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Living January 7, 2016

The Fountain residence – Anguilla

Warm breezes greet you as you exit the airport in St. Martin, add in a short 20-minute ferry ride and you will reach the white sand beachs and aqua-blue waters of Anguilla — pronounced AN-GWILL-A. We drove (on the left hand side of the road) from Blowing Point, the southern tip of the island, up the main road to Shoal Bay on the north east side. The road was dotted with small homes, with free range goats and chickens everywhere. The island is relatively flat, but the roads curved around small hills with beautiful ocean views visible with each turn. Once we reach the main turn off to Shoal Bay, the larger villas and hotels start to appear, followed by a beautiful view of the white sand and amazing blue water.

Fountain residences is located at the southern end of Shoal Bay Beach. There are two complexes, each with beautiful landscaping. The only difference was the view: one had an open ocean view and the other behind it was limited to a pool view. There is a hill to the west that blocks out the sunset, but we were able to see the waves breaking on the shoal far out in the bay. It’s a short walk down a path to the white sand beach of Shoal Bay.

Our two bedroom unit was clean and furnished nicely with teak and wood trim. The appliances are new and our concierge, Whitney, was a terrific help. She purchased groceries and stocked our fridge for our arrival. Her advice on the best restaurants on the island was excellent. The villa; however, wasn’t truly big enough for six people. We found the sitting area on the deck outside a bit small for all of us, with only four chairs around the dining room table the space was limited. We had to ask the staff for chairs so that all six of us could sit around the table.

The windows lacked screens – this is a pet peeve of mine. I don’t want to fly south and stay close to the ocean just to shut all the windows and blast the air conditioning. I’m not alone in wanting to have the windows open, but there were too many mosquito’s to do this without screens. This meant we had to leave the screendoors open all night, which made us a bit uncomfortable. It may be a small detail, but towel racks on the outside decks to hang up wet bathing suits are also needed.

The manager of the residences was extremely friendly – giving us access to the barbecue, extra dining chairs, and a free bottle of wine that we enjoyed immensely! The cleaners come everyday and were friendly and kind, providing us with extra towels and frying pans when needed. Given the location close to the beach I suggest they mop the floors daily as the sand fleas tracked in from the beach dotted our legs with bites.

Anguilla is a beach destination. Most of the beaches have restaurants with beach chairs out front. Crocus Hill Beach is by far the best for anyone wanting a calm peaceful swim in a protected bay. Da’Vida restaurant and its neighbouring beach bar occupy most of the beach and their food was exceptional. We stayed and watched the large sail boats come in during the afternoon, and rented some paddle boards to venture around the point to paddle through caves filled with birds. Small manta rays floating under the boat dock entertained the kids for hours.

Unfortunately, the Fountain Residences don’t supply beach chairs, but they suggest you hike to the other end of the beach where there are chairs to rent ($10U.S./day) at the Merriman Beach Bar. I’d recommend they invest in a few chairs and sun umbrellas, as it was impossible for my elderly mother to make the hike all the way down the beach. But, if you like playing in the waves and body surfing – Shoal Bay Beach is the place to go.

Anguilla has art galleries around every corner and a lot of very good restaurants – Cafe De Paris in the west end is a must for chocolate croissants.

We visited and swam at dozens of perfect white sand beaches, surrounded by aqua-blue water. If it is a beach vacation you are after, Anguilla is the island for you!

Archives November 22, 2014

Caille Blanc, St. Lucia

The birds wake you in the morning as the sun rises, a soft breeze passes through the shutters and I understand now why there isn’t any glass in the windows. This is the way to wake up in St. Lucia.

We are staying in the southern area of Soufriere, up high on a mountain overlooking the Pitons and the Caribbean. At night when the birds go to sleep you can hear the waves crashing on the rocks far below, during the day when the sun is high the bugs seem to take over the air waves but they haven’t come out of their hiding yet. Our boys are sleeping without misquito nets and haven’t had a bite yet.

