By Adam Bisby, the greatest globe-trotting, child-wrangling, season-pushing and hyphen-abusing freelance journalist in Toronto's M6R postal code.
Mostly Amazing
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

CANADA 420 COUNTDOWN, PART 1: NOTRE-DAME BASILICA, MONTREAL

7/29/2018

0 Comments

 
With recreational cannabis consumption set to become legal in exactly 11 weeks, Mostly Amazing launches this 11-part series on places across the land that are best experienced with a buzz.

It’s a good thing there’s a twilight showing of Aura, the dazzling new sound-and-light show in the historic Notre-Dame Basilica. How else could I admire so many of Montreal’s luminous wonders in a single Friday evening?

During Aura’s introductory walk-through, dozens of projectors enhance the Gothic Revival high altar, choir stalls and soaring vault festooned with angels and stars. Christ’s radiant heart is striking enough in an oil painting, but when it starts glowing and then beating — complete with audio effects — my own pulse ticks up a notch.

This ticking turns into more of a whir soon after I take a seat in the pews. Spotlights direct my attention toward works of art, and then, as the orchestral music swells, the vault suddenly morphs into a giant glass dome mottled with falling leaves and dancing snowflakes. The storms of spring dramatically conclude the seasonal second act, with rising waters appearing to inundate the Basilica and then shatter the glass ceiling projected high above. My head feels like it’s on a swivel when dozens of laser beams shoot from the back of the nave and the 10-metre-tall Casavant Frères organ unleashes its 7,000 pipes.

My senses are still buzzing as I step out onto the cobblestones of the Place d’Armes, where the triumphant Maisonneuve Monument and the Pantheon-esque Bank of Montreal Museum are also bathed in floodlights.

But after seeing what projection-mapped images, lasers and sensor-equipped screen arrays can do — more on the latter in a moment — I’m now in search of cutting-edge radiance. Two centuries after tens of thousands of gas lamps transformed Paris into the City of Light, it seems Montreal’s historic buildings, restaurants, spas, public gardens and works of art are updating, and perhaps commandeering, that nickname.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL
0 Comments

BEEN THERE DONE THAT: 18 TRAVEL PICKS FOR 2018

12/8/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
'Tis the season to be jolly, no doubt, but 'tis also the season for 2018 lookaheads: Bands to watch, TV to binge-watch, teams to wager on, presidents to impeach, you know the drill.

For my part, I've already contributed an MSN travel lookahead based on big-name events, globetrotter buzz, recent recognition and so on. But based on personal experience, here are my Top 18 recommendations for 2018: 

FONTEVRAUD L’HÔTEL, LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE: I can think of no better place to savour the pungent aromas of a ridiculous cheese tray than this re-purposed abbey building. Read more here.

PARK CITY, UTAH: The ski area runs right into its historic namesake town, with a ski run and chairlift carrying schussers straight to Main Street. Down a side street there's some Plexiglas-covered Banksy graffiti, one of three works that appeared alongside the 2010 Sundance Film Fest premiere of the British street artist's compelling Exit Through the Gift Shop documentary. Read more here.

SEA TO SKY GONDOLA, B.C.: From the enormous sunset-facing patio, one of three panoramic viewing platforms, I gaze up at Sky Pilot Mountain’s horn-shaped peak as it tears clouds to shreds, while Howe Sound glitters in the forested fjord nearly a kilometre below. Read more here.

PALAFITOS AT EL DORADO MAROMA, PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO: Exhausted from celebrating a huge lottery win? These over-ocean glass-floored bungalows should do the trick. Read more here.

POWDER HIGHWAY, B.C.: Some of the best skiing on Earth meets jaw-dropping scenery, innovative food an drink, and welcoming mountain towns where the apres-ski scene eschews noisy Nickelback and Coors Light. Read more here and here.

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Standing on the balcony of the guesthouse, we watch as a line of Buddhist monks, dressed in orange robes, walk from house to house, collecting their sustenance for the day. With the sun rising above the hills and bird calls piercing the chilly air, it's an indelible image that clears our minds and fortifies our spirits. Read more here.

KINGSTON, ONT.: The dazzling Lumina Borealis multimedia installation in the Fort Henry National Historic Site celebrates the magic of winter, while tours of Kingston Penitentiary reveal beauty amid brutality. Read more here and here.

