A Taste for Travel

A behind-the-scenes look at life as a traveling writer

Work or Play? A Day Pass at Carambola Beach Club, St. Kitts

Posted by on May 15, 2013 in Caribbean, Destinations, Food and Drink, Travel Tips & Gear | 5 comments

Work or Play? A Day Pass at Carambola Beach Club, St. Kitts

During my 7-night sailing journey around the Windward Islands of the Caribbean on the Royal Clipper,  I was torn between exploring the ports we stopped at or hunting down an Internet cafe. Much like any sailboat in the middle of a sea, the onboard wifi  was slow, and although I’d tried to clear  away any writing assignments in advance, a flurry of urgent emails always seemed to be fluttering around the edges of my day. Work or Play? At the Carambola Beach Club on St. Kitts I was able to do both. Plus, there was little risk of getting my beach bag snatched (more on that...

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Breathe easy in a Nuu-Muu exercise dress + win one too

Posted by on May 9, 2013 in Travel Tips & Gear | 10 comments

Breathe easy in a Nuu-Muu exercise dress + win one too

Lots of people look cool, calm and collected in their yoga gear. Not me. Especially when I’m at my condo in Mexico where I have to climb a steep hill in 28 Celsius weather to get to my class at Yoga Sofia.  Given I’m  usually wearing black knit leggings and a black tank top  that means I most often arrive dripping in sweat. Not the  most flattering look.  So, I jumped at the chance to experience life in sportswear  by Nuu-Muu, creators of “Flattering exercise dresses for women on the go”. And since they generously sent me two  sizes, I’ll be giving one (...

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Enjoy a resort day pass at Secrets The Vine Cancun

Posted by on Apr 30, 2013 in Cancun, Destinations, Food and Drink, Mexico, Travel Tips & Gear | 3 comments

Enjoy a resort day pass at Secrets The Vine Cancun

One of the beauties (and relatively unknown) benefits of low-season travel is that resorts aren’t as busy as they are in peak season and they make products, such as Resort Day Passes, available. A Day Pass offers access to a resort’s swimming pools, lounge areas, restaurants and bars for a specified period of time. This means you can experience a resort without committing to a full week. Exploring a property on Day Pass is perfect for planning a future vacation or a major life event such as an anniversary, honeymoon or wedding. They’re also handy if you have a long layover...

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Crab Cakes: an easy recipe from Arte Culinario

Posted by on Apr 27, 2013 in Destinations, Food and Drink, Life in Mexico, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Recipes | 4 comments

Crab Cakes: an easy recipe from Arte Culinario

Sometimes, everything I love doesn’t make it into print. So, although news on Arte Culinario, the insider food tours and cooking classes by chef Mavi Graf in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, made it into my  Hot off the Grill column in the Spring 2013 issue of Taste and Travel magazine, there wasn’t room enough to include the recipe or extra photos. It had been great fun shopping for ingredients in the Mercado del Mar and hanging out in Mavi’s kitchen. And the crab cakes? Amazing. The crab cakes were one of those easy, delicious recipes I knew I’d want to make again and...

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Call for nominations for 2013 Real Heroes of Mexico

Posted by on Apr 22, 2013 in A Taste for Travel, Life in Mexico, Writing Craft | 2 comments

Call for nominations for 2013 Real Heroes of Mexico

Everyone knows I love Mexico, so it should come as no surprise that I’m thrilled to be an ambassador for The Mexico Report’s project The Real Heroes of Mexico.  Created by The MEXICO Report in 2012,  this grassroots project showcases and recognizes the good works and inspirational stories taking place throughout Mexico today. Browse through the 2012 Real Heroes of Mexico publication and you’ll be inspired by the stories. The publication features  more than 45 Mexicans, Americans and Canadians who were nominated by the general public. From delivering babies, rescuing...

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Sleeping Giant Brewing: a beer journey north

Posted by on Apr 8, 2013 in Beer, Canada, Food and Drink | 5 comments

Sleeping Giant Brewing: a beer journey north

There are many things I love about the flurry of new craft beers. In addition to the purity of  ingredients and variety  of flavours, I love their labels. Names such as Church-Key Brewing (Campbellford, Ontario), Los Muertos Brewing (Puerto Vallarta), Highlander Brew Co.  (Algonquin) and Black Oak Brewing Co. (Oakville) are so much more evocative than plain old Bud, Coors or Labatt’s Blue. Their labels reflect their personality and terroir. One of my latest beer obsessions is Sleeping Giant Brewing, a new Ontario craft brewery located in Thunder Bay . The beer is named after the...

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