There are no crack of dawn starts when you're traveling with Hungary's Vinociped's nine-day Wine and Bike tour. The name says it all - cycling comes second. ...read more »

The land of Israel is ancient, powerful. It is as stark as death and as cruel as bitterness. Under the harsh white sun, its hills and valleys have echoed to the scream of bullets, the whine of grenades, the cries of the wounded and dying. The land of Israel is also hauntingly beautiful: mountains brood against the sky, buzzards ride the thermals against a blazing sun and parchment-coloured cliffs, wind-scribbled like ancient Hebrew scrolls, line the highway. ...read more »

There is just something about the place names in Switzerland that lends a feeling of sophistication and romance. My wife and I are people watching, sitting outside of The Café Rathaus on the banks of the River Ruess. We are nibbling on a tasty pretzel pastry and sipping on a wheat beer brewed right on the premises in big copper cauldrons and served in tall thin glass steins. ...read more »

When I think of the Turks & Caicos archipelago, captivating images of coral reefs, dazzling white sands, aquamarine waters and cerulean blue skies seduce my thoughts. Naturally, my imagination has photo shopped them to a perfection that reflects reality. Or does it? ...read more »

Whale watching, jet boating, sand dune scaling, beach browsing, and guzzling 'razors'; we never tire of Oregon's 575-kilometre coast. ...read more »

It's been a few years since I've straddled a saddle. And though my plump rump will likely survive the trot, I'm not sure about the rest of my aging body. Trepidation mounts as the horses charge up to the podium where I stand -or shake -in my boots. The only consolation is -the two other gal pals who are with me, are shaking even more. ...read more »

The cheers from below fueled my courage. Still, with every step the air currents seemed ever stronger, my knuckles grew ever whiter as my fingers clutched the rigging, and my refrains of 'Yo Ho Ho' sang out with ever decreasing bravado. But there was little choice. My ascent was a matter of honor borne out of a cheery time the evening before when I had blithely accepted a challenge to climb the ratlines. After all, how hard could it be? My ancestors had served in the British Royal Navy on craft such as this and surely somewhere, somehow, their salt was in my veins. ...read more »

Trans-Canada Trail crosses most of southern British Columbia atop the historic Kettle Valley Railway. Most mountain bikers pedal this popular KVR section one-way from Rock Creek to Penticton, yet our Zen Cyclopath group begins outside Osoyoos. Utilizing the less-traveled spur into Penticton, we'll loop back through Rock Creek to Osoyoos ...read more »

My husband is grimacing as he tries to empty the sewage, known in RV terminology as 'black water,' into a dumping station at an Albertan RV camp. I'm marveling at the fact that he's hardly complained, even after driving our rented RV for hours along Alberta's highways, a process he likens to pushing a bathtub uphill. ...read more »

There were many skills I thought I'd master on my recent kayaking trip in British Columbia's Johnstone Straits but learning how to burn pee-soaked toilet paper hadn't made that list.

Sea Kayak Adventures promised a wilderness experience extraordinaire. They delivered; Orcas, humpbacks, doll porpoises and eagles littered the landscape, the camp stove fare was gourmet and the guiding, expert. ...read more »

We cruise slowly up the muddy river straining our eyes to detect the exotic wildlife hidden in the trees. Old Eagle Eye, our Malaysian boat driver, cigarette hanging from his lips, suddenly cuts the motor of our boat and silently points upwards. Trees rustle and we catch our first glimpse of the Proboscis Monkey. The large protruding nose is unmistakable. Numerous members of his harem jump from branch to branch in the dense forest. ...read more »

It seemed a mysterious, enchanting and magical place. I stood alone amongst the standing stones known as The Ring of Bodgar. A tour bus had just departed, taking with it a throng of tourists. I had the place briefly to myself. The sun was low in the late afternoon sky, throwing long shadows from the weather-worn, textured stones and reflecting golden off the Loch of Stenness behind. The ground had the feel of history. I stood wondering what ancient ceremonies had taken place here. ...read more »

"You probably believe that you will always live within a democracy," Lada Ptacek pauses, his index finger pushing at the bridge of his glasses, "I am here to tell you that you cannot assume this. Systems change. Regimes come. There is no guarantee of how it will be." His English is studied, as he tries to convey his truth to our group of American, Canadian and New Zealander cyclists. ...read more »

Calgary is sleeping soundly in the pitch black of an early fall morning when the Rocky Mountaineer train pulls out of Union Station. It's 6:15am and most passengers are bleary eyed but for the jumpstart of coffee, lulled into inertia by the fast movement of the train as we zip through the darkness en route to Banff. When the morning light creeps in there are towering mountains on either side of us, the sun breaking gently over their sheer, rocky slopes. ...read more »