The rain comes often in short, light mist and then disappears with the sun drying up everything in a few minutes.

The hummingbirds are everywhere, with gold finches, morning doves and songbirds that I can’t name.

The villa has an Italian/Spanish flare to it, and with the mountains so close it feels a little like Italy and Costa Rica rolled into one.

The gardner comes at 7 a.m. and I can hear his brooms sweeping the leaves off the front step. My son rushes out to help him feed the gold fish in the small fish pond beside the kitchen gazebo. At nine the chef comes to make us breakfast, she prepares dinner leaving it for us to cook. My husband and I like to make dinner together so it works out perfectly.

Yesterday we walked down the road to the beach, it was hot and beautiful. I dream about building a place like this with our boys in another few years…

If you are planning a vacation this is a beautiful place to relax and you can book it here: http://www.vrbo.com/289848

Love & Sex May 16, 2014

South Korea’s bizarre land of love

It’s funny living in a foreign country for so long, your once narrow-minded definition of ‘normal’ starts to unravel and you lose a sense of normality to some degree. Of course, each culture has its own set of rules and standards and it’s only natural to compare one’s foreign culture with your own. However, after time you start to forget what you used to think was ‘acceptable’ or ‘unacceptable,’ ‘reasonable’ or ‘unreasonable’ and you find yourself questioning the random and mundane obstacles you face every day.

It’s hard to remember my first impressions of South Korea, but one of the first memories I can recall was stepping off the plane almost two years ago and seeing a couple dressed exactly the same head-to-toe. I tried to come up with an explanation for this bizarre sight, but my life’s experience just didn’t have one. After only a few months, I figured out this absurdity was really as absurd as I thought. Korean couples actually enjoy, and are somewhat praised for, dressing identically in public. Their uniform proves to others that they are ‘going steady’ and are taking their relationship to a whole new level. This cultural dress code is known as ‘couple sets.’ Clearly, a bit more in your face than exchanging rings or updating your Facebook status, as is the custom in certain western societies.

In Korea, relationships are praised and envied by others. Stores around the city sell these eminent ‘couple set’ matching outfits. There are also restaurant ‘couple-set menus’ where for one price, you can order a meal for two. It is evident that South Korea takes pride in catering to couples young and old and in a very obvious way.

Tying the knot at a young age is highly desirable in Korean culture. A handful Korean’s live with their parents until they marry and since a large number of people have settled in apartments rather than houses, sharing rooms with family members is very common. As a result, there are a variety of ‘love motels’ that surround the country. A love motel is a cheap stay for lovers to spend some alone time together, either by the hour or overnight. Love motels are a distinctive part of Korea’s ‘love’ culture and are also economically alluring for travelers.

Last summer, some friends and I travelled to the east coast of Korea, where we stumbled upon an outdoor museum called “Love Land.” I can’t recall a more bizarre theme park in all my travels. The grounds are decorated with large (and not so large) phallus statues, along with sculptures of humans, presented in erotic sexual positions. Although the idea of love is a prominent concept in the minds of Korean people, the park itself portrays a heavy focus on sex which is taboo in most Asian countries. I would highly recommend it for some awkward moments and a good laugh.

As a Westerner living in a foreign country, sometimes it’s just best to appreciate where you are, revel in the culture and learn from it, even though it may be far different from what you’ve ever experienced before.

A renowned Korean, martial arts philosopher, Master jin Kwon, in many ways summed it up best: “Remove the roadblocks when you see them, otherwise you will have to climb a high mountain.”

Follow Gillian on Twitter at @GillyFarb.

Follow Women’s Post on Twitter at @WomensPost.

Travel March 4, 2014

All inclusive vs. a la carte vacations: A lesson learned

by Nicole Duquette

Corona’s advertisers got it just right. My own personal Corona commercial was what I had in mind when taking off for my last vacation. Two big chairs, warm sun, cool ocean, and a white sand beach that’s deserted except for one waitress who is conveniently there whenever the beer is running low. But, that wasn’t exactly what I got. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about a sunny week on the beach, but the all-inclusive experience simply did not fulfill my ultimate vacation fantasy.

