City Girl Whisky Diary: Getting Thrifty with ‘Friends of the Classic Malts’
Travelling in Scotland is one of my favourite things to do. It’s one of my happy places. But the exchange rate isn’t really ever in my favour, so I’m always on the hunt for ways to #GetThrifty – without sacrificing fun – when I’m away. During the research phase of my recent trip with the girls, I was very excited when the marketing coordinator from one of the distilleries emailed me back with an amazing tip for our Highlands road trip path. It’s called the ‘Friends of the Classic Malts’ and it was almost like getting a golden ticket because it equals… free whisky! And who doesn’t want that? We…
City Girl Whisky Diary: Whisky stereotypes and touring the softer side with Tomatin Distillery
Okay, ladies. This question’s mostly for you. Regardless of whether you enjoy a dram or not, when you think about whisky, what comes to mind? Don Draper from Mad Men? Stuffy old men with cigars? It tastes like rocket fuel? The second and latter of those were my thoughts on whisky for the longest time. And then I travelled to Scotland the first time. Turns out I had been trying the wrong kinds of Scotch. And then one day, I found one that didn’t taste (for me) like rocket fuel; and another. But that’s a story for another day. My point is that while the vast selection of whisky available can…
The Best Places to Eat and Drink in Soho with Eating London Tours
Before I left for my trip in May, I was quizzing my expat colleagues about where the girls and I should eat and drink for our three nights in London. They all recommended one place: Soho. Though I’ve been to London many times, it was an area that, aside from the theatres, I had no paid much attention to. Having now explored a bit, I can safely say shame on me. Located in the West End of London, Soho is London’s nightlife hot spot. It has morphed, chameleon-like over the decades, from being the place to find certain company and activities (you know what I mean), to the hub of the…
City Girl Whisky Diary: Scotch Whisky Experience
Whisky. The Scots call this lovely amber liquid “The Water of Life”. With this, you know that they take their Scotch very seriously. (For example, it’s whisky, not whiskey with an ‘e’. This is a thing.) And there are endless kinds. So if you’re new to whisky, it can all be a bit daunting when you’re trying to figure out where to start. My whisky palate has been cultivating for a few years now (I’m an Islay whisky girl), but if you’re like me, a million questions might run through the circuit board of your brain: How do they make it? What kind should I try? Which distillery do I…
Island Road Trip – 9 Things to Do in Victoria
It’s been a busy few weeks, but I’ve finally had a chance to go through photos and do a road trip download from my notes. The Island is a perfect place for a road trip, and the Brit and I celebrated his birthday with four-and-a-half days of exploring. (As my calling him “The Brit” would suggest, he isn’t from here, so I love visiting places with him that I haven’t been to in a long time. It gives me a fresh lens.) We started in Victoria and, from there, focused our attention on the eastern side of the Island. (The west side and the crazy all-season surfing people will have…
Flashback Friday: Sinus Clearing Raspberry Martinis
My laptop is finally out of the Mac hospital (hooray!) and while my Europe photos were loading this evening, I was clicking through my iPhoto library. While flipping through, I landed on pictures from an epic Halloween party from many moons ago at my friend Alison’s parent’s house where entry was only given if we were a) dressed up; and b) dressed as something that started with a “P”. (I was a dead pageant queen.) It was a really fun night and one of the few times that I have dressed up since I was a kid. The photos have made me feel mildly nostalgic; so, for #FlashbackFriday, I present a “recipe” for a…
Eating Solo in Mexico – Part 2 and Bucerias Market
Today, I finally had more than two minutes to unpack both my Mexico and housesitting suitcases. (I left for Mexico in the middle of us housesitting.) I was sad to put away my hot weather clothes but it needed to be done. Tick mark on the to-do list. — Bucerias is a lovely little beach town a little ways north of Nuevo Vallarta. It costs under $10 CAD to get there from NV and maybe $12 CAD from PV. When I got out of my taxi at the market plaza, I was all of a sudden the most popular person there. ¡Hola, señorita! What you like to buy? I give…
Tasting Italia in 2 hours
The beautiful view from my desk! Last Wednesday (a beyond beautiful hot, sunny Vancouver day), our work team buzzed out of the office early for our quarterly team builder activity. This quarter? A corporate Italian food and wine tasting seminar at Giovane at the Fairmont Pacific Rim (where we had Sean’s 30th birthday). Best team building activity, ever (so far). Terra and I were the first to get there and we walked in to a beautifully set table and handed glasses of prosecco (bubbles – yum!) – what service! Coordinated by the wonderful Katherine – who helped me with Sean’s 30th birthday – and in the capable hands of Giovane’s beyond knowledgeable sommelier and assistant manager, Jill Spoor, we…
