Forget Santa, check out Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday at Dundas Square instead

No offence to Mr. Claus or Sunday's annual Santa Claus Parade. But if you're in Toronto this coming Sabbath and are looking for a reminder of warmer climes, look no further than Yonge and Dundas, where you'll find a welcoming reception from the good folks at Fort Lauderdale tourism.

They love their Canadians down in Florida, of course, where we're a huge part of the travel market. They're expressing their appreciation on Sunday with ten large ice blocks encasing colorful swimwear will surround a sandy palm tree-lined “island” in a promotion staged to attract Toronto residents to Fort Lauderdale’s sunny shores.

There also will be an appearance by the bureau’s Beach Mobile decked out with models wearing bathing suits (gee, you hate to see that). Street teams will distribute free ice scrapers (thanks for the reminder of what's to come, guys), lip balm and opportunities to win Fort Lauderdale beach getaways with airline partner Sunwing Airlines. For four hours Greater Fort Lauderdale will own four of the large digital screens and broadcast live streaming footage of Torontonians having fun at the beach as well as feature a live Tweet Board.  
 
“The image of bikinis frozen in big blocks of ice should get the message across that Greater Fort Lauderdale is where you can thaw out and defrost your swimsuit, your nose, fingers and toes this winter,” said Nicki E. Grossman, president, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.  “Canada is our number one international source market and we never take that for granted.  In fact, we are rolling out the “Defrost Your Swimsuit” campaign in Toronto even before it’s launched in the U.S.”

The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

AMERICAN ARROGANCE ON THE WANE?

Don't tell Mitt Romney, but an international study group says U.S. citizens are thinking more like Europeans these days. It also found that French citizens are FAR less ego-centric about their culture than you might have thought.

A fascinating study by the Pew Research Center finds that 49 per cent of U.S. respondents feel their culture is tops in the world. That's a lot, but back in 2002 you would've found that 60 per cent of Americans felt that way. By 2007, it was down to 55 per cent. And now it's just less than one-half.

As a born-and-raised American, I find that hugely refreshing. The U.S. is a hugely mixed bag with lots to offer, but I don't know how anyone in ANY country can say their culture is the best on the planet.

What's perhaps even more interesting than the U.S. number is the results for France. The study found that only 27 per cent of French folks feel their culture is better than anyone's, and isn't that a poke inthe eye to all those tourists who complain about French waiters?

The study found that 47 per cent of Germans think their culture is best (almost as bad as Americans, and probably not something that would surprise the Greeks). For Spain, the number was 44, and in Britain it was way down at 32.

Also fascinating were results on what people think about government. Asked what was more important,  the freedom to pursue life's goals without government interference OR having the state guarantee no one is in need, 58 per cent of Americans cited the need to avoid government interference, compared to 35 per cent for the other side. No surprise there, I'd say. Actually, I might have expected a tally higher than 58 per cent on the no-interference side of the equation.

In Britain, 55 per cent of folks said having the state be sure nobody is in need was more important, with 38 per cent taking the non-interference side. In Spain, it was even more extreme, with 67 per cent opting for the state's role and only 30 per cent citing the need for government to stay out.

Asked about the importance of religion, 50 per cent of Americans said it was important, compared to 22 per cent in Spain, 21 per cent in Germany, 17 per cent in Great Britain and just 13 per cent in France.

There's tons more in the report, too. Great reading.

 

A steamie time in fashionable Montreal...plus street bikes and Notre Dame

 

MONTREAL – Great shopping, sure. Lovely, fashionable folks to admire as you sip your caffe latte near Place D’Armes, sure. And great, old-time architecture.

This is a wonderful town, but what got me most excited yesterday was a pair of nice hot steamies.

I’m in town for a very short period and was wandering along St. Catherine St. looking for a place for a quick lunch on Sunday, not wanting to waste too much of a mostly decent afternoon indoors. Finally I spotted a typical corner spot not far from the University of Quebec at Montreal campus, and found what I wanted.

Hot Dogs Vapeur, otherwise known to English types as steamies.

Oh, I love Toronto's grilled hot dogs just fine. But I grew up eating what are easily the best steamed hot dogs in the world, those made by a San Francisco Bay Area (mostly the East Bay) chain called Caspers. They have great dogs with a crunchy casing and a just-right spice to them, and they’re simply steamed and served up to billions of loyal customers every day. I stop at the one near my Dad’s house on my in from the airport every time I go out to visit him in the East Bay. And I mean EVERY TIME.

Anyway, I was delighted on Sunday to gobble down two very unhealthy but tremendously satisfying steamies and a Diet Pepsi for a whopping $4.41.

It’s too bad we don’t see many steamies in Toronto. There used to be a steamie joint on Mt. Pleasant just south of Eglinton but it closed probably eight or 10 years back.

With the sun out, I tried renting one of the street bikes you can get for $5 for a day. It worked fine, but then I found some cool-looking shops to check out and parked the bike in one of the official locks. I went back and tried to get the bike back out but it wouldn’t work. The machine says you can re-insert your credit card and keep using the bike but somehow it wouldn’t work for me.

