Murphy’s Law of Vacations Why is it that all the work arrives right before vacation time? I don’t know, but it never fails: I book a vacation for a time when I think things will be quiet, basically ensuring that…
Not an all-inclusive beach holiday
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I’ve never been to Mexico. It seems like, along with Cuba or the Dominican Republic (two other places I have never been), Mexico is the default holiday destination for sun-seeking North Americans looking to…
Back in the Y-U-L
Home again. The early AM wakeup in Vantaa was pretty brutal. All three of us were flying out at approximately the same time, so we stumbled to HEL on the shuttle and hastily said our goodbyes. I spent the last…
Here, have a video
This weekend was once again time for me to drag out the ol’ backpack and perform the familiar ritual of packing. Since my last post about packing was so popular, I thought I’d extend the series with a little video…
One month to go
The mercury is rising past 30 degrees fairly consistently, the sounds of jazz waft from the Quartier des Spectacles, and people across the city are loading up moving vans. Yep, summer in Montreal is here, and life is pretty much…
Bonus Post: Travel packing essentials
I’ve been home for a week and I’m trying to stave off the post-travel blues a little while longer. So I’ve decided to write a bit of a bonus post to answer the frequent questions I get about how to…
Return to summer
Well, that’s it, folks. I’m back on this side of the Atlantic, back in home sweet home Montreal. I arrived after a pretty painless flight from Amsterdam, on which I managed to doze a bit more, though I was still…
YUL be glad to hear…
Here I am again at YUL, my trusty backpack and I getting ready to get back on the road where we belong. I’m sitting at the gate waiting to board the first leg of my flight, which is an overnight…
On the next episode of my travel show
I’m pleased to announce to anyone who doesn’t already know that in just over a week, I’ll be departing on my next travel adventure. This one will take me to the southwestern tip of a continent I’ve long neglected in…
Back in the Y-U-L
Surrealism defined: Montreal in March with absolutely no snow. I’m home again, though you’d never know it. It’s refreshingly cool after the heat of Saigon, but for March 24th it is ridiculously warm here. Since I haven’t really had any…