I’m wrapping up five days spent in Agadir and it has been a wonderful way to ease into six weeks of backpacking Morocco! Agadir is a place that suffers (and prospers?) from too many packaged tours. A lot of tourists come here, stay at resorts, and only do guided tours or what their hotels recommend.…
I wrote in my Year in Search article that queries related to sex in Martinique is one of the most common search terms I get for people who find my blog. The post they land on isn’t about intercourse at all, it’s a narrative story about the moment when I realized how much I had…
I went to French immersion school in Toronto and every year we got to celebrate the wonderful Quebecois traditional of Carnaval! One of our teachers always dressed up as Bonhomme, the carnival’s snowman mascot, and we played games and did lots of activities. It’s not until looking back on it today that I realized they…
Happy New Year everyone! It’s trip planning time and while I was at a NYE dinner party two people mentioned that they wanted to go to Barcelona this year, so I thought I would write about what I thought was one of my most exciting travel achievements of 2014: I didn’t get pickpocketed in Barcelona.…
It’s true, I don’t normally do gift guides. But I’m really sick of seeing lists compiled by publishers of the most expensive crap no one has ever used more than once. Like a compass. While the vintage ones are beautiful, I don’t think I’ve ever met a typical traveller (i.e. doesn’t sail or hike seriously)…
It’s that time of year again – British Council, Comenius and TAPIF assistants from English-speaking countries around the world are preparing to enter classrooms full of French kids to help them improve their English. If there’s one thing I learned in my 2 years as an English assistant in France, it’s that being able to…
How have people brought their money over to the UK? I’m trying not to bring large sums in cash. Do people write a cheque to themselves and deposit it when they arrive and start a bank account? – Johnny Dear Johnny, This is a great question! There are a few options to transferring your money…
Notting Hill Carnival in London is believed to be the biggest street festival in Europe and the second largest carnival in the world, behind Rio de Janeiro. This year, I feted my first London Carnival and it was certainly a day of learning for me. I’ll be honest and say I was skeptical about the…
I mentioned before that I have a problem – I often feel like the grass is greener on the other side. Even though I’m not a “nomadic lifestyle” person, I’m prone to a case of itchy feet. Contrary to my expectations, London hasn’t tamed me. By that I mean: this city, huge and diverse as…
Hi Alyssa! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed message. I didn’t expect it but greatly appreciate it. I do realize London is very expensive, even by Vancouver standards. I have been and stayed there a couple times before. Even the hostels were pricey. How long do you think it…
