Month: September 2014

Photo of the Week: Poseidon

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IMG_9816Sounion, Greece

I grew up reading Greek mythology and dreamt about visiting Greece one day.  So when we finally started traveling, Greece was at the top of the list. This is the temple of Poseidon at Sounion, located on the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula overlooking the Aegean Sea.  This temple was built around 440 B.C and dedicated to the god of the sea.  People from far and wide come and pay homage to Poseidon here and pray for safe passage on their travels.

According to Greek legends, this is where Aegeus fell to his death.  The story goes: Aegeus’s son, Theseus, sailed off to Crete to fight the Minotaur.  Before he left, he promised his dad that if he returned safely, he would hoist up a white sail so his dad would know long before the ship reached land that his son was safe.  He entered the labyrinth and with the help of Ariadne, he was able to defeat the monster.  On the way home, in a moment of jubilation, he forgot his promise to his father and left the black sail up.  From afar, Aegeus thought that his son was dead, and overwhelmed with grief, he jumped into the sea.  The Aegean Sea was later named after him.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Four Years

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Four years ago today, I walked down the aisle with my best friend.  One of the first things that drew me to Fausto was our mutual love of adventure. I remember how we used to spend endless hours talking about all the places we wanted to go over a hot cup of tea, back when we were just friends. So after 7.5 years together and 4 years married, I am glad to say that our passion to see the world has not waned.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our anniversary than to go to Hong Kong for a few days. It was a spontaneous decision that we made this week after seeing some cheap airfare.  Since this is the second time around, we won’t be rushed to visit all the tourist attractions.  Instead, we will spend our time leisurely strolling through the markets, taking in the sights, and eating some tasty food local to South East Asia.

We are that crazy couple that pack our bags at a moment’s notice and travel half way across the world, and that’s what I love. I am thankful for our time together and will end the post with a few of my favorite photos of us throughout the years.

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Crete, Greece 2007

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Cheap Flight Alert: Toronto to Singapore

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Just saw another deal to Asia, this time going from Toronto to Singapore.  This one won’t last long and availability is pretty limited. Some flights can be booked as American Airlines codeshares (meaning: you can earn full AA elite qualifying miles as long as you book them with AA flight numbers). These flights go from Toronto through ORD (Chicago) or JFK (New York). Then you transfer onto Cathay Pacific all the way to Singapore. If you’ve never flown on Cathay Pacific, you don’t know what you’re missing! Other airlines like United and Delta are also matching these reduced rates.  These fare war are great for us travelers. Continue reading →

Louisiana: Oak Alley Plantation

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Getting out of the airport, we were hit with a wave of hot humid air so thick, you can almost feel it enveloping you like a sticky blanket. We’ve arrived in New Orleans. Instead of getting into a cab and heading to the hotel to freshen up like normal sane people, we decided to rent a car and head out to the plantation. Gotta make the most of our time right?

On the outskirts of New Orleans the road was flat for miles on end, and on either side of the highway, swamp land crept up on the pavement. Driving about an hour west from the airport on the Great River Road towards Baton Rouge, you’ll enter Plantation country. Here, on either side of the Mississippi river, you’ll see magnificent old mansions built by rich plantation owners before the Civil War, a relic of yesteryears. These historical landmarks provide the public with a glimpse into bygone days.

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Photo of the Week: Afternoon Glow

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IMG_2200Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong is on our minds the past few days as we try to decide if we want to take advantage of a recent airfare sale.  Hong Kong is the bustling epicenter of Asia with a similar feel to New York, except more intense.  Here, people move faster, the streets are more crowded, and there is a Chanel on every corner.

I was going through my old photos and saw this one taken from the top of Victoria Peak, one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island. We took the tram up the top in the late afternoon where we saw this beautiful view of Victoria Harbour as the sun started to set, creating a soft glow over the city. On the right, you see the the International Finance Centre, the tall building featured in the Dark Knight movie. The tall building on the left is the International Commerce Centre, the tallest building in Hong Kong.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Cheap Flight Alert: NYC to Hong Kong

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Overlooking Victoria harbor from Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong

It’s that time of year again when people are looking to do their mileage run to build up their status for the following year. We did this last year by flying to Japan and South Korea on the Thanksgiving weekend. When you are doing something like this, you want to look for long flights, preferably to Asia or Africa with low airfares. Basically getting the most miles for your money. Continue reading →

Eating in New Orleans

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Where do I start?  It was our first time in Louisiana and we made the most of it by hitting up local eateries and trying out some authentic Southern fare.  It’s safe to say that there is no city quite like New Orleans and it’s food is a reflection of that. The dishes are a mix of traditional Southern style heavily influenced by French and Cajun flavors. Their use of ingredients indigenous to the area really makes eating in New Orleans a unique experience. We ate at upscale and hole-in-the-wall places to get a feel for all the different food that The Big Easy has to offer.  Here are the highlights of all the food we tried:

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Photo of the Week: The Bayou

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IMG_5386New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Last weekend my parents visited me and we made a little trip down to New Orleans. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the Honey Island swamp; winding through the waterways deep into the bayou where the majestic cypress trees covered in Spanish moss grow over the green velvety water. The sun rays shining through the moss covered branches created a beautiful lazy landscape, reminiscent of the scene from The Notebook.

This is one of the most truly unique places that I’ve ever seen. Stay tune for more posts from our trip down South.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Places I Want to Go: Hallstatt, Austria

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hallstatt-village-austria

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 A few months ago in a moment of impulsive spontaneity Fausto booked us on a flight to Austria this Fall.  We talked about it for a few days and then completely put it out of our mind for the rest of the summer.  Now as October is fast approaching, I started to think more about what I want to do when I get there.

The original plan was to stay 3 days in Vienna and soak in some culture, music, and pastry.  But as I started planning, I realized we’d be remiss to go all the way to Austria and not see the country-side. So while looking for places nearby that we could visit for the day, I came across this beautiful picture of Hallstatt.  This idyllic town is about 3 hours away from Vienna by train, nestled between a lake and towering mountains in the backdrop.  

If this looks familiar to you, it’s because this picture and others like it have been used in many screen savers. In fact, this place is so beautiful that a replica of the village has been created in China. I can’t wait to see the real thing for myself in a few months.