Travel

There is beauty in finding a place you’ve visited. To be able to travel is to invite curiosity. I have travelled throughout Canada, the United States and Europe.  I continue to dream about trips I will take in the future but for now, read about where my travels have taken me.

Watch12 past productions of Stratford Festival online – Stratfeset@Home

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Festival Theatre Straftord Festival photo credit
past productions of Stratford Festival online - Photo Credit: Stratford Festival on Film
Festival Theatre: Stratford Festival (photo credit)

Always a fan of The Stratford Festival, I am disappointed that in this time of covid-19, we will not be able to see any plays for the time being. We do have tickets for the end of June and have our fingers crossed that we will be able to see Chicago and Much Ado About Nothing. I can hardly wait. Although there is nothing like live theatre, if we can’t be there in person it’s great that we’ll be able to see past productions of Stratford Festival online.

The Stratford Festival is presenting a free film festival by making 12 productions available for you to view at home during this period of social isolation. Beginning on Shakespeare’s birthday, Thursday, April 23rd with King Lear directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino and starring Colm Feore. Each Thursday at 7 pm EST, simply go to the main website and watch online. It’s that easy.

Twelfth Night

past productions of Stratford Festival online - Stratford Festival on Film Schedule

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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

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

UPDATE- 2026 – As I return to Colombia after 6 years, I have had a wonderful time exploring more fruits. I have gone out of my way to have better pictures and include more fruits from the Carribean coast to provide you with the ultimate guide to fruits and juices of Colombia. One of the best activities that I participated in my three week tour, was a fruit workshop in Periera.

In the heart of the coffee region, it was great to be lead by

My parents missed Colombia’s fresh fruits and juices. 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
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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