TURNIPSEED TRAVEL
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors

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.

Read More

At The Nest, I Found My Favourite Place To Perch In Hong Kong

8/12/2024

 

This tiny coffee shop boasts a historic location and the power of transformative social enterprise.

My trip to Hong Kong 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.

Courtyard in Hong Kong showing trees and greenery, benches, a wooden cafe table with a green journal and a bright yellow cafe take out cup Picture
“They love a social enterprise in Hong Kong.”

I wasn’t much more than 12 hours into my first trip to Hong Kong and was eagerly sharing a report of my morning’s adventures to a friend who was on their umpteenth visit yet hadn’t heard of where I had been, a teeny-tiny non-profit coffee shop. Given that we were in a luxury hotel lobby, surrounded by sumptuous designer shops, I couldn’t see much evidence of her declaration. Still, I deferred to her superior knowledge of the region. In the coming days, I would soon see she was right, and with every visit I made to The Nest, I observed just how much Hong Kongers and the people who love visiting them appreciate something different that makes a difference.

Read More

Sipping Chibuku and Crunching Mopane Worms: Embracing the Boma Dinner Experience in Victoria Falls

21/8/2024

 

At the Boma Dinner and Dance Show in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, I tasted a world of unforgettable flavours - including one I used to be afraid of.

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

Ryan and Vanessa take a selfie at dusk in Zimbabwe Picture
The white container with jaunty red and blue stripes reminds me of a barber pole. The motto “It’s hygienic!” jumps off the cardboard but isn’t quite the reassurance I need to gulp the murky grey sludge within. I’m 23 years old and living in Malawi for the first time, where clean water is precious and pricey, while sorghum beer, like that found in the colourful container, is cheap and plentiful. It’s called Chibuku, which is indeed hygienic thanks to the industrial processing plants that create it across sub-Saharan Africa. It’s the undisputed regional favourite, and I want to try it, but I’m too scared. It doesn’t help that I’m not an adventurous drinker - nor that my colleagues joke that Chibuku ‘tastes the same going down as it does coming back up.’ Instead, I buy myself soft drinks. They, too, are hygienic, but they’re also safe, and something like shame gnaws in my stomach, telling me that I don’t have the real spirit of adventure running through my veins. When I return to Canada, a bit of regret follows me, certain that the opportunity to have a real travel exploit has passed me by, and I have only my fretful self to blame.

It takes 14 years, but Chibuku and I find each other again - and this time, it takes me by surprise. I’m in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, all grown up and with nothing to prove - nothing, that is, until I hear about a legendary local restaurant that offers a scrumptious buffet, complete with black, glistening, crunchy, fried mopane worms. Falling somewhere between an economical protein source in rural areas and a fun, salty snack in posh city bars, mopane worms are one of Zimbabwe’s most famous foods. The worm in question is actually a caterpillar, a deconstructed emperor moth, if you will. And its favourite food is the tender leaves of the mopane tree.

Once again, I find myself both greatly intrigued and rather terrified all at the same time.

Read More

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.

Read More

A Love Letter to a Labrador Beach

27/6/2024

 

In Red Bay, Labrador, I found a small beach that made a big impact.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This trip was a sponsored press trip as part of the Travel Media Association of Canada annual conference.

Vanessa walking on the beach in Red Bay, showing a sandy shore with rocks, dark water, and green land in the background. Picture
Frolicking on the beach, as captured by my friend Yashy Selvadurai Murphy of https://www.parentingtogo.ca
​I can’t tell you when Labrador first hit my travel radar. 

This rugged, remote Canadian region, a part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador but physically connected to north-east Quebec, is not a spot for a wimpy traveller like me. Distances are far, amenities can be sparse, and the mosquitoes will strip you bare in seconds. Yet the place they call The Big Land has been calling for me for years. Labrador has topped my travel wish list since the beginning of the pandemic. When I had the opportunity to visit as part of the annual Travel Media Association of Canada conference, I knew I had to go.