It might’ve been my fault but it seems a tad confusing. Too bad, as it’s a great concept.

More to come later on old Montreal, where I spent most of the day. But I also managed a quick trip into Notre Dame, and was blown away.

I couldn’t get too close as they were getting ready for a private mass, but I managed to snap a few photos from the back of the church. I’d forgotten how stunning and colourful the interior is; much more so than similar churches in Europe. Amazing, amazing place.

 

Thanks to kind nurses & good doctors in Dubai...Cultural understanding program

DUBAI - Well, that wasn't so much fun.

Had a bit of an accident Sunday in Dubai and had to get help from a doctor. The good folks at The Address Dubai Marina got someone to help, but I had to spend several hours in emergency at The American Hospital not quite knowing what was happening. Not fun at home. Definitely not fun in another country so far away. But all my tests were negative, and I ended up spending only about two and-a-half days at the hospital.

Still, it was enough to give me time to think a little bit, and read a little bit, and watch some news and read some newspaper columns I wouldn't ordinarily get a chance to read. I think there's a bit of a lesson in there somewhere, but first I'll backtrack a bit to Sunday, which I had thought would be my last full day in Dubai.

My tour guide from Arabian Adventures, the excellent Ms. Mirella, took to the Jumeirah Mosque for a program called Open Doors, Open Minds; put on by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. They had a couple of British women who are Islamic talking about the way they dress and how they feel about it and, of course, what they think about the evil media. I didn't get into that, although I can see their point, but it was fascinating to listen to them talk about Islam recognizes Jesus as a prophet and how their robes reflect Bedouin traditions and how they might be wearing sleek yoga pants or a nice blouse underneath when they hit the Louis Vuitton shop at the Mall of the Emirates and why women pray separately from men (so they don't have strange guys rubbing up against them in shoulder-to-shoulder prayers and so guys can concentrate on the Almighty and not on the nicely-scented woman next to them). I can't say I agree with everything, especially the multiple wives, but who am I to judge? The women who led the tour of the mosque certainly didn't seem oppressed by their dress or their culture. As for the current troubles in the world, for sure Islam has its extremists. But what religion doesn't? What culture doesn't?

After the mosque, I had a lunch put on the Sheikh Mohammed Centre, where an entertaining local fellow talked to a bunch of Australian army guys over a free lunch the centre provided. Again, it was very thought-provoking, and I give the centre full marks for trying to bridge a centuries-old gap that simply has to be erased - or at  least dimmed - if there's ever going to be any improvement in this world.

Less than 24 hours later I was sitting in my large room at the American Hospital and looking across the street at a Papa John's pizza joint. I almost fired up my Blackberry and posted a tweet about how silly it was to be in Dubai and see these North American chains, and I was going to be a little snarky, which isn't hard for me. But then I read a column in The National, a good newspaper in Abu Dhabi, in which columnist Rob McKenzie talked about how esterners prize irreverence and folks in Asia and the Middle East, for the most part, value respect. There's a  fascinating story there, and McKenzie's story really made me think for a bit. I put down my Blackberry and thought for a while about the values of respect and tradition and how we in the west sometimes are so quick with the quips that we, meaning I, forget about more important values, or values just as important. It didn't hurt that I was a reading a great crime thriller called Good People, in which a couple of middle class Chicago folks who are desperate to have a baby get caught up in a remarkable series of criminal events. It sounds trite, but in the end they truly discover that the things that matter are leading a good life and enjoying your family. Like McKenzie, I'm sure I'll get back into my snarky, irreverent ways. And that's fine. But there has to be a balance in life, as the Chinese like to say. I hope I don't lose mine.

With that in mind, I want to thank the hotel staff again at The Address Dubai Marina Hotel, the Dubai tourism people and Arabian Adventures folks and Emirates Airlines for changing my flight. Also, thanks to the ambulance drivers, the emergency staff (this is like an Oscar speech, I know, but bear with me), the doctors at the American Hospital and my nurses, especially Katie and Katherine, who let an old guy talk on and on about nothing and who (especially Katherine) realized what I also needed was some needling of the non-medical kind. A little irreverence toward the patient, if you like. Now, there we are again. I noticed, and pardon me if I'm getting into cliche or stereotyping territory here, that the Asian and South Asian and Middle Eastern staff at the hospital were fairly quiet and respectful towards me. Katie, from near Birmingham (England, not Alabama) was more chatty, and Katherine, an Irish girl who hails from Wicklow near Dublin, responded well to my gentle barbs and gave them back to me a little; making me feel more at home. I like to have someone bring me my red jello and tea and consomme as much as the next hospital patient, but I also don't want to be  fussed over too much and I want to get my own blankets and open my own curtains and move my own stuff around and be independent and get a little verbal jousting going. Thank God, whatever his or her name might be, for Nurse Katherine on that front.

And thank God for my family back at home. My daughter cheered me up with Blackberry messages, while my wife was a rock, offering wonderful advice and tender words and giving the doctor in Dubai you know what and making damned sure I was well looked after. (Of course, she's also Irish so you'd expect a pretty good package). I promised long ago not to get her involved in my stories, but I think she might forgive me this time when I say how much I love her and what an incredible wife and mother she is. I don't usually buy such things, but a couple years ago I bought her a little inscription that says, "When I count my blessings, I count you twice." After this incident, I think that needs a significant geometric adjustment.

