Canada Day in Ottawa

[trip style = urban] The Canadian patriotism I experienced at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics gave a whole new meaning to Canada Day this year. The Olympics reminded me of my deep love and appreciation for the true north strong and free as well as the freedoms we often take for granted.

I had the honour of spending July 1st in Ottawa--the official epicentre of Canada. Watching the Canada Day celebrations in front of Parliament, something changed, I felt Canadian things more deeply. Every sight turned into an exciting and heartfelt experience.   The speeches given by Harper and the Queen weren't just rhetoric, they were meaningful, and the whole celebration beginning with the Musical Ride (sadly I didn't get any pics) brought me to tears.  But I suppose I should feel emotion for a country where my roots grow deep and the maple leaf is more than just something that falls from trees.

Pictures of Ottawa's Canada Day 2010 Celebrations [by a BC gal]

The Queen's prelude into the Canada Day celebrations.  She followed in a horse-drawn carriage sporting a red suit with a maple leaf broach for the event.

The stage where the festivities took place.

Parliament's East Block.

Canadian Snowbirds doing a fly-by.

Me in front of a Snowbird; not the kind that goes South for the whole winter.

Parliament's library, refurbished in 2002.

Ottawa river overlooking Gatineau, Quebec.

Beside Parliament. The Rideau Canal looking up towards the Fairmont Chateau Laurier.  Above the lochs you see in this pic, in winter you can skate along this canal for 8km.  Puts a whole new spin on commuting.

Me in front of 24 Sussex (PM's residence).  Since I came unannounced, Stevo wasn't able to have lemonade with me on his balcony.

Having a break at Planet Coffee.

Grabbing a croissant at the bakery where Obama stopped to pick up some 'Canada cookies' for his girls during his initial visit to Ottawa in February 2010. PS - I Highly recommend the aforementioned Moulin de Provence bakery in Ottawa's Byward Market.

Ending the day with a literal bang. We were so close that our hair and clothes were speckled with ash.

From Travel to Holiday Home

[trip style = holiday home]

Have you ever fallen in love with a destination to the point where you'd consider buying a vacation home? I have [more on that in another post] and one of my favourite shows on this topic is House Hunters International.

House Hunters International Each episode showcases home buyers traveling the world in search of a new home. In most cases, the real estate enthusiasts have been swept away by a specific destination, and when they return to buy a property, cameras follow their home search abroad. What I love about the show is seeing what a specific budget can get you in different destinations, learning what legalities may be involved in the purchase, seeing the interiors of houses worldwide and my favourite part is when the home buyers are showcased living in their home 1-6 months following their purchase (I LOVE to see how they decorate).

Video House Hunters Inernational Video profiling an American Family purchasing a vacation home in Roatan, Honduras.

By the Way

• Here's a link to a bunch of House Hunters International videos on Youtube
• A recent tweet told me that the show is currently doing a casting call for people looking for a house abroad.

[photo by Robert Thomson]

Healthy on the Road :: Biz Travel & Eating

[Happy Canada Day! Today I'm in Canada's Capital for the occasion. I'll post pictures Monday] The Business of Eating Healthy for Business Travel Eating nutritiously while traveling may seem like an impossible challenge, especially for you business travelers out there. If you’re travelling for pleasure, indulging in less-than-balanced cuisine may be just the treat you were looking forward to, so enjoy, but try to be mindful to enjoy in moderation. However, for the business traveler who is regularly on the road, it’s much, much more important to have a plan of attack.

Lack of Routine Lack of routine is a huge culprit here. For the business traveller, it’s often numerous meetings, hurriedly navigating an unfamiliar city, grabbing whatever food is convenient or dining clients with rich foods and drinks.

How to Avoid Nutrition Traps on your Travels Eat Healthy When Eating Out You don’t have to order steak just because you’re at a steak house! Your heart will thank you for it. Learn to choose healthier menu choices while still enjoying great tasting food. Some tips:

• Look for the entrées that are described as: grilled, baked, steamed, or broiled.
• Avoid dishes that are fried, sautéed, crispy, rich, and au gratin. These are code words for high in fat.

Beware of Fast Food In fact, try to avoid it all cost. Time constraints make this “cuisine” all too appealing, but try to find alternatives as often as possible.  If you absolutely must eat fast food, here are some tips:

• Opt for smaller portion sizes.
• Choose healthier side items such as salads instead of fries.
• Drink water instead of pop.
• Skip heavy condiments such as mayonnaise, bacon and dressing that add extra calories.

Watch What you Drink A glass of wine with dinner is a reasonable expectation for most, but it's the calories in the pre and post-dinner drinks that can put you over the top. Being in a foreign city, travelers often have no where left to go at the end of a day, which means dinner and drinks can stretch on for hours. Some tips:

• Avoid those pre-dinner cocktails or post-dinner binges
• Space Your Drinks: alternate a drink of water, juice or soda between your alcoholic beverages to limit your consumption.

Eat Breakfast Most people give a variety of reasons for not eating breakfast. A common reason is that they are not hungry in the morning, which is usually a result of eating a full meal late in the evening or late snacking. Whatever your reason for not having time for breakfast, change it!  Starting with a good breakfast boosts your energy and readiness for the day ahead. Skipping breakfast causes low blood sugar, low energy, and decreased work productivity.  Some tips:

• Try having some fruit, healthy bars, or small pots of yogurt on-hand for a quick breakfast on the go.
• Avoid relying on those unhealthy pastries awaiting you at your conference or meeting.
• If you are trying squeeze in some extra work pre-meeting, multitask and do work at breakfast.

