Parking In Europe

  Get a load of this! Cars parked inches apart! This is the way parking is all over Europe’s cities. Space is at a premium so no parking spot is too small…     In Budapest the view from my friend, E’s, balcony up and down the street in provided… Continue reading

Sloppy Joes, Prostitutes and Milk in Havana

  Did you know that Sloppy Joe’s were invented in Havana?   Yes, those good ol’ Sloppy Joe sandwiches were invented in Havana. Remember that ground beef/tomato sauce mixture you slopped on buns? Then you devoured it in minutes thinking it was the best thing you ever had?   Sloppy… Continue reading

Flying Across Jungle Treetops

  While we were still enjoying the lovely town and relaxing atmosphere of Granada, Nicaragua, we wanted to see the Volcano Mombacho, still active we had been told, as well as the cloud forest in the mountains and to experience the jungle zip line.   We were both a little worried… Continue reading

If I Had One Thousand Dollars…

  We’ve been researching all kinds of travel accessories to see if there are any that are truly worthwhile, and which ones are just another tech toy to take up more precious room in your carry-on.   But I wish they would invent one friggin’ cord that works in ALL… Continue reading

French Riviera – Get Packing

  In a few days we will be landing in Marseilles, France. It’s a little surreal that you can be on the French Riviera in Europe on the other side of the world in just one day, your whole environment completely changed in a few hours.   We are house sitting… Continue reading

Living Like Royalty In Cabra Castle

  Cabra Castle was elegant. A 19th Century castle, set deep in the hills of Cavan County, it was stately and refined. While Ballynahinch Castle had felt more authentic with the hunters going out for the early morning hunt all decked out in somewhat traditional hunting attire: short pants, knee-high socks… Continue reading

Newfoundland: Take The Newfinese Language Test

  “Stay where yer to till I come where yer at.”   The Newfoundland language is sometimes happily easy to understand, but at other times we were totally lost. At those times, we responded to Newfinese with blank stares, raised eyebrows and an awkward smile, thinking “Huh?” or “How can… Continue reading

Should Have Stayed In Mexico

    Thursday, February 26:   A few days ago, February 22, in Mexico, the cat sitter emailed us that the pipes are frozen in the house, and that there is no water, so no bathrooms either. Car is also unlikely to start and is buried in a mountain of snow…. Continue reading

Halloween Apples, Peanuts & Cake; If You Don’t…

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  Halloween Apples, Peanuts and Cake, If You Don’t Give Us Any, Your Toilet Will Shake!   Remember that? Ok, that was even before my time, before indoor toilets even! – but it has a lovely rhythm, n’est ce pas?   Moving to Ontario has been almost like exploring another… Continue reading

Venice: The Grand Seduction

  The approach to Venice by train is seductive in itself…    Just seeing a city floating on water is astonishing. How did they do that? Why did they do that?   Apparently it wasn’t intentional. It happened sometime around the fall of the Roman Empire when the mainland was invaded… Continue reading

Mayan Ruins And Phallic Sculptures

  The hard drive crashed on Saturday. Totally out of the blue. No warnings. No odd behaviours. Just fried itself. No computer. NO COMPUTER. Desperately tried to fix it and got it up just long enough to make a backup on the Clickfree external drive before it was in total… Continue reading

19 Ways To Spend Less On Gifts

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  We all wish we were multi-millionaires at Christmas and that money was no object when buying gifts. Millionaire Unfortunately, most of us do not have unlimited funds (however much we fantasize about winning a lottery), and we could all use a few tips, and a few hundred extra dollars, on how to spend… Continue reading

Ingapirca Ruins and Purple Fog

Don’t you just love the rhythm of that name – Inga pirca?   I’m not much of a history buff (T is), but the idea that a society existed in the 1600’s and that the buildings are still somewhat in tact amazes both of us.   Ingapirca Ruins, Ecuador…  … Continue reading

What You Need to Know About Europe’s Trains – Especially Lesson 4

To get to our house sitting assignment, near Toulouse, first we had to catch the hotel shuttle bus from the hotel to the Marseille Airport, next catch the big bus to Marseille, St. Charles Train Station, a 25 minute ride for 8E (12C) each, with a bus driver that liked… Continue reading

The Bicycle Taxi Ride Of Our Lives!

In Budapest, we took a Danube Riverboat Cruise down the river to a little town called Szentendre.     Danube River Cruise   We enjoyed great views of the bridges and Parliament Buildings as we cruised slowly down the Danube…   Jaws dropped though when we saw a bus floating in… Continue reading

Uruguay: Private Chauffeur, Body Guard, Chef & Surf Instructor

  We were lucky to have a friend who had a friend in Montevideo, Uruguay, and he was enthusiastic about meeting us.   Montevideo, Uruguay, is just across the water from Buenos Aires, Argentina, so with a 3 hour Buquebus ferry ride across the very wide Rio de la Plata,… Continue reading

Getting Your Hand Slapped in Ireland

  While touring Ireland in our rental car, we, of course, had to try Guinness, the beer that is the pride and joy of Ireland.   T is a beer connoisseur, but I was surprised that I liked it too.   One day, we stopped at a local pub for… Continue reading

Heal Thyself in a Roman Turkish Bath House

  It seems that Hungary sits over a steaming inferno of water…   Hungary has a reputation for having the best Roman Turkish bath houses in Europe.   People from all over Europe, as well as from other parts of the world, visit their famous medicinal hot springs.   Thermal baths are… Continue reading

Terra Cotta Warriors

From Beijing, we travelled inland south to Xian.   2200 years ago, Emperor Quin Shi Huant, one of the most famous emperors in China, was losing a battle with his enemy. He developed an ingenious plan.   He asked his soldiers to build an army of clay soldiers exactly like… Continue reading