“Why would you ever think Irish food is bland?” my friend Úna asked in disbelief. I have no idea, but this was just one of many misconceptions about Dublin I carried with me recently. Perhaps it’s because unlike many of my fellow Canadians, I don’t have a single Doyle or Kennedy or O’Connell in my ancestry –…
Read MoreAs Halloween nears, my mind turns to things spooky, haunted, scary. I think of darkened corners, their smell musty from centuries of avoidance, cobwebs clinging to ancient walls, providing goose bumps and sheepish grins in equal doses. In Dublin recently, that spirit – or the spirits – felt quite alive. In the land of mythical…
Read MoreThe main road leading to Kudat in North Borneo is dotted with dogs: stray dogs, wandering dogs, dogs that belong to nearby farmers, all in danger of being hit by a car doing nothing guiltier than driving. Amidst the dogs off to the left a muddy road climbs a hill and cuts through a few…
Read MoreWalking into the Istanbul Grand Bazaar on a crowded Saturday afternoon can give even the bravest of shoppers a meltdown. With its nearly 5,000 shops, hundreds of thousands of visitors a day and come-hither merchants, even an expert shopper would be forgiven a moment’s hesitation at what is believed to be the world’s most visited attraction. (estimates are between…
Read MoreHow a smaller, more provincial town not only survives but thrives next to a much larger urban neighbor is a bit of a mystery. It’s common for people to visit Barcelona on weekend city breaks from around Europe, and the Catalonian capital’s name is the upstart darling of the travel set. How then can little…
Read MoreIt’s not my first time in Barcelona but it’s definitely my most offbeat – and slightly adventurous: I arrived by train after a 13-hour journey from Santiago de Compostela, stayed in a luxurious flat, shopped for food at the upmarket La Boquería and was whipped around the city in a motorcycle sidecar. This came about because I applied –…
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