Panama City is the capital of Panama consisting of 3 districts ~ historic, rebuilt, and modern. The Panama Canal is a man made wonder of the world and a must do: Panama Canal ~ Partial Transit. I didn’t know what to expect in Panama other than the Panama Canal and it […]
The Beaches of Puerto Viejo
Wildlife, rain forest and beaches! Puerto Viejo is located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and a great spot to relax and enjoy everything this small town has to offer. I caught a glimpse of a sloth! This beached boat was almost turned into a B&B ~ now that […]
Costa Rica’s Coco Beach
In the Guanacaste Province at the heart of Costa Rica’s Gulf of Papagayo is Coco Beach. What a beautiful spot to visit and spend time in. Stunning beaches, diving, welcoming people, amazing food and so many birds and reptiles. Birds & Reptiles Blue Dream Diving with Blue Dream was fantastic! […]
Bocas del Toro ~ Paradise in Panama
Bocas del Toro is located at the southern tip of Isla Colón, in the Caribbean Sea consisting of the mainland and 9 main islands. Christoper Columbus was here in 1502 while looking for a passage to the Pacific Ocean. I love Panama and this little slice of paradise! A water […]
Parque de Aventura Las Nubes
The Parque de Aventura Las Nubes is in a nature reserve and offers a wide variety of activities including Zipline, Canopy Tour, Tarzan Swing and Rappel.
San Juan del Sur
On the coast of Nicaragua is a little town called San Juan del Sur with beautiful beaches, sunsets, and a huge Jesus statue overlooking the harbour.
Hiking The Lost Waterfalls & The Pipeline Trail in Boquete
Travels through Boquete, Panama and hiking The Lost Waterfalls and The Pipeline Trail.
Budapest, the Star of the Danube
Welcome to Budapest ~ old world charm, stunning archicture, gorgeous views, delicious food, and wonderful people. Budapest is known as the Star of the Danube.
Transylvania & Dracula
Exploring Transylvania, Peles Castle, Brașov, and Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle).
Romanian Doughnuts, Boards & Wine
Food adventures in Bucharest including Romanian doughnuts, meat boards and a lot of wine!
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital city of Romania and is called Little Paris. Stunning architecture, welcoming people, and an old town centre to wander through made my visit unforgettable.
Ooh La La Luxembourg
Luxembourg and it’s capital, Luxembourg City was fabulous! Luxembourg is in Western Europe surrounded by Belgium, Germany and France. Medieval castles, hiking, viewpoints and a Louboutin shoe store! I rolled into Luxembourg City doing the milk run on a train from Poland. I met a fellow Canadian from Toronto on […]
Pretty Vaduz
Vaduz is the capital of Liechtenstein and the prettiest place I’ve been. Liechtenstein is the world’s wealthiest country and is landlocked between Switzerland and Austria. There are ~ 5,500 residents in Vaduz. Liechtenstein has mountains, vineyards, hiking and castles!
The Country That Doesn’t Exist
There is a little strip of land between Ukraine and Moldova called Transnistria that is often referred to as “the country that doesn’t exist”. Welcome to the country of Transnistria and it’s capital city, Tiraspol. I took a bus from Chisinau, Moldova to Tiraspol, Transnistria and had a 10-hour visa […]
The Chisinau Vibe
Moldova is a small country in Eastern Europe located between Ukraine and Romania. I arrived in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, on my birthday after splurging and buying myself a birthday scarf in the airport. I found a lovely apartment in Chisinau. One of my travel tips is to step […]
The Incredible Sofia in the Balkans
Located in Southeastern Europe is a small country called Bulgaria. Sofia is the capital of this Balkan nation. It has over 2,000 years of history, mountains, rivers, a rich heritage and ketchup chips! Before I write about the gorgeous sites in Sofia, I have to gush over the fact that […]
San Marino and The Three Towers
Nestled within Italy, there is another country! What? The Republic of San Marino is only 61 sq kms and has a population just over 30K. The capital, the City of San Marino, is located on top of Monte Titano, which is a mountain in the Apennines. The city itself has […]
Belgrade
Dating back to the 4th century, Belgrade is the capital of Serbia and was the capital of Yugoslavia. Belgrade means the White City because the fortress looked white from the river. It is at the junction of the Sava and Danube rivers. There are many historical sites, fabulous food, and […]
Dalmatian Coast and Peninsula of Istria
Croatia truly is one of the most beautiful places ~ the coastline along the Adriatic Sea is stunning. Croatia consists of 4 regions: Croatia Proper ~ central part where the capital of Zagreb is located Slavonia ~ inland eastern Croatia Dalmatia ~ most of the coastline of Croatia stretching from […]
Zagreb, The Capital of Croatia
Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and it is gorgeous! There are so many things to see and do in Zagreb. I believe most people head to the coast of Croatia, but Zagreb is not to be missed. My flight was from Sarajevo to Zagreb. The Zagreb airport was probably […]
Montenegro
Doesn’t it just sound exotic and sexy? Montenegro. I imagine old movies, suave gentlemen and romance. Located on the Adriatic Sea, Montenegro is nestled between Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania. The capital city of Montenegro is Podgorica. The town of Kotor is on the Bay of Kotor and […]
Lovely Ljubljana
Slovenia and the capital city of Ljubljana. In my mind I always said L-Jub-L-Jana, but it’s pronounced “loo-bee-ana”. Ljubljana is a beautiful city and the flowers in the rubber boots is by far my favourite picture from here. I arrived by train from Zagreb, Croatia and it was the last […]
Stunning Sarajevo!
