1/24/2021
1/12/2021
Bavaria Road Trip of a Lifetime: 8 Must-See Places (Part 1 of 2)
1/12/2021Bavaria is the largest state in Germany and, in my opinion, the most diverse, rich and charming one as well. I feel like the whole world kn...
Bavaria is the largest state in Germany and, in my opinion, the most diverse, rich and charming one as well. I feel like the whole world knows what Bavaria is famous for - the King Ludwig II’s castle of Neuschwanstein, BMW, Oktoberfest, pretzels and of course the best beer in the world! And if you're a soccer fan, FC Bayern Munich definitely tops your list of the best soccer clubs. But Bavaria is also infamous for sheltering the national socialist german workers party led by Hitler that gave birth to nazism and mass killings of millions of innocent people. I purposely added Dachau, the most notorious death camp in the nazi Germany, to my itinerary as I felt the trip would not be complete without visiting this disgraceful place where thousands of victims, mostly Jews, would starve, suffer and eventually die in a gas chamber. We must never forget. Ready to see Bavaria? I hand-picked those 8 not to be missed places that should definitely be on everyone's bucket list.
1/03/2021
Visiting St. Augustine - The Oldest Town in America
1/03/2021Thrill-seekers swarming the world-famous theme parks in Orlando and beachcombers chilling out at Daytona Beach often miss St. Augustine, a c...
Thrill-seekers swarming the world-famous theme parks in Orlando and beachcombers chilling out at Daytona Beach often miss St. Augustine, a centuries-old little gem located on the Florida's Atlantic Coast. While the Sunshine State offers tons of activities to keep you entertained for weeks, if not months, trust me - St. Augustine definitely deserves a day trip. After all, it's the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in North America. How cool is that?
12/24/2020
5th Blog Anniversary and 20 Best Pictures of 2020
12/24/2020As I look back at 2020, I think to myself - what a year! Definitely the one to remember, for better or worse. Despite all the challenges tha...
As I look back at 2020, I think to myself - what a year! Definitely the one to remember, for better or worse. Despite all the challenges that COVID-19 and our response to it have brought to our lives, this year turned out to be quite fruitful for me, travel-wise. By mid-March, before everything got shut, I had already completed 12 flights. Obviously, the pandemic slowed things down to a crawl, but it concurrently opened up a great deal of local travel opportunities. Biking, hiking, backpacking, camping, kayaking became a thing for so many people in 2020. We finally got to visit the most iconic places in British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies - something that has been on our bucket list for almost a decade. I’m really hopeful that 2021 will allow us to return to a better state and catch up on overdue celebrations, re-connections, travels and in-person events. Wishing you and your families a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year!
12/19/2020
Montreal Métro - Smelly, Noisy, but Exceptionally Artsy
12/19/2020Montreal has a special place in my heart. My two-year long immigration project revolved around this great city. Before I set foot in Canada,...
Montreal has a special place in my heart. My two-year long immigration project revolved around this great city. Before I set foot in Canada, I already had a pretty good idea where I would live, work, send my kids to daycare and school, shop for groceries, spend weekends and so forth. And while I was seriously planning to settle in Montreal, I secretly envied those who could afford to live in Vancouver. So far, neither city ended up being my home. This did not prevent me from exploring Montreal though where I have spent quite a bit of time over the past 10 years. And you know what I like the most about this city? Not bagels, not smoked meat, not even poutine. Its métro! Here is my reasons why.
11/21/2020
Austria 2010: 8 Things I Did For The First Time In My Life
11/21/2020My early trips outside of Ukraine, where I was born and raised, fuelled my hunger for travel and helped me eventually end up in Canada. I s...
My early trips outside of Ukraine, where I was born and raised, fuelled my hunger for travel and helped me eventually end up in Canada. I should admit that I haven't travelled abroad until I was 22. In mid 2000s, most people in Ukraine would still travel locally or wouldn't travel at all. Cheap all-inclusive resorts in Turkey and Egypt would still be out of reach for most people in Ukraine since it was considered a luxury. So it's pretty remarkable to see how much change this past decade has brought for international tourism. Internet and low cost flights allowed people to travel quick, easy and on a tight budget. Looking back now, Korea in 2008 was the biggest eye-opener for me closely followed by Vienna, Austria in 2010. And believe it or not, those 8 things I've never done or seen in my life prior to visiting Austria.
11/06/2020
7 Tips for Chasing Perfect Fall Colours in Ontario
11/06/2020The Canadian province of Ontario may be lacking snow capped mountains, sandy oceanfronts, tall grass prairies or arid deserts, but one thing...
The Canadian province of Ontario may be lacking snow capped mountains, sandy oceanfronts, tall grass prairies or arid deserts, but one thing that all western provinces are envious about is the Ontario's iconic fall colours. Mild temperatures and not too much rain make the leaf peeping season last longer than anywhere else in the country. With most of the foliage fallen down by now, I do realize that the tips I'm about to share will probably make more sense around mid-September - early October next year. But who said we can't start preparing for the next season now? Plus, as an added bonus, that's an opportunity to enjoy some pictures and bring good memories from this past season.
