Weekend break in St Andrews

I recently had the pleasure of attending a friend's wedding in St Andrew's, a small picturesque town on the Scottish coast known for its historic university, world-renowned golfing, and being the place where Prince William and Kate famously met. The weather really cooperated and I was able to get some bright photos of the town from the top of St Rule's Tower. 

Dunrobin -- a Scottish fairytale castle

Dunrobin Castle in the highlands of north Scotland is a real-life Disney dream, with its French chateau style surrounded by woodland, ocean and of course, sheep. But like all castles, its history has moments of darkness and mystery reflected in its ghosts, including a young woman who apparently haunts the sewing room.

Visiting Glasgow once again

I'm back in Scotland once again and always spend time in Glasgow on my way in and out. I really think it's an underrated city often thought of as a bit gritty with a high crime rate in the UK. But the Victorian architecture, bustling art community, culinary selection and trendy downtown area make it a place I look forward to visiting again and again.  

Muskoka cottage garden

My mom has a real passion for gardening, preferring a more wild British look with overlapping plants and flowers than the look you often get when hiring a suburban landscaper. We've incorporated iron garden ornaments, wooden signs and red candleholders which I've hung from the trees. The garden attracts hummingbirds, which I could watch for hours, and I fill feeders that feed the same three hummingbirds each year -- they keep coming back.

Cottaging in Muskoka

Often living in the cities one doesn't get a chance to just sit outside for prolonged periods of time and watch creatures interact, observe a full glorious moon rise, catch sight of fireflies in the distance or be entertained by hummingbirds competing for a particular feeder. At our cottage I've even witnessed a black bear stumble onto our small beach. Life can be a show, in all its forms, and it's up north that I often find myself injected one again with the realisation of how spectacular life is and how much goes on outside of human life.

Georgian Bay -- Killarney, Ontario

Killarney, Ontario surely has to be one of the best camping destinations with its challenging and scenic hikes and serene canoe routes. The first two photos showcase Georgian Bay's pink granite and the last display the La Cloche Mountains, composed mostly of white quartzite. A treat was visiting the small town of Killarney and eating breakfast at a diner that served the most amazing strawberry jam.

Georgian Bay -- Blue Mountain and Tobermory, Ontario

The hot breeze and cool fresh water of southern Ontario makes for some of the world's best summer adventures. In anticipation of the upcoming season, the next posts will show some of my recent camping trips in southern Ontario. These photos were taken on Georgian Bay, a body of water that covers 13,000 square kilometres and is home to the largest freshwater archipelago in the world. We took a short hike up the Blue Mountain slopes, camping at a nearby site on the water, and then drove up to Tobermory where we camped next to its famous grotto. The waters here are crystal clear and while still cool, warm enough to go for a swim.

A collection from Egypt

This last post on Egypt, for now, is an assortment of photos from various locations taken over a few months. From Muhammad Ali Mosque to Coptic Cairo's Hanging Church, and then the City of the Dead, Alexandria's many small fishing boats, Lake Quran in the Fayoum (with and without the excessive garbage) and the Egyptian lanterns in Khan el Khalili.