I dearly wanted to make Labrador’s acquaintance, but it’s doubtful that the region wanted the likes of me. I have no good reason to be enamoured with small Labrador fishing communities like Red Bay and Battle Harbour. My aversion to boats is both legendary and well-founded. Similarly, I can’t tell you why stories from events such as Cain’s Quest, Labrador’s legendary annual 3,100-kilometre snowmobile endurance race capture my heart. I dislike cold weather, sporty things, and noisy fanfare. Frankly, even the process of getting to Labrador is determinedly very non-Vanessa-ish. I like cold foam on coffee, not ferry decks, thank you very much. So, sure, the villages are cute, and the events are spirited, but this is clearly the kind of place I should appreciate through a documentary and not my own Gravol-addled brain. 

Thankfully, my heart is immune to common sense.

Read More

The Sweet Smell Of Travel Inspiration

14/5/2024

 

Have you ever had a travel experience so sublime that nothing measures up to it, even after twenty years?

An ivory coloured bowl contains sliced peaches and sits on the edge of a red stair railingPicture
Photo by Wilfred Wong on Unsplash
(This post contains a sponsored link from a TurnipseedTravel supporter).

Have you ever had a travel experience so sublime that nothing measures up to it, even after twenty years?


That’s what happened to me the first time I went to Italy. I was only 21 years old and travelling on a flimsy budget. Gourmet food was out, or so I thought. However, thanks to a hilltop castle-turned-hostel in Finale Ligure (the now-shuttered Vuillermin Castle Hostel), I was about to make the memory of a lifetime. The hostel offered a simple supper for a few extra bucks a night. I was expecting bargain bowls of spaghetti, but instead, I was introduced to soft slices of mozzarella layered between tomatoes and drizzled with olive oil. A creamy sundried tomato pesto on farfalle was unlike any pasta I had before or since. Dessert was a simple platter of sliced peaches to be shared among the table, but oh my God, those peaches. I can still taste them. Perfectly ripe, obscenely delicate, and with the most intoxicating fragrance I’ve ever experienced. I can still smell them, if only in my mind. No wonder so many incredible perfumes are inspired by travel!
​

Italy was just the beginning of my sensory journey, and I can chronicle my life travelling through smells. Here are some more of the most delectable destinations I’ve ever visited.

Read More

My 8 Favourite Things To Do In Malawi

8/3/2024

 

Did you know I lived in Africa when I was just 23 years old? Talk about an amazing travel experience! Here are eight of my favourite things to do in Malawi.

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

Bright pink and orange sky over the lake as the sun sets, with palm branches in the foreground.Picture
One of my favourite things to do in Malawi was to watch the gorgeous sunsets over Lake Malawi. Photo by Craig Manners on Unsplash
My beaten, battered, dog-eared 2001 edition of Lonely Planet Malawi opens by describing how tourism brochures hype Malawi as “the warm heart of Africa” and, as much as they like to avoid generalizations, this seems particularly true as Malawians are among the friendliest people you’ll meet anywhere.

​It’s been 20-some years since that paragraph was written, but it still holds as true to me today as it did when I first read those words in 2004, and I was preparing to leave graduate school for an internship with the Malawi Department of Fisheries and the Canadian International Development Agency. I worked as a gender analyst, and my work took me throughout the country, from cities to tiny villages. Malawi’s warm heart made for an unforgettable experience. 

Malawi is a small country in southeast Africa. When I first applied for the internship that would take me there, I knew nothing about Malawi. In fact, I was all muddled between Maui, Mali, and Bali – and I wasn’t close to any of them! The country borders Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique. Visiting here is easier than you might think. It’s just a short flight from Nairobi to the north, Victoria Falls to the west, and Johannesburg to the south. 

While Malawi is admittedly not a destination for a classic “big 5” safari, the country has fantastic wildlife destinations plus many other experiences and attractions that should put it on any traveller’s bucket list.

​Here are some of my favourite must-do Malawi moments.

Read More

12 Things To Do In Pittsburgh For Couples

11/2/2024

 

Food, nature, art, cider, and museums rank among the best things to do in Pittsburgh for couples. You're going to love this underrated romantic city!

