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The 400 Year Old Hospital and the Crazy True Story of Canada's Most Notorious Hotel Thief

11/12/2024

 

I got more than I bargained for when I checked into Quebec City's most unique accommodations.

​My trip to Quebec was part of a press trip.  This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, we may get a small commission.

Antique windows in white frames look out over a courtyardPicture
In the spring of 1639, three young nuns set sail from France, each carrying a hidden key in her habit. Upon landing in the new settlement of Quebec City, they would unseal three sturdy locks on a large wooden trunk that safeguarded all their worldly goods. It also contained something invaluable—a contract to found a monastery hospital, the first in North America outside Mexico.

Little did they realize that one of their future guests* would become Canada’s most notorious** hotel thief, taking three round canisters with them in their luggage after their visit.



*Me. This story is about me.





** The dozen or so people who know this story won’t stop teasing me about it.

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The Best Travel-Inspired Demure Nail Polish

20/8/2024

 

So demure! So mindful! Are you on board with this travel trend?

​This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, we may get a small commission.

Demure Travel: The best travel inspired demure nail polish: Six colourful bottles of OPI nail polish in various shades.Picture
As the owner of the world's oldest running cozy travel blog (I think!), no one has been more excited than me to welcome this summer's biggest trend: Demure.

What, exactly is demure? It would be easy to dismiss it as simply TikTok's trend of the month. Demure means being modest, mindful, and a little cutesy. Yes, this sounds pretty close to the classical definition of the word but for beauty influencer Jools Lebron, who put it into everyone's lexicon this month, demure is so much more. It's about being respectful but not trying too hard. It's about rejecting the messy world, subtly  protesting crassness and drama by sipping your drink with one perfectly groomed eyebrow arched. And I predict that this is going to be much more than a social media trend. I think it's going to be an ongoing lifestyle movement akin to the Danish hygge (homey coziness) phenomenal, because demure folks have been waiting SO long for their moment to come in a world of excess.

Demure and travel go hand in hand. Staying in your seat until the aircraft has come to a complete stop at the gate? Demure. Kindly greeting your seatmate? Demure. Putting on your headphones, sipping your drink, and ignoring your seatmate? Also demure. Demure travellers are always polite with airport staff, never put their bare feet on someone else's seat, and pack carefully considered snacks without being too fussy about it. 

I wanted to have some fun with the idea of demure travel and talk about the best travel-inspired demure nail polish shades. Now, do I really know all that much about nail polish? Nope. Am I secretly hoping to ascend the ranks of beauty influencer? Definitely not. But your girl knows travel and is demure to the core. 

I chose OPI polish because A.) It has so many wonderful travel-inspired collections and B.) It's basically the only brand I know. Like I said: travel, not beauty, is my wheelhouse. Plus, the brand is so popular I know it will be easy for most readers to find. So mindful of me! Enjoy.

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Talking Mauritian Culture, Bajan Flavours, and Travel Treats with MasterChef Shelina Permalloo

20/10/2023

 

At Barbados Food & Rum Festival, a renowned chef shared her secrets for creative, sustainable food (as well as the treat she can't travel without!)

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, we may be paid a small commission. My visit to Barbados was a sponsored press trip.

Chef Shelina Permalloo stands at a demonstration table wearing a white chef's coat, her hair tied back in a colourful pink scarfPicture
​"The smell of happiness is, for me, frying plantain in Barbados."

Shelina Permalloo is a British-Mauritian chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author specializing in Mauritian cuisine. She's known worldwide as the first woman of colour to win BBC's MasterChef competition in 2012, but when I met her, she was thrilled to simply be an attendee of the Barbados Food & Rum Festival (just like me!)

Permalloo first visited Barbados after finishing university (she reports: "There were 16 of us... and the island knew when we arrived!") That initial trip made some lasting impressions, as the large group quickly made friends with locals, got invited home for homemade dinners, and provided the future chef with an abiding love of Barbadian (Bajan) cuisine.

During the Food & Rum Festival's Chef Classics event (an intimate series of cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs), Chef Shelina shared her thoughts on elevating traditional comfort food, embracing sustainable ingredients, and the special treats she can't live without when she travels.

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Touring the City Within "Sex And The City"

14/10/2018

 

Prepare to be 'Carried away' on one of New York City's most unique tours.

Please note: We were provided with complimentary media passes to participate in this tour and we thank On Location for their support. Some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means we are paid a small commission should you make a purchase.

Review: On Location Sex And The City Tour New York City
Posing in front of one of New York's most famous houses - the fictional home of Sex And The City's Carrie Bradshaw.
There's nothing I love quite like a layover, the chance to discover a city and explore a destination all while you're in between flights. New York City is the perfect layover location. There are easy transportation connections to every nearby airports, there is plenty to see and do no matter the weather, and it's the kind of place that never gets old.

