Go Canucks. Vancouver close to the Stanley Cup

Electrifying atmosphere in Vancouver during last the June 10, 2011 Stanley Cup game between the Canucks and the Boston Bruins. It's like the Olympics all over again (but bigger for Hockey fans).

My favourite destinations and spots in Canada. Part II, The Cities

When it comes to cities in Canada there aren't many cities to choose from. While Canada is thesecond largest country in the world in square kilometers with almost 10 million sq kms of surface area (you could practically fit all of Europe within Canada), it is a medium to small country in population with only about 34.5 million people living here (less than the 37 million who live in California). Most of us live in urban areas (an urban area is defined - by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada - as an area with a population of at least 1,000 and with no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre). 35 % to 40% of Canadians live in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. So naturally these are the biggest cities in the country where you will find the most "city life." I personally love these three cities, but for different reasons since the three are quite unique and different from each other.

Vancouver - on a sunny day, Vancouver is without a doubt the most beautiful city in Canada and one of the most beautiful in the world. The combination of mountains, a striking skyline of wonderful architecture and the Pacific Ocean is very hard to beat. Add to that Stanley Park with its 4 million square metres (about 1.5 square miles) and Vancouver stands out as a proxy for the best Canada has to offer, namely incredible nature and diverse, cosmopolitan, cool cities. Ah, but then there's the rain. I don't like rain. Winter in Vancouver is rain, rain and more rain. Vancouverites are so used to it that many of them walk around without umbrellas! Fortunately there is Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver and Whistler an hour and half away for those who prefer their winters with snow. Favourite spots in Van:

• Stanley Park
• Coal Harbour
• Grouse Mountain
• Commercial Drive (Italian espressos)
• Robson Square and Robson Street (touristy though)
• UBC (particularly the Rose Garden overlooking the ocean)
• Wreck beach (if you like nude beaches)
• Burnaby mountain (especially the view from Horizon's restaurant)
• Granville Island and Granville market (touristy, but still very cool)

Restaurants - Joe Forte's near Robso

n St

Note: to learn more about Vancouver from insiders check out the blog www.beyondrobson.com

Montreal - Ah, Montreal. I've always said that if my French had been up to par, I would have settled in Montreal when I immigrated to Canada over 20 years ago. My consolation is that I have more or less visited Montreal at least once a year since. Montreal is my favourite city to visit in Canada (mostly for its atmosphere and in summer). It is a very unique city in the world because it is the only one where North America meets Europe. While it is a multicultural city (between 13% and 15% of its population is foreign born), the fact is that French dominates, as it should. But it is the strange but pleasant feeling that one is in North America, where English is the main language, but somehow, at the same time, it feels like you are also in France or perhaps Belgium (especially in certain areas of the city like Vieux Montreal). Then there is the Culture in the city. Quebeckers are very different from English Canadians (except when it comes to the love and passion for Hockey). They are definitely closer in temperament to Latin people than to Anglos. This is neither better or worse, just different. But for me as a Latin Canadian the attraction is natural (but nope, I didn't marry a Quebeçoise). Montreal has great culinary culture, wonderful cafés and exciting nightlife. Favourite spots in Montreal:

• Ice skating rink in Old Montreal by the Bonsecours market (winter only, of course)
• Plateau Mont-Royal, La Main (Boulevard Saint-Laurent)
• Plateau Mont-Royal, the neighbourhood
• Park Mont-Royal (great place to jog, relax, read, see a great view of the city)
• Old Montreal (very touristy, but a must see, especially in the summer or during the Festival Montreal en Lumiere in the winter)
• Sainte Catherine Street (love its busyness, often crowded, especially on weekends - some parts seem a little seedy, but it gives it character)
• Boulevard McGill College (from Ste Catherine St to McGill University)
• Place des Arts (always great shows at this complex - and I love the architecture of the place - find a spot on the Esplanade and relax)

Restaurants - Alexandre et Fils, Schwartz Delicatessen, Au Pied de Cochon

Note: to learn more about Montreal from cool insiders, check out Tamy Emma Pepin twitter.com/tamyemmapepin or the blog www.midnightpoutine.ca

Toronto - much larger city than Montreal or Vancouver so naturally it will have manymore spots to visit and many more available activities (e.g. sports, concerts, special events). I do live here so I know Toronto much, much better than the two other cities. What I like most about Toronto is that you can find spots where you might feel you are in another part of Canada or the world for that matter. For example, if you go to the Il Bunji restaurant in Little Korea you could easily imagine that you are eating somewhere in Korea. If you to Kensington Market's El Trompo you might think you are somewhere in Mexico. This fact is most tangible during some of Toronto's festivals like Caribana and Salsa on St. Clair. Not that Toronto is always buzzing like say New York City. The Winter is rather quiet, but Spring, Summer and Fall can be fantastic for visitors and residents alike. The most successful film festival in the world from a film goers perspective is the Toronto International Film Festival which takes place every September.

