pique magazine

Dreaming of Antigua: A girl getaway

With a fourth pandemic wave building, pre-COVID-19 sojourn memories will have to suffice. My girl getaway is chiselled in mine.

The balmy island air embraced us, as we disembarked at CV Bird airport, named after Sir Vere Cornwall, the first Prime Minister of Antigua. Known by the indigenous as Wadadli, this bijou Eastern Caribbean island about the size of Quadra Island has 365 beaches. We didn’t waste any time in exploring a few …

lucire magazine

Finding Nirvana in Yunnan

Soaring 2,400 m above sea level, Lijiang, deemed a unesco site in 1997, bloomed with bougainvillea amongst the picturesque wooden homes and cobble stone streets. For centuries Lijiang has been a vibrant Naxi city, and during the Tang Dynasty (618–907) it was known for its fine silk embroidery as part of the Southern Silk Road. There are many guest houses scattered throughout Lijiang—over 2000. We opted for Linka Lijiang, a Songstam hotel—part of a boutique hotel chain in off-the-beaten-path locations throughout Yunnan and Tibet …

TINY SEED JOURNAL

Humble Bee

the bumblebee backache

it’s the sacrum and the erector spinae muscle

can the sky deliver relief?

can a bee find pollen?

sweet summer of yellow flower sun

cold – hot, cold – hot … what will it be?

my nerves can’t

submit to the sounds

ice baby blue buzz

the orchestra makes my hips swivel and somehow

movement gives … a hum

KUNG FU magazine

Doing Not-Doing In Wudangshan

As our bus wound through maple and chestnut trees filled with chattering birds and monkeys towards Zhanqi Peak in Wudangshan Historical Geopark, I glanced at my husband and sons in their flowy white Tai Chi uniforms. Our family was an entertaining sight to our fellow bus riders, who giggled at the unusual presence of foreigners in Taoist garb in Hubei, a central landlocked province of China. In fact, we were the only foreigners we’d seen since we departed Hangzhou – approximately 1100 kilometers east of Wudangshan …

pique news magazine

Mesmerized By Magical Morocco

Our adventures began in the Casablanca airport parking lot. The Economy car rental attendant offered a weathered SUV and assured my husband and I, "C'est une excellent voiture." French is spoken by most in this Arab-Berber kingdom. We were somewhat reluctant, but eventually acquiesced, figuring we'd blend in like locals with a used vehicle covered in desert sand, and I even donned a hijab.

The 100 windy kilometres of bucolic spring green farmlands peppered with shepherds herding their goats and sheep to El Jadida was breathtaking. Restaurant du Port overlooked the 16th-century Portuguese stonewall Atlantic harbour that was packed with blue, wooden fishing boats. As we savoured our fresh sole lunch, a visitor joined us—a ginger-coloured kitten, which we soon discovered is a common Moroccan sight …

westlake malibu

Wondrous Whistler

Whistler, British Columbia has been an outdoor-enthusiasts’ playground for over a century. When I was a girl in the 1980s, my family drove the scenic 75-miles for day trips from Vancouver, stopping along the way for a picnic at the magnificent Shannon Falls, a tour of Brittania Beach Copper Mine Museum, or to simply admire the Stawamus Chief, a giant granite monolith. My family tradition now continues with my husband and our two sons, as we spend summer and winter breaks in Creekside Village, home to Whistler’s first gondola. It was a smaller place back in the 1980s. Today, the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, the highest and longest lift in the world, conjoins two mountains, Whistler (7160 feet) and Blackcomb (8000 feet) creating the largest ski and mountain bike resort in North America …

PIQUE NEWS MAGAZINE

A Merry Maui Christmas

On our way to Maui, we stopped in Oahu to visit Pearl Harbor, as our sons were studying the Second World War. We landed in Honolulu early morning, and drove to the Lotus Hotel, located south of Waikiki Beach near Diamond Head.

Hawaiian breakfast consisted of Kona coffee, fresh papaya and Loco Moco (roasted pig over rice). To ward off jetlag we hiked Diamond Head State Monument trail. This Kiwae and Ilima filled windy trail with steep stairs, tunnels and lookouts, is 171 metres high. At the summit, we enjoyed the panoramic view of the aquamarine white-capped Pacific and Waikiki …

PIQUE NEWS MAGAZINE

Tanzania-
Nchi ya maajabu!

An African safari was always a dream. Infinite Safari Adventures designed a custom adventure for my family. It began in Arusha, in the north east of Tanzania, where Muba, our guide and driver, became part of our family for the next 10 days.

