Lesli’s Lists: Best Picnic Spots in the World!

Picnics are a great way to have an authentic travel experience. And nothing influences a picnic more than the spot. All spots are not created equal! Are you seeking solitude or the urban mosaic of a big city or a stellar view? On your next adventure fill your day-pack with food stuff s from the local market, add a bottle of wine and enjoy one of these picnic spots to die for!

Huayna Picchu, Peru

At an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet, the view from atop this peak, which towers over the 15th-century ruins of Machu Picchu, is breathtaking and one is instantly rewarded with a panoramic perspective of the Urubamba River Valley and the famed city of the Inca.

Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand
Rain forests hug dramatic cliffs, waterfalls cascade into rivers, and 4,000-foot rocky peaks tower over a deep fjord that has become New Zealand’s most famous destination.

Villa Borghese Gardens, Rome, Italy
Olives, pizza bianca, marinated artichokes, “salumi”, and—of course—a bottle of wine are all it takes to make a picnic break from the ancient ruins and Renaissance highlights of Rome.The Villa Borghese gardens, near the Piazza del Popolo, is a picnic-perfect landscape for escape.

Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station, California

The is spectacular nature preserve located on a 70,000-acre peninsula north of San Francisco is rich in wildlife, from raptors to tule elk, and bordered by a coastline favored by elephant seals. Head to the nearby Point Reyes Lighthouse for prime whale watching in January and March and coastal beauty year-round.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Western Cape, South Africa

Make a quick green escape from Cape Town for a picnic lunch in this spectacularly rugged and refined space on the slopes of Table Mountain. Pack a bottle of wine from Stellenbosch and some biltong and hike the trails through natural forests and fynbos (“fi ne bush” or shrubland in Afrikaans).

Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, France
Fountains, sculptures, two museums and countless comfortable chairs make this garden on the perimeter of the Musée du Louvre a surprisingly tranquil space for staging your own “déjeuner sur l’herbe”.

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

How many picnics can you fit into a day? Beat the sunrise and head to the summit of Maui’s Haleakala volcano—to a 10,023-foot peak called Pu’u ‘Ula’ula—to enjoy a breakfast picnic as dawn unfolds over a massive depression. Then get ready for the volcanic hike of a lifetime; wear layers to deal with the changing temperatures. The descent from the summit is roughly 27 miles, so pack a picnic lunch.

Aran Islands, Ireland

The classic cable-knit fisherman’s sweater may have put the Aran Islands on the sartorial map, but this group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay has long been on the picnicker’s map. Pick up some smoked salmon and brown bread—and perhaps some whiskey—before embarking on a scenic ferry ride to the karst limestone landscapes and rough green terrain of Inishmore island.

National Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.
All summer long, the Jazz in the Sculpture Garden series is music to picnickers’ ears. As an extension of the National Gallery of Art, this elegant oasis adjacent to the National Mall garden houses 17 three-dimensional works of art from such notables as Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, and Roy Lichtenstein.

-Lesli

Lesli's Lists: Chocolate

Cokolada, chocolade, chocolat, la cioccolata, chocolate.

No matter how you pronounce it chocolate always sounds wonderful. I am a chocoholic. There, I have said it. I could give up chocolate but I am not a quitter. Finding chocolate (products) while travelling can be easy, such as pain au chocolate in France. How can you have a café au lait without one? 

Other countries, such as Nepal, not so easy. Stale Cadbury chocolate bars sustained me on some pretty grueling trekking days. A chocolate sundae near Connaught Place in Delhi did wonders for my tummy, and roasted bananas stuffed with chocolate in the Sahara desert were heavenly and I don’t even eat bananas!  Following is my guide to chocoholic heaven:

• Chocolate Buffet – Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver
• Sachertorte – Hotel Sacher, Vienna
• The Swiss Chocolate Train – need I say more?
• Churros dipped in chocolate – Chocolateria San Gines, Madrid
• Red Velvet Chocolate Cupcakes – Magnolia Bakery, NYC
• Cioccolato Caldo – Chocolate Festival Turin (February)
• Maya Chocolate flavoured with chili peppers – Mexico
• Chocolate Hotel – eat, breathe, and sleep chocolate, Bournemouth, England
• Chocolate Nemesis Cake – Chocolate Ecstasy Tour, London, England

     - Lesli

Lesli's Lists: Best Wildlife Destinations

Who doesn’t like a good list? Conde Nast Traveller and Travel & Leisure Magazine love lists.  The movie “The Bucket List” prompted many to sit down and write their ‘life’ or ‘dream’ list, others, including myself, bought the book 1000 Places To See Before You Die, and derive a great sense of pleasure and accomplishment by ticking off each place we have been! 

