tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36922108323905442912024-03-05T11:14:49.522-05:00Facing the StreetTired of anonymous hotels? Sick of chain restaurants? Want to broaden your understanding of the places you visit? Me, too. That’s why I’ve created this blog and its companion website, www.LaVidaLocal.com. Both point curious travellers to the many ways to explore a place beyond the traditional package tour--everything from house swap organizations to language immersion programs.Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-2981104494973744252011-01-16T11:26:00.003-05:002011-01-16T11:33:43.117-05:00We've moved!All of you who have faithfully followed this blog over the years: thank you so much! Here's the latest news: I've just updated, enhanced and moved the whole blog. Please check out the new, much jazzier site at its own domain name, www.FacingTheStreet.com. I'll eventually close this Blogger blog, so please check out the new site soon. Thanks!All my posts from this blog are over on the new site, Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-68836071842063827582010-09-13T16:24:00.006-04:002010-09-13T16:49:41.601-04:00In Toronto? Win an exotic trip TOMORROW!Creative Commons photo by OliverN5 (Oliver Mallich). Visiting Toronto for the Toronto International Film Festival? Or do you live in T.O.? Either way, drag yourself away from the movie screens tomorrow and you could win a free trip from Intrepid Travel.Here's the scoop. The Australian-based adventure tour company will be placing a total of eight globes in various Toronto locations on Tuesday. Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-70402534934312299572010-06-30T10:11:00.006-04:002010-06-30T10:25:26.225-04:00Aussie cafe serves chocolate on steroids #wanderfoodIf you've ever thought, "Gee, chocolate bars would be great if they weren't cluttered up with nuts and caramel," then Max Brenner's is the place for you. The Australian chain of chocolate cafes (which also has shops in New York, Philadelphia and several other non-Aussie places) has the genius to serve chocolate in its most unadorned form: the suckao.The suckao costs $6.50 Australian and it's Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-48844855509705653002010-06-23T08:12:00.008-04:002010-06-23T08:59:41.496-04:00Book review: Writer explores England by kayakAs British writer David Aaronovitch points out in the introduction to his 2000 travel book/memoir, Paddling to Jerusalem, in the last few years writers have walked around England under the guise of just about every gimmick imaginable.From south to north, around the coast, up the middle, round the sides, in wheelchairs, on one leg, carrying heavy electrical goods, with no money, with a dog, with aLaura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-81262050607702816452010-06-20T09:53:00.005-04:002010-06-20T10:12:59.245-04:00Wind-powered transport in the Iles-de-la-MadeleineDoes Al Gore know about this?The often-windy Iles-de-la-Madeleine in eastern Quebec are a hotbed for the sport of kite-buggying: basically, zipping along the beach in a buggy, powered by a parachute-like kite. The driver holds a set of lines made of super-strong Spectra. A tug on the left turns you left; a tug on the right turns you right.After a quick lesson on kite management from Eric MarchandLaura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-36567961679636433682010-06-18T22:18:00.005-04:002010-06-22T19:35:45.845-04:00Road sign: "Caution: Guitarists"I have a strange fascination for oddball road signs, dating back at least as far as 1978, when my sister and I spotted a British road sign that consisted of nothing but a large exclamation mark and the dire words, "Warning: Road liable to subside."Since then, I've photographed an iguana crossing sign in Montserrat, a surfer crossing sign in Easter Island, an Amish volunteer fireman sign in Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-76987813841151233792010-06-09T08:49:00.009-04:002010-06-22T19:14:33.286-04:00Food that bites back in Peru #wanderfoodWarning: Those with squeamish stomachs might wish to skip this post. I'm just saying.Throughout my week in Peru, one dish popped out on almost every menu: cuy. I saw it on chalkboard lists on roadside stands in the Andes. I spotted it on fancy menus in Lima hotels. It came to seem like a challengeCome on, coward, it taunted me. You say you like to "live like a local." It's time to eat like one.I Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-52691900386526704812010-05-26T20:49:00.003-04:002010-05-26T20:59:47.837-04:00HostelBookers contest offers cool prizesStaying in a hostel doesn't necessarily mean you're going to travel any more "like a local" than you would if you stayed in a posh hotel. But it does increase the chances of running into fellow budget travellers, who may be able to point you to restaurants, shops and