New Year calls for a new set of resolutions. I have done this in the past, but I never thought it changed my life. This year, I will write a new story that shifts away from the negative to a more uplifting present and future.
Salamanca has many exciting landmarks and abounds with stories of its glowing sandstone buildings and its engaging scholars and writers. It has been a vibrant university town since the 1200s.
Northern Spain has a distinct topography with its peaks and valleys on one side and the coasts with their beaches on the other. It offers exceptional food choices and gems still waiting for interested explorers.
Oviedo may not be as well known as other Spanish cities, but it is quite enchanting. The locally made cider, delicious dishes, fascinating statues, and being part of the Camino de Compostela are delightful.
Spain has many cities worth seeing, but San Sebastián–Donostia stands out in the north. The city has the second most Michelin-starred restaurants and has much more to offer visitors.
Trilliums cover the woods in early spring. It signals that the robins are coming adding to the excitement of anticipation as new leaves come amidst the scrawny trees and the rotting leaves. These flowers bring so much joy at this time of year.
Fall has always been an intense season of colors, with Nature at its peak before it goes to rest. It is as if Nature is telling us it has reached its peak for the year and is giving its beauty in full.
Located on the northeastern shore of Lake Ontario, Prince Edward County has made it to Maclean's 8 top destinations in Canada. It continues to attract culture seekers, wine enthusiasts, art lovers, and food lovers to its towns and villages, including Picton, Wellington, and Bloomfield.
You are unique. Inside of you is the seed that empowers you to be truly yourself. Allow this power to make you blossom and grow to be the person you dream to be.
Creating a new self is often a drag but also a challenge and a rewarding one at that. It is the single most selfless thing you can do. You spend time on your self, and as you work on your inner self, you transform it and it becomes your gift to the world.
Fear is in each of us. Whether we are conscious of it or not, it debilitates and cripples us. It enslaves us to misery, failure, and atrophy. It is a must to free ourselves from its hold and live a life of joy and success.
This article is a canticle, an ode to full expressions of one's inner spirit.
Québec City never fails to fascinate visitors with its unique culture, European feel, beautiful location on the St. Lawrence River, entrancing festivals, painters, artists and street performers, and most of all, its joie de vivre. Here are the Top 10 wonder attractions of Québec City.
Many churches bless the people of Barcelona, but the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar is the one closest to their hearts.
Solomon's Seal is a hardy perennial that can bring grace to your garden, especially the shaded areas where beautiful plants are often hard to find. With its beautiful foliage, graceful spread and exquisite flowers, this plant is a valuable addition to your garden.
Neighbourhood markets are often the nerve center of communities within a city and such markets are still well used and well visited in Barcelona. Locals shopthere daily and tourists enjoy the local colour and have a taste of the local produce.
Museums may not be your thing, but when you're in Barcelona, you have to check out some of their museums and let them awaken the creative spark in you. The variety is impressive, and each of them tells you more about the city, the Catalan culture and the creative spirit.
Parc de Montjuic has in the past been a significant site in Barcelona's struggle for independence and, recently, of two important international events. It offers varied attractions including a botanical garden, a castle, a sports complex, several museums and the most exhilarating views of Barcelona.
The Maldives is a paradise on Earth, offering pampering and water sports. The resorts offer cool things for tourists to do. Here are the top things to do in the Maldives.
Has this ever happened to you, when the accommodation you booked is not where you want to stay? This is even more upsetting when you have paid for your booking and there are no other vacancies in the city. What do you do?
Nothing has marked the face of Barcelona more than the Art Nouveau Modernist architecture, which gripped the minds of many artists and architects at the turn of the century. It was a robust nationalist commitment to reviving the Catalan culture and heritage.
There are legions of hotel apartments throughout Europe and what makes Erik Vokel almost a unique proposition is the imagination of the designer in working with the renovation of old buildings, giving the properties a Nordic simplicity and a Mediterranean flare.
Founded by the Romans at the very end of the 1st century B.C., Zaragoza offers so much history. Its stunning basilica is in itself worth the visit. And time your visit at Christmas to enjoy the best market in Spain.
Why has Santiago de Compostela been Galicia's most cosmopolitan city for over a thousand years? Why have hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walked the Camino to reach this obscure destination?
Barcelona's most fun and stylish neighbourhood, El Born has interesting bars and restaurants, unique and artistic stores, engaging museums and galleries and captivating street scenes.
