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 […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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Queen Mary 2 ~ Sailing Across The Atlantic Ocean
I always, always wanted to sail on Cunard and cross the Atlantic Ocean. 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, 25 November. Cunard ~ Queen […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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the first 100 days
1 pair of sunglasses dropped down the toilet 2 new pairs of sunglasses 1 big snake 2 continents that I touched at the same time with my hands while scuba diving 1 concentration camp 1 prime minister 1 tank that I drove 2 guns that I had really good aim […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Inside The Volcano
What an incredible experience this was! “Inside The Volcano” is billed as a “Journey Towards The Center of Earth”. The descent is 120 metres into Thrihnukagigur volcano that erupted 4000 years ago. This is the only volcano in the world that you can go inside the chamber. Inside The Volcano: See […]
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Diving Silfra
Bucket List Alert! Diving Silfra was one of the most fantastic things I’ve ever done! Silfra is a fissure between the North American and Eurasian continental plates and is located in Þingvallavatn Lake in the Þingvellir National Park in Iceland. With about 100 metres visibility and water temperature between 2 […]
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A Half-Marathon, the Red Cross and the Vienna General Hospital
It was just one of those days … The Vienna City Marathon (Video from Vienna City Marathon Facebook) Did you see me? I participated in this run in conjunction with Canada’s Team Diabetes. My young man has had Type 1 since he was 8 years old and this is my […]
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Kusadasi ~ An Unforgettable Glimpse of Turkey
Turkey is glorious and the main attraction for me was the Celsus Library at Ephesus. Kusadasi was a port on the Princess Cruises Holy Land itinerary in 2011 and is one of the more beautiful cities on Turkey’s Aegean coast. From Princess Cruises: From the port of Kusadasi on Turkey’s […]
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Santorini ~ Simply Beautiful
Greece. The Greek Isles. Santorini. Did blue & white images just pop into your mind? Is there a more beautiful island anywhere? I fell head over heels in love with Santorini and hope to return someday. It is the prettiest place I’ve ever seen. From the whitewashed buildings to the […]
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Dreaming of Possibilities
Possibilities. I love that word – absolutely anything is possible! Why limit yourself? If there is something you’re dreaming of – go for it! If you try and aren’t successful, so be it, you chased your dream! The only regret you will ever have is not trying. Queen Latifah is […]
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Anyone Fancy A Weekend in Paris?
Anyone fancy a weekend in Paris? I was scrolling through my Facebook News Feed and my friend Claire had asked this question. I think I may have jumped out of my chair. Of course I fancied a weekend in Paris! My Flight After reading Claire’s post, I was booked on […]
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St. Peter Port and Potato Peel Pie
Guernsey is located in the Channel Islands between England and France. Official languages are English and French and you can either fly or take a ferry from England or France to get there. Guernsey was a port on our British Isles cruise in 2009 so we only had a day […]
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Land’s End ~ Where Dreams Begin
I hear the words Land’s End and I believe in magic and fairies and all things good. I imagine walking the cliffs dreaming of whatever it is that I’m dreaming of. I recall reading about Land’s End in a romance novel when I was a teenager. I don’t recall the […]
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What Do You Mean I Shouldn’t Be Driving In Your Country?
My son and I went on a British Isles cruise departing from Southampton, England. We spent some time in London and being the confident, adventurous woman that I am, I decided to rent a car and drive from London to Land’s End and then back to Southampton. Land’s End was […]
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Liverpool ~ Loving The Beatles
Who does not know at least one Beatles song? Which one is your favourite? Mine is “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. “Hey Jude” and “Twist and Shout” are very close seconds. Growing up in Fort McMurray, there was a place downtown that sold pop called “The Pop Shoppe”. Pop is […]
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Cité de Carcassonne ~ A Medieval Adventure
When a gal always has her nose in a book, she tends to find a lot of unique places in the world to see. This whirlwind weekend trip started with a book called “Labyrinth” by Kate Mosse. I read the book in 2005 and immediately added Carcassonne to my “someday” […]
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Team Diabetes ~ Conquer the Crater Hike
I was privileged to travel to Reykjavik in August of 2013 with Canada’s Team Diabetes to participate in the Conquer the Crater Hike. It followed the (Fimmvörðuháls) 5 Cairns Pass Trail which ends between two volcanoes, (Eyjafjallajökull [E-15] and Mýrdalsjökull). The 2010 volcanic eruption created two new craters named Magni […]
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The Land of Fire & Ice
Iceland is hands down the most visually stunning country I’ve ever seen. Geysers! Volcanoes! Thermal Spas! Waterfalls! Mountains! Vivid Green Valleys! There are so many adventurous activities to do that I must go back one day to do what I missed! Iceland is located where the Eurasian and North American […]
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The Scottish Highlands ~ Culloden, Outlander & Jamie Fraser
What is the one spot in the world that you are drawn to? Mine is the Culloden Battlefield, near Inverness in Scotland. On 16 April 1746, the Battle of Culloden took place on the Culloden Moor and it is a big part of Scotland’s history. This battle concluded the Jacobite […]
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