WICKER PARK AND BUCKTOWN, CHICAGO: These adjacent neighbourhoods already offered just about every urban amenity one could want – from vintage fashion boutiques and record shops to taco stands, cocktail bars and even a landscaped rail path – years before the Robey and Hollander hotels opened in late 2016. Read more here.

MOUNT NORQUAY VIA FERRATA, BANFF: From where I'm hanging, on a sheer cliff face some 700 metres above the Bow Valley floor, it's clear that my scaling skills are about to be tested like never before. Read more here.

NICOYA PENINSULA, COSTA RICA: Watch sea turtles lay hundreds of glistening eggs, high five Bruce Willis, it's all good. Read more here and here.

OLD MONTREAL: I grab a Moscow Mule from the buzzing bar and make my way out onto the enormous glass-walled outdoor patio to conclude the evening with head-spinning views of the glittering Montreal skyline. Then, in my mind’s ear, I hear it... Read more here.

NIMMO BAY, B.C.: Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” reverberates through my headset as our soundtrack-equipped helicopter soars over the bluest lake I've ever seen. At that moment, the lips in question belong to the awestruck passenger next to me. But it’s easy to see what she’s saying: “Wow!”​ Read more here.

COL DE LA JOUX VERTE, FRANCE: So this is what a 14-per-cent gradient feels like on a bike. Oh dear. If I can just focus on that pretty waterfall up ahead I’ll make it up this climb and…WHAT!?! That was the first of what I fear will be several switchbacks. And they’re getting steeper. Do they have Uber up here? Read more here.

SPORTFISHING IN LAKE ONTARIO: Lulls in the action are few and far between — we throw back more than we keep — and just as the sun is setting spectacularly behind the distant CN Tower we reach our 15-fish limit. Read more here.

THOMPSON-SHUSWAP WINERIES, B.C.: Having just arrived from winter-weary Toronto, I pull an abrupt double-take when three sleeveless Kamloopsians stroll into view in early April. They too seem surprised, but not by my woolly sweater. It’s my ride – Tastefull Excursions’ new wine-touring van – that turns their heads. Read more here.

VAGABOND HOTEL, MIAMI: I must have set some kind of land-speed record for hotel tours while researching my Globe Travel story on Miami Beach. Thing is, my personal favourite of the lot isn't actually in Miami Beach. Read more here.

PROVIDENTIALES, TURKS & CAICOS: There are few places on Earth where the "beach gravity" - the allure of sand and sea - is as inexorable as it is on Grace Bay. Read more here.

BIG WHITE SKI RESORT, B.C.: A decade after embarking on the first of umpteen family ski trips, arranging the "Door-to-Ski Shuttle Service" represents the pinnacle of my vacation-planning powers. Read more here.

0 Comments

My Halloween to-do list: Stranger Things and phobia travel

10/21/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
I usually feel like a bit of a Johnny-come-lately when I discover a new Netflix series (despite the 85 emails). But with just 10 sleeps to go until Halloween, I couldn’t have timed my Stranger Things obsession better.

I’ve done the math: Five episodes remain in Season 1, plus an evening to prepare my costume, plus two evenings to help with my daughters’ costumes, plus candy shopping, plus the entire weekend to turn our front porch into the stuff of nightmares, plus more candy shopping, equals…well, the kids had better want to be ghosts this year.
My Halloween to-do list is almost as extensive as my Halloween bucket list, which grew even longer this week when Hotels.com emailed me its “10 travel experiences to confront your real fears.” (Too bad “Luposlipaphobia” isn’t included, as it’s one of my deepest, darkest fears.)

​Between Stranger Things and everything else, I can only dream of making an Oct. 31 pilgrimage to one of these phobia-related spots:

Fear of public speaking
What better way to get over glossophobia than by standing on Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park? Karl Marx, George Orwell and Marcus Garvey are just a few of the many orators who have given speeches in a spot that stands as a symbol of free speech.
 
Fear of Halloween
Seriously, samhainophobia is a real condition. It’s mostly experienced by young children who don’t understand that the ghosts, vampires and Donald Trumps wandering the streets on Oct. 31 aren’t real. If you’re a grownup who still has that fear, then you may be overwhelmed by Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights.
 
Fear of heights
A thrilling way to confront acrophobia is to ride the elevator to the observation deck of the CN Tower in Toronto. At 553 metres, it’s the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere. If you really want to get over your fear of heights and get a shot of adrenaline at the same time, try the EdgeWalk, which will have you walking along the tower’s roof while safely tethered.
 
Fear of insects
Prevail over entomophobia by stuffing a few creepy crawlies into your mouth. In the night markets of Bangkok you can get a bag full of deep-fried and salted insects. Grasshoppers are a good choice, but crickets and silkworms are also on the menu.
 
Fear of the dark
Face a case of nyctophobia by dining in complete darkness in the Blindekuh restaurant in Zurich, where you can only use the senses of taste, touch and smell to enjoy your food. Conceived as a way for sighted people to experience a bit of the life of a blind person, these “dark dining” restaurants have popped up all over the world, including in Vancouver and Montreal.
 
Fear of dogs
Dogs may be man’s best friend, but they can also be fearsome creatures to cynophobes. This winter, try a dogsledding experience in Canada’s Yukon. There are plenty of tour operators that will fix you up with a team of yipping and barking dogs that will carry you across the frozen land.
 
Fear of snakes
If you’re going to confront ophidiophobia, do it in the Land Down Under, where it seems like every other creature is out to kill you. Near Sydney you can visit the Australian Reptile Park, where you can sign up for a VIP tour that allows you to see their animals up close.
 
Fear of flying
By the numbers, flying is a lot safer than driving in a car. To really confront aerophobia, do it in a plane with an open cockpit so you can feel the wind in your hair. One place to do that is at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, where you can take a quick flight over the nation’s capital in a 1930s-era Waco biplane. 

0 Comments

THE GREAT CANADIAN TRAVEL DRAFT: ROUNDS 2 AND 3

4/13/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
Round 2 of the Great Canadian Travel Draft kicks off amid a storm of controversy and recrimination. Himmelsbach is stuck in a meeting. Smith is juggling 17 deadlines. Esrock is surreptitiously calling from the cabin of a taxiing aircraft, and Byers is still a bit miffed about not being able to pick McDavid. I’m still smarting from Smith’s Round 1 Tofino pick, but not matter: With so much at stake – and the actual stakes yet to be determined – these battle-hardened travel writers won't back down without a complimentary upgrade to first class or something!

(To see how Round 1 of this fantasy travel draft went down, click here. For an explanation of what the heck is going on, click here. For a photo of a man in a narwhal costume, click here.)

ROUND 2
Robin Esrock: “Cycling across PEI. Gentle slopes, great seafood, the Confederation Trail, luggage shutte service, sweet coastline. Who needs Tuscany?  Shuck me an oyster...”

Adam Bisby: “A skeleton run at the Whistler Sliding Centre: I spent the scariest 30.45 seconds of my life hurtling down the 2010 Olympic track at nearly 100 kilometres an hour and pulling four Gs in the turns.”

Karan Smith: “Dancing under the red and white striped big top during the Dawson City Music Festival in this dusty Yukon town.” 

Vawn Himmelsbach: Beamsville Bench along the Niagara Peninsula, where you can walk or bike between small, charming wineries. Well worth a visit: Tawse, Malivoire and Daniel Lenko.”

Jim Byers: "For all the amusement park atmosphere around the town of Niagara Falls, there's also an immense beauty to the falls. The majesty and power of the billions of gallons of water that come thundering over the Niagara Escarpment every day is truly awe-inspiring, especially when seem from below on a boat excursion or from inside the rock on the Behind the Falls experience.

ROUND 3
Byers: “Alberta’s Icefields Parkway. The majesty of ageless, dark brooding mountains capped with the fiercest and most pure white snow imaginable. Deep canyons filled with gushing white water in spring. Summer time visits from elk and deer and, yes, powerful black bears. Fall colours that sparkles in the autumn sun. There's a reason the drive from Jasper to Banff is considered one of the finest in the world.”

Himmelsbach: “Montreal! Hanging out at my favourite spa-sur-l'eau in the old port ... on a boat ... with a bar ... and a DJ.”

Smith: “Okay, I think Ontario needs a little more love. Canoe camping in Algonquin Park.” 

Bisby: “Well then how about Ottawa’s Carleton Cup, aka ‘the Ultimate Canadian Triathlon.’ Skating the eight-kilometre length of the world's longest skating rink, running through the Byward Market, and sipping a ‘victory quart’ at a local dive bar.”

Esrock: “Spending one chilly night in the Hotel de Glace in Quebec City. If you can handle it. Many guests don't make it all the way through.”

Stay tuned for the draft’s dramatic conclusion on Wednesday…

1 Comment

GREAT CANADIAN TRAVEL DEALS FOR MARCH: NHL DISCOUNTS, PRICE FREEZES AND SPA SAVINGS

3/4/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
GOLD: Besides further cementing the Calgary Flames’ status as the greatest hockey franchise in the history of the universe, the team’s massive OT win in Philadelphia last night has made Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ “Get away for game day” offer all the more relevant. Now, four of Canada’s seven NHL teams are in playoff position, and until April 30 the lodging chain is offering 20 per cent off nightly stays at participating properties across Canada (not to rub it in, but even ones in Toronto, Edmonton and Ottawa). You have to book via the “Get away for game day” page to get the discount, which is sometimes limited to weekends or weekdays. The playoffs, meanwhile, start April 15. Go Flames go!

SILVER: Consider it a late-winter hedge: If you stay at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal (pictured below) and the weather warms up, you’ll get to explore Canada’s most vibrant city in only a sweater (or a Flames jersey, which I recommend). But if the temperature drops, as we all know it will, then the luxurious hotel’s “The Colder the Better” package will save you some cash. Available for all suites with fireplaces, guests automatically save a percentage off room rates based on the below-zero temperature outside at check-in. Minus 25 degrees when you stroll into the lobby? Save 25 per cent. If the mercury dips further, save even more. The package includes herbal teas, hot chocolate, chocolate-flavoured marshmallows and spiced Speculoos cookies in your suite; cocktails and breakfast at the Maison Boulud restaurant; complimentary parking; and a late checkout. It’s available until April 30 and priced from $720 per night based on double occupancy (minus the chilly discount, of course).

BRONZE: It’s worth noting that every deal on this list includes most of Canada’s March Break weeks. But this one does not include the kids – and good thing too. From March 16 to 20, the lovely Ste. Anne’s Spa (pictured below) in the rolling Northumberland Hills east of Toronto is offering 20 per cent off all-inclusive day trips. For $175 a person, you get a $120 spa allowance, a three-course lunch, afternoon tea and use of the various spa facilities. Consider it an adult March Break. Call 1-888-346-6772 to book.

0 Comments

    Author

    Follow Adam Bisby
    as he indulges his passion for globe-setting
    and jet-trotting.

