My focus for this blog had changed when I returned home to Canada after being an expat for two years in England. I didn't want to let that lifestyle go completely and knew I could hang on to the best bits if I shifted gears and became a hometown tourist. No need to be passive about the amazing tourist attractions and special events taking place on my doorstep because I live here and it will always be there tomorrow. I have been spending a lot more time in Toronto the Good as of late, but really I need to take a look closer to home and take my own advice: to be a real hometown tourist of my own hometown of Brampton, Ontario.
1. The Farmers Market
You had to know this would be at the top of my list. I love a market and Brampton has two! One is downtown (celebrating it's 30th anniversary!) and another one, new last year, in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant. I haven't had the chance to check this one out yet, but it's definitely on my list for this summer.
2. T By Daniel
Like tea and being treated like the special, little, unique snowflake that you are? Head to T by Daniel located on Main Street in the heart of the downtown. You will garunteed have a great experience and a lovely tea to boot.
A photo posted by PeelArtGalleryMuseum+Archives (@visitpama) on
AKA Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives. Located near City Hall, it is the former home of Peel County Courthouse and the Brampton Jail. Today it hosts a variety of events and exhibitions representing the people and heritage of the Region of Peel.
4. Gage Park
Brampton's first municipal park donated to the city and opened in 1903; the residents had felt to be in desperate need of a park close to the town centre and with tree protection. Today the circular path around the gazebo is made into a skating rink in the winter and has a public splash pad for the summer. It is also the home of many community events throughout the season including the Brampton Rib n' Roll held each May.
5. Recreational Trails
Thankfully, Brampton has many long park trails that run along the creek and watershed areas. Even though I'm in the suburbs it's nice to be able to escape the traffic laden streets of the main drags and be surrounded by nature. I've spotted deer, coy-wolves, beavers, and herons in these areas. Nature!
I've been asking around for suggestions and additions to make to this post so stay tuned for an update.
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Opened in 2014, the Sky Garden located on the 32nd floor of the Walkie Talkie building, has been welcoming tourists and Londoners alike to a superb view of the great city. Boasting 360 degree views from observation decks and an open air terrace, one can spend much time up there playing 'Spot the Landmark'.
I pre-booked my free visit a few weeks prior but since we were there midday, during the week, it wasn't all that busy and people were showing up off the street and getting up.
We wandered slowly around the unobstructed views, taking photos and enjoying the gorgeous, sunny sky.
I think one day I'd like to go back for a cocktail at sunset. To watch the sun descend over west London and the twinkling lights of the city spring on. I bet it's something special.
What is it about being able to experience a place from a new perspective that really makes you appreciate it? There's only so much you can see from street level. In fact, while we were here looking down, we could see an interesting facade, but didn't know what it was. Back down on ground level we hunted for the building we had seen and discovered St. Dunstan-in-the-East, a WWII bombed out church made into a beautiful city garden.
PS. re-read this post and count how many landmarks you can see from the 20 Fenchurch Street window views.
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Jumping up to Scotland in this post from my epic trip to the UK, I hope you don't mind the jumping around, as I recap my adventure. I'm loving being able to relive my travels through these posts, this is one of the ways I'm choosing 'joy' in 2016.
I meet up with my 'doing things' buddy and after dropping my bags off at her super, lovely flat we set off to the Scotch Whisky Experience.
We took the Silver Tour (£14.50) which started with a ride in a barrel, swirling around like a bubble learning about the history and process of making whisky. The tour ended with a little whisky tasting education, a free dram (yay swag!) and a glimpse at the extensive collection housed in quite an impressive manner.
I was enthralled by the display and the warm, golden, glow from the whisky in the darkened room with only the light dancing off the prized collection of 3,384 scotch whisky bottles. (Totally, had to look that number up, I couldn't be expected to remember the details, I had been drinking whisky after all).
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Our lovely guide, "Angus" (not his real name. Details, people!) taught us how to experience the whisky; its colour, its smell, its clarity, and finally its taste. Love a man with a passion! Especially when it's expressed with rolling R's and a smattering of 'wee'.
After I finished my dram (and my friend's) we were ready to tackle the rest of the delights Edinburgh had to offer.
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Anyone else have ever have this situation come up?
I was visiting my neighbouring major city attending a common Canadian event when something caught my eye and I took my phone out to take a picture. Being a blogger for a couple years now, clearly my picture was being taken from "an interesting angle" versus the traditional setup. The company I was with noted my apparent odd behaviour and said, "What are you, a tourist?" I immediately was embarrassed and said a slightly defiant and very pouty "Yes".