attractions a little off the tourist trail. That's one reason I've long been a hostel fan.And here's another reason to check out Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-9950029150558798772010-05-19T17:29:00.004-04:002010-05-19T17:46:02.462-04:00Ontario walk/run combines fitness and...chocolate? #wanderfoodHaven't you always thought that fitness races would be much more fun if they involved junk food?Well, have I got an event for you.The Chocolate Race in Port Dalhousie, Ontario--a cute village in the Niagara Region--attracted almost 600 participants in its inaugural year in 2009. This year's event includes 5K, 10K and half-marathon courses open to runners and walkers alike.But unlike most similar Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-64216880604987308812010-05-11T09:17:00.005-04:002010-05-11T09:29:17.525-04:00McChickens = prestige in PakistanI'm a bit behind on listening to my podcasts of the always-fascinating CBC Radio One foreign-affairs show "Dispatches," so I just heard an intriguing report from late March about the class differences in fast food in Pakistan.Western tourists (myself included) are often convinced that one way to get into the "authentic" culture of a place is to eat cheap fast food: noodles from tiny kiosks, Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-65158168554257745672010-04-28T09:06:00.007-04:002010-04-28T11:13:11.566-04:00Grenada + nutmeg: InseparableQuick, now: Name a use for nutmeg.I'm willing to wager the vast majority of the people reading this post immediately answered, "Eggnog!"And while the spice is indeed a vital topping for the Christmas beverage, it's used in lots of other things, too, from cookies to sausages. You'll even find nutmeg and its sister spice, mace--they're both made from the same fruit--in medicines and Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-77409773390939252442010-04-07T08:48:00.007-04:002010-06-22T19:15:55.244-04:00Cafe with a view in MelbourneI discovered the St. Kilda Pier Kiosk cafe by accident. I'd strolled up the long pier in the beachfront Melbourne suburb of St. Kilda just to check out the view. And quite a view it is.The fact that I could munch on a decent, inexpensive sandwich while absorbing the scenery was a bonus. To be completely honest, I don't even remember what kind of sandwich it was! It simply dealt efficiently with Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-74043602437412553472010-03-13T14:49:00.006-05:002010-06-22T19:17:39.288-04:00My new sweet-tooth fix: Welsh cakesI'm just back from Wales and will put up some longer posts about my trip soon, but in the meantime I had to share my latest pastry addiction with you: Welsh cakes.Yummy-looking, yes?They're a bit like flattened scones and they are maddeningly addictive. I came to crave one at every tea break during my conference.In case you'd like to sample them yourself, here's a yummy-sounding recipe for Welsh Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-57671563874669665272010-03-07T17:06:00.009-05:002010-03-07T19:10:05.315-05:00What I love--and loathe--about the U.K.I've been in the U.K. for a few days now, and my likes and dislikes are becoming clearer by the minute. My likes are legion and my dislikes are few, and I'm passionate about them all.First, a few of my favourite things.1. TeakettlesI'm a tea drinker, partly because I can't abide coffee. So it drives me crazy when I check into a North American hotel room and find a container of lovely tea bags on Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-91141846189429067922010-02-02T07:35:00.004-05:002010-02-02T07:53:49.354-05:00iPhone apps put cities in your pocketHeading to London, New York or Chicago soon? Looking for travel tips about the Everglades or Napa? Check out Sutro Media Guides, iPhone and iPod Touch apps that serve as pocket travel guides to destinations in North America and the U.K. While there are a couple of comprehensive guides, billed as "Essential" guides to particular cities, there are also more targeted apps, such as "Quirky London" Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-74233317983593170172010-01-26T08:34:00.004-05:002010-01-26T08:59:14.306-05:00Q&A Part 2: Travel journalist Vicky Baker Buenos Aires.Last Friday, I ran part 1 of my e-mail interview with British travel journalist Vicky Baker, who now lives in Buenos Aires. The interview took place back in the fall; it's only due to my disorganization that it hasn't appeared here before now! Here's part 2 of our virtual chat. I was fascinated by your story about the Laotian village in French Guiana. Who knew? What were some Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-79702222925302671072010-01-22T09:30:00.001-05:002010-01-22T09:30:01.541-05:00Q&A Part 1: Travel journalist Vicky BakerAs promised, here is Part 1 of my e-mail interview with Vicky Baker, a Buenos Aires-based freelancer