Under the Tuscan Sun
Late Sunday afternoon we arrived at a precious little villa in the hills of a small Tuscan town called San Ganezo. It was so cute and quant, and had the most beautiful view. Along with the villa, we had the company of enjoying their pets, four geese, two dogs and a cat. At night time,Continue reading “Under the Tuscan Sun”
Florence – home of the great artists
On Sunday afternoon, we arrived in Florence. We only had a few hours to see as much of the city as we could, as we were staying in a small town in the region of Tuscany for the next two nights. We decided what better way to explore Florence than to go to an artContinue reading “Florence – home of the great artists”
When in Rome…do as the Romans do
On our second day in Rome, we tried out second time to get into St. Peter’s Basilica and were successful! St.Peter’s was probably the most elaborate and beautiful church I have ever seen. It was absolutely massive inside, and had very extensive statues, alters, and artwork on the floors, walls, and ceilings. After our walkContinue reading “When in Rome…do as the Romans do”
Roma by day & night – the Vatican, Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi
Early Friday morning we arrived in Rome, Italy. We did not miss a single section to ensure we got a full day of exploring the city, even though we were running on little to no sleep as we had just come from a 6 am flight from Barcelona and had to wake up for 3Continue reading “Roma by day & night – the Vatican, Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi”
Paradise by the sea – Lagos, the Algarve, Portugal
In the late afternoon on Tuesday we arrived in paradise! Finally we were in for a few days of relaxation! We checked ourselves into a family run bed and breakfast called Villas D. Dinis, which was only a 5 minute walk to the beach beach. While we waited for our room to be ready,Continue reading “Paradise by the sea – Lagos, the Algarve, Portugal”
Belem, Portugal
Our second day in Lisbon we decided to head to the town of Belem. There was a lot of history in this little town, and even the place of resistance for the Portuguese President. We walked around the town, and looked at all of the historical monuments that were set out on the water. TheContinue reading “Belem, Portugal”
Lisboa, Portugal
On Monday morning, after a long journey on our over night train, we arrived in the motherland Portugal! My mother and her family were born in the Portuguese islands of the Azores, they were from the largest island Sao Miguel. My mother came to Canada when she was 5. Even though we have been toContinue reading “Lisboa, Portugal”
All aboard the night train! Madrid to Lisbon
Saturday night we boarded a train from Madrid, Spain to head to Lisbon, Portugal. I have always wanted to ride in a sleeper train, and that day finally came. For the second half of my euro trip with my mom, we have Eurail passes. This gives us the advantage to travel throughout different countriesContinue reading “All aboard the night train! Madrid to Lisbon”
Madrid – delayed flights, language barriers & strep throat
Saturday morning I flew out of Ibiza and into Madrid where I anxiously awaited my moms arrival a few hours later. As I waited for my mom, I ate breakfast, and tried my best to rest up and try to feel better for the day ahead, as I had awoken with a terrible sore throat,Continue reading “Madrid – delayed flights, language barriers & strep throat”
The 100th Calgary Stampede
Stampede Parade! Our Mounties ❤ The Calgary Tower (Ain’t got nothing on the CN tower ;)) Olympic Park from the 1988 Olympic’s Hangin’ out in a bobsled Ski jump tower! The view from the top of the ski jump Heading into Stampede Park where all of the Stampede Festivities take place The Saddledome whereContinue reading “The 100th Calgary Stampede”
Happy Canada Day!
Happy Canada to all my Canadians back at home! I hope everyone has amazing BBQs, great cottage weekends and plenty of Canadian beer in honour of our amazing country! Since I have been in Australia, I have grown even fonder and have grown a huge appreciation and dedication to my country. I am so extremelyContinue reading “Happy Canada Day!”