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

12 Things to do in Pittsburgh for couples: Pittsburgh city scape on a hazy dawn, as seen from a trail Picture
Looking for romantic things to do in Pittsburgh for couples? Start with taking in a gorgeous view like this one! Photo by Jordan Faux on Unsplash
In years past, Pittsburgh was known as “the Steel City” – thanks to its 300-plus steel-related business – and the city was associated with industry, building, and growth for decades. However, it’s also known as the “City of Bridges,” thanks to its 446 bridges and today Pittsburgh is just as famous for its food and art scene as its aluminium manufacturing and corporate headquarters. Pittsburgh is laid-back, friendly, down-to-earth, and eager to welcome visitors. Sounds like the perfect formula for a romantic weekend to me! Here are 12 things to do in Pittsburgh for couples.

Read More

Love Paintings By Maud Lewis? Here’s Where To Go In Nova Scotia

8/2/2024

 

If you love paintings by Maud Lewis, Nova Scotia's beloved folk artist, as much as I do, you'll want to check out these sites.

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

Five colourful paintings by Maud Lewis hang on a gallery wall, framed with brown wood.Picture
Paintings by Maud Lewis are characterized by their strong, bright colours and use of rural, domestic life as inspiration. Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons
Maud Lewis was born Maud Dowley in 1903 in the southern Nova Scotia community of Yarmouth. By her death in 1970, she was recognized as a leading Canadian folk artist. Yet the woman who would become Nova Scotia’s treasure spent her life undervalued. If you love paintings by Maud Lewis, you will appreciate her talents even more after learning about her life and visiting the places in Nova Scotia that showcase her gifts.

In the most barren of circumstances, Maud created art – spectacular art. Her adulthood was a story of poverty, crippling and terrifying, and far from the romanticised austerity that sometimes creeps into her present-day narrative. Living with what we now recognize as degenerative juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Maud bore constant pain. Married life in Digby brought a meagre house and a worse husband. Only a few neighbours offered comfort through hot meals, hot baths, and furtive visits. 

Defying her circumstances, she generated one of the most impressive yields of any artist. She painted shutters, baking pans, and scallop shells, along with nearly every surface of her diminutive house. She sold thousands of paintings depicting rural life, including oxen teams with gilded yokes and fluffy farm cats with wary eyes, often for just a dollar or two from her perch by the side of the road, a ploy devised by her husband to exploit sympathies and coax sales. 

Maud is often remembered as childlike with her petite stature and shy smile. But she was a gritty survivor, canny enough to turn her talents into a livelihood, carving a space for herself in an inhospitable world. 

I grew up in Nova Scotia, and I can’t remember a time when paintings by Maud Lewis weren’t a part of my life. As such, I’ve come to love these tourist attractions dedicated to her. Visiting them should be on any art lover’s travel list.

Read More
<<Previous
    Recent Posts
    Posts by Location
    Turnipseed Travel Category Canada
    Turnipseed Travel Category USA
    Turnipseed Travel Category Europe
    Turnipseed Travel Category Africa
    Turnipseed Travel Category Australia
    Turnipseed Travel Category Asia

    Post Categories

    All
    $200 Challenge
    200m Challenge
    Accommodation
    Africa
    Amsterdam
    Anti Adventurist
    Asia
    Australia
    Belgium
    Business Travel
    Camping
    Canada
    Central Counties
    Cozy Travel
    Destinations
    Europe
    Experiences & Activities
    Female Travel
    Food And Drink
    Gear And Packing
    Golf
    Greece
    Guest Posts & Interviews
    Health
    Inspiration
    Making Travel Memories
    Montreal
    Most Popular Posts
    National Parks
    Norfolk County
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Paris
    Partners
    Pet Travel
    Photo Essay
    Preparation
    Press Trip Portfolio
    Reviews Accommodation
    Reviews Gear Packing
    Round The World
    Saving
    Toronto
    Transportation
    Travel Cooking
    Travel Memories Series
    UK & Ireland
    United States

    Posts by Date

    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy

Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014.​
White House Study Abroad Logo 2014
Turnipseed Travel Logo 2019
DMCA.com Protection Status
© COPYRIGHT 2024.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors