There is a standing comment in Iceland – “if you don’t like the weather – wait 5 minutes.” I spent 8 days in Iceland in January 2018 and I can verify that the statement is accurate. In the eight days there was a blizzard and 100 mph winds; rain; sleet; fog; ice and glorious sun. But one thing that it was not, was COLD. The mercury did drop to a low of about -5C.
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We want to paint a picture for you. Imagine you’re at a gathering with friends and acquaintances. It’s a fairly large group, let’s say around 15-20 people. Just as you begin to get hungry, someone brings out a large, layered cake. It’s smothered in rich, chocolate buttercream frosting – …
Way back in 2017 I wrote a blog in recognition of Canada Day; 50 Great Things Canada Contributed to the World. Since I wrote that blog I’ve been studying about the Indigenous peoples who have lived on this land we now call Canada for millennia – the First Nations and …
Saint Patrick’s Day brings Ireland and all things Irish to a lot of people’s minds. And, those of us lucky enough to be Irish or are of Irish descent, particularly so! My ancestors on both sides of my family emigrated to Canada from Ireland back in the mid to late …
There are so many things that we miss when it comes to travel, such as exploring new places, trying new things and meeting new people. What I miss the most, are those extremely peaceful moments where you can just take it all in. Whether you are enjoying a beautiful hike, …
Sundogs
February 01, 2018 | Archived Blogs
This morning Manitobans woke up to a temperature of -25oC (-13oF), with a windchill of -37oC (-35oF). So cold. Not as cold as it can be or has been, but still cold enough that it freezes your face almost the instant you step outside. Your eyelashes freeze together and even though you’re wearing a base layer and lined pants, your thighs feel like they are getting cut up by tiny ice particles. It sure is pretty though. Read More >
Beautiful Buenos Aires
January 29, 2018 | Allison Silvaggio
En route to Ushuaia and Antarctica, I was lucky enough to spend a full day in Buenos Aires taking in as many sites as possible in 24 hours. Which was definitely, not long enough!
The capital, and most populous city of Argentina, with a population of about 2,891,000 in 2016, was bigger than I thought.
Romantic Rhine River Cruise
January 26, 2018 | Sandra Jensen
A little bit of stress while travelling is natural, especially when your stopovers are an hour in each airport and then arrive only an hour before the last shuttle departs for the town from which you are to depart on your river cruise. Sometimes you are lucky enough to have important tour people on your flights that are with you the whole way, knowing that you aren’t the only one being delayed. Perhaps next time, I will fly in a day earlier so that I could have been more relaxed and seen some of Zurich before heading to Basel for my river cruise on the Rhine. Read More >
Birds of a Feather Stop Over Together
January 22, 2018 | Archived Blogs
Stopping over in Iceland is a popular way to get a glimpse into what the country has to offer on your way to other destinations such as London or Amsterdam. It allows you to get that one extra stamp in your passport and although it’s not always enough time to explore as much as you want, it still allows you to say, yes! I’ve been to Iceland. But humans aren’t the only ones to use this North Atlantic island as a place to rest their weary feathers.
Even if you’re not a bird brain or a budding ornithologist, Iceland has some spectacular bird life that both live and stop over to eat, rest, and raise their brood. In no particular pecking order, here are some pretty amazing feathered friends you can find while visiting, or stopping over, in Iceland. Read More >
Ireland Speaks to Me Like No Other Place on Earth
January 19, 2018 | Lois Farley
My maternal Grandma, Hannah Muirhead, emigrated to Canada from County Antrim, Ireland (now part of Northern Ireland) back in the late 1800’s. Two of her brothers and a sister had sailed to Canada a few years earlier. Sadly, her sister died of black fever on the crossing and was buried at sea, but her brothers arrived safely and made their way west to homestead at the Derry Corner, near Douglas, Manitoba. They then invited Hannah to come and join them. I can’t imagine leaving my family and everything that was familiar to me and sailing across the Atlantic to an unknown place, all at the age of 19. The courage to do that seems unimaginable. Read More >
Into the Ice and Lava
January 16, 2018 | Shauna Cook
Where else in the world are you able to go into a glacier – other than Iceland! I was lucky enough to visit one of Iceland’s newest attractions recently, and it is so incredibly unique!
We were picked up in Reykjavik from our hotel in a smaller sized mini-bus, and driven a few hours to the base camp at Husafell. On arrival, we switched to another bus that took us a short distance to meet our modified glacier vehicle for the journey onto Langjokull (Long Glacier) – the second largest glacier in Iceland. Read More >
Now That’s How to Go “Postal”, In the Very Best Way!
January 12, 2018 | Lois Farley
Every now and again I read something that makes me say “H’uh? Really? Wow!”, and this story was one of those.
Posted by Yahoo Lifestyle based on a posting to Reddit, it’s about a tourist that drew a map on an envelope in lieu of an address to a remote farm in Iceland, and it actually got delivered! https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tourist-drew-map-postcard-lieu-195106212.html Read More >
A Year in the Life… Almost (Why Travel Agencies Exist)
January 09, 2018 | Archived Blogs
I’ve worked at The Great Canadian Travel Group almost a year now. And although that is not a long time, I have definitely learned a few things that I didn’t know before working here. It’s amazing what kinds of information can be soaked up if you just listen and ask questions. There is a lot of information floating around, even when you don’t think it’s important, it may come in handy one day. Like how to make a proper pot of coffee or that when representatives from various travel companies come calling, they generally bring treats like chocolate or cupcakes. Travel consultants like food. Read More >
Allison’s Top 5 Reasons to Take an Expedition Cruise
January 05, 2018 | Allison Silvaggio
According to the Travel Industry Dictionary, an expedition cruise is defined as a cruise, typically aboard a smaller vessel, with an emphasis on the natural habitat of exotic destinations and responsible tourism. It also implies a cruise with on board experts in the ecology of the destination and a certain level of rigor, such as in Antarctic cruises. Read More >
