Travel Theme: Neutral

Many of my favourite travel photos are those with vibrant blue skies, tempting foods or lush gardens. A neutral colour palette makes me appreciate other aspects of the subject, like the texture of the shell on this African spurred tortoise or the startled expression on this street performer in Florence.

African Spurred Tortoise, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco

Happy Birthday Queen Victoria

It's the first long weekend of the summer here in Canada. We're celebrating the birthday of Queen Victoria, Britain's longest reigning monarch until Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her last September. Here are a few related London sights, beginning with the Victoria Monument in front of Buckingham Palace.

Victoria Monument, Buckingham Palace

The Lady and the Unicorn

On Wednesday the world celebrates International Museum Day. I’ve been lucky to see some of the greatest works of European art in museums like the Uffizi and the Louvre, and I’m amazed that something as lovely as The Lady and the Unicorn, a series of medieval tapestries, came out of an age known more for Barbarian invaders and the Black Death.

The Lady and the Unicorn
Musée de Cluny, Paris

Changing of the Guards

One of London’s most popular tourist attractions is the ceremonial changing of the Household Troops with their iconic red tunics, bearskin hats and accompanying brass marching band. Large crowds gather in front of Buckingham Palace and around Victoria Monument to watch the spectacle unfold but London isn’t the only place to witness this traditional military ceremony. Similar events also take place at Windsor Castle and the Prince’s Palace in Monaco.

Changing of the Guard, London

My 3 Favourite Gardens

In honour of Mother’s Day on Sunday, I’d like to revisit three of my favourite gardens in France and Italy. These are special gardens filled with colourful flowers but they also have elements that make them unique: musical fountains at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild; Chinese white peacocks on Isola Bella; and spectacular scenery at the Gardens of Augustus.