Intriguing Whale Watching Online in Quebec Maritime – #ArmchairTraveler

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Online Whale Watching in Quebec Maritime Photo credit Marc Loiselle QM @Downshifting PRO Final

We find ourselves in trying times but that should not keep you from becoming an armchair traveler. Why not do some whale watching online? You can see some of the most beautiful whales in the St. Lawrence Seaway online with the help of the GREMM Project and their Whales Online website. Having been to Quebec Maritime multiple times, knowing summer is prime time for whale watching in Quebec, I was pleased to see you can still visit the region online. I found this series of 21 short whale videos along The Whale Route on the Côte-Nord (North Shore) of Quebec.

One of the most thrilling experiences I had in Quebec Maritime was going whale watching. I have an extensive guide on what you need to know when searching out these majestic mammals. Whether you see them from the deck of an excursion ship, a sea kayak or approach cautiously on a zodiac (pontoon boat), there are plenty of ways ways to learn more about whale watching in Quebec.

Minke whale watching from the shore, in the Tadoussac sector : Marc Loiselle / Quebec Maritime
Minke whale watching from the shore, in the Tadoussac sector :
Photo Credit: Marc Loiselle / Quebec Maritime

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Best Souvenirs to Buy in Colombia

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Artisanal products and souvenirs you have to bring home from Colombia @DownshiftingPRO

Colombia is a country full of artists, whether they work with fabric, wool, leather, arrow cane or beads, there is so much to take home. Here’s a list of the Best Souvenirs to Buy in Colombia @colombia_travel

A Secret no Longer – The Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ocean Springs Mississippi @SeeCoastalMS #CoastalMS

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Walter Anderson Museum of Art Ocean Springs Mississippi @DownshiftingPRO

An artist, naturalist and mystic, Walter Inglis Anderson was also a great American Modernist who lived in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A recluse in is later years, he was a prolific artist and writer. Plagued by mental illness, he produce not just paintings but elaborate murals. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art is not-to-be-missed in Coastal Mississippi.

Take easy virtual online museum tours with Google Arts & Culture

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Botero Museum in Bogota Colombia 2

As our world begins to narrow down, our ability to wander around public spaces diminishes every day. The effect of covid-19 has become more of a reality to all of us. With the help of Google Arts & Culture, you can visit museums around the world through virtual online museum tours. With over 6.5 billion … Read more

Ultimate Guide to Fruits and Juices of Colombia – with 32 Stunning Pictures

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Ultimate Guide to Fruits and Juices in Colombia @DownshiftingPRO

If there is one thing that my mother misses and my dad pined for, it was the fresh fruits and juices of Colombia.  Whether a sweet guanábana or a bittersweet lulo, there are so many juices to savour. In this tropical country, there is a huge abundance of fruits from which one garners tropical juices be they made with water or milk. 

Making juices with milk instead of water may seem like a foreign concept to most but adding dairy creates a richer flavour which may surprise your palette. Drinking your vitamins is not uncommon in a vegan or vegetarian diet and Colombia has adopted “smoothie” variations for years. My aunts are now making juice with almond milk to avoid lactose. This worked just as well if not better!

Fruits and juices in Colombia. DownshiftingPRO

The variety of fruits juices in Colombia is due to the biodiversity of the climate. There are three mountain ranges crisscrossing the country with cool mountain top and hot, humid valleys. This variance in temperature creates the perfect environment to grow fruits. Experience farming techniques lend itself to successful cultivation of mangos, curubas, moras, bananos and cherimoyas.

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The Stunning Botanical Gardens in Bogotá Colombia

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Botanical Garden in Bogota DownshiftingPRO Margarita Ibbott 1 scaled
Guide to the Botanical Gardens in Bogota Colombia - @DownshiftingPRO
Botanical Garden of Bogota

I was expecting beautiful tropical flowers and exotic trees – it was the Botanical Gardens in Bogota afterall. I was surprised to see flowers I would more likely find in North America. The large pumpkins in February were the best surprise because of the joyful expression on my aunt’s face when she saw them. For my mother, it was the roses. To see roses in February is never expected. There are many treasures in the Botanical Gardens in Bogota (Jardin Botanico de Bogota Jose Celestino Mutis) the least of which are the brand new pavilions which were still closed off to the public but should be inaugurated later on this spring.

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What are Mystic Societies? Answers are at The Carnival Museum in Mobile Alabama

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Mardi Gras Museum in Mobile AL @DownshiftingPRO 29 1 scaled

They were just standing there. On a street corner. In suits, with ties and an umbrella. I looked up at the night sky and didn’t see any imminent rainfall. We notice one, then two, then three and four. All standing on corners. Minding their own business. So I sent out a tweet… Little did I … Read more