The bus plummeted into a bank of fog thick enough that the driver slowed to a crawl. That’s when the octogenarian seated across the aisle piped up: “Reminds me that movie The Fog!” I swear, my head hasn’t whipped around the fast since… well, it’s been a long...
Despite my status as a horror writer, I had no intention of visiting Halifax’s Old Burying Ground during our visit in October 2022. But since we only had one brilliantly sunny day during our trip, it should go without saying that we wanted to spend time outside. We’d been thinking...
There is nothing better to get to know a city than a ghost walk. Inevitably, there’s historical context included, you’re able to get oriented, and you come away with the name of a reputedly haunted restaurant. That’s a win. In the case of Halifax, the ghost walk included all...
These are not halcyon days for nonrev fliers. Domestic flights continue to be randomly canceled, which makes it a challenge to get anywhere in the U.S. beyond your home airport. My home airport happens to be considered the gateway to Europe, but even that’s a mess–it’s easy to...
Visions of Swiss chocolate danced in my head. Zurich awaited me, along with my second year of Christmas markets. I had hotel reservations, a Google map of chocolate shops to visit, directions to a bunch of holiday events. And then all the unsold seats dried up, along with my dreams of delicious...
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I have no shame at all about making SOMA Chocolatemaker my first stop whenever I’m in Toronto. Their amazing drinking chocolate is a perfect breakfast. Their Spicy Maya hot chocolate is smooth and wonderful and warm on a cold morning,...
“What do you want for dinner?” my friend asked. We were sitting in her parents’ house in suburban Toronto. It was still Day 1 of my Toronto trip. “Something light,” I said. “Oysters maybe.” After all, we’d had a lot of sushi for lunch, plus...
Friday was one of those days. Flying to Toronto is never easy–despite frequent flights on Mr. Pretty’s airline (MPA), the planes are small 50-seaters and they’re almost ALWAYS packed. A few days out the flights on MPA weren’t looking great (all were oversold by one), so...
I was destitute in Halifax. It started well enough. I hopped off the plane, and before I knew it I found myself through passport control and in a cab hurtling through the dark and empty streets toward my hotel. Except my credit card wouldn’t work at the first ATM I tried. Or the next. Or...
The BBC is reporting today that the wreck of the Titanic has maybe 14 more years before it disappears forever because of metal-eating bacteria that are going to town on the remains of the ship. Because of being subjected to the film Titanic more times than I care to count, I can now only...