This poor old blog used to be filled with descriptions and photos of our adventures abroad until that wasn’t our reality anymore. Since travel became possible again last year, you might say we’ve been drinking from a bit of a travel firehose. Apparently we were so busy having fun we weren’t taking the time to write about it. We so enjoy looking back on the memories captured on our blog so I’m going to do a quick summary of the travel we’ve done since 2022.
British Virgin Islands, March 2022
After countless pandemic lockdowns being isolated in our home, the first place we traveled to was right back where we were when the whole Covid mess started in March 2020. Exactly two years later, in March 2022 we found ourselves back sailing in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). This time we traveled with 3 other families from our hometown of Oakville. There were 8 adults, 9 kids, 2 catamarans, and 13 days of bliss. On the front and back ends of this trip, there were significant hassles with paperwork to prove vaccinations. We needed 17 negative Covid tests the day before departure in order for the trip to come together as planned, and before going home we spent our entire last evening on video conference with Ontario nurses validating our Covid tests. But, in between, we made every single day worth it! Let’s just say some steam was blown off! We sailed to a different gorgeous island every day to enjoy the sun, sand and water. And yes, we partied!
France & Switzerland, June 2022
The next trip was planned for June 2022, starting with a one-week yoga retreat in the French Alps for me (you can read about that here). The second week was meant to include Matt joining me to travel through Geneva and Lugano in Switzerland, and then on to Lake Como in Italy. I could tell you my very sad and disappointing story about how the second week fell apart, but in hindsight I don’t think I’ll drum up any sympathy. Matt had to turn around to go to Chicago for meetings immediately after arriving in Geneva.
The next day I traveled alone across Switzerland by train. The scenery was beautiful, and I love the adventure of traveling alone, but I couldn’t let go of my attachment to what the experience was meant to be. Therefore after one night at the beautiful Villa Principe Leopoldo hotel in Lugano, followed by a morning stroll through the idyllic town, I headed to Milan and flew home. I'd had a wonderful time in Megève during my first week, and I felt it was time to leave it at that. It was time for me to go home to my family and plan to see Lake Como another time with Matt.
Dublin, September 2022
The craic was 90 on a girl's long weekend trip to Dublin. My friend Patti and I traveled to Dublin for a reunion with my cousin Colleen (from Derry, Ireland) and friend Sheelagh (from Brighton, England). The four of us tore up the town in London back in 2019, and we were due for a reunion. I was nervous we couldn’t possibly compete with how much fun we had in London, but Dublin raised the bar on fun even higher. The luck of the Irish was on our side because the sky was blue and the sun was shining (not often what you get in Ireland in September). We strolled through St Stephen’s Green park, then Grafton St where we shopped and stopped to listen to amazing live music on the street. We went for lovely dinners, and we partied at a “Sunday sesh” at Temple Bar with live music and buzzing energy. The laughs were endless and good for my soul.
Colleen and Sheelagh headed home after the weekend, and Patti and I stayed for a couple of extra days. We traveled via rail car outside the city to visit with a friend of Patti’s, Fiona, who took us to PowersCourt Estate (originally a 13th-century castle) where we explored the expansive gardens and ancient trees and had a lovely lunch on the terrace. Then she took us to Johnnie Fox’s, the highest pub in Ireland, for a round of gin & tonics. Back in Dublin, we enjoyed a traditional afternoon tea at our hotel (The Westbury), strolled some more, and explored a few more pubs. I wonder where our next reunion will take us!
St Barth’s, November 2022
By November, Matt was ready for a vacation, and both of us were ready for a re-do on our trip to Lake Como that didn’t happen. Given the season we opted to go to St Barth’s, one of our favourite destinations. St Barth’s is a French island in the Caribbean, so it offers all our favourite things. The beaches, the food, the shopping, and the vibe cannot be beat. Also the service everywhere is top-notch. I did hiking and yoga with Aminata, and it was such a treat to spend time with her since most of our time together is spent practicing yoga over Zoom. Mostly Matt and I booted around the island in our red Mini convertible, ate outstanding meals, and chilled and read on the beach. It was exactly what we needed and made up for our disappointment in June.
2023 has put a few more trips on the books already. I didn’t call it a firehose for nothing!
Turks & Caicos, January 2023
January brought an impromptu trip to Providenciales in Turks & Caicos with my extended family: us, my parents Larry & Dora, my sister Jennifer and her children Caden, Dylan and Olivia, and my brother Bill, his wife Riley, and their 10-month-old baby Meara. We took off on our adventure shortly after the new year. We stayed at a condo property with a big pool and a short walk to Leeward Beach where the turquoise water was surreal. Beach days were the best with sun chairs and a cooler full of cold beers. The kids swam until they were prunes, and Matt helped them build an impressive sand sculpture on our last day. One night we had a lovely dinner on the terrace at Magnolia’s, known for its sunset views, to celebrate my mom’s milestone birthday. Turks & Caicos is such a beautiful destination, and I appreciate how easy it is to get there from Toronto.
Nassau Bahamas, February 2023
In February I accompanied Matt to Nassua for his President’s Club trip. We stayed at the sprawling Grand Hyatt Baha Mar property with many restaurants, pools and other amenities. We attended several organized activities and meals with his colleagues, including a day trip on a motorized catamaran, poolside parties, and an awards dinner on the final night. Matt golfed with colleagues one day at the Beach Club on Paradise Island, while I played pickleball with some of the others. Matt and I even managed to squeeze in a game of tennis, our first time playing on a clay court. The best part of this trip was connecting with wonderful people who had a genuine interest in our story as founders and were super fun to hang out with. This was in fact our first time traveling to the Bahamas (besides a stop on a Disney Cruise at Castaway Cay years ago). We like the chill yet somewhat chic Bahamian vibe and look forward to visiting the Exumas in the Bahamas for March Break!
New York, February 2023
A long-weekend trip to New York City was an annual tradition for our family before Covid. We decided Family Day weekend (a Canadian holiday) was our opportunity to visit Matt's family in upstate New York, combined with a brief trip back to the Big Apple. We packed up the car and headed for the Queenston Lewiston Bridge, and eventually pulled up in front of the New York Palace hotel where we spent one night. We dropped our bags and hit the streets to make the most of our short time there.
Our first stop was the Tin Building, a food-lovers delight where you wander through open-kitchen restaurants of all cuisines, gourmet retail including a Pinterest-worthy candy store, and specialty markets with locally sourced seafood, meats, cheeses, and seasonal produce. Located in lower Manhattan’s Seaport next to the Brooklyn Bridge, it was opened last year by chef Jean-George who owns countless restaurants around the globe (and is the head chef at Eden Rock, our favorite spot in St Barths). When we pried ourselves out of there with full bellies and bags of gourmet candy and french grocery items, our next stop was a little shopping in Soho, then dinner at the new Five Acres at Rockefeller Center.
The next morning, after breakfast we explored the historic rooms of our hotel, an old mansion built in 1884 for railroad magnate Henry Villard. In particular, the old library proved to be a really special spot. Fiona said, "I could spend all day in here looking at these old books". We eventually dragged her out of there. Our next stop was a surprise visit inside St Patrick's Cathedral, located directly across the street from our hotel. Our luck suddenly found us in a behind-the-scenes tour of areas not normally available to visitors, such as the priest's private alter and up on the roped-off main alter. It was free, and less than 30 minutes. It was a special unexpected gift in our day. Next, after a little strolling and shopping on Fifth Avenue we headed to Sprinkles for cupcakes. And it wouldn't have been our traditional visit to NYC without a stroll through Central Park, so that was our next and final stop before we got back in the car and headed upstate to visit Matt's family for the remainder of a wonderful weekend.
We always loved to travel, but after a long hiatus, we are extra grateful now for all opportunities to experience the beauties of our precious delicate world.
Stay tuned for more adventures!
Laura (Matt, April & Fiona) ✌ 🌎
What wonder wandering, Laura. Your beautiful photos tell so much.