BUT DUDE?!What's wrong with being a tourist exactly?
Do you not want to experience new things?
Meet new people?
Travel in new places?
Try new foods?
Make life more exciting?
And yes, even take a snapshot or two or one hundred to remember a moment in time you enjoyed, was thrilled by, would never do again--and reflect on the memories?
Being a tourist means opening your eyes to the world around you. Being a tourist has taught me many things about myself. Mainly it has shown me my capabilities and skills to live life more fully, not getting stuck in the mundanity of it all and to actually DO things with my free time.
Sneer at me all you like, but chances are I'm having more fun than you. If being a tourist in my homeland is wrong, I don't want to be right!
We all know 'em, we've all been 'em as some point on a trip. We've denied it when called out, but go ahead and embrace your travel persona and find a travel buddy that can accept who you are while away from home and can still be your friend after the flight touches down on familiar soil.
The Organizer
Plans every moment, most likely has an itinerary stashed away in their carry on. When pushed they will tell you it's not important to follow it, but deviate from it at your own risk. Pro: You will most likely see the crap out of a city in the most efficient way possible. Con: You may need a break when you return.
The Travel Diva
While away the Travel Diva may lay dormant for a majority of the trip however when travel situations deviate from the smooth planing the 'Diva is deployed' and they put up with no guff. Demands for the uncontrollable to be controlled are made; knowing how to deal with the travel diva is an art form in its own right. Good luck to you. Pro: Will think to ask service people for things that you all will benefit from. Con: The Diva is looking for someone to blame, you WILL feel the wrath
The
"Rock-up" Star
They will plan nothing, prepare nothing, expect little and are just along for the ride. You'll be lucky if they've remembered to check in for their flight.All good to travel with until decision time, then you'll hear, "Ah, I'm easy", or "whatever you want to do". Pro: This can be liberating to travel with when one on one. Con: This can be extremely frustrating when there is more than one in a group.
The Creature
Comforts
Packs too much for 'just in case' scenarios or their mood. They can get bent out of shape if away from their 'stuff' too long and prefer higher end things--I'm not talking about needing Gucci sheets at the Hilton, I just mean not being cool with renting sand paper hostel sheets and wanting to 'eat-in' at the cafe. Where's the adventure in that?
What Travel
Persona are you? Who would you add to this list?
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A few weeks back I had some time off work and Steph and I decided to take a trip somewhere. After much debate, we finally agreed that Dover was going to be our lucky destination. When I mentioned to a few people (mostly English) that we were heading to Dover for a couple of days, I got the same look of mixed perplex and disgust as they spit out, "But why?"!
Short answer; "Because I haven't been yet." I had yet to see the White Cliffs of Dover and it had made it's way onto my list of things to do and see before leaving England. I knew it wasn't going to be grand, or to effect me in someway once I had my first glimpse, but it is just one of those things you have to do. It's the Niagara Falls of England. Have to see them at least once in your life and once you do, you're good.
It has also been suggested that we should avoid Dover all together and stay at one of the more charming neighbouring towns where you could see the cliffs but not have to spend any time in Dover. To that I said, "I'm allowed to be a tourist!" Not everything has to be incredibly quaint with English charm, sometimes when it's not, that's when adventures happen.
We were greeted at our charmingly outdated B&B, decorated by your grandmother back in 1985, by a nice hotelier and quickly left again to see the sights. First we booked a combo boat and bus tour of Dover. We didn't actually leave the outer harbour to view the cliffs, but for £25 I wasn't complaining.
Captain Alfie (that's what we had christened him) then became our bus driver where he took us up to the Western Heights. We got a taste of the views of the harbour and we encountered our first military bunkers. These ones were first built to protect the vulnerable Dover Harbour from Napoleonic period up to WWII.
Next stop was the National Trust's Visitors Centre where we took a brisk walk along a path to get nice and close to the cliffs themselves. I would have loved to have visited the South Foreland Lighthouse, but time did not permit us on this day.
That hazy line in the middle ground over the water is the pollution of France.
The last stop on our quick tour was the best one. Dover Castle. Run by English Heritage (members go free!) and at £19.30 a ticket you certainly get a lot for your pound. We spent hours here investigating almost every nook and cranny. The history of this complex spans from Henry the II to Operation Dynamo. The war tunnels were interpreted amazingly and definitely the best part of the day. Education is fun!
All in all, I give Dover a thumbs up. But now that I've seen it, I'm good.
