Well, here we are in Umbria. Overlooking the little town of Ferentillo to be exact. Umbria is not Tuscany. It doesn’t have the profusion of hot springs that Tuscany has, though it has some. It doesn’t have the same…
Is the Roman Colosseum falling down? Could it mean the end of the world?
Is it true? Can the famous Colosseum in Rome be leaning? Recent reports say that the south side is about 16 inches (40 cm) lower than the north side and this, dear friends, could mean very bad news. It could…
The Vestal Virgins of Rome
You can’t shed the blood of a Vestal Virgin without angering the gods. That’s why the Vestal Virgins were buried alive if they got caught fooling around – no blood was spilled but they still got their punishment. (They…
Rome Cavalieri – a Roman holiday like you’ve never experienced
Rome is freaking hot in August. This is not a revelation. Newsflash: it’s also crowded with tourists. Trevi Fountain is jam packed with photo snapping tourists (oh, wait, that’s us.) But it’s still Italy, and who…
Aw, Awenda
“Are we the only people who start their beach day at 5:30 in the afternoon?” I asked the parks staff at Awenda Provincial Park as Mark and I rolled into the park’s office to pay our day fee. “No,…
Oh, Canada, forgive me
Look Canada, I’m sorry. I forgot your birthday. There I was, on your special day, writing about Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence. Yes, I’ve been taking you for granted. It wasn’t until I went to a cycling/party/Bar-B-Que in Dundas, Ontario…
Happy 50th anniversary, Jamaica
It seems I don’t need to travel anymore. I just go to events around Toronto. The Jamaica event down at St Lawrence Market was special, not just because 2012 is the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence, (hurrah, for Jamaica!) but because it’s…
The Optimism of Colour: William Perehudoff rides again
If you dwell on the decline of a loved one, then you rant and rave and nothing changes. Of course I wish my father, William Perehudoff, had been well enough to travel to the opening of his exhibition The…
Saltscapes Toronto, where lobster shakes travel writer out of jet-lagged stupor
When I get home from a trip across the Atlantic I go into hermit mode. That’s because – and I’ve mentioned this before – the soul TRAVELS AT THE SPEED OF A CAMEL. That’s what jet lag is, and until…
Why do I love the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris?
It’s possible I love the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris because I have never been able to afford to stay there, so it remains a mythical hotel in my mind. However, there are many hotels I can’t afford to stay at…