Sarajevo is the captial city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it quickly became a favourite city for me. I loved every moment in this fascinating city. There is so much to see and do – highlights are Old Town, the Tunnel of Hope, the old Olympic Park, learn the meaning […]
Fabulous Herzegovina!
Herzegovina is the southern and smaller of the two main geographical regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The scenery was beautiful and this was the area where I fell in love with Bosnian Figs! Old Stone Bridge in Konjic The Old Stone Bridge in Konjic has connected the banks of the […]
Srebrenica
Srebrenica genocide: “A failure of civilization” – Pope St. John Paul II I clearly remember the events in Srebrenica in 1995. Throughout my travels so far, there are 3 places I’ve visited that have shook me up and will forever stay with me ~ Auschwitz in Poland, S-21 in Cambodia […]
Pristina, Kosovo
The Kosovo War was fought from February 1998 to June 1999 and ended when NATO intervened. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is now recognized by 97 member states of the United Nations. Pristina is the capital city of Kosovo. Getting to Pristina I travelled 77 km by bus […]
The City of Statues ~ Skopje, Macedonia
Skopje stands out as one of the coolest places I’ve visited. Located in the north of the Republic of North Macedonia, Skopje is known as “The City of Statues”. Approximately 80% of Skopje was destroyed in an earthquake in 1963 and has been rebuilt. The architecture is amazing, people are […]
The Isle of Wight
I had no plans to go to the Isle of Wight and it was something to do between the 100th Anniversary of Armistice / Remembrance Day celebrations in London and departing on my Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Cruise back to my side of the pond. I’m so happy I made […]
Hiking “The Raad ny Foillan”
I took a little jaunt around The Raad ny Foillan (Manx Gaelic for “The Way of the Gull”) on The Isle of Man. This coastal route is a 160 km hike around the circumference of an entire nation! A must do if you enjoy hiking, spectacular scenery and the water. […]
Queen Mary 2 ~ Sailing Across The Atlantic Ocean
I always, always wanted to sail on Cunard and cross the Atlantic Ocean. A Transatlantic Bucket List Item The RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is Cunard’s flagship and the only ocean liner in the world. I sailed from Southampton, UK to New York, USA from Sunday, 18 November to Sunday, […]
Where Is MY Highlander?
Soulful bagpipes, soaring mountains, fields of purple heather and songs for every occasion. Scotland is a magical place. I left the Isle of Skye and headed to Inverness. I had been there before on a cruise stop in 2009 and I absolutely love the Highlands. I feel at home. This […]
The Isle of Skye
I want to live here, in Scotland, in the Highlands, on the Isle of Skye. I travelled to Glasgow by train and rented a car for a couple weeks. I really wanted to go to the Isle of Skye and back to Inverness. I began my Highland adventure by driving […]
Culloden House ~ Inverness
Culloden. During my road trip to Inverness, I spent the night in Room 11 at Culloden House, an historic house with ties to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Uprising of 1745-1746. I love all things Scotland, especially the Highlands and Culloden. I was ecstatic staying at this hotel. Culloden […]
2018 ~ A Year of Changes
This past year has been a year of many changes, ups and downs, loss, bucket list items and establishing new goals for myself. It has been wonderful, amazing, lonely and hard and I have had many experiences that I will never forget. Minus 1 job 1 Program Manager Professional (PgMP) […]
Dalzie Apartment ~ Peinmore House ~ Isle of Skye
During my week long stay on Isle of Skye, I rented a wonderful apartment that is in the wing of the larger “Peinmore House” just a short 5 minute drive outside of Portree and centrally located in Isle of Skye. Peinmore House is a 19th century house that was once […]
The Other Side Of The Road
Driving on the other side of the road? Nothing to it! I’ve returned the rental in one piece, no scratches, no dents and everything still where it’s supposed to be! My first time driving in the UK was not so successful. What Do You Mean I Shouldn’t Be Driving In […]