The following is my list for Best Wildlife Destinations:

Rwanda – Mountain Gorillas 

Having a close encounter with a mountain gorilla is a truly memorable experience, unlike any other.

Botswana – Okavango Delta 

The Delta is one of Africa’s most unique wildlife and wilderness  areas.  It is a wetland paradise within the Kalahari Desert that supports and sustains a huge diversity of wildlife. Safaris are done by boat, dugout canoe, 4x4 and foot. A very magical time.

Ecuador – The Galapagos Islands 

A unique archipelago of desolate looking islands home to wonderfully strange, abundant and fearless wildlife found no where else on earth.

Peru – Manu National Park 

Manu offers the ultimate Bio trip.  With the greatest quantity and diversity of flora and fauna in the world, it provides an unforgettable opportunity for birders and nature lovers.

Antarctica 

The only sounds you hear are wildlife, water and the occasional crack of a calving iceberg.  The unique wildlife has adapted to the harsh environment and thrive in large numbers. Penguins in the tens of thousands, pods of whales and colonies of seals.

-Lesli

The Food Chain

Warning: Animals were harmed in the filming of this video, if you are or ever were a fan of guinea pigs this might be one to skip.

Foggy

Allen Morrison's Eyes on London

A brief before and after thoughts by Allen Morrison on his last London Theatre Tour.

Saturday November 26^th Playboy of the Western World

Guys, we're hitting the ground sprinting.  This is the final, closing night performance of one of the great plays in English theatre history, being performed at the most hallowed theatre in London, the Old Vic. This is like Christmas morning for theatre history lovers.  I can only imagine there'll be some kind of ceremony at the end of it all, flowers, champagne, crying, speeches.  Who knows, we'll just have to see.  At any rate, we'll have to get dressed up for this one.  This show will also help us meet our "Irish accent" quota for the tour.

         

Our first show was at the Old Vic.  We saw Playboy of the Western World and it was great.  A very traditional interpretation of the script and a lovely production. 

Sunday November 27^th Free Day

Monday November 28^th The Comedy of Errors

If you're going to London to watch some theatre, you have to see a Shakespeare show.  This is showing at the National Theatre on the Olivier Stage.  It seems as though they've given a modern setting for this production.  Personally, I love it when Shakespeare is given a contemporary interpretation, it shows its timelessness. My very first professional gig after theatre school was in a touring production of The Comedy of Errors out of Montreal so this play has a bit a of a place in my heart.

On Monday night we saw Comedy of Errors at the National Theater.  This was truly fantastic.  They did a modern interpretation of the script and I think it really helped to bring the story alive.  Shakespeare's texts are timeless and seeing this story set in a contemporary London setting really underlined that. Personally, this has been my favorite so far.

Tuesday November 29^th The Women in Black (matinee)

This is a ghost story.  The website claims it's "The most terrifying live theatre experience in the world".  It's being turned into a movie staring Daniel Radcliffe aka Harry Potter.  It's at the Fortune Theatre.  I think it's going to be bone chillingly fantastic.  I did, however, make sure to schedule it as our matinee so that we won't step out of the theatre into the dark London night.

On Tuesday we saw a matinee performance of the horror ghost story, The Woman in Black another excellent production. Very suspenseful and, at times, terrifying.  What made this really exciting though, for me, was that there was also a field trip of about seventy high school students in the audience who were very vocal about screaming in terror at all the right moments.  We were basically watching a horror

film with a bunch of kids and it made it even better because they were so into it.

Reasons to be Pretty (evening show)

Neil LaBute is a popular American playwright and film director.  This show is the final part of his trilogy on society's obsession with beauty.  It stars some fairly well known British film and TV stars.  It plays at the Almeida Theatre.  

Tuesday evening we saw “Reasons to be Pretty” out at the Almeida. A very gritty and brilliantly acted American play.  This one incited the most lively post-show discussion so far as the play really questions modern relationships and marriage as well as the obsession with beauty.  The tube ride back home was a barrage of differing opinions and points of view on the topics that the play raised.  Theatre is supposed to provoke discussion and this production certainly did just that.