Success is within your reach. You can make excuses, procrastinate, avoid responsibility, lose focus, give up, blame someone or overcome these through courage, consistent effort and learning.
With change happening so fast, the key skill to help us do well in this emerging new world is adaptability.
An interesting village in Barcelona constructed from 117 buildings representing the different regions of Spain and showcasing its diversity, heritage and richness in culture.
Housed in the Palau Nacional of Barcelona, the National Art Museum of Catalonia is a well-designed museum with the best collection of Romanesque art, some used to adorn old Churches in the Pyrenees.
As the former Roman colony of Tarraco, Tarragona has some of the most well-preserved Roman ruins outside of Italy: a 2nd-century amphitheatre facing the Mediterranean, a necropolis, and a forum.
Afurada is a working fishing village just below Porto. It opens the door on a piece of history that is an important part of our past but difficult to find outside of books and maritime museums.
If you haven't yet been to Muskoka, it is time to discover this beautiful part of Ontario Canada. It is now a four-season destination with so many fun things to do even in the winter.
When we arrived, Seville appeared just like any other city of about a million or so people, full of tourists from various countries, but slowly unfolded its magic beautifully as the days went by.
Men are beginning to get the attention of products creators and the cosmetics industry is leading and pushing their skin care products. Some men are taking notice and here's why.
Living on the worldwide road is a challenge that not many people would enjoy but with some tips, you can make this mobile lifestyle a fun adventure.
What a gift to travellers Cordoba is. Two thousand years of history, still living, still vibrant, still easily accessible. So much of Europe's past is alive and reaching out in this Spanish city.
Lacquerware has been significant in Vietnamese art. They range from picture frames to boxes, trays, and bowls and traditionally embellished with mother of pearl or egg shells.
In Hanoi, one is constantly surprised by what attractions will turn out on the roadside. Often, they are beyond crazy but they are not wanting for interest.
Years of living with raccoons have taught us that they share their habitat with us, and they want us to share our living space with them. They often visit and see what we have to offer.
Around Hanoi, many villages have had the same craft skills for over a thousand years, long enough for legends to grow. Others are new with an eye on drawing tourists out of the city's heart.
For me, beaches always recreate happy childhood memories. It has always been the place for family gathering and celebration. Today, my memory has even made it more special.
Three thousand years plus of history lies in crumbles around the entire Sicilian coastline. With all these ruins, what better place is there to engage in chance discovery than Sicily?
In Vietnam, no TET or new year celebration is complete without Chung cake, a special savoury made from rice, meat, and mung bean paste. Every household gets busy preparing this special delicacy.
Reaching back 700 years, the traditional pottery of Bat Trang continues to draw locals and tourists alike. The whole village is lined up with pottery of every design, both traditional and modern.
World travel is a dream for many of us, especially in today's shaky economy. Still, you can have a taste of the essential experiences of world travellers without ever leaving your city.
A new Michener novel was an event that shook the book world with its impeccable research, its incredibly creative narrative, and its linkages to generations of people you could visit and talk with.
The San, the Bushmen of the Kalahari, hit our radar screens in the movie, The Gods must be Crazy, and as perhaps, the world's oldest memory of our ancestors, they've never moved off our screens again.
Movies on the war in Vietnam tell us not so much about Vietnam and its people but about the psyche of the U.S in the 1970's and the post conflict agonies thereafter.
Exotic wood in most of Southeast Asia are gone. The jungles have been ravaged for development that very few of the exotic wood varieties have survived even in the so called national parks.
What makes you "you'? What makes you different from the person beside you, expressing a unique gift only you have? This would be fun to find out.
Cottages are special because many families have had their cottage for many years. Younger members grew up going there as far as they can remember. Life is simpler.
If you're an Armagnac lover, Condom-en-Armagnac in the Gascon region of France is just the place for you. And even better, it is on the route of the pilgrimage, the Camino, or the way of St. James.
Who doesn't want to travel in style? We all do but women seem to do so more than men so think of gifts that will set them apart from the other travellers.
Looks like every second house is rolling out the suitcases. Men who travel like their stuff. That means gadgets, new ones they can try out.
Home is where most people go for Christmas and has become the main focus of our creative juices during the holidays. Let Beauty and Cozy dress up your home so the family can enjoy and relax.
What gifts will you choose for your Boss this Christmas? Choosing what would be construed as personal may not be a good idea but if gifts are not personally useful and meaningful, what do they have?
