All posts by Christina

For G Adventures: 8 Czech UNESCO Highlights Beyond Prague

Venture beyond the Czech Republic’s capital city to find an astonishing number of UNESCO sites and traditions, along with far smaller crowds. Here are eight to get you started:

1: Tugendhat Villa, Brno

This modernist villa designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929 was home to Fritz and Grete Tugendhat and their children. A wedding gift from Grete’s father, who provided unlimited funds, it’s a stunning open-plan family home incorporating exotic woods, imported stone, and a feature Onyx wall.

Read the rest on the G Adventures blog

For Time Out: The 12 best art galleries and museums in Amsterdam

The Dutch certainly know what they are doing when it comes to creating and displaying art. Amsterdam is a veritable treasure trove of artistic pleasure, and the city’s museums and galleries are teeming with historic pieces and future classics. Whether you’re looking for the best of the best from the Dutch Masters or your new favourite painter, you’re going to find it in Amsterdam.

Undoubtedly one of the great European destinations, Amsterdam’s roster of art museums and galleries may well be its strongest suit. Sure, the city has a nightlife that attracts revellers from all over the world, it has charming cafes and curious coffeeshops, innovative restaurants and a famous central district, but the cream of the crop? That’ll be these spots. Check out our pick of the best art museums and galleries in Amsterdam right now.

Read the rest at TimeOut.com

For Time Out Amsterdam: The 12 best cafés in Amsterdam

In many ways, modern travel is at its most vibrant in the cafe of a city, and Amsterdam is no different. Everyday life overflows here, as old friends catch up while young creatives furiously work away in the corner, with plenty of fantastic coffee and cakes to be enjoyed along the way. To be clear, if you want a coffee or a light meal in Amsterdam, then a coffeeshop is not the place to stop. Despite the name, those joints serve cannabis (yes, pun intended); you’re after a koffiehuis (or cafe).

Amsterdam’s centuries-old cafe and restaurant culture deserves celebrating, and what better way to pay homage than by nipping in for a hot cup of coffee and a delightfully massive cake? These are the best cafes in Amsterdam. Expect plenty of gorgeous canalside views, you lucky thing.

Read the rest at TimeOut.com

For CBC: Unforgettable food & drink events in Whistler (Sponsored Content)

With snow-capped mountains framing fall colours in the valley, Whistler offers a breathtaking setting for a world-class celebration of food and drink from the Sea-to-Sky region and beyond.

Cornucopia is back for its 25th anniversary with a reimagined schedule of tastings, events, seminars and celebrations throughout November. With extended dates and a diverse schedule of events, Whistler’s signature fall festival invites the epicurious to let their taste buds (safely) run wild in this spectacular mountain playground.

Read the rest on the CBC website

For Time Out: The 12 best bars in Amsterdam

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night out in Amsterdam is one of the world’s great travel experiences. Not convinced? Visitors to this famous city have been stopping for a drink or three since the 1600s when sailors and traders alike exchanged tales over tipples before going their separate ways. The Dutch capital’s sightseeing options are among the best on the continent, but the best bars in Amsterdam keep the fun going late into the night.

Amsterdam’s eclectic soul shines brightest in its bars, where the traditional taverns of yesteryear sidle up to sleek lounges, hyper-stylish cocktail bars and craft breweries that continue this city’s proud history of revolution and innovation. You don’t need too much of a reason to stop for a drink in Amsterdam, and these bars should be high on your must-see list.

Read the rest at TimeOut Amsterdam 

FOR TIME OUT’S LIST OF THE WORLD’S COOLEST NEIGHBOURHOODS 2021: Mount Pleasant, Vancouver

While the creek that fuelled Vancouver’s nineteenth-century brewery boom is long gone from Mount Pleasant, this historic neighbourhood remains the city’s go-to spot for craft beer – it’s easy to hit half a dozen tasting rooms in an afternoon on foot. The otherwise nondescript industrial and office buildings of this ever-evolving area are festooned with multi-storey murals, while its classic brick warehouses and storefronts are home to great vintage stores, galleries and artists’ studios. The neighbourhood vibe is perhaps best captured by Dude Chilling Park, so named after a guerrilla art installation mimicking an official city sign kept appearing with this name. Locals rallied to make the sign official, and it now has public art status.

The perfect day: Line your stomach with a peanut butter and jelly doughnut, plus locally roasted coffee, at 49th Parallel before strolling down Main Street to the cluster of breweries between 8th and 2nd avenues. Finish your night with craft cocktails at The Narrow Lounge or catch a show at the Fox Cabaret.

Plan your trip: For the Vancouver Mural Festival, in August, which culminates in an epic street party with multiple stages across Mount Pleasant. –Christina Newberry

This post originally appeared in the Time Out list of the word’s coolest neighbourhoods 2021.

For CBC: Clear your mind and fill your heart by waking up in BC’s nature this summer (Sponsored Content)

Odds are, you’ve spent a lot more time outdoors this year than usual. City parks and restaurant patios have become sacred spaces for spending time with loved ones or simply escaping the constant pull of the home office. We’ve learned to head outside to reconnect with others and ourselves, to find our centre and replenish our physical and mental reserves.

As travel resumes, British Columbians have the chance to dive deeper into nature, exploring the vast wilderness of this province that we call home. It’s a summer to spend the days watching wildlife in wild spaces and falling asleep to the sound of the wind in the trees. Whether you’re looking for a back-to-basics getaway or a luxurious holiday in the great outdoors, there’s no shortage of options right here in beautiful BC.

Read the rest on the CBC website

For Time Out: Contribution to the world’s best rooftop bars

8. SkyLounge Amsterdam, Amsterdam

The view Amsterdam is an unusually flat city, so you don’t need to get up high to be above it all. From the 11th floor, SkyLounge offers unparalleled up-close views of the Basilica of Saint Nicholas and Amsterdam’s iconic canal houses, with sightlines stretching all the way out to Schiphol airport.

The vibe Perched on top of the DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station hotel, this breezy rooftop is usually buzzing with locals, expats and tourists alike bobbing their heads to the DJ’s tracks while planning out a weekend’s worth of mischief.

The drinks When you think Amsterdam, you naturally think tropical cocktails. No? Well, they’re in high demand here, though those with more refined tastes can always opt for something based on champagne or gin instead.

Don’t miss Sunset, when the city glows with that unbeatable Dutch light. Just remember that the golden hour ranges from 4pm in December to 10pm in June. Christina Newberry

Read the full list of the world’s 25 best rooftop bars at Time Out.