Wednesday November 30^th Improv Night

I'll be performing in an improv comedy show with the London group, Catch 23.  Everyone's invited, though this is not something that's part of our "official" schedule.  Improv is one of my favorite things to do and if you're unfamiliar with what it is, exactly, think of the TV show "Who's Line Is It Anyway".  Scenes made up on the spot before your very eyes based on suggestions from the audience.  It's pretty great. Not sure what the venue is going to be yet.

Improv show on Wednesday night.  I performed with an all-Canadian team against two local London teams.  Needless to say, we won in a landslide.

 Thursday December 1^st Jerusalem 

This is the one.....  This is the one show of all the ones we're going to see that I'm the most excited about.  It is the first show I bought tickets for and I built the entire schedule around it.  It's one of the hottest shows in town and it was very difficult getting tickets for it.  My aunt saw it in New York and says it's amazing.  The lead, Mark Rylance, supposedly delivers a powerhouse performance.  It's won tons of awards.  Click on the title above and scroll down on the show's website and read some of the reviews.  We're going to love this.  It's at the Apollo theatre.

Friday December 2^nd Pippin

This is the musical on our schedule.   It's happening at the Menier Chocolate Factory, which appears to be a pretty intimate space so this should be a nice complement  to our schedule.  You can read up about some of the play's history here.  Apparently there's also a pretty good restaurant at the theatre that might be fun to eat at before the show of Friday.

Saturday December 3^rd 39 Steps 

Based on the John Buchanan novel and the Alfred Hitchcock film, this adaptation by Patrick Barlow is straight up farcical comedy.  It's a stylized whodunit mystery with some fantastic physical comedy and witty wordplay thrown on top.  I think this is going to be hilarious and it felt like the perfect conclusion to our tour.  It's playing at the Criterion Theatre.

Avoid non-essential travel

The Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada has the following to say about Burundi:

 OFFICIAL WARNING: Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada advises against non-essential travel to Burundi. While the general situation in the country has started to stabilize as a result of peace agreements between the National Liberation Forces (FNL) rebel group and the Government of Burundi, sudden outbreaks of violence and civil unrest are still likely to take place throughout Burundi, including around FNL demobilization camps. There are large amounts of small arms and weapons in circulation, easily available to various groups. Violent attacks and ambushes by former soldiers, rebel forces, and youth gangs against humanitarian workers, including foreigners, occur frequently. These incidents include robbery and murder. The presence of refugees returning from Rwanda and Tanzania also continues to exacerbate tensions.

Like the sensible traveler I am, after reading this I decided to go anyways. I am definitely glad I made the decision because Bujumbura was an amazing city. I didn’t feel unsafe once and people were a lot more welcoming then they were in the neighbouring country of Rwanda. The one thing people in Bujumbura know how to do well is party and it doesn’t matter what night of the week it is, naturally I fit in quite well. The local drop was Amstel Bock and you can guess this traveler had his fair share.

Foggy

(Photos to come as internet is ridiculously slow here)

 

 

Avoid non-essential travel

Rwanda Genocide

In 1994 approximately 800 000 people were murdered in Rwanda over 100 days as the international community stood by and watched. The killing was between the Hutu and Tutsi, definitions given out during the colonization period in the 1800’s. Today Rwanda is perfectly safe but the scars of such a recent tragedy are still apparent. A visit to the capital Kigali can not be done without stopping by at the Genocide Memorial. There is a mass grave here on sight as well as a museum. The museum is by donation with an audio tour costing you $13 ($10 if you have a “valid” student ID like me). The museum is in three parts with the first taking you through Rwanda’s history from the beginnings all the way up to today. The second part of the museum compares this genocide to others that have happened over history. The last part of the museum is when things really hit home as it shows you pictures of children killed during the genocide, and tells you tales of what there favourite things were. It then tells you one by one how each were killed or what their last sight was. It is quite a sombre experience but something you must do if in the country. You can also take a 40 minute bus ride from Kigali to Nyamata where there are two churches where mass murders took place.

I was lucky enough to bump into a guy who was my age at the bar, which would have made him seven during the genocide. He was a Tutsi and told me the story of how him and his family hid in a hole in the ground for three weeks. His father was killed just feet from the covered hole when he left to find the family bananas. The rest of them eventually made their way to Uganda where they were safe until things were over. I asked him how the country can get along now knowing what happened. He went on to mention that the only way for their country to move forward is for the one side to forgive and the other side to ask for forgiveness. He said that without this their country would be stuck in a vicious circle and never get anywhere. Very forward thinking as I don’t know if I would have had the same level head if my dad would have been killed. My hat is off to the Rwandan people who are making leaps and bounds in the recovery from such an atrocity not too many years ago.

