Because of this, anymore long term traveling ideas were to be placed on hold while she settled in to her new career. This made it an easy decision to stay and to move into a 1 bedroom apartment in the West end of Toronto, halfway between my work and her’s.

But of course a passion for something like travel never fully goes away and  after I experienced a few frustrating days at work, I figured it was time to leave behind our day to day routine and plan an escape.

Canada is a great to place to live and we are very proud of the country we’re from, but what I can’t seem to understand is how little we value our vacation time. Canadians receive an annual vacation minimum of 10 working days! Compare that with countries like Denmark, Sweden and Germany which are closer to a minimum of 5 weeks a year, and Canada looks pathetic.

We started with many ideas and when I started searching for cheap international flights I was able to find a few options which would meet our budget and timeframe. With a few exciting choices, we were contemplating between attractive options like Costa Rica and a few US states, but with spring in the air and food being paramount in importance on this trip, we knew we would be Europebound.

Lonely Planets were bought, backpacks dusted off, and passports renewed. Its now time  to search out a route from Toulouse, France to Barcelona, Spain.

We have compiled some of our experiences backpacking Asia, the Middle East and Europe into a 4 minute video. We hope you enjoy it.

originally published Jan 16,2011

Ski holidays in Italy are not a new thing, tourists have been flocking to the European alps for over a hundred years. Of course things have changed quite a bit since a Norweign by the name of Sondre Norheim, (credited as the father of modern skiing) first popularized the sport in 1870. Nowadays thousands upon thousands come to Italy to enjoy the modern resorts, cozy lodges and ski culture. Here is a list of some of the most popular.

A cruise makes for a fantastic family holiday and by taking this kind of vacation you’ll be able to go on exciting excursions while using wonderful amenities and services that can keep everyone entertained.

The choice of destinations you can take in is virtually endless, but one itinerary that could make for a particularly exciting cruise is a journey through the western Mediterranean.

Go on a Grand Mediterranean voyage with Princess Cruises, for example, and your ship may call in on captivating cities like Monte Carlo and Barcelona. You could also visit Venice, where the family will be able to go on a gondola ride down the two mile-long Grand Canal, although young children might be even more excited at the thought of visiting the ancient city of Pompeii.

The Greek islands are another great destination for a family cruise and once your ship is moored at Itea, you could take the children for a walk through the mountain town of Delphi or have fun exploring Kamari’s black sand beach on the island of Santorini.

A little further afield, the Caribbean can offer everything you need for a family cruise. Book a trip through the western part of the region and once your vessel has docked, you should have the chance to try a range of watersports. Children, meanwhile, may be particularly interested in exploring the Belize coastline, where a gorgeous barrier reef and exotic wildlife can be found.

Whatever destination you choose, make sure you pick a cruise that offers a wealth of family-friendly activities in order to keep your loved ones entertained while cruising between ports. Amenities and services vary between operators, but overall many tend try to cater for different age groups. On some cruises, older children may have the chance to play on the latest games consoles and air hockey tables.

Ball pools, art classes and storytelling sessions are great activities for infants and toddlers, while if you want some time away  from the kids you should find that you can leave them with a registered babysitter for a couple of hours.

If you’re taking young children on a cruise there are a few things you should bear in mind to ensure that both you and they have as enjoyable a time as possible.

One thing that can put a downer on a cruise holiday is seasickness but there are steps you can take to try to prevent this. Drinking plenty of water both before you step onboard and while you’re sailing is important, while greasy food, such as bacon, eggs and chips, should be avoided for several hours before you are due to leave.

Caffeinated beverages, like cola and coffee, can also contribute to seasickness so make sure you and your little ones try to avoid these.

It’s also a good idea to do some research into what age groups a cruise ship’s children’s activities are divided into and whether these will be a suitable option for your family. As an example, you may have a 12-year-old who would prefer to be in a 12 to 15s club, rather than being on a ship that has one for eight to 12s. You should also bear in mind that older teenagers are likely to want space to do their own thing.

Whatever type of cruise you’re after, by taking the time to do your homework, compare holidays online for a great deal and you can ensure you’ll find a holiday that is suitable for the entire family.

It was only a short hop over the border from Vermont to get to Montreal and once we checked into our accommodations in the Plateau district we set out on our first mission. A week prior I had made the phone call to Au Pied Du Cochon, an infamous restaurant with a cult like following hoping I would be able to secure some reservations. My initial plans of a late Saturday night dinner were halted when I found out that the entire weekend had been booked except for one seating at 5:00pm on Friday night. After seeing the gluttonous Anthony Bourdain describe the place on his TV show over 2 years ago, I vowed that the next time I was in Montreal I would eat here. The seating could have been at 6am, I was not going to miss out.

My idea was to go all out and order everything that sounded good. Bad idea at this restaurant. Portions come hearty and heavy. This is not a healthy dining option or a light meal in any sense. Foie Gras, the fattened liver of a goose or duck is a specialty here and despite the controversy surrounding the product, Martin Piccard has an entire section of his menu dedicated to this rich fatty organ meat. First up was Foie Gras Poutine.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Poutine, this is the quintessential French Canadian indulgence. Fries smothered with gravy and cheese curds make a tough to beat combination and I have long been a fan. Au Pied Du Cochon steps it up a notch adding fries fried in duck fat with gravy, curds, foie gras sauce and of course a massive lobe of foie gras layed over the top. Pure insanity!

After such a light entree, my idea of a multi course meal had gone out the window. It would be a shame not to sample some of the pig products, after all the translation of the restaurant name is At the Pigs Foot. The foot was just about the only part of the pig which didn’t make it into my next dish titled the melting pot. Pork belly, blood sausage, pork chop and sausage come together on top of some of the richest mashed potatoes I have had. All this with a white wine sauce and served in a cast iron pot. Lianna opted for something a little on the safe side with some piglet ribs and mash. Desert was certainly not an option as we waddled our way through downtown Montreal to hopefully burn some calories off.

Despite the rain the following day we continued to explore the city on foot. We wandered in and out of the many bakeries, boutiques and charcuterie shops all the while baffled by how different Montreal seemed than our home city of Toronto.

When the rain proved too much to handle, we were lucky to be near Montreal’s most famous Deli. No trip to this city would be complete without a stop at Schwartz famous for its smoked meat. I first developed a taste for this stuff when my mom would return home from weekends visiting friends in Montreal with pounds upon pounds of the stuff wrapped in butchers paper. Over the following few days this would be my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Montreal smoked meat is similar to pastrami (actually im  not sure of the difference) and tourists and locals alike jostle for space inside the tiny deli. The atmosphere of a crowded bustling cafeteria are just as good as the food itself.

Our last stop on the “Foodie Trail” was purposely saved until our last few minutes in the city. After we packed up our things and loaded the car we drove to the Jewish part of town for Montreal’s most emblematic baked good. Bagels.

St. Viateur has built a reputation of baking some of the best bagels in town and they come out of the hot oven in the dozens. Good thing too cause by the time we left we had 3 dozens (minus a few enjoyed on the way home)  that needed to go right into our freezer at home.