Fremantle Prision and Wine Tour
On one of my last days in Perth, we went to the Fremantle Prison. This was a huge prison, and operated until 1991. It could hold about 1000 inmates at a time, and is a vital part of the Australian convict history.It was really cool to take a tour and go through some of theContinue reading “Fremantle Prision and Wine Tour”
St. Patrick’s Day
For the past four years I have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in Waterloo, where all the students would enjoy one of the greatest party days of the year, take a break from midterms and essays and get all dolled up in GREEN!This year, I just assumed that St. Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be as big ofContinue reading “St. Patrick’s Day”
Fun Random Fact
Last week I was informed that one of the nice local men that I serve a couple times a week is actually Paul Hogan’s brother. If you don’t know who Paul Hogan is he is the star actor from the stereotypical Australian movie “Crocodile Dundee”. He is such a great guy, and we mostly talkContinue reading “Fun Random Fact”
Valentine’s Day
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope everyone enjoyed this loveable day with the ones they love. Whether that be a significant other, or just some really great friends and family, I hope everyone enjoyed some sort of love or romance today and that lots of chocolate and candy was had! For Valentine’s night I worked. ItContinue reading “Valentine’s Day”
Bagels
Bagels really are a Canadian thing. It is so hard to track down a bagel in any of the stores here. Most bakeries don’t even sell them! If you are lucky to find some in grocery stores, you can find them on the bottom shelf, in one brand, with only two or three different flavours.Continue reading “Bagels”
Super Bowl Monday
Most Australians don’t really care too much about the Super Bowl. In order for us to catch the game, we had to head to the good ol’ American Hooters Restaurant to catch some game day action. Since we are half a day ahead of North America, the broadcast started around 9 a.m. Monday morning, andContinue reading “Super Bowl Monday”
Australia Day & Brisbane
On Wednesday, Australia celebrated AUSTRALIA DAY! Australia Day is very much like Canada Day. Everyone gets together with their friends and family. They have BBQ’s; go to the beach, and have a few drinks! I spent my Australia in Brisbane with my new roommate and some of his friends. It was a fun filled dayContinue reading “Australia Day & Brisbane”
Random Facts about Bars in Australia
I have been working at Domani’s for just about 2 weeks now, and so far I have learned so much as a bartender. There are many different things that I have found to be quite different and interesting and I thought I would share them with you. Random Facts:-People call “Sprite” lemonade. When questioned aboutContinue reading “Random Facts about Bars in Australia”
Surfer’s Paradise
I have been in Surfer’s Paradise for just over a week now, and I love it. Surfer’s Paradise is an extremely touristy place, as it is one of the most popular places for Ozzie’s to come and vacation. It is filled with restaurants, cafes, expensive stores and beautiful beaches. A lot of people call Surfer’sContinue reading “Surfer’s Paradise”
Phillip Island
After the Great Ocean Road tour I spent my last day in Melbourne 2 weeks ago exploring Phillip Island. Phillip Island is a beautiful little island at the edge of Victoria which is home to the smallest penguin colony in the world…coincidentally they are called the “Little Penguin”. They are so cute and tiny, andContinue reading “Phillip Island”
Lawn Bowling
A few weeks ago I made friends with some local Melbourne boys. This week, they were nice enough to invite me over for a BBQ and to join them in a game of lawn bowling. I was so grateful for the BBQ as this was the first time since I left home that I haveContinue reading “Lawn Bowling”
Crown Entertainment Complex
Near our last hostel, we were lucky enough to be right beside the huge Crown Entertainment Complex.This place has everything! A casino, trendy bars and restaurants (home to Maze by Gordon Ramsey), a shopping mall, a movie theatre, and three nightclubs. I can proudly say that I checked off everything on the Crown Complex toContinue reading “Crown Entertainment Complex”
Queen Victoria Market
Melbourne is home to the famous Queen Victoria Market. The market is situated at the top of town and draws in hundreds of tourists and locals each day.It takes up two whole blocks! At the Vic Market (as the locals call it), you can find anything from fresh fruits, veggies, flowers, meats, fresh seafood, shoes,Continue reading “Queen Victoria Market”
Australian Grub
Now I am sure you are wondering what we eat. We mostly eat takeaway (what they call take-out), which has consisted of McDonalds, cheap Asian food, kebabs (Turkish wraps), or pizza. Don’t worry…This is not all we have been eating! Most of the hostels that we have been staying at have offered free breakfast, whichContinue reading “Australian Grub”
Sydney
Two days ago we arrived downtown Sydney. It is such a busy little city. Somewhat like Toronto, but such pretty architecture everywhere! We haven’t been able to do any of the touristy things yet; we just walked around a small portion of the city. There are these beautiful purple trees that I have become obsessedContinue reading “Sydney”
Bondi Beach
After 22 hours on the plane…we have arrived in AUSTRALIA, first stop Bondi Beach…we plan on staying here or about a week. The first day that we got here, it was pretty cold and windy. When we first got out of the airport, it was so confusing trying to get used to the cars beingContinue reading “Bondi Beach”