who blogs at Going local travel (a blog inspired by the “Going Local” series she wrote for The Guardian). Note that Vicky answered these questions way back in October 2009; the delay in posting them is all mine, and I’m very grateful that she took the time to respond in such detail!Vicky and I “Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-34530458791801369222010-01-21T17:31:00.003-05:002010-01-21T18:01:26.444-05:00Confessions of a disorganized bloggerOK, so it's a new year, and it's time for a wee confession: I have been a terribly disorganized and erratic blogger lately. Well, that's probably not much of a confession to anyone who has been following this blog for any length of time; my posts haven't been very frequent over the last few months.I have as many excuses as a 10-year-old who didn't do her homework. Unlike the "dog ate my homework"Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-37637311405601151292010-01-06T12:47:00.004-05:002010-01-06T12:59:21.537-05:00VIDEO: "All You Need Is Love" in 156 countriesSure, it's a promotional vehicle for Starbucks. But it's also a way to raise awareness and funding to fight AIDS in Africa. And it makes me smile like a fool. What more, really, do you need from a viral video?The video in question is a four-minute compilation of people around the world singing "All You Need Is Love," recorded all at the same time on December 7, 2009.What does it have to do with Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-40842478186227589712010-01-04T14:55:00.004-05:002010-01-04T15:04:28.223-05:00Dancers liven up Lisbon airportYeah, I know, Christmas is over and done. But if you can stomach one more cheery holiday video, check out this great YouTube clip of a surprise dance performance at the Lisbon airport by the staff of TAP Portugal and Aeroportos de Portugal. If check-in agents at my local airport came leaping over the desks to belt out Mariah Carey tunes and do a bit of Saturday Night Fever-style shimmying, it Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-34413757993396696632009-11-23T14:44:00.004-05:002009-11-23T15:04:24.553-05:00Ottawa photo contest captures neighbourhoodsLooking for an inside glimpse into some of Ottawa's liveliest neighbourhoods? Check out the submissions to the Picture It Downtown photo contest, which focused (pardon the pun) on the Glebe, Wellington West and other cool neighbourhoods.I wish I'd found out about this contest while it was still running--I would have loved to have entered!Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-37959665744078397842009-11-19T20:53:00.005-05:002009-11-20T09:17:50.836-05:00Bikes rule in the NetherlandsI just got back from a European trip that included two stops in the Netherlands. And, once again, I've found myself captivated by Dutch cycling culture.Not only are there dedicated bike paths just about everywhere; there are also huge bike garages at many railway stations, where you can have a mechanic tune up your bike while you're at work. Public staircases include clever grooves parallel to Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-65249963385592367812009-11-05T07:09:00.010-05:002010-06-22T19:19:33.383-04:00Review: Essays capture delight of travelIt's a doozy of a title: The Third Tower Up from the Road: A Compilation of Columns from McSweeney's Internet Tendency's Kevin Dolgin Tells You About Places You Should Go. And the cover photo of the Great Wall of China is a bit misleading. Yes, there's a funny, lovely column in the collection about Dolgin's adventures on the famous structure, but the bulk of the book covers other places, Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-27143695046645611022009-11-01T15:46:00.003-05:002009-11-01T15:54:23.275-05:00Auction offers chance to save on travelEvery year, the Society of American Travel Writers runs an online auction to raise money for its programs. This year's auction is online now, and items include a two-day stay at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and a six-night Maine Windjammer cruise. Depending on the bidding, you could save a bundle off retail prices. Check out the auction website before the bidding closes on November 20. (Full Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692210832390544291.post-27820970115769811312009-10-18T08:57:00.005-04:002009-10-18T09:18:42.549-04:00Useful tips for travel photographyFor 20 years, I used single-lens reflex (SLR) film cameras, but I've been using various point-and-shoots since about 2002, waiting for the price of digital SLRs to come down. Recently, the wait ended. And now, as the proud new owner of a DSLR, I'm avid to reacquaint myself with all the bells and whistles an SLR can offer: more control over exposure and focus, various lenses and filters, and Laura Byrne Paquethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17936843947318780260noreply@blogger.com5