the surrounding area. I thought I knew my body and understood it’s functions. The how and when of my body sweating. I did not. (Turns out I was...
Visiting the Alice Springs Area – And The Cockroach That Won
[fusion_text]When I booked my flight to Australia, I knew I was going to be there for Christmas. I was really looking forward to my very first warm one. Instead I got one that reminded me of Christmas in Vancouver. It was wet. The way things worked out, I ended up...
Travelling from Vancouver to Victoria by Ferry
In all the years I've lived in Vancouver, I have never experienced travelling from Vancouver to Victoria by ferry, in July or August. I guess I always thought it would be too busy. I was missing out though. BC Ferries (website here) even has a really cool special...
The Tour from Alice Springs to Uluru and Kings Canyon
The Tour from Alice Springs to Uluru and Kings Canyon Wow! Australia knows how to impress you and scare the living crap out of you, all at the same time. You know, just enough so you start questioning your sanity. Enter the tour from Alice Springs to Uluru. I mean,...
Swami’s Yoga Retreat – A Review of My Stay
I climbed out of the car, stepped on the soft grass, felt the heat of the day in the air as it touched my skin, and suddenly the most incredible feeling of calm and peace settled over me. This was my immediate impression upon arrival of Swami’s Yoga Retreat (website)....
West Village Café and My New Favourite Grilled Cheese
I have LOVED grilled cheese sandwiches my entire life. I actually have two favourites in Vancouver that are my go to when I really need a fix. One is Mom’s Grilled Cheese food truck in downtown Vancouver, and the other is Burgoo restaurant, also in Vancouver. But,...
Amsterdam – Where The 2016 European Museum Tour Began
One day at work I opened my emails, and there was a beaming one (maybe it was just beaming in my memory). It was from WestJet, offering a new route to London, England. There was also an amazing introductory sale price that worked out to be about $700.00 return after...
Airbnb Accommodation: The Pros, Cons and Tips for Renting
Accommodation is probably the largest expense when you travel. Hotels are the more expensive option and hostels or camping are obviously the cheaper options. Smack in the middle of those choices now though is Airbnb (website). Not only is Airbnb cost efficient but...
My Two Day Road Trip to the Daintree Rainforest from Cairns
[fusion_text]First of all, let me give everyone a necessary piece of advice. Cairns is a tourist city. Everyone rents cars in Cairns. Don’t wait till you arrive to rent one, book it in advance. I had booked myself a place to stay in the Daintree Rainforest which is...
VIM & VIGR Compression Socks – Most Unique Pattern & Review
When I flew to Europe last year I noticed my black compression socks were stretched and no longer in their original shape. They didn’t have all of the elasticity left in them. I knew I needed to get myself a new pair for flying to Australia and New Zealand. Obviously...
Melbourne – Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate, a few things, and oh yah, Transportation
Melbourne is a big city that has history, art, shopping, food, architecture, culture, coffee and chocolate. The one thing that stood out for me walking around Melbourne is the fact that there is so much chocolate. So very much chocolate. I’m not normally a big...
Melbourne – A Few of the Things to See and Do
Ohhhh Melbourne. I’m not sure what I expected but being able to do so much for free sure wasn’t in my mind. Melbourne is a big city that has history, art, shopping, food, architecture, culture, coffee and chocolate. Oh so much chocolate. You can read about the...
Castlemaine, the Small City with a Big Heart
Before I left Canada the only thing I knew about Castlemaine was that a longtime friend from my hometown lived there with her husband. Now I know that it is a small city, in a lovely part of the country, where the gold rush happened, and amongst other little towns...