Category Archives: Travel

About 1,500 checked bags remain unclaimed in Vancouver after holiday travel chaos

RICHMOND, B.C. – About 1,500 checked bags remain unclaimed at Vancouver International Airport after winter storms wrecked havoc on holiday travel last month. Robyn Fant says her family recovered their final lost bag today, just in time for the flight home to North Carolina after an annual ski trip to Whistler, B.C. Walking through the […]

What an 800-kilometre hike taught me about life: For six weeks, I walked the Camino del Norte in Spain, my first solo trip in decades

The rhythmic crunch of my hiking boots on the gravel lulls me into a reverie, as the October sunrise backlights the grasses along the trail and casts a warm glow over the fields in Spain. I’m walking with my new friends, Gayle, 59, from New Zealand, and Daniele, 75, a Frenchwoman who lives in the […]

How to hit Stratford’s self-guided Christmas Trail like a pro

If you’ve ever watched a Hallmark Christmas movie, the charming settings may remind you of historic Stratford, with its late-Victorian red-brick town hall, pedestrian-friendly main street and arching foot bridge over the Avon River. Named after Stratford-upon-Avon in England — where Shakespeare was born — the Ontario version has its share of European-inspired architecture, including […]

Unionville travel guide 2022: Restaurants, shopping, schnitzel

Pull into the town Unionville during the holidays and you might feel like you’ve arrived on the set of a Hallmark Christmas movie. In fact, the historic centre is so suited to the screen that many productions, including “Gilmore Girls” and “Schitt’s Creek,” were filmed here. Unionville captivates not only with its rich history and […]

I travelled to a wellness retreat in Hawaii in search of a cure for my scalding anxiety — and the eye-opening experience was no vacation

I didn’t want to start my vacation in tears, but 12 hours after arriving on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, my eyes were watering. It wasn’t flight delays or family drama. I was at Sensei Lanai, a Four Seasons resort, walking my wellness guide through the constant anxiety that had my heart rate up and […]

Inspired by the soulful love songs of the Buena Vista Social Club, I finally travelled to Havana to experience the music scene firsthand

As soon as I step into the streets of Old Havana, I hear music: salsa blasting from a whizzing pedicab; the pregón of street-sellers announcing their wares; a tender love ballad floating out of an unknown window. There was music in all its forms. I’ve come to Cuba to achieve my 25-year-old dream of discovering […]

This sun-drenched island tastes like Paris under palm trees — and it’s a non-stop flight from Toronto

Wedged between the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, St. Martin is a slice of France awash in warm tropical waters. With 37 pristine beaches, it’s a coveted escape from the winter chills of the northeast. Plus, it tastes like Paris underneath palm trees, having attracted many a French chef with its sun, sea and spices. […]

Winter lights, culinary trails, even a Justin Bieber exhibition: What to see and do in Stratford, Ont., this season

Southwestern Ontario has no shortage of picturesque small towns, but Stratford may be the prettiest of them all. It’s long leaned into its Shakespearean influences, with its grand Victorian homes and street names like Romeo and Falstaff. The Avon River, with its elegant swans, runs behind a charming main street made up of lively restaurants […]