Foggy

(Pictures to come due to slow internet)

Rwanda Genocide

Rwanda Border

I was told that for Canadians you had to obtain your visa online before you got to the border. The form is very simple to fill out and can be found at the following address https://www.migration.gov.rw/singleform.php. It tells you that it will get back to you within three days with your visa in an attachment you will print out and take to the border. Three turned into five and I still had not received anything, so I said screw it and headed to the border. We got there early in the morning and they certainly were not happy about me not having a visa but American dollars always seem to smooth things over in Africa and I got my stamp and entry into the country. Another thing to remember at the border is that plastic bags are illegal in Rwanda so leave them at home as your bag gets thoroughly searched for the contraband and you can be subsequently fined.

Foggy

Rwanda Border

Travelling to Paris with Kids

Paris is truly one place everyone should visit. Whether you are a single traveler, a couple or parents with kids, Paris makes for a memorable vacation. The architecture, rich history and aromatic foods make the city come alive. In a city like Paris there is so much to see and so much to do for both adults and kids.  Embrace the Parisian culture and keep in mind these simple tips on family travel to Paris.

Flickr: Philippe Put

Dining with kids in Paris
The French tend to eat dinner later than North American’s. The common dinner time in Paris is between 7:30-11pm. As all parents know, a hungry child = a grumpy child, so you’ll want to ensure you find a restaurant that offers kid friendly food and dining.
Where to stay
Paris is divided into 20 neighborhoods and districts, each having its own unique character and attractions.  You’ll want to research which district is the closest to the attractions you wish to see and pick district that is suited for families.



*    The 12th Arrondissement is a charming neighborhood with plenty to do and see--and it is family friendly to boot.

 

Travelling around
Travelling around by foot in Paris will surely tucker out the little ones, a great alternative is to purchase a hop on hop off pass. The hop on hop off bus tours travel around to the famous monuments in Paris. The buses frequent the stops in Paris every 10-15minutes, therefore you can get off and wander at your own pace without any worries. The Normal Entry Price for the pass is: Adult: €26.00 Child: €12.00.

Things to do:

1.    The City of Carousels
Paris is full of gorgeous architecture and landscapes, and when it comes to children’s activities it is no less beautiful. Paris has stunning, wooden vintage-styled carousels for children to ride and enjoy. You can find these amazing carousels throughout Paris.

Flickr: JPC24M

2.    Picnic in the park
Take a stroll through the market in the city of Paris gather some sandwiches from the local bakery and take them to the park. Paris is full of lavish green gardens with break taking scenery. The Jardin du Luxembourg is a great place to have a picnic with a view; the grounds are full of bright beautiful flowers and lush green grass. Jardin de Luxembourg also has a puppet theater and a playground at the park’s southwest end, including a carousel, giving the kids many activities to enjoy!

3.    Museum and activity centers for kids
The Cité des Enfants is a museum that is designed to help children develop and discover the world around them. It offers hands-on-activities that are focused in science and technology. The museum is sure to interest any child ages 2-12 years old.

Parents, take the stress out of planning and use a travel agent.  A travel agent can arrange your flight, find hotels suitable for children, arrange transportation, make restaurant reservations and much more. Contact a travel agent for your next vacation. 

Travelling with children made easy

1. Involve them in the planning process

Involve the children with the decisions such as you’re going to travel to. You can ask them to give you a list of suggestions (or have them draw you a picture). For older children 7+ you can present this decision making process as an opportunity to participate with family decisions as well as  learn about different cultures and places. Children are full of personality; an opportunity like this will present some interesting ideas.

2. Keep children entertained

Portable personal devices such as iPads ($519.99) or any other tablets ($199.97+) are a small price to pay for keeping children entertained. Tablets have the capability to play movies, music, games, books and can be used as an educational tool. Ensure you have some new apps downloaded before you head on your journey.

*Tip: A tablet will also help free up packing space. Tablets are small and thin, and can replace all the spaced big heavy novels and other personal devices such as laptops.

3.Take extra snacks

Hungry children make grumpy travel companions. Keep an array of snacks on hand to satisfy even the pickiest little one. 

4. Keep them involved

I came across a great tip in an article; it suggested giving your child a disposable camera and allowing them to take their own travel pictures. I love this tip. This is a great way for kids to create mental memories and photographed memories.