Toronto has more sports and entertainment offerings than probably all other cities and Canada combined. From amateur to pro-sports and from indie artists to global superstars in all genres, you can spend a lot of time and money enjoying Toronto's sports and music scene (Canadian Music Week, North by Northeast, the Bluejays, the Maple leafs, the Raptors, etc). Toronto has a decent Opera Company (COC), the National Ballet, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and a myriad of international visiting artists. Favourite spots in Toronto:

• Harbourfront (anytime)
• Kensington Market (Spring and Summer)
• Eglinton Ave West of Yonge St.
• High Park
• Yorkville Ave and Cumberland Ave in Yorkville (in the Summer)
• The Rogers Centre (formerly The Skydome)
• The ACC (for concerts)
• Massey Hall (great acoustics for music)
• Queen St. from Yonge St to Bathurst
• The Annex neighbourhood
• The Bell Lightbox (cinemas and TIFF headquarters)
• The Atrium at the Brookfield Place (formerly BCE Place) designed by famed architect Santiago Calatrava
• The AGO (redesigned by Frank Ghery)
• Woodbine Beach (Ashbridges Bay) and Sunnyside Beach (summer of course)

Restaurants: Auberge du Pommier (expensive but worth it), Didier's (also French somewhat expensive, but also very much worth it), Joso's (my favourite restaurant in Canada), El Trompo (when I want the taste of Mexico), Via Allegro (not easy to get to without a car, but worth it - excellent Italian cuisine - also somewhat expensive), Il Fornello (at Harbourfront)

Note: to learn more about Toronto check out these blogs - torontoist.com and www.blogto.com

And there you have it, Canada's three largest cities are my favourites, but for different kinds of vacations I also love Quebec City (best with a significant other any time of the year - the most romantic city in Canada, perhaps in North America), Calgary (if I can ever get to visit during the Stampede) and Halifax (love its boardwalk in the summer - great seafood restaurants).

Happy travels. Add your favourite spots in Canada in the comments below, if you wish to share.

Jaime

Toronto a sun and beach destination? Paradigm shift.

After I posted a blog piece about Toronto's beaches and the recent record breaking heatwave, one of my Canadamigos.com Social Network's members from Spain, posted the following comment: "Nice beach! Hay que estar en la red para enterarse de que Toronto es un destino de sol y playa ; Menudo cambio de paradigma!Saludos" (Transl. "One must be online to find out that Toronto is a sun and beach destination. What a paradigm shift! Regards.").

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Out of ten beaches in Toronto, six are Blue Flag beaches. "Blue Flag is a highly respected and recognized international eco-label. Blue Flags are awarded to beaches and marinas that meet strict criteria that cover everything from water quality to environmental programs." Not many people are aware of this. Certainly, international visitors for the most part don't even know about Toronto's beaches. There is an opportunity here to turn clichés upside down. Toronto has it all, even great beaches. I think that this is also the case of Vancouver, which also has some great beaches, particularly, Kits beach.

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Saludos,
Jaime
www.canadamigos.com

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The Hiccup cont'd (see Traveller Insight)

I have been informed that Italian Kitchen people have sent my sister (in Vancouver) a $150 gift certificate to make up for the Hiccup I described here before. My sister tells me that they will also add a couple of appetizers. I'm glad to see the parent company responded in a way that is commensurate with the restaurant's category (high end). The certificate should cover dinner for two. I don't know if I will use it or whether my sister will use it before my next visit to Vancouver (next February). What's important is to see how it will turn out when the certificate is used (quality of food, friendliness of staff, location of the table, etc.). If all goes well the restaurant will have gained us back. The point being that for a small investment (the price of dinner for two), the restaurant shows real customer service orientation and enhances its reputation as responsive to customer complaints. I can tell you that the gesture is appropriate so I will go back to the Italian Kitchen or any of its sister restaurants (Sanafir on Granville is very good, the Coast in Yaletown) when in Vancouver. Hopefully, I will not get the hiccups again.

Cheers,

Jaime

Said good bye to Vancouver (best city in the world to live according to the Economist Intelligence Unit) with a day at the beach. Loved it.

My last day in Vancouver before returning to Toronto we spend at the beach in Kitsilano. I had a great time swimming in the ocean (a bit chilly, but really refreshing after 5 minutes in the water) and spending quality time with my sister (who lives in Burnaby), my best friend (married to my sister), my wife, daughter and my niece. I'm very happy to be home though. Home is home. I love to visit Vancouver, but I love to live in Toronto. By the way, the Economist Intelligence Unit's global city rankings placed Vancouver as 1st and Toronto as 5th best cities in the world to live. How about that? Melbourne, Vienna and Perth came in between the two Canadian cities. Montreal unfortunately did not make the top ten this time (merde!). We can do better Canada - Australia is eating our lunch (4 of the top 10 cities).

Cheers,

Jaime