It's here again! December madness. The chaos and rush of Christmas! How do you beat this? For many, it is a thrill but for some, tips of how to beat it are welcomed.
Little girls are for me the best group to buy gifts for. For Christmas, they often ramp up their excitement to a fever pitch often pulling the whole house into a new level of happiness.
Searching for island-hopping destinations? Look no further than the Philippines' most famous beach, Concepcion, where white beaches on different islands await.
If you don't want to end up out of job and out of pocket in a country you have never ever visited, take extra care in preparing for your new international job by taking these steps.
Mobile technology is a boon and a challenge not only to our pockets but also to our brains and patience. No other development in the recent past has fundamentally changed individual lives.
Beauty is best when it is natural. Let your face exude its natural beauty. It is a beautiful soul in a healthy body. When you have this, your face glows. Somehow, you get people to notice.
James the Dolphin on Porpoise tells the story of his group's interesting encounters, diving with humans in the Bahamas.
Dry skin happens when the body's water escapes fast and its natural oils get removed resulting into flaky and rough skin that can turn to scales and cracks. Before this happens, here are some tips.
Are you a diver? If you haven't yet tried diving in the Bahamas, it is time to go there. Some of the best diving sites are in this hodgepodge of islands, cays and islets.
Elephants are quite common in some countries in Asia and often, they are work animals. They laugh, cry, play and have incredible memories but, at times, when threatened they go on a rampage.
Beautifully situated on the Mekong, Vientiane, Laos' capital city, still offers the village feel that most cities in Southeast Asia have already lost.
Flowering plants not only bring sunshine to your home but they also bring other advantages such as clean the air and bring freshness and life especially in the winter.
Kirirom is Cambodia's first national park and it lives up to its natural beauty as it continues to escape the development frenzy. It is just a day's drive from Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh.
Sometime around April, when the harvest is in, the annual Buddhist Calendar based Khmer New Year festival springs to life and it's time to look back with thanks and ahead with hope and confidence.
Sustainable tourism helps make sure that future generations can still enjoy the world's beauty. Here are 10 ways of promoting sustainable tourism development.
How do you choose a hotel? Stars are no longer tops. Diamonds are up there. Reviews are at times paid for so how do you choose one that will suit your fancy? Here are some of the key criteria you can use.
Choosing a restaurant can sometimes be straightforward. Other times, it can be daunting, especially when celebrating a special occasion for someone else. Primary considerations often pale when your guest has unique requirements, but this is no longer a problem in today's foodie world.
Unless you plan for life, you will live many of your retirement years in regret. A more remarkable life awaits with many more years in front of you. This guide will help you plan your retirement so that you can live it to the fullest.
For most Cambodian Khmer, weddings represent more than a nod to the traditions of the past. Each one is a victory for their culture, a promise to their families and a commitment to the future.
Each culture has its own rituals around greeting. For Cambodia, it is the Sampeah. The Sampeah is not just a form of greeting for Cambodians. It is not just to show recognition but respect to someone.
All cultures honor their dead but Cambodia makes this an art form! Bon Pchum Ben brings Khmer, both young and old, to the temples each year to remember the dead relatives and friends.
Changu Narayan is dedicated to Vishnu in his incarnation as Narayan, the preserver of creation in Hinduism. Originally built in the 4th century, the Changu Narayan temple is the oldest temple in Nepal.
Tucked into the heart of the world's greatest mountains, Kathmandu hosts an absolute banquet of 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites offering trekkers to the Himalayas a unique peek into a unique culture.
No one else has a special interest in your money but yourself. So, learn how to invest it wisely. But start easy. In self-directed investing, there is a learning curve...you will get there soon.
Rosseau is a tiny village in Ontario perched on top of a hill that peers over the famous Muskoka lake of the same name. Join me on a photo tour.
Today's workplace has its demands and new entrants need to understand its expectations. Employers have expectations beyond just technical skills.
Phnom Penh is a city full of charm. Sitting at the confluence of great rivers, the city offers varied things to do; experiencing these will be exhilarating.
The must do list for Bali keeps getting longer as it continues to draw people to a unique experience of culture, spirituality and beauty.
Fascination with Oman did not only start when Vogue chose it as the destination of choice. Even as early as the 1st century, Oman has already been acknowledged as an attractive place to visit.
Asia is so immense and so many of its top destinations are now in the radar screen of many tourists. But some places just stand out from the usual tourist draws.