I've learned a bit about New York City and layovers since our first round the world trip in 2013. New York was our first stop! Once again, on this round the world trip, we were in New York first and, like last time, we had a scant 12 hours to explore. Fortunately, I knew exactly what to do. On Location Tours offers bus and walking tours that highlight television and movie scenes that were filmed in New York City. We boarded their signature TV And Movie tour several years ago and loved it. It was the perfect way to discover the city! This time, I knew I wanted to dig a bit deeper, discover some new neighbourhoods, but still enjoy all the amenities that their bus tours offer. Their Sex And The City tour was the perfect solution. I was a fan of the show AND it would take me into brand new areas of New York. Perfect!

As lead character Carrie Bradshaw might say "I couldn't help but wonder...." what I'd discover along the way. Turns out it was a lot! Here is everything I loved about On Location Tours' Sex And The City bus tour.

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Tales From The Anti-Adventurist: Vanessa versus The Escape Room

6/12/2017

 

The Jigsaw Escape Room in Ottawa's Byward Market was my latest test of nerve!

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A rare black and white photo for dramatic effect - for we are dramatic gals!
Let's hear it for all the wimpy travelers! I'm an anti-adventurist, through and through. I'm not bold nor daring. I can't handle the wild side of life and things that are seemingly innocuous to the average traveler, say, like visiting a butcher shop or taking a fast boat ride, carry the same heart pounding intensity for me as, say, naked bungee jumping does for all the other travel writers. This is important background information for, as a true anti-adventurist, I would normally never find myself in such an unpredictable and devil-may-care situation as visiting an Escape Room, but I was under the influence. The influence of two nefarious friends that is, Sandy from Canadian Blog House and Ann from Kickass Living.  With these devious women acting as a corrupting influence, I threw caution to the wind and entered an Escape Room for the first time. 

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Memories and Maple Syrup in Montebello Quebec

21/10/2017

 

What makes a girls' getaway all the sweeter? Adding in a delicious dose of maple on a trip to Montebello, Quebec.

Marina Chateau Montebello Quebec at sunset
Girls' getaways are the perfect time for rest and relaxation.
Can there ever be too much of a good thing? Not when it comes to maple! This classic Canadian flavor is so much more than a pancake topping. And when I had the opportunity to partner with Ford Canada for a girlfriends' wellness weekend in Montebello, Quebec, I knew that my favorite autumn flavor would only sweeten the experience.

I was excited to indulge in as much of Quebec's signature condiment as possible, and I soon learned that there was more to maple than meets the eye. Traditional pancakes, step aside! Here are my favourite Montebello maple moments. 

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A Walk On The Wild Side: A Personal and Poignant Year Exploring Ireland and the UK.

15/12/2016

 

Travel writer Emma Higgins spent a year traveling solo around Ireland and the UK... and didn't shy away from taking some walks on the wild side.

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Exploring the Scottish Borders.
​Travel writer Emma Higgins went on a journey through the UK and Ireland for the whole of 2015. Emma travelled around her native land from the Hebrides in Scotland to the far corners of Cornwall, the west coast of Ireland and eastern England. Her book, A Year in the UK & Ireland, which is out now, is a collection of twenty long-form stories about her voyage, with beautiful accompanying photography aimed to inspire you to see the British Isles from a new perspective.

We sat down with Emma to talk about her incredible adventure!

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The Ottawa Girlfriends' Getaway Guide

6/3/2015

 

When a jet-setting friend comes to town, you better make sure you're ready!

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It's not everyday that a friend flies half way around the world to see you - and it's even better when that friend is an incredible travel writer! Jo from Frugal First Class Travel is coming to Canada for the first time and I get a rare opportunity to show off my home city of Ottawa. It's so seldom that international visitors come to Ottawa on their first trip! I've seen Jo on her home turf of Sydney, Australia, as well as Athens, Greece - both tremendously interesting, stylish, fun, delicious cities. I have to make sure that Ottawa measures up and that I come up with a girlfriend's guide that's worthy of an international jet setter.

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Tales From The Anti-Adventurist: Vanessa Goes Ice Fishing

7/1/2015

 

On the icy surface of Lake Simcoe, I went fishing for adventure...

Bonnie Boats ice fishing huts
One reason why the hut is so cozy - there is a wooden floor! You're not standing on pure ice.
I've often thought that there is no better way to enjoy the splendor of the great outdoors and the beauty of the Canadian winter than from the warmth of a cozy window seat, with a latte and good book in hand. But a girl cannot live on caffeine and Jane Austen alone - sometimes you just need to get outside for a breath of fresh air. I'm sure that this is what was going through my head when I agreed to go ice fishing on rural Ontario's Lake Simcoe. This was going to be as anti-adventurous as it gets! 

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