Euro Travel & More

In all our trip up the city – we’ve never gone closed to the public garden – we’ve heard a lot about it – but we’ve never been there.  This trip up to the city – the kid wanted to go to a playground – so we went for a walk after parking the car.

The Halifax Public Garden’s gate reminds me of the Botanical Garden back home.  A lot of restoration work was put into this garden after it was hit by Hurricane Juan.

Inside the Public Garden – a gazebo – lots of gardeners worked in this garden voluntarily.  We didn’t stay for long as the bugs were in full force that afternoon.  But i do plan to visit another time soon.

Canadians shopped a lot across the border – mainly because it’s cheaper to by just about anything – even though the loonie is stronger than the current US currency.  The finance minister a few days ago – just said that he was irritated by it – perhaps if they didn’t charge so much taxes – Canadians will stay home and shop home – and with coupons like lowe’s coupons i too would drive across the border to get tools for my in – laws for Christmas.   The variety is a lot more across the border as well – so you can really blame us for taking advantage of such good deals right?  We don’t get the kind of coupons they do in the United States – if you look at some of the grocery coupons some housewives had collected – you will be amazed how much savings one can get – in fact – there are a few who would even show you how to use the coupons.  Inspired by the coupon news one year – I try to search for as much coupons before going across the border to shop.

While the rest of the world are planning for a winter vacation during Christmas – can you guess where I will be heading for this Christmas?  I’m definitely not having a white Christmas – because I’m going somewhere sunny and with sand and the beach.   You really can’t blame me for wanting to be somewhere warm this winter – for I’ve been here for 12 years to-date – and had been spending Christmas in the freezing cold.   My christmas stockings may not be near a fire place – but it will be filled with goodies like always – so if you are planning a Christmas vacation away from home – now is the time to start looking.

There are many great destination during Christmas time – and Cancun plus Havana are always crowded with Canadian and American tourists this time of the year.  We are booking earlier this year – because we are bringing our extended family with us for a week long vacation – just sipping mojitos and margaritas  with massages and sun.  I had thought about going back to Asia during Christmas time – but i figured Asia is best when it is the coldest here in Canada – in February.   We are not going to be opening our christmas stockings or bringing any presents with us during Christmas – but when we get home – we can all open our presents.  Time to go look for a travel agent.

We all go on holiday and with holidays – we go on tour buses – but don’t you hate it when you tour bus is a dingy old van ?  well ! so do I and you are not alone – especially if you are touring on the tour bus for a good part of the day.  So what can you do to avoid sitting on a dingy old van – uncomfy seats – and even smell of sweat or puke?  Actually a lot !  I know we all don’t expect our tour buses to come with maserati mats but the least we can expect is air-con and comfortable seats and a deceent driver.  So the next time you book a tour or go on holiday – make sure you ask your tour operator – what kind of tour buses you will be on – because you are afterall the customer – and you are entitled to as much comfort as you can get.   Don’t feel bad about asking – because you have to know what you are paying for.

This is my kid’s good friend and when my kid saw her good friend with such a big fish – she said to me – she wants to go on a fishing trip just like her friend’s and catch a bigger fish than him.  I know that my kid’s friend was really happy and had quite an experience this summer – during his fishing trip with his dad and extended family.  They recommended the orlando fishing guides if we were thinking of going on a fishing trip ourselves this fall.  I think it would be such a great adventure especially a good way for the family to bond.

There will be a guide there the whole time and they provide everything even the fishing rod, all one need to do is to bring themselves and sunscreen – plus of course don’t forget your sun glasses.  Plenty of drinks on the boat – so you don’t have to worry about that but you can bring a sandwich for lunch if you like.  Other than that – you just have to go along and enjoy an adventure and learn how to fish.  I would like to try that sometime.

I haven’t been here – and I had picked this picture up from MSN travel – saying that this is one of the weirdest theme hotel – but i sincerely wouldn’t call that – because this is a piece of art by itself – and staying in this B & B would definitely be an experience that I would love for my kid to experience.  I  bet my 7 yrs old would be so thrilled – wouldn’t yours?

Located in Idaho – the land of potatoes – from what I know. Dog Bark Park is located in north central Idaho on US Hwy 95 at Cottonwood, Idaho. The bread and breakfast offers yummy breakfast – and reasonably priced rooms – with the usual amenities you can expect for a B & B.  But what’s most unique is going to be the chainsaw art giftstore -  the life-like work – by the owners and artists are incredible.  I would love to bring a Beagle home too – if I visit.   Very interesting indeed.

This is the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle – also known as Newcastle upon Tyne in England – I had only been to Newcastle once – but I’m sure all football fans know where Newcastle is right?

This is the Millennium Bridge which is just as famous as the Tyne Bridge.  This tilt bridge can be used by pedestrian and cyclist – a pretty amazing looking bridge if you asked me.  I think the bridge was just opened not too long ago – in 2001 when I had taken a short trip for business in NewCastle.  I wished I had stayed longer – to check out more cool stuff in NewCastle.

I’ve written about New Zealand before – I called it the Kiwi land and I loved the massive amount of land they have there.  This is a Maori sculpture found at New Zealand in a place called Te Puia – I believed it’s a Maori name?  it’s located at the  Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley.

We had actually hired a guide to bring us to Rotarua to visit this Maori Cultural Center – I was told that there was this bubbling mud pool and hot springs – that we will be interested in and they were not kidding.

It was bubbling alright!  There were many people just laying there in the hot spring and taking a dip – it was funny.  I won’ be posting pictures of that – that’s for sure.

This is a geyser in the Maori land – quite stinky if you asked me.

A geyser doing its thing.

Another one – and it does smell – so come prepared eh.

Check out the Maori war canoe – at the museum – quite intimidating right.

We were planning to go to PEI this summer – and had to postpone our plans because the kid got ill – but I had accidentally came across the newest hotel in PEI – thru’ a magazine I found at the local grocery store and decided to check it out.   The rates I meant – and it was very expensive!  a check on the website state that it is a boutique hotel – and usually boutique hotels are small and personable therefore they charge a little bit more.  But we are still booking the hotel – to try it out  – and check it out – after all what good am I to be called an ex-hotelier and not check out new hotels right?  this is what we called a site inspection.  Plus we can always meet up with our dear life insurance agent turned friend and discuss our term life insurance over a cup of coffee and some pastry in the hotel.  The hotel is located in Charlottetown and it even have a bigger pool.  So more on the Holman Grand hotel after I come back from our mini 1 week vacation.

So the in-laws wants to take a cruise this fall – to celebrate their anniversary and asked me to make some inquiries and if it looked good – I should go ahead and booked it.  Like most people the in-laws were focusing mainly on the destination and not the ship they are going to be on for 10 days – well maybe 7 for most people – now that is a mistake – because one should focus on what you want to do on board – a spa cruise – a eating expedition – or just one that you can dance all night.  So be sure to talk to your travel agent face to face – with a list of cruise ship that you found online and make sure the travel agent knows what the cruise ship is offering their vacation party.

If you are booking for a cruise – make sure you try and book early – the earlier the better.  For my in-laws – I’m afraid I won’t be getting a good cabin for them – because it is pretty late to book for the fall cruise.  Early birds gets a discount – and you also get a choice of your cabin.  6 months – is a good time for booking a cruise and if you are lucky – one can get as much as 50% discount – pretty neat eh.

More cruise tips on another post.