Powerful flanks move in easy rhythm. Prima is the first to reach me. I see my reflection in her gentle ebony eye as she tucks her nose against my cheek and whinnies a greeting. Paschar nuzzles in next, followed by Micah. Among these Warmbloods (sport horse breeds), I notice two Shetland Ponies, and...what? a bull! - his stocky form nonchalantly munching hay alongside several large equines. ...read more »

As Nevada's scorching desert sun soaked into my shoulders and back, I tingled all over at the prospect of plunging into the cool Mohave waters. And with only desert hills, the scent of sagebrush and a family of big-horn sheep for company, I inched forward until swoosh, giggle, splash, the heat of my naked body met its chill factor. But within minutes, I was back on board the houseboat, sitting atop the slide, and ready for the next descent! ...read more »

I have to tell you about the "sausage convention" in Orvieto. At least that is what we called them..."the sausage guys". They were everywhere, in packs of 6 or 7, strolling the streets in their "going-to-town" suits and ties. My husband, Luigi, the Italian linguist, said that their dialect was definitely from the "south"...but, no, they were not, or could not be associated with the "M" word. Their not-so-great-fitting suits and fake silk ties gave them away (and I think they bought their "designer" sunglasses from one of those street vendors). They strutted around like "flocks" of roosters, roosters with cell phones. ...read more »

The idyllic, 18th century Niagara-on-the-Lake has been called Canada's prettiest little town. It is home to some of North America's finest wineries, a sampling of great hotels, fine restaurants that specialize in local cuisine, eclectic shopping and the Shaw Festival. Blossoming flowers colour the neat and orderly downtown. Beautiful stone heritage buildings have been restored to their original splendour. Old-fashioned street lights illuminate the horse-drawn carriages that parade up and down Queen Street. Though its famous name has left it linked with one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the mood and pace of the charming town has little in common with the tourist-riddled, glitzy city of Niagara Falls...read more »

I am absolutely terrified. 51 sled dogs are screaming, baying and howling by the light of a fat-bellied cheesy moon. I am in Svanvik, Norway, as close to the Russian border as you can get without being shot. In spite of the crystalline air, or perhaps because of it, the smell of dog feces is sharp. I am dressed in a too-large snow-suit, felt-lined mukluks and wool-lined mitts. I'm freezing...read more »

I felt right at home in Ottawa. It rained almost the entire week that I was there-typical B.C. Fall weather with a scrim of fine mist veiling the city in the mornings and a thin drizzle all day...read more »

It is a hot January day and I am in Ballarat, Australia, thinking about a man who lived here at the turn of the last century. The man was my grandfather, and this is where he came seeking adventure as a young bachelor. In his time, Ballarat was still a gold mining community; today the miners have gone, and tourists fill the town coffers with dollar notes instead of gold nuggets. Even so, the past hasn't entirely evaporated. At Ballarat's Sovereign Hill, a stagecoach drawn by four magnificent chestnuts rumbles by me, and I am warped into an era which existed even before my granddad's time...read more »

If you like to send postcards of monasteries, mountains, haunting castles and lochs, don your kilt and visit the untrammeled regions of Dumfries and Galloway in the southwesterly arm of the Scottish mainland. ...read more »

Our boat skims over water so smooth it mirrors the surrounding mountains. The emptiness is vast and we have not passed another vessel in the last hour. There is evidence, though, of those who came long before us - petroglyphs on rock faces and abandoned logging camps. Bryce, at the helm, nods at massive Mount Churchill ahead and tells an old Sechelt legend. "It is said that if you point at the mountain, it is guaranteed to rain. No indication of when," he smiles, "but I don't test it!"...read more »

The canvas of his entire head was magnificently adorned, its shiny surface a mosaic of intriguing lines, curlicues and sacred design. The effect was so mesmerizing that I found myself staring -- hypnotised by this ethereal being...read more »

Despite warnings about Beijing's pollution, as I look out of my windows from my swanky Ritz Carlton Hotel suite this April morning, clear blue skies form a backdrop to a panoramic view of the city's financial district, and in a courtyard below, a group of citizens are practising Tai Chi exercises, their elongated forms in the bright sunlight, twisting and bending in a seemingly choreographed shadow-play....read more »

I was startled to realize that the woman in the striped dress was a mermaid. Then I chuckled when I noticed her right arm was a bird's wing. "She's Birdfishwoman," her creator told me. I was at the home of Russ Zeitz, a log house builder who is also noted for his whimsical wood carvings. Born in Saskatchewan, he studied log building in Prince George, BC before moving to Wakefield, QC. Russ is one of 22 artists in the Outaouais region of Quebec who open their workshops to the public for two weekends every year...read more »

