19 Feb 2024

Top Travel Knickknacks

Q. Many of us have specific souvenirs we are eager to bring back from specific countries. What are the most sought-after travel treasures? . A. It’s a question that the Club Med research team investigated in 2021. What did they find? . Top Souvenirs by Country Research • Antigua and

02 Feb 2024

Traveler Peeves

Q. Hurray for travel; bring it on! But let’s just poof there. No airports, no airplanes. Twitch your bewitched nose, Samantha Stephens. Hold our hands and apparate us there, Dumbledore . There is much to love about exploring new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new cultures. As the soft-focus

31 Jan 2024

British Columbia In Symbols

Q. If you live in Canada, can you identify your province’s tartan? And what about your provincial fish, gemstone, mammal, and tree? . A. Wait, we have provincial tartans? Apparently. Here is B.C.’s: . . Victoria’s Earl K. Ward designed the official tartan of B.C. in 1967; it was officially

19 Jan 2024

Hot Spot Museums

Q. What’s your idea of an ideal museum? Is it a hidden gem of a place with a small collection of beautiful pieces? With no crowds to battle, you can just sit in front of an artwork, take in the details, and daydream. Or are you more excited about a

06 Jan 2024

I Do Miss My Castle

Q. Wait a minute. Nobody knows us here. Our social media accounts are private; search engines don’t give us the time of day.  Let’s assume new identities – we’re minor aristocracy, we’re high-flying art detectives in search of that masterpiece, we’re world-changing philanthropists. Do people embellish or flat out lie

25 Dec 2023

Merry Christmas

To all who are celebrating today: Merry Christmas! A particularly warm greeting to those who are spending their 2023 holiday season away from their loved ones. Here’s to good health and goodwill in 2024. To help us ring in the day is the brilliant artwork of William H. Johnson, born

12 Dec 2023

The Uffizi

Q. What is it about the Uffizi Gallery that drives art lovers to return to Florence again and again? . A. The Uffizi Gallery houses an extraordinary collection of paintings, with masterpieces from Boticelli to Michelangelo, Caravaggio to Giotto, Leonardo to Raffaello. This world-renowned gallery sits in the first two

04 Dec 2023

Hit The Road To Hit The Sack

Q. Through the tumult of the last years, is it any wonder that we dream about escaping for carefree holidays? What activities do our idyllic vacations include for 2024? . A. To build their Travel Trends 2024 reports, Skyscanner studied search and booking data, and polled thousands in Canada, the

14 Nov 2023

The Sistine Ceiling

Q. As Goethe said: ‘Without having seen the Sistine Chapel, it’s not possible to have an idea of what one man is capable of doing.’  How long did it take Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Ceiling? . A. Michelangelo painted his brilliant Old Testament frescoes over four and a half

28 Oct 2023

City Love 2023

Q. What are your favourite cities in the world? When Condé Nast Traveler asked this question, more than half a million readers – 526,518 to be exact – responded. Which cities outside of the US did they pick for 2023? . A. How many of the winning cities are in