Putting on the Ritz for your Valentine

Here's a deal romantics are sure to love - the Ritz-Carlton Toronto is offering a "Valentine's Day Romance Package" that includes accommodation in a Deluxe Room, a chilled bottle of champagne, rose petal turndown service - just watch for the thorns - breakfast in bed and valet parking for just $495 per night. The offer runs from Feb. 14-16.

The Ritz Toronto is also introducing a "Romance Concierge" which will run throughout February and
offers features rang from guest suites themed after a couple’s favourite destination or personal tours of the Niagara region via helicopter with the hotel’s wine director; to private musical performances or exclusive fittings in-studio with one of Canada’s top designers.

“Whether it’s commissioning a jeweller to design a custom engagement ring or anniversary band, or filling a suite with the guest’s favourite flower that we’ve had flown here in the off-season, our Romance Concierge team prides itself on creating unique and memorable experiences for all of our guests,” says Willis McCutcheon, Guest Relations Supervisor (a.k.a. Director of Romance) at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto.

“You’re only limited by your imagination - no idea is too big or too small when it comes to affairs of the heart,” he adds.

The hotel’s Spa - my favourite in Toronto - will also feature exclusive Valentine’s Day menus including a four-course prix-fixe menu at TOCA restaurant (the Fancy Fish & Chips are to die for!) and the Cinnamon Kiss Chocolate Body Wrap at North America’s only Spa My Blend by Clarins.

For reservations, visit www.ritzcarlton.com/toronto or call 416-585-2500.

Etihad will rescue rival Jet Airways

India's Jet Airways will be rescued from bankruptcy.

Here's some airline news I picked up while searching my online sources:

- It looks like India's Jet Airways, which offers service out of Toronto to India via Brussels - they have some great deals, folks - will be rescued from bankruptcy by Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, which intends to buy a piece of the struggling Indian carrier. The deal is being finalized and should be announced early next week. Terms have not been disclosed but an Indian government source
said earlier this month that Etihad was in talks to pick up a 24 per cent stake in Jet for up to $330 million U.S. Stay tuned!

- Seeing the battery problems Boeing is having with its Dreamliner, Airbus said yesterday it has been forced to study alternatives to the lithium-ion batteries it will employ on its next generation jet, the A350. Despite Boeing's teething problems and passenger anxiety over the malfunctions so far, Airbus has no choice but to go ahead with plans to use the same lithium-ion batteries, because
frankly, there's no other choice. "We studied the integration of these batteries on the A350 very carefully," Airbus chief executive Fabrice Bregier told a group of French aerospace journalists this week. "I am very relaxed about this." Wish we could same about your passengers, Mr. Bregier! 

- Despite the economic chaos gripping not only their country, but also their industry, Iberia workers said they still intend to go on strike after rejecting the troubled carrier's contract offer. Iberia, part of the International Airlines Group, and unions were in a deadlock over the airline's plans to cut up to 4,500 jobs and reduce salaries in what it has called a "fight for survival". In a revised proposal, Iberia said it offered 3,147 job cuts, 30 per cent fewer than in the original plan, lower wage reductions and capacity cuts of 10 per cent for this year,  rather than an initial plan for 15 per cent.

German cities bursting with pride

Hamburg has much to celebrate in 2013.

Just got back from Berlin where I had the most amazing time exploring the nightlife of one of Europe's greatest cities.

The energy in Berlin is electric and there's as many cranes working there as in Dubai. Since the Berlin Wall fell, more than 20,000 new buildings have been erected in Berlin but it's the old ones in a hip area called Kreuzberg that really impressed me.

The graffiti-covered warehouses of Kreuzberg have been taken over by struggling young chefs who serve up Michelin-star meals at a fraction of the price. Locals know all about these "pop up" restaurants and I'll be talking about them in the April issue of TraveLife magazine - the January issue featuring a story on Berlin's historic Adlon Hotel is now available http://www.travelife.ca/contact-us/past-issues.html.

I can't wait to go back to Berlin and another German city I'm anxious to see is Hamburg, the maritime marvel that will be celebrating a number of important events in 2013, including the International Garden Show.

Themed "80 Gardens Around The World" the International Garden Show Hamburg
is slated to run from April 26 through October and it may be the biggest event on the European tourist calander this year.