Anybody who has ever traveled to India will likely tell you that the subcontinent is a land of vivid contrasts, of extremes co-existing with one another, and a massive assault on the senses. India's population of over 1 billion people has given the country a negative reputation, but within the villages of the tropical countryside and along the streets of the busy cities lies the true essence of a land that is among the most exotic and intriguing countries on Earth...read more »

Like a double-flavored gelato, the Swiss town of Lugano offers a taste of both Switzerland and Italy. Snuggled between curvaceous wooded mountains on the northern shores of Lake Lugano, it boasts a Mediterranean climate. Palm trees line the lakefront while lemon mimosas and purple bougainvillea spill from hillside loggias. The undulating border with Italy is just a hairsbreadth away by boat or road. The train south to Milan takes just over an hour...read more »

With the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on the horizon, powder hounds are heading up Whistler way to get a sneak peek -maybe even a trial run on a manicured slope. But why go that far? If you're in search of epic terrain, without the crowds, just head out your back door. These three great mountain escapes have heaps of wintry white fluff and lots of champion attributes...read more »

"Economy heading south!" screams the headline of my local newspaper. "Conserve your cash," preaches a guru on the early morning show. I rip open the envelope from my broker. Too late. My paltry savings have shrunk to the size of a freeze-dried prune. November rain is pounding the skylight...read more »

Santa has been sneaking away from the mall on certain days during December. The paparazzi found him gleefully swinging from the side-ladder of the powerful engine of the Verde Canyon Railroad Train in Clarkdale Arizona. Much laughter and singing resounded from within the coaches on these days, and there were sightings of Mrs. Clause and Elfie through the train's panoramic windows...read more »

The last of the 'old guard' is passing on, and a 'new guard' both in and out of uniform must carry their torch. For many, there's a dis-connect to the meaning of Remembrance Day. It's a national holiday. A day off school. A long weekend. A time when broadcasters re-run old war movies that are about as far removed from the real thing as Hollywood can imagine. But take the time to visit a memorial grave site, and the significance of Remembrance Day is laid in acres at your feet...read more »

Our destination was the protected waters of Kealakekua Bay near a monument erected in memory of Captain Cook. Once the crew equipped me with snorkel gear and frog feet, a wave of trepidation came over me as I descended the catamaran's stairway. On the previous day, a rogue wave had tossed me onto a resort beach, swamped my swimsuit with sand and left my favorite frog flippers ripped in tatters. This aquatic experience was going to be less traumatic, and within minutes I had flippered my way to join the pod of fellow snorkelers. Beneath me a liquid world was spangled with curtains of iridescent fish that constantly changed direction under the instructions of an unseen conductor...read more »

Thursday night is the night to party in Tel Aviv, and my nightlife guide, Doron, plans to see to it that we do just that! We start our bar hopping evening in Nanuchka, a Georgian restaurant bar with a unique décor, which is popular with the locals. Its terra-cotta walls are adorned with large mirrors and oil paintings. Garish chandeliers dangle from the ceiling providing a warm welcoming glow. The restaurant area hosts a calmer and relaxed crowd, while in the bar the patrons appear ready to jump up and dance all night long. I am told the place really gets hopping after midnight. Like most places in Tel Aviv, the bar scene does not get started until around 11pm and often runs until the last patron leaves. Nanuchka is located in the Rothschild quarter on Lillienblum Street, also known as the area to go clubbing in Tel Aviv. After a few drinks, we are ready to move on another bar in the party district ...read more »

The sea is an animal. Beyond the rain-swept windows of my room it snarls and roars as it claws at the rocky shore. I draw the curtains closed as a shiver of awe and unease curls up my spine. The scene outside is part of the notorious shipwreck-strewn Graveyard of the Pacific edging the west coast of Vancouver Island and, drawn by fascination with Nature's savagery, visitors like myself flock here through the winter and spring, on storm watching pilgrimages. ...read more »

I'm in the historic La Boheme hotel in Edmonton's Highland District, and I step back startled, as an ancient furnace in the basement roars into life. It's a long rusty looking tube, and the cavernous interior is lit by leaping flames along each side. A perfect place to dispose of a corpse. Which is exactly what happened when a woman's body was dragged down to the basement and heaved into the (then) coal fired incinerator by her murderous spouse...read more »

The best way to check out New Mexico's treasures is by getting off the beaten path, onto roads less traveled. Here are two tune-worthy trips...read more »

Let me be totally honest, I am not very fond of heights. That is why stepping off a mountain at 4,000 metres with nothing but nylon webbing separating one from certain death would seem a strange thing for me to be doing. Still, here I am, paragliding over the Aletsch Glacier, the longest alpine glacier in the world and a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The flight also affords a bird's eye view of the Swiss Alps, and of the neat, orderly nature of the landscape...read more »