Whistler like the locals

Even though Andy and I went to Whistler numerous times while we lived in Canada, going and staying with friends who were essentially ‘locals’ was bound to be a whole new experience. My Wellington friend and ex-colleague Lydia lives there with her boyfriend Dan, a mountain-biking fiend, making Whistler a natural choice for their OE…

Panorama Ridge

Featuring lakes, mountains, glaciers and the ever present possibility of bears, Panorama Ridge is a quintessential Canadian hike. I can’t believe that I never did this hike while I lived there, but it sure made for a memorable trip on our return. To be fair, Andy actually did this hike back in 2020 as a…

Review: Maxine’s

This might be the last Vancouver review I can do for a while, as I’ve exhausted my backlog of photos and sadly won’t be visiting any new cafes any time soon! I’ve saved a great one until last though and I write about it fondly, as it is one of my lasting memories of Vancouver….

Review: Sunflower Bakery

Sunflower Bakery may have an unassuming exterior, but what does it matter when the goodies are all on the inside anyway? This cute little bakery is popular with locals and I think the word is starting to spread down to Vancouver, because every time we passed through Squamish (pre- or post- hike, camping, ski trip…)…

Review: Mackenzie Room

The Mackenzie Room in Vancouver is an ideal spot for dates, or small groups wanting an intimate catch up in a classy setting. Ironically, its location is across the road from Oppenheimer Park, which was previously home to one of Vancouver’s biggest tent cities. I never ate there when this was the case, but I…

Review: Go Fish

Oh my goodness, I think I have found my answer to ‘favourite fish and chips’. Go Fish first came to me by way of a podcast, where I heard a couple comparing the best fish and chips in Vancouver and Victoria. It’s hard to get fish fresher than at Go Fish: the fishing boats and…

Review: Los Cuervos Taqueria & Cantina

Oh how we loved to eat at Los Cuervos. Firstly, it was just around the corner from our East Van house. Second, it has the greatest happy hour – and who doesn’t love a cheap margarita?! Lastly, it has wonderful outdoor seating, verging into Robson Park (our local favourite) and conveniently catching the afternoon sun.  …

Thanksgiving in Montreal

Although we technically had thanksgiving in Montreal, it’s a stretch to say we celebrated it. Or you could call it a 5 day celebration, because for 5 days straight we ate, drank and explored like we were tourists in Europe, completely uninhibited by the somewhat never-ending pandemic. Andy and I spent our second Canadian thanksgiving…

Montreal: more than just bagels and poutine

Montreal has fantastic food options, both in terms of cuisine, price points and quality. There are a number of vibrant neighbourhoods with iconic food scenes and populated streets to supplement these areas. We ate out basically every meal and it’s been a while since I ate such repeatedly good food. I think most prominent is…

A long weekend in Toronto

For so long it seemed like the only plane we would be catching during our time in Canada would be the one we got on to take us home. We only booked Toronto a few short weeks ago, and because it was such an unexpected trip everything we did managed to feel like a bonus….