Be sure to check out previous Healthy on the Road posts to learn more about the advantages of being of being active while traveling, as well as the health benefits of eating well on the road.  Healthy on the Road posts are published on the first Thursday of every month and written by our resident health consultant, Leah Munday, owner of OTfit.ca.

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[photo by UggBoy]

My Own Backyard

[trip style = sightseeing]

A Taster Today I'm leaving Vancouver on  jetplane. My two week get-to-know-my-own-backyard trip will take me to Ottawa, Montreal, Moncton, St. Andrews by the Sea, Halifax and Charlottetown.  Although this whirlwind adventure doesn't even get me close to exploring all the wonders of Canada's East Coast, at least it's a start, a taster per se.

No Passport Required Traveling sans passport is weird, yet refreshing. The last time I was in Eastern Canada (not including airport visits) it was 1992 and I was in grade 7. I went with my French Immersion class on a trip to Quebec.  It was a cool -25 degrees celcius, and the St. Lawrence River--or fleuve Saint-Laurent--was partially frozen.  My french class stayed in a dumpy hostel in the shadow of the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac (really?) and given the absence of my parents, I may have eaten McDonald's every day for lunch.  Both my lodging preferences and eating habits have changed since then.

Why am I going? Since most of the travel I do is international, I want to be able to tell people more about my own country, not just the small pockets I've visited to date. It's semi embarrassing when I meet tourists who've seen more of the country that put the North in North America than I have, but it's a big place. It's the second largest country in the world with a population similar to California's.  Speaking of California, ironically, last time I was there my friend pointed out George Stroumboulopoulos (Canada's famed late-night, gen-X talk show host). The fact is I'm proud to be Canadian, so I want to visit more of this mammoth land mass and meet more of my neighbours before I venture off to foreign soil again.

Ottawa for Canada Day One event I'm super excited about is participating in the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa (Canada's Capital). I think it's kind of a propos--something I can check off my life list or that would my make my grade 4 teacher proud. For as long as I can remember, I've always watched Canada Day celebrations on CBC. The colours that stood out were red, white and green. Red for the mounties in uniform leading their horses in formation; 'white' for the Parliament buildings and Steven Harper's hair (and I mean no disrespect, running this country has got to be stressful, especially in light of the recent G20 rukus) and green for grass where the horses march and the parliament buildings sit.  I'll get to see all this with friends who live in Ottawa! Bonus.

How am I going I booked this trip using Air Canada Aeroplan miles.  Twenty five thousand miles plus $125 in taxes got me an economy ticket from Vancouver to Moncton with a week stop-over in Ottawa.  My husband and I wanted to fly as far as we could within our domestic points allowance to maximize the opportunity.  So, we're going coast to coast.

Although I'm an enthusiastic ambassador for Canada, I don't feel totally authentic in that self-imposed role, not yet at least. I have so much more to see: the 100,000+ lakes in Saskatchewan, Toronto in its cosmopolitan glory, Ontario's Muskoka region where all the design mags' editors have cottages, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, The Northwest Territories and so on.  Canada, I promise to see more of you in the future.  It's not you, it's me.

PS - research shows that people scan the written word, but pay special attention to the PS line, so, if you're more of a picture than word person, I'll post pics along the way.

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[photo by Steph & Adam]

Travel Apps :: Epicurious

Travel and food go together like savoring a croissant and petite cafe in Paris. It's just meant to be.  I can't even think of a destination I've visited without salivating as I remember it's food---unless that destination is Venice. Just ask Rachel Ray, who before her talk show and magazine fame, combed the globe eating in international hotspots for only $40 A Day. Coming to you from the geniuses at Conde Nast, the epicurious recipe app helps you reconnect with "that" pasta you savored in Tuscany or "that" tres leches cake from Cabo.

Epicurious App Details

• free
• works with iPhone, iTouch, iPad and Android (no word on if/when it will be available for Blackberry)
• 28,000 professionally tested recipes from renowned magazines such as Bon Appetit and Gourmet, popular cookbooks, top chefs and leading restaurants
• browse recipe collections from "Weeknight Dinners" to "Cool Cocktails"
• search food or drink recipes by keyword, or swipe through icons to filter by what's in your fridge, what's healthy, what's in season, and more.
• access hundreds of thousands of recipe ratings and reviews from Epicurious members
• like what you see? save the recipe to your personal Favorites list
• take it to the grocery store with interactive shopping lists that let you check off items as you find them at the store
• email "that" madeleine recipe you cherished in Paris to your friend in San Fran

Other Travel Apps we’ve Reviewed

• BorderWait
• OpenWays
• TripIt
• Trip Advisor
• StayHIP
• Trip Journal
• Bug Spray
• CameraBag
• Convert Everything
• GateGuru
• Kindle for iPhone
• Packing Pro
• Skype
• World Fact Book
• AAA/CAA Savings
• Royal Caribbean
• Medical Concierge
• Tourism British Columbia :: Near Me BC
• Postman Postcard
• 2010 Guide
• Nat’l Geo World Atlas
• hostelworld.com
• kayak first class
• flight control (game)

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