Follow your nose? Why not!

Adventures are my favorite thing. I’ve had adventures on trains – from memorable subway rides into Toronto to unforgettable train trips to Munich in cars filled with Oktoberfest revelers (Interesting note: 8am is not too early to drink beer on a train when en route to Oktoberfest). And I've had my share of culinary adventures too. Moving to Toronto from a small town in northern Ontario, is in my opinion, what has helped me develop my sense of adventure the most, and especially my adventurous palette.

It started off small – believe it or not, up until I was 19, I’d never had Greek food, and it turns out that I quite enjoy the whole concept of meat on a stick. Being in Toronto, there is no shortage of international cuisine and I quickly learned that the best way to order is not to scour the menu, but to ask the server “So what’s your favorite?”. I’m always surprised at how candidly they answer and what cool new things I experience by taking their recommendations.

My bravery is most richly rewarded when I travel abroad, and if I don’t end up liking what I ate, hey – at least it makes for a good story! A few years back, I travelled to Singapore and had a short stopover in Tokyo. Not much time to do sightseeing, but there’s always time to eat! I came across this post recently that reminded me of the great seafood I had while I was there. But there is one little bite from that trip that I will always remember: my first (and only!) taste of durian fruit. We had been warned by the tour guide that the strange, rotting smell in the markets wasn’t week-old garbage but actually durian fruit, which is considered to be a delicacy in Singapore. It’s apparently a love or hate type of thing. I was on the hate side, but there are plenty of people who enjoy it. A lot of public establishments in Southeast Asia have actually banned the durian to try and keep the peace. One man’s tasty snack is enough to make another want to gag! Yup – to some people, it smells that bad!

Even though I didn’t want a second serving, I don’t regret having tried it. It’s all part of the adventure that is this big ol’ world, and I’m ready to take it on, one mysterious fruit at a time.

Good News Friday

In my office, our boss has a little tradition he likes call "good news Friday". Today's good news falls into one of my favorite categories: photos! He recently went on a fab trip to Russia and after much poking and prodding from pretty much everyone who's been envious of his trip, he posted his photos up for us to see. Yup. Envy is definitely warranted.



Nothing gets people talking about their vacation like other people's vacation pictures, and you know, if you're already travelling vicariously through your co-workers, you might as well make it a multi-destination vacation! My second stop was a cruise along the Rhine river in Europe, where another one of my colleagues vanished to last year, and it seems that whenever she gets a little stressed, she goes back there in her imagination too. I imagine that she's been there a few times because of me! But yeah, recalling afternoons spent floating along the Rhine, watching castles and fortresses that seem to the rest on clouds, that would do it for me. And how cool would it be to have shivers run down your spine as you sail by the spot where the nymph who lived in the Lorelei rock would appear and lure fishermen to their death. But the memory she's most fond of are the spectacular vineyards along the river. Never had she seen terraced vineyards until that cruise where she watched farmers tending to their crops. No wonder she's such a fan of wines from the Rhine Region! The part of her trip that I choose to fantasize about are the cheese markets. Need I say more?


If you're keen on taking a journey through Europe's rivers yourself, well I have a Friday goodie for you - there is a super deal to be had on these, and you can check it our for yourself here. There is just one condition, which, since I have already given you the goodie, you have no obligation to meet. I need to work on that. But if for any reason, Bon Vivant should lead you to a new adventure, I would love to live vicariously through you, too. So don't be shy and share! And I promise that if you do, I'll never pick anything off your plate.