Art changes the way I see and understand history and human nature. Peter Paul Rubens with his Baroque renderings of biblical images has captured my heart. He’s undoubtedly my favourite painter of all time. I’ve had the fortune to see a wide collection of his works in the Old Master’s Read more
Distance: 2,183 kmDate: 13-17 February, 2025Location: Ontario, New York Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, D.C. Up front: LE used to mean Luxury Edition, but there’s nothing luxury about the base model of the Rav4. The seats are cloth, the steering wheel is made of rubber and there’s no lumbar support. But the Read more
History. Nature. Science. These three words are the calling card for Winnipeg‘s Manitoba Museum. It is the province’s most comprehensive museum with multiple galleries on everything from dinosaurs to how Manitobans lived during the roaring 20s. I particularly liked the Arctic and subarctic gallery, as I did in Ottawa‘s Museum Read more
Distance: 99kmLocation: WinnipegDate: December 10-11, 2022 Up front: It’s pretty shitty for an upmarket family van, but pretty good for a $40 a day rental. The fully-loaded model lacks a sunroof but has nappa leather-faced seating meaning that cloth is still used on the sides your body doesn’t touch. The Read more
If I had a tail I’d wag, and it’s a shame their shop isn’t called swag. The museum in Winnipeg has over 24,000 works of indigenous art and the largest collection of Inuit art in the world. It has space for educational activities and docents that explain the works to Read more
The capital of Manitoba is not very well known. If it is known to outsiders, it’s usually recognized for being the start of the prairies with the bison symbol even though the provincial animal is the great grey owl. Many mistake the bison for being a buffalo, but buffalo are Read more
Route: Ottawa to TorontoPlane: A320-200 (ex-China Southern)Date: Jan 18, 2025Price: $306 + $150 eUpgrade (including four onward flights to Victoria) Comfort The Recaro seats had only been re-upholstered 11 months ago and the German company is known for firm padding, so the seats were still firm. I expect this to Read more
The Forks was an ancient meeting place for indigenous peoples for over 6,000 years where different groups made alliances and traded. It was here that Louis Riel defended the rights of Métis people. His house and grave are historic sites in Winnipeg. It was also the site of the first Read more
Navigate to parking lot N and you’ll find yourself at the memorial avenue of elms planted by home economics students in 1922 for Winnipeg‘s students from the Manitoba Agricultural College who died in WWI. The site of the university was originally constructed for the Manitoba Agricultural College in 1906, which Read more
I did the same thing in January 2025 as January 2024—I visited Vancouver for a weekend to reconnect with family and friends. Facebook memories reminded me of the 2023 travel summary I posted last year, so I decided to do it again this year. 2024 was also the first calendar Read more