the first 100 days
Canada 🇨🇦 Iceland 🇮🇸 Greenland 🇬🇱 Norway 🇳🇴 Sweden 🇸🇪 Latvia 🇱🇻 Lithuania 🇱🇹 Belarus 🇧🇾 Poland 🇵🇱 Luxembourg 🇱🇺 France 🇫🇷 Switzerland 🇨🇭 Liechtenstein 🇱🇮 Czech Republic 🇨🇿 Slovakia 🇸🇰 Hungary 🇭🇺 Ukraine 🇺🇦 Moldova 🇲🇩 Transnistria 🔷 Romania 🇷🇴 Greece 🇬🇷 Macedonia 🇲🇰 Kosovo 🇽🇰 Bulgaria 🇧🇬 Serbia 🇷🇸 Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 Croatia 🇭🇷 Slovenia 🇸🇮 San Marino […]
Chernobyl ~ Inside The Exclusion Zone
Touring the exclusion zone at Chernobyl was a day I won’t forget. It is overgrown, thriving with wildlife and vegetation and has an eerie beauty throughout. Hearing the stories of the people and seeing the abandoned areas is an emotional experience. On 26 April 1986 a systems test resulted in […]
Vacation From My Travels
Today marks 70 days on the road for me and I’m enjoying a vacation from my travels. I know that sounds silly and who could possibly need a break from doing nothing but travelling around doing whatever you feel like doing? I do! I’m tired and my heart and soul […]
Umm Where Did My Train Go? With My Shoes?
Being the adventurous gal that I am, I booked the 15 hour long train from Budapest, Hungary to Kiev, Ukraine. My global train pass covered me to the Hungarian border and I had to pay for a ticket once I got into Ukraine. The direct overnight train was fully booked […]
50 Days On The Road … A Few More Lessons, Updated Luggage & Friends
My mind just went to 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover … You just slip out the back, Jack Make a new plan, Stan You don’t need to be coy, Roy Just get yourself free Hop on the bus, Gus You don’t need to discuss much Just drop off the […]
Strasbourg Cathedral of Notre-Dame and The Astronomical Clock
The Strasbourg Cathedral was built between 1176–1439. It is a masterpiece of Gothic Art and is full of stained glass. The cathedral measures 142 metres made up of the platform at 66 metres, the spire at 132 metres and the tower at 10 metres. In 1839, Victor Hugo declared that […]
Traditional Food Specialties
I’m just an old-fashioned Newfie girl at heart. I love wild meat and dumplings! Seafood too of course. I could exist on seafood for the rest of my life. But back to the wild meat and dumplings. I met up with my best friend, her son and her sister in […]
Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration and Extermination Camp
Auschwitz. There isn’t a word that conjures up more horror than this one does. I will never forget the day I walked here. There were 1.3 million men, women and children murdered here. Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial & Museum I learned about the Holocaust in school. I do not remember what grade […]
A Mani, A Pedi, A Waxing and Where Next?
One of the things I wondered about before leaving on this adventure was how I was going to do the regular maintenance type things that I do. My biggest thing has always been my nails. They are ALWAYS done and I had gel nails for over a decade. Growing up, […]
The Road So Far ~ Chai Tea, Hostels, Lessons & Missing My Boy
It was 20 days ago that I left home on my amazing adventure with A LOT of mixed feelings. It’s so easy to doubt whether you’re doing the right thing or not when you set out into unknown territory. Chai Tea Lattes My name is Jackie and I am a […]
Hiking Kjeragbolten & Preikestolen
Kjeragbolten As you can tell from the main picture, I made it, but I couldn’t stand up. I was too scared. Petrified. My legs were shaking too much to even attempt to stand. I thought I was going to fall 984 metres in slow motion to my death. The slightest […]
The Republic of Užupis ~ The Most Fascinating Place!
Nestled within Vilnius is the Republic of Užupis which is the most fascinating place I’ve ever been! The Constitution is fabulous! Užupis is a neighbourhood that was once home to the Jewish population that were mostly killed during the Holocaust. Important areas like the Jewish Cemetary were destroyed during the Soviet […]
Snaefellsnes Peninsula, My Jules Verne Day!
I heart Jules Verne! He wrote Journey to the Center of the Earth in 1864 and it still resonates today. All of his work is compiled in the series Extraordinary Voyages, but Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea are my favourites. I must […]