The event will be showcased on 100 acres on the Elbe river island of Williamsburg and will be split into seven horticultural themed sections featuring eco-systems as well as cultures from around the world.

Visitors will also learn about green initiatives, and experience the very typical regional agricultural and horticultural landscapes with its carefully kept gardens and fruit trees. The show is complemented by a full program of open-air activities, concerts, plays, and gastronomic events. For more information, go to www.igs-hamburg.de.

Hamburg will also be celebrating the 40th anniversary of its world-renowned ballet. The internationally acclaimed Hamburg Ballet and its director and chief choreographer John Neumeier will be presenting a special jubilee program to mark the event.

Spanning the company’s artistic vision from the very beginning in 1973 to its current multi-facetted repertoire, the 2013 season will include four revivals, one premiere, as well as two guest companies. Highlight of the anniversary program will be the Hamburg Ballet Festival, which will open with the Neumeier interpreted performances of “Scenes from Shakespeare”. For more information, go to www.hamburgballett.de

Being one of the world's biggest port cities, Hamburg has been celebrating its martime history for 824 years now and from May 9-12 it will hold the world's largest harbour festival - a  tradition that goes back to 1189 when Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa granted the people of Hamburg exemption from customs duties for ships on the Elbe river.

Centered on and around the Landungsbrücken (landing docks), Hamburg’s 824th Harbor Birthday is expected to draw some 1.5 million visitors who for four days will enjoy 500 booths, music, performances, food, and entertainment. Complementing the activities on land, some of the world’s most impressive cruise ships, frigates and steamboats ships will be part of the program with ship parades, tug boat ballet, dragon boat races and more.

Other events Hamburg will be offering this year:

- Elbjazz Festival: May 24/25, 2013

- Reeperbahn Festival: Sept 26 – 28, 2013, www.reeperbahnfestival.com.

For information on travel to Hamburg visit www.hamburg-travel.com.

Irish will "Gather" in 2013

Being half Irish (the Dempseys from Belfast on my father's side) I'm very interested in the events surrounding "The Gathering" this year in Ireland.

In an open invitation to celebrate all things Irish, the clever people at Tourism Ireland are inviting the world to come to the Emerald Isle in 2013 to celebrate their roots. Less we forget, more than 70 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry, including nearly five million Canadians.

More than 2,500 festivals and events are planned to attract the Irish home, including the "Canada Come Home Gathering," which charts the experience of over 6,000 people who left Coolattin Co. Wicklow for a new life in Canada during the Great Famine,.

Some other interesting events planned:  The "Dingle Walking Festival" and the “you-must-see-this-to-believe-it” Bog Snorkelling Championships, where swimmers navigate 120 metres through an Irish bog.

Among other "Gathering" highlights include; the St Patrick’s Festival, the “People’s Parade” inviting 8,000 international visitors to walk in the capital’s big event and the Irish Redhead Convention which will see the largest gathering of carrot tops converge for a festival of ginger fun.


Travellers can take in the great outdoors during the Glen of Aherlow and Dingle Walking Festivals and the competitive Irish spirit will be fired up by the Celtic Cup 2013 International Lacrosse tournament; the Welly Throwing Championships and the World Mini Games amongst others.

For music fans, Sets by The Sea and The Sea Sessions offer a diverse musical line-up to be enjoyed against the backdrop of Ireland’s stunning coastline; Vantastival is the only campervan-focused music festival in Ireland; and the Beatles Festival on the Lough is a must for lovers of Liverpool’s fab four (whose roots, of course, are Irish!)

Family Gatherings include the Acton Clan Gathering, where Canadian Lyle Acton, whose great great grandfather left Ireland in 1840 to settle in Ontario, invites his distant relatives to meet in Co. Mayo; plus Gatherings of the Powers, Gallaghers, MacKenna, O’Reilly, O’Sullivan and Stack clans.

Elsewhere, the International Quilt Festival will transform Galway (my favourite place in Ireland) into an Irish Quilter’s Village created especially for the event; and the notorious Bog Snorkelling Championships.
For information about these and a full list of Gatherings taking place in 2013 visit www.thegatheringireland.com.

On information about visiting Ireland is available on www.ireland.com

ANA cancels more Dreamliner flights

The Dreamlier problems are turning into a nightmare for Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA).