The biggest discrepancy between my mental image of the vacation, and the real thing was that the beach and pools were anything but deserted. We were met by an astounding 3,000 fellow hotel guests. My first thought upon being confronted with the mob of sun worshippers was, “We should have gone to Europe.” At least in Europe, if there’s a mob it’s a mob observing great historical monuments, and discovering rich cultures. But, European vacations (or any non-all-inclusive vacation for that matter) are not all that relaxing.

Á la carte vacations, ones where you control the entire itinerary and pay for everything are great adventures, but they can also be hectic. Racing to catch buses, trains, boats, and planes adds stress to what was supposed to be a stress-free vacation. Not to mention, navigating language barriers, waiting in line-ups that are bigger than the attractions themselves, and finding out your hotel is really a hostel can quickly cause blood pressures to rise. When nothing goes wrong á la carte vacations are dreams of wine, cheese, and riverside strolls come true, but when does nothing go wrong?

As great as á la carte vacations can be, this time around relaxation was my main goal, so an all-inclusive southern vacation was the obvious choice. Even though there were more party people than leisure seekers, we did find what we were looking for. After a walk around the entire resort, we discovered a second pool where the music was soothing rather than blaring, and the ratio of children to adults was significantly decreased. We parked ourselves there for most of the week, and let the tensions of home melt away.

By the end of the trip, I no longer regretted not planning an á la carte European vacation – we can always do that next time (I still think they are fun – busy, and fun). But, this time I still would have preferred a smaller, adults-only resort, so lesson learned: research the size and atmosphere of the resort, not just how many swim-up bars there are. Or, maybe next time I’ll just call Corona’s advertisers and ask where their private beach is.

Travel February 19, 2014

A trip from Toronto to Tofino

by Susan Ponting

On the way to Tofino, we drove through some of the most beautiful terrain in the world and scenery that rivals Coastal Route One along the California coast. There’s just nothing like seeing this kind of beauty in person.

The road to Tofino was not cheap. Like Toronto, gas is expensive, and it cost close to $100.00 to fill the Hyundai tank.

We stopped many times just to catch our breath and soak in the beauty: lakes, mountains, even a baby bear grazing on the side of the winding road.

We stopped to take in the not-to-be-missed Cathedral Grove where the trees, some 500 to 800 years old, grip you like a long lost friend.

As we traveled along Pacific Rim Highway 4 into Tofino, we stopped at the Tourist Bureau. They cautioned that most of the motels were booked solid, so we took the first motel we could find, The Weigh West Motel. It was, let’s just say, not the Century Plaza. But the people were accommodating, and it was quiet. That night we ate at the Schooner Restaurant where we had surf-line grab, baby back ribs, and drinks for $104.72 before tips.

A trip to Tofino is not complete without seeing the surfers. We set out early on a foggy morning. Handsome and beautiful surfers of all ages prepared to weather the cold waters, I assume, to catch their reason for living for another day.

The next day we stopped in Uclulet and had an awesome homemade breakfast at the Cynamoka Coffee House. They also sell local aboriginal art. The co-owner and cook told me about the powerful Pacific storms that hit this coast during the winter months.

From Vancouver to Victoria, Tofino, and back again, it was a trip to remember. It’s a pity flying within Canada is more expensive than flying to the U.S. or even Europe.

Still, with the beauty surrounding all of our friends in BC, like all good Canadians, they complain profusely about the weather. Pat says it’s the kind of rain that gets into your bones, and gets a grip on you so tight it “won’t let go.” Genoa, born and raised in Vancouver says you “couldn’t get me to move if you tried.” She says the rain is, “better than snow.” And I’d have to agree.

But according to our BC-born and raised friend, Alison, who is a huge fan of Toronto and misses living here, “Come visit in late January and February, and you’ll really get a sense of what the winter is like here.” She too, says the winter rain is terrible and somehow gets into every part of your body.