First stop was Tanangire National Park, home to the largest elephant population in northern Tanzania. There is nothing like seeing a parade of elephants under baobab trees. There were hundreds of animals including zebras, giraffes, impalas, dik diks and gazelles …

PIQUE NEWS MAGAZINE

Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula:
Cenotes, Crocodiles and the Caribbean Sea

When we were invited to a destination wedding in Tulum, we finally had a reason to stop finding reasons not to go.

The 120 kilometres from Cancun to our VRBO three-bedroom rental in Tulsayab, 10 km outside of Tulum, was a breeze. Casa Tankah, located on an unpaved road on a remote stretch of rocky beach, proved to be a smart decision. Windy season is November to May, and our boys spent much of their time in the calm sheltered quarters of our private garden pool …

MONTECRISTO MAGAZINE

Pemberton's Slow Food Cycle
Two-wheel deal.

Pemberton, a majestic mountain mecca, has been a farming community for over a century. This rich, fertile valley produces world-renowned seed potatoes. Pemberton Meadows Road is over 45 kilometres long, meandering along properties growing cattle, horses, sheep, vegetables, berries, and hay. This magnificent stretch of British Columbia is Mother Nature at her best, and is well worth exploring—especially by bicycle, and especially during the annual Slow Food Cycle, which sees participants biking from farm to farm, meeting the purveyors and sampling goods ...

MONTECRISTO MAGAZINE

Mile One Eating House
Pemberton Power.

Located at the gateway of the Pemberton Valley at the base of majestic Mount Currie, Mile One Eating House has been part of this century-old farming village since 2010. With a recent albeit unconventional expansion, husband-and-wife proprietors Randy Jones and Cindy Yu are perfecting the local comfort food experience ...

PASSPORTED MAGAZINE

Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver

Whistler regular, Passported contributor and mom-of-two Cathy Fedoruk recently snuck in a stay at Vancouver's stylish Rosewood Hotel Georgia en route to her mountain retreat. She shares what to know (and love) about this Rosewood property, and why she'll be returning ...

PASSPORTED MAGAZINE

Featured Hotel:  Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

If you ever find yourself driving from Calgary Stampede to Whistler, or you're just looking for an excuse to visit a beautiful Canadian national park, look no further than the Jasper Fairmont in the Jasper National Park. Travel writer Cathy Fedoruk shares her take from a recent trip ...

PIQUE NEWS MAGAZINE

Riding Arizona
By plane, train, automobile, raft and rodeo

Eventually everyone beholds the Grand Canyon whether it is through a photograph, movie or visitation. A National Park since 1919, encompassing over 1.2 million acres with the Colorado River chiselling away layers of geological rock a mile deep for over six million years, when I scoured the Internet for family hotels, I discovered that most people book a year in advance. Fortunately the Grand Canyon Railway made it easy. I booked our entire trip only two-and-a-half months before our departure ...

PASSPORTED MAGAZINE

Hotel Review:  The Island House, Bahamas

Supermodel-turned-writer and mama of two Cathy Fedoruk recently returned from The Island House in the Bahamas, a chic getaway by the Lyford Cay Marina. This is an ideal spot for a long weekend by the pool or a longer stay in one of their stylish apartments. Check out her review below for the scoop on this boutique Bahamian bolthole ...

PIQUE NEWS MAGAZINE

Saint Martin's Oriental Bay
au naturel

Saint Martin/St Maarten is a tiny French and Dutch island — only 85 square kilometres — nestled in between the Atlantic and Caribbean. You can drive the perimeter in less than an hour.

First inhabited by the Ciboney Indians this tropical island is without a river, but has plenty of salt ponds. Christopher Columbus named Saint Martin in 1493, and in 1648 a treaty signed on the lush Mount Concordia had the French claim 60 per cent and the Dutch 40 per cent. It took a few centuries of squabbling before the border was finally set in 1817. Today the island offers a cruise-ship port, casinos, fine restaurants, over 35 beaches with plenty of water sports, and island hopping via boat or puddle-jumper to neighbouring Anguilla, Saint Barthelemy and Saba ...

PIQUE NEWS MAGAZINE

Romancing the Alps
With Kids

With my husband's Verbier business trip, our 15-year anniversary, our boys' winter break, and plenty of Starwood points — a family adventure paired with some European culture was a must.

Swiss Air offered direct round trip flights from JFK to Geneva, and for a last-minute booking it was our best economical choice. There are no direct flights from Vancouver to Geneva, but there are plenty of one-stop flights — check Expedia. The Geneva airport is centrally located: 160 kilometres from Verbier, 80 kilometres from Chamonix, and Courmayeur is a 30-minute drive from Chamonix. Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months from time of travel ...