Vermont: Nature’s Playground Julie Kalan March 1, 2012 6812 Shortly before sunset, up atop Sterling Mountain, beyond the fogs of condensation that cloud my view with each exhalation, the perfectly snow-frosted trees stand out against the pale whisper pink sky. After enj...
A Toronto Tour de Force-Part 2 Julie Kalan January 3, 2012 7631 Toronto is made up of a patchwork of distinctive neighbourhoods. The entertainment and financial districts reside in the core of the city, to the east is Old Town Toronto and a little to the west is the art ...
Petra – a monument to nature’s beauty and man’s ingenuity Julie Kalan December 13, 2011 7010 We all oohed and aahed at the site of Petra’s Treasury, when Indiana Jones took us along on his third adventure. Mesmerized by the beautiful facade, I hoped that someday I would be lucky enough to live out my o...
A Toronto Tour de Force Julie Kalan December 1, 2011 7162 The first of a two-part feature on Toronto the Fun Toronto is often thought of as a 9 to 5 city, a bastion of business that slumbers outside office hours – but nothing could be further from the truth. Restaura...
Carcassonne – part fortress, part fairy tale Julie Kalan December 1, 2011 5694 Framed by a clear, blue sky and bathed in the glowing mid-morning sun, the fortified town of Carcassonne evokes a scene from the pages of a pop-up storybook. The town itself lies hidden behind two concentric st...
The Heavenly Heights of Mont Saint Michel Julie Kalan November 5, 2011 10927 At the foot of the abbey, this peaceful lane follows the contours of the mount. Credit: Julie Kalan “Mont Saint Michel is to France what the Great Pyramid is to Egypt.” - Victor Hugo, January 1884 Rising a...
The Outer Banks of North Carolina The Montrealer November 3, 2011 6180 Six ways to enjoy this popular, year-round vacation destination Ancient ship logs suggest it was 16th century Spanish explorers who first set foot on the Outer Banks, a 200-mile-long string of slender barrier i...
Scottsdale, Arizona – in the Valley of the Sun The Montrealer October 25, 2011 5364 As 18th century poet Robbie Burns insightfully wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” The famous quote came true for me in January when my “well laid plan” was a golf trip to Scottsdale to ...
Historic mountain town of Stowe fun to visit year round The Montrealer October 13, 2011 6568 STOWE, Vt - Only Stowe, Vermont combines a classic 200-year-old village with Mt. Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak. This unique juxtaposition imbues Stowe with a character reminiscent of great European mountain...
Grape Gifts of France – Exploring Saint Émilion and Cognac Julie Kalan September 4, 2011 7524 Hang a map of France on the wall, close your eyes and throw a dart – you are bound to hit one of the country’s world-renowned winemaking regions. A Glass of Red In the Aquitaine region of south western Fran...