They groused about the “big one,” that they hope doesn’t come (referring to the apparently imminent earthquake). And, they rightfully complained about the over inflated economy and how foreign investment is unreasonably driving up the prices. And don’t get them started on HST!

The blues scene in Vancouver is almost non-existent. There’s only one blues bar, The Yale Hotel, but for the most part, Pat Axe says, “It really lacks any kind of local scene.”

A part of me thought the complaints were like the bumper stickers in California,“Welcome to California. Now go home.” They really don’t want more people coming to B.C., so they say things about the weather and how we won’t like it if we ever moved there.

As Sam and I walked along the ocean soaking up the sun and noticing how different Vancouver is from Toronto, we agreed that we both feel a certain belonging there. Of course everything’s more beautiful on vacation, but we have an affinity for this beautiful place.

And we will be back.

Oh, and don’t forget to visit The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for a marsh mellow candy apple!

This article was previously published on January 11, 2012.

Uncategorized June 17, 2013

WATCH: Bedroom turned into princess paradise while roommate is away

When Tom, aka Redditor Twoverend, was overseas for two months his housemates set to work changing his normal, drab bachelor bedroom into something a little more pink.

All his buddies set to work transforming every aspect of his bedroom from what a regular guys might enjoy to something more fit for a 7-year-old princess loving girl might enjoy. Their rationale being that since he is English he loves the monarchy, and their duty was to get to work setting up a new fairy princess kingdom for him to arrive home to.

Complete with imitation crown moulding, collages of photoshopped princess photos of Tom, paintings of fairies, and pink lace as far as the eye can see it is safe to say their mission was a success.

Watch the video for Tom’s reaction upon returning from his trip at 1:30 in the morning.

Below are some photos of the transformation.

Check out Tom’s full photo album here.

Follow Travis on Twitter at @TravMyers.

Uncategorized June 13, 2013

Stand by me

Last week was incredibly stressful, I had a lot going on and I felt all kinds of overwhelmed — but when I needed him most there was Boyfriend with a smile, a hug, and a plan.

On Friday night he rented a car, picked me up after work and we went off on an impromptu road trip to Niagara Falls; it rained almost all night but we were undeterred we went for dinner at a Brazilian steak house, went to all the tourist traps and visited the falls in the rain. While we stood beside the falls hiding under the $12 umbrella that we purchased at a gift shop Boyfriend insisted on having a make-out session in the rain because he saw it in a movie once and thought it would be funny. It was. It was also only slightly, just a little bit, romantic. I fell asleep in the car on the way home and the evening came to a perfect end.

The next day we took off again, this time to Port Dover, for mini-golf, lunch by the beach and walks in the sand. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday especially because we finished the day by racing around in go-karts in the rain, he won three times, I won once – but I won last which basically makes me the winner supreme.

Knowing that I have Boyfriend by my side makes me feel like I can tackle anything the world throws at me because I know that no matter what happens he’ll always be there with a ridiculous joke, a terrible pun, a picture of his cats doing something insane or just a hug and he gives the best hugs. Boyfriend believes in me, really believes that I can do anything I put my mind to and that kind of support is something rare and worth holding on to.

When I was little I used to get angry at my mum because she would always try and make me laugh when I was crying and sometimes all you want to do is cry and stamp your feet and be mad at the world but my mum would never let me do that; Boyfriend is like that, no matter how upset or stressed out I am, he does his very best to make me laugh when all I want to do is be grumpy and stamp my feet. Sometimes the solution is cake sometimes it’s letting me listen to the country music that he hates while we drive 2 hours from home for dinner and a visit to the wax museum.

Boyfriend is my person and when I get good news he’s the first person I want to call and when I get bad news he’s the first person I need to talk to and no matter how stressed out or crazy the world gets I know he’ll be by my side, probably attempting to make me smile when all I want to do is be angry; it’s just hard to be angry when you’re head over heels for your boyfriend.