The Japanese carrier, which opperates the biggest fleet of Boeing's problematic 787s, cancelled another 379 flights today - between Feb. 1-18 - and more cancellations will be announced in the next few days.

Rumour has it that ANA is about to launch legal action against Boeing to reclaim some of their losses. According to ANA, 82,620 passengers to date have been affected by cancellations due to teething problems associated with the Dreamliner - all 17 of ANA's Boeing 787s have been grounded.

U.S. safety officials are looking into a battery problems with the plane which have resulted in some minor fires - thankfully, there's been no serious injuries so far.

 

Sparkling Hill Resort Canada's best!

The impressive entrance at Sparkling Hill glitters at sunrise.

KELOWNA, B.C. - In the post below, I let you know what I dislike about this B.C. wine city that has sold out to strip malls and land developers.

Now let me tell you what I do like about Kelowna - Sparkling Hill Resort!

Canada's newest and now best resort is a property like none others. A creation of the famed Swarovski crystal family, Sparkling Hill Resort jumps to the top of my Canadian hotel and resort list with some unique features that must be seen to be believed.

Gernot Langes Swarovski, patriarch of the famed Austrian Crystal family, spent over $120 million creating a resort that literally sparkles - thanks to the 3.5 million crystals used in building this 149-room mega resort that sits between Kelowna and Vernon, B.C.

This one-of-a-kind resort has one of the biggest and best spas in North America - patterned after the great spas of Europe; unique rooms that look out on mountain and lake views that are breathless; and sits on a ridge overlooking Canada's best new golf course, Predator Ridge - the golf course does not belong to the resort but they work together to give guests the best golf experience in Canada.

The rooms at Sparkling Hill are European cozy and offer unique amenities like a "crystal" fireplace, mood crystals at the entrance, and a soaking tub that sits in front floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on the natural splendour surrounding this wonderful property.

Sparkling Hill's spa has already been recognized for its unique treatments and appearance, winning the prestigious 2011 Senses Magazine Wellness Award for Best Spa Resort.

Carved into the granite cliffs that dominate this part of B.C., wildlife abounds here and most mornings guests are greeted by the deer that dance around the property.

So, my advice to you is to fly to Kelowna - Air Canada and WestJet offer direct flights from Toronto - and turn right out of the airport - that way you'll avoid Kelowna's strip mall eye sore - and check into Sparkling Hill and never leave.

That way, you'll enjoy the best hotel in Canada and never have to see dingy downtown Kelowna.

Go to www.sparklinghill.com

B.C.'s Kelowna is disappointing



Giant homes are cropping up in the wine fields of B.C.



Few of the 100 countries I've visited in the past 20 years have ever disappointed me. That's not to say I've liked every destination. In fact, I hope one day the Tower of Pisa falls so tourists like me no longer get robbed by the greedy, annoying merchants who line the walkways leading to Italy's famous landmark. And I don't care if I ever again set eyes on Barcelona - the food almost killed me (food poisoning) and I discovered that the words "Gaudi" and "gaudy" are one in the same. But I never thought I'd be telling you that a Canadian location disappointed me. Especially one that has been described as being "one of the most beautiful places on Earth", by a Toronto Star travel writer.

But I saw very little beauty in Kelowna, the British Columbia wine-growing region that's often been called "Kelownafornia" because it's supposed to rival California's Napa Valley for beauty.

Sorry, I've been to the Napa Valley and Kelowna is no Napa Valley. In fact, Ontario's Niagara wine growing region is far more appealing than Kelowna's.

There's not much to like in a place where hundreds of Neon signs greet you as you enter from West Kelowna; strip malls dominate the main street running through town; and where vineyards are being overrun by giant homes that should be on the Bridal Path.

Wine growers in Kelowna are selling off their prized vineyards to developers, so fields that once swept down to lovely Lake Okanagan, now take a detour around giant homes and create an ugly view.

Okay, I must admit the lake and the mountains that surround it are beautiful; the golf courses, especially Predator Ridge, are spectacular; and recently-opened Sparkling Hills Resort - the best vacation property in Canada, it says here - are still pretty good reasons to take a direct flight from Toronto to Kelowna; but don't expect to see Tuscany-type views here.