    Archives

    December 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    Adam Bisby
    Adventure
    Aeroplan
    Airbnb
    Air Canada
    Air Miles
    Airport Lounges
    Airports
    Air Rage
    Air Transat
    Air Travel
    Alberta
    Alps
    Animal Therapy
    Animal Therapy Day
    Anniversary
    Antarctica
    Apps
    April Fools Day
    Archaeology
    Architecture
    Arctic
    Arizona
    Art
    Astronomy
    Australia
    Austria
    Awards
    Babies
    Bahamas
    Baked Goods
    Banff
    Bangkok
    Banksy
    Bars
    Baseball
    B&bs
    Beach
    Bed Bugs
    Beer
    Berlin
    Big Lebowski
    Bitcoin
    Black Friday
    Black Mirror
    Blogs
    Blue Jays
    Blue Mountain
    Boating
    Books
    Boston
    Breweries
    British Columbia
    Bucket List
    Budget Travel
    Calgary
    Calgary Flames
    California
    Camping
    Camps
    Canada
    Canada 150
    Canada 150 Countdown
    Canada 200 Countdown
    Canada 420 Countdown
    Canada Day
    Canadian Dollar
    Cannabis
    Caves
    CBC
    CFL
    Charities
    Cheese
    Chicago
    Christmas
    City Of Toronto
    Climate Change
    Climbing
    Cocktails
    Coffee
    Cold
    Collingwood
    Colorado
    Conservation
    Contest
    Costa Rica
    Cottage Country
    Cougars
    Couples Travel
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Crowdfunding
    Cruises
    Cruising
    Culture
    Cyber Monday
    Cycling
    Dance
    Daylight Savings Time
    Deals
    Decor
    Degrassi
    Destination Weddings
    Disaster
    Disc Golf
    Dogs
    Dogs At Work
    Donald Trump
    Donate
    Drake
    Ducks
    Earth Day
    Easter
    Eco Travel
    Eels
    Egypt
    Elon Musk
    England
    Escape Winter
    Extreme Sports
    Fall
    Family
    Family Day
    Family Travel
    Fans
    Father's Day
    Fees
    Feminism
    Fes
    Film
    First Nations
    Fishing
    Florida
    Food
    Fort Mcmurray
    France
    Freelancing
    Frequent Flyer Plans
    Friends
    Gadgets
    Gatineau
    Gear
    Getting Lost
    Gift Cards
    Gifts
    Gisele Bundchen
    Glaciers
    Global Warming
    Globe And Mail
    Golf
    Gord Downie
    Gps
    Great Canadian Travel Deals
    Green Travel
    Halloween
    Health
    Helicopters
    Highway 401
    Hiking
    History
    Hoaxes
    Hockey
    Home Office
    Hotels
    Hotels.com
    Hotel Theft
    Hot Tubs
    House Of Cards
    Hugh Hefner
    Iceland
    Ice Storm
    Indigenous Peoples
    Instagram
    International Day Of Happiness
    Iphones
    Italy
    Jasper
    Jerusalem
    Jesus
    Jokes
    Justin Bieber
    Kamloops
    Kids
    Kingston
    Kiwi Kronicles
    Labrador
    Lake Louise
    Lakes
    Laos
    Last-minute
    Las Vegas
    Leap Day
    Lockdown
    Loire Valley
    London
    Lord Of The Rings
    Luggage
    Macguyver
    Mad Men
    Magazines
    Manitoba
    March Break
    Marrakesh
    Mexico
    Miami
    Miami Beach
    Milkshakes
    Mobile Devices
    Montreal
    Mont Tremblant
    Monty Python
    Morocco
    Mother's Day
    Mountains
    Movies
    Multimedia
    Museums
    Music
    Muskoka
    Myrtle Beach
    Nairobi
    Namibia
    National Parks
    Nature
    Nepal
    Nepal Earthquake
    Netflix
    Netherlands
    New Brunswick
    Newfoundland
    New Orleans
    New Years
    New York
    New Zealand
    Nhl
    Niagara
    Nineties
    Northern Lights
    Northwest Territories
    Nova Scotia
    Nunavut
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Owen Sound
    Oxford
    Paddling
    Pandemic
    Parenting
    Paris
    Parks
    Pei
    Perks
    Pets
    Photography
    Playboy
    Podium Of Idiotic Tourists
    Poetry
    Politics
    Poutine
    Prairies
    Prince Edward County
    Privacy
    Prizes
    Productivity
    Provincial Parks
    Psychology
    Public Transit
    Pubs
    Pulp Fiction
    Quebec
    Quiz
    Religion
    Remembrance Day
    Resolutions
    Resorts
    Restaurants
    Ripley's Aquarium
    Road Trips
    Rob Ford
    Rodeo
    Room Service
    Russia
    Santa Claus
    Saskatchewan
    Science
    Science Fiction
    Selfies
    Seven Wonders Of The World
    Shuswap
    Simcoe
    Simpsons
    Ski
    Skiing
    Skydiving
    Smartphones
    Snow
    Snowmobiling
    Snowshoeing
    South Carolina
    Spa
    Space Travel
    Spain
    Speed
    Sports
    Spring
    Spring Skiing
    Squamish
    Stargazing
    Staycations
    Stockholm
    Stowaways
    St. Patrick's Day
    Stranger Things
    Summer
    Summer Holidays
    Superheroes
    Survey
    Sydney
    Taxes
    Technology
    Television
    Tesla
    Thailand
    Theme Parks
    The Shining
    Tiktok
    Tik Tok
    Tim Hortons
    Tobogganing
    Toiletries
    Tom Brady
    Top 10 Lists
    Toronto
    Toronto Islands
    Toronto Maple Leafs
    Toronto Star
    Tours
    Tragically Hip
    Travel
    Travel Deals
    Travel Gifts
    Travel Rewards
    Trees
    Trends
    Tripadvisor
    Tube Parks
    Turkey
    Turkmenistan
    Turks & Caicos
    Union Pearson Express
    United States
    Utah
    Valentine's Day
    Vancouver
    Vermont
    Vintage
    Viral Videos
    Volunteering
    Water Can
    Waterparks
    Water Sports
    Weather
    Weird
    Westjet
    Whistler
    Wildlife
    Wind Farms
    Wine
    Winter
    Working From Home
    Workplace Morale
    World Heritage Sites
    World Tourism Day
    Yukon
    Yyz
    Zoo
    Zurich

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.