The world’s best beaches to add to your bucket list

 Above: Looking down at Positano on Italy's Amalfi Coast. (PHOTO: OLM STAFF) We’re incredibly lucky to live on such a beautiful planet with many wonderful landscapes. Many of us love beaches because of their relaxing nature, making them the perfect holiday destination. We’ve rounded up the world’s best bucket list beaches

Ottawa Author Jana Begovic Debuts With Some “Poisonous Whispers”

  “Don’t you ever forget about me...,” he whispers during their secret encounters. Like a curse, these simple words now haunt Leandra, a reputable psychiatrist, who finds herself in emotional chaos after the sudden breakup of her illicit affair. Unable to heal on her own and tormented by dreams in which supernatural

Health Systems Around the World

 By Kathleen O’Grady Comparing the performance of health systems around the world just got a little easier. One morning, the media headline pronounces Canada’s health system should model that found in the Netherlands; the next week, we should follow Germany’s example, and yet another says Australia is leading the pack.

ME Milan Il Duca: Shop, Sightsee, Stay in Milan’s Fashion District

 Planning a trip to Italy but not sure where to stay? You’re in luck because ME by Meliá is opening its first luxury Italian hotel, ME Milan Il Duca, this month. If you are looking for a spectacular location where you can both shop and sightsee, ME Milan Il Duca

Italian Retreat

 When we think of Italy urban centres like Florence, Rome and Milan probably spring to mind. But leave the hustle and bustle behind, slow down and soak up life and the beauty and tranquility of Italian village life. Tranquil Tuscany Located 15 minutes from the medieval city of Siena, there’s

’Tis the Season for Handel

 More than 250 years after its completion, George Frideric Handel’s joyous Messiah continues to be appreciated by audiences around the world. Coming to the capital region this holiday season, Finest Moments from Messiah will be presented by the combined effort of the Ottawa Classical Choir and the New World Philharmonic

Have You Had a Glass of this Year’s Beaujolais Nouveau?

 The third Thursday of November is a milestone date in the wine world – wine stores have a special delivery of Beaujolais Nouveau wine. What is all the fuss about? Beaujolais Nouveau or ‘first wine’ is wine made from grapes that were picked in the most recent harvest.  By the

Wining and Dining at the Ottawa Wine & Food Festival

 I have lived in Ottawa for a mere two months, but the city has already given me so many unforgettable experiences. Entering my third month of life in the capital, I made a conscious decision to make the most of my time here and find new ways to embrace the

The Never Forgotten National Memorial

 The inspiration for the Never Forgotten National Memorial (NFNM) came from a single gravestone. T. Truskoski was laid to rest at the age of 17 in the Canadian War Cemetery in Moro, Italy. Toronto businessman Tony Trigiani came across the young man’s gravestone while taking a detour on a business trip in

Why Ontarians are Going Online Overseas for Gambling

 Written by John Sorensen In recent years, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission (OLG) has been going online to try to attract new patrons from across the province by offering online casino games, poker tournaments and even Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max and ENCORE tickets over the internet.  There can be no doubt that

Making Your Dream Vacation a Reality

 Last Wednesday, June 11, Onkar Travels released new brochures available for travel agencies and companies for their new season (October – March). Hosted at Indian restaurant, Aahar on Churchill Avenue, the buffet dinner was delicious before everyone settled in to learn of all the travel opportunities Onkar has to offer.

Cultural Life of Kazakhstan: Preserving the Past to Create the Future

 by Ambassador Dr. Konstantin Zhigalov Kazakhstan has a long and culturally-rich history. Thanks to its geographical location in the heart of the Eurasian continent, it was at the crossroads of many historic events. These include the arrival of the horse-mounted nomads at Eurasia; the bright and dramatic fate of the

6 Weeks, 5 Countries, Countless Adventures

 Traveling is a safe romance—it can be as brief or as long as you want and it doesn’t demand much except a sense of adventure. It adds a wealth of stories to your conversation arsenal, more weight in souvenirs to your luggage and obviously a better understanding of the beautiful,

An Amazing Wine Well Worth Its Price: Regali 2008 La Lus Albarossa

 This week, I’m struggling about the wine I am about to recommend, not because I don’t like it, or I’m on the fence about it. Au contraire mon frère, I’m a big fan of this wine.  My struggles are for much more selfish reasons: if I tell you about it,

Italy’s Best-Kept Secret

 I remember the morning when I woke up to a ceiling with frescos and a crystal chandelier. I was lying alone in a king-sized bed in the suite of Hotel Vittoria, in Faenza, Italy, where as the legend goes, the great Italian poet Giosuè Carducci used to lodge. So this

The Campania Contradiction

 Naples and the Amalfi coast —History and a passion for excellence collide under gaze of Mount Vesuvius As our plane made its final approach over the Sea of Sirens the view of the Neapolitan islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida with their imposing rock faces dotted with cliff-clinging edifices and lush