Category: Wanderlust

Rent a Village… Crazy!

I was perusing Airbnb yesterday, as I often do, looking at gorgeous places to rent for holidays.  Not that I’m planning a holiday right now – I just like to look.

I came across this insane listing – rent an entire village in Switzerland for $60,000 a night. Crazy, right?  I googled it, and found that it’s a company that rents out the town to companies and groups looking to hold a big event.  Think corporate retreats or big meetings.  Isn’t that a cool alternative to a nasty conference centre?

Here’s the listing on Airbnb, and here’s the Rent A Village website for more info.

Back from the Cottage

We’re back from a lovely week in upstate New York.  What a gorgeous part of the country – rolling hills, farms, rocks, islands… and small towns with yummy craft beer for sale.  Highlights of the week included a trip to Boldt Castle (pictured above), and evenings spent on the deck of the cottage, watching the sunset.

It’s always nice to get away, but I am glad to be back home.  I’ve been working hard on a new business project, and can’t wait to share the details with you later today.  Stay tuned!

We’re Hitting the Road Again

Today I’m running around tying up loose ends, so we can head out of town (again).  This time we’re going cottaging – we’ve rented this lovely place on the St. Lawrence River, in the Thousand Islands.  Cool thing is, it’s on the American side (yay US shopping!).  I don’t know the area at all, and am looking forward to exploring small towns, watching the shipping boats go by, and falling asleep with the windows open and the river breeze coming in.

I’ll be back on August 20, which is when Clara starts fulltime daycare (gulp!).  Have a lovely week!

Vacation Dreaming: Maine

When I was about 9 years old, my family rented a vacation house in Bar Harbor, Maine.  I still remember it – playing in tidal pools, going to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, and eating fresh lobster (although I’ll admit, they were not my favourite as a child).

I would love to spend a summer there, doing the same things with my daughter.  It’s a very romantic notion, right?  Kind of like living in John Irving novel. (Remember that line from The Cider House Rules?  “Good night you princes of Maine, you kings of New England”?  I love it.)  If you dream of Maine the way I sometimes do, check out this post on Designtripper, featuring 4 spectacular Maine vacation houses.  Lovely.

Au Revoir, Mes Amis

We’re heading off for a week of vacation, on our little jaunt to Montreal.  There won’t be any blog posts next week, but I’ll be back with you on Monday July 9.

I hope you have a wonderful Canada Day long weekend (or a great Fourth of July, for those of you in the States).

[images above from the Wander Postcard Project, where some kickass illustrators were asked to create a postcard “from everywhere and nowhere at once”. Clockwise from top left, postcards by Mike McQuade, Ping Zhu, Ed Nacional, and Zinegraph]

 

Tablet’s Best of the Best Hotels List

Oh wow, it’s finally Friday. And the heat wave in Toronto has broken, leaving lovely summer sun and just the right amount of warmth.  Doesn’t this weather make you want to take a little vacation?

Check out this list of the Best of the Best Hotels on Tablet. They’ve broken their lists into Top 10s – Top 10 Hotels With Awe-Inspiring Architecture, Top 10 Hotels with Age and Beauty, Top 10 Hotels for Rooms with a View, etc.

Pretty high on my must-visit list is the Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs.  Love the retro rainbow vibe.  And the Imanta Resort Punta Mita (on the Pacific Coast of Mexico) looks spectacular.  I love vacation daydreaming…

[image of the Saguaro Hotel and Imanta Resort Punta Mita via Tablet]

Things to Do With a Toddler in Montreal

We’re planning our trip to Montreal (we leave in 2 weeks!), so I’m researching things we can do during the day as a family.  I came across this great article from Where.ca entitled 50 Things to Do With Kids In Montreal.  I think some must-dos off this list include the Biodome, Parc Jean-Drapeau, and maybe the Zoo.  And we’re staying close to Parc LaFontaine, so that’s a must.  Kinnon told us there’s a 24-hour poutine shop right next to Parc LaFontaine called La Banquise.  Amazing!

Do you have any Montreal kids tips?

[image of kids playing in water fountains at Place-des-Arts by Just Being a Mama]

36 Hours In… A Book!

I love the 36 Hours column of the New York Times Travel section. Every week, they cover a different destination, giving you a breakdown of the best way to spend a weekend there.

150 of the best 36 Hours articles from Canada and the US have been published in a gorgeous book by Taschen.   Of course, you could just read them all online here. But imagine curling up on your sofa with a glass of wine, poking through the book, dreaming of weekend trips… delightful.

This book is now on my birthday wish list.