English-speaking world

27 March 2022

YORKSHIRE COAST

 A hauntingly beautiful region, Yorkshire is the largest of England’s historic counties (and its proud inhabitants would say it’s the only one worth visiting). The coastline of the North York Moors offers a dramatic view of spectacular white cliffs covered in pink heather, which plummet down to the dark sea hundreds of feet below. Cottages pile on top of each other in a glorious jumble round the tiny harbor of Staithes. Runswick Bay, also a fishing  village, is more ordered in its red-roofed, white-washed , cliff-clinging cottages above a fine, sandy beach. 


YORKSHIRE COAST

Bridlington * Staithes * Whitby
Robin Hood's Bay * Runswick Bay * Thornwick Bay


In precarious clifftop site with steep flights of steps and narrow passages, Robin Hood's Bay is yet another lovely fishing village. Though associations with the famous outlaw are tenuous, smuggling stories are readily authenticated. Low tide reveals vast sand, rock-pools and fossils. A Norwegian whalebone arch reminds you that Whitby was once an important whaling centre; now interest lies in the old town on the east side of the Esk River, with tea and antique stores, and jewelers selling the gemstone jet.
 

19 March 2022

GATINEAU

Gatineau (Quebec’s fourth-largest city), until recently known as Hull, is based just across the river from Ottawa in the province of Quebec, and, as a result, many federal bureaucracies have their headquarters here. For years, Gatineau has been a more relaxed and fun-loving counterpart to the capital. From Hull’s establishment in 1800, the city’s liquor laws were far more lenient than Ottawa’s, and so this was where Ottawa politicians came to party (the city still has a lower drinking age). Gatineau contains one of Canada’s best museums, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which provides a fascinating tour of Canada’s history over the past 1,000 years.


Gatineau

ICE CANOE RACE * GATINEAU RIVER * ARTISTS' QUAY


Downtown Gatineau is the place to be for entertaining activities, cultural events, and celebration of all kinds! Laval Street, which is closed to vehicular traffic from May to November, provides a safe and enjoyable route for pedestrians and cyclist. Fireworks, hot air balloons, concerts, ice carving and sand sculptures - you'll find all kinds of entertainment all year-round. In Gatineau, fun and excitement are never far away!


05 March 2022

COLORADO SPRINGS

 Established by railroad baron William Jackson Palmer in 1871, Colorado Springs nestles below Pikes Peak. The mountain is a stunning backdrop for the modern city of Colorado Springs. The first resort town in the western US, it was initially nick named “Little London” because of the scores of English tourists it attracted. In the 1950s, Colorado Springs was chosen to be the home of the prestigious US Air Force Academy and the National Missile Defense Headquarters (NORAD). The latter is situated on the city’s southwestern fringe, deep within the bombproof Cheyenne Mountain. Modern-day Colorado Springs is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US, with rows of houses extending into the foothills to the west, and the vast plains to the east. Colorado Springs averages 300 days of blue skies each year.


Colorado Springs

Pikes Peak looms over Colorado Springs.