Anyway, I'm recuperating nicely at the Mina A'Salam hotel/resort on the shores of the gulf (see photo at right), and it's wonderful to see the water. I went for a short swim Wednesday night and rode a very small body-surfing wave and simply screamed with joy underwater when it was over. I went for breakfast today and had fresh baguettes and juice and porridge and jam and I got to choose what I wanted and eat when I wanted and sit outside where I wanted in the morning warmth and watch the sun light up the beach and the lagoon, and I can't remember the last time such small things made such an impression on me. I smiled all the way back to my room.

It's almost Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, and I have so much to be thankful for. More than I can imagine. I'll take Friday off to fly home, so no blogging again until next week. In the meantime, here's to a little more peace and understanding in the world, to a nice balance of irreverence and respect/tradition, and to a wonderful Thanksgiving for everyone.

Kyoto's temples, both mainstream and not...Hoshinoya Kyoto hotel a wonder

KYOTO, Japan - It's funny. You go into a place with a certain idea about a place and have it turned on its ear. But you still like it. I don't know why, but I always pictured this city as fairly small and quaint, dotted with temples and fairly tranquil. Then I took the bullet train in from Tokyo on Friday and was greeted by...a big city. Not Tokyo big, but big, with large high-rises and a furiously busy train station (they all are, I bet, in this country).

I didn't quite know what to make of it, but over dinner - with a geisha, no less - I was told not to worry, I'd find everything I was looking for. I did. And a bit less. But also a lot more. I quite liked some of the neighborhoods, where I found a cool-looking cafe called the Pied de Chat, not far from the wonderful smells of the Quatre Saisons Boulangerie.

It was fun strolling the sidewalks and checking out the local shops, although I had to constantly watch for cyclists. Bikes are big in Kyoto, but most cyclists use the sidewalk and not the street, and they're not shy about taking up space. Also interesting was I was in town on a school day and walked past a schoolyard littered with hundreds of bikes. They sat there row upon row, about 15 feet from the sidewalk, and as far as I could tell not a single one was locked. Amazing.

The temples were beautiful, but more crowded than I expected. By the time we got to the last of six on my full-day tour, it was like a huge wave of tourists from around the world had all descended on Kyoto this one day. Still, it was pretty spectacular stuff. I'll do more later in the pages of Star Travel, but here a couple highlights:

- Sanjusangen-do: There are 1001 Buddha statues in a single hall; an overpowering experience. There are about 10 rows rising from the ground level up the side of some steps, as in an arena, and about 100 Buddhas in a row in a temple that's about as long as a football field. Tremendously impressive. They also have Hindu deities, such as gods of thunder and rain, and a single, 3.56 meter-tall Buddha in the middle. I'd never heard of the place, but it's a must-see, and the current building dates back to 1266.

- Nijo Castle. This former shogun's palace has lovely gardens and cool architecture, but the best part I thought was the floors. They were built in such a way that a careless walker makes a loud squeaking noise, which in the old days would've alerted guards to an intruder. A teen's worst nightmare, too. They call them Nightingale floors as the sound is like a bird.

- Kiyumizu-dera is, I think, pretty insane. How touristy is this place? When we got out of our bus and started walking up the hill, past the teeming throngs of visitors, our tour guide told us it would be easy to get lost coming back down. "Just look up and turn left at the giant coffee cup, and when you see the
large, inflatable Spiderman, turn right for the parking lot." Hilarious. There were girls in kimonos, Aussie and Canadians and Euros all basking in the warm sun and listening to the touts calling out for restaurants or green bean pastry and green ice cream, which I forgot to try.

- My personal favourite was a small shrine at the top of a hill near the Hoshinoya Kyoto hotel/ryokan. It's probably not on any organized tours due to its
 somewhat remote location, and it's a terribly
ramshackle affair, but I absolutely loved it. It's called the Daihikaku Senkoji Temple, and you can only reach it by walking up the hill about ten minutes
from the luscious Hoshinoya Kyoto hotel/ryokan, or by walking about 20 minutes from the edge of the village of Arashiyama and then taking the hike.

It was built by Suminokura Ryoi in the early 17th century and it's clearly in need of some TLC. A wonderful sign at the bottom of the hill, in fact, warns visitors that there's a  "great view" but that the "temple is broken."
When you reach the top of the hill, there's a large bell you can ring for free, and a small building that looks like the Swiss Family Robinson Japan, perched out over the forest with tremendous views of Kyoto and of the Hozugawa or Oigawa River below. The view alone is worth the hike and the $5 admission charge, but equally pleasing is the small shrine to Ryoi, a wealthy merchant who traded with the Vietnamese and helped open the rivers below to navigation. There's a small shrine on one wall, while the other is littered with various missives and political statements, including some of the teachings of Gandhi. There are several pairs of binoculars provided, although a wonderfully kind Japanese man kept insisting I use his modern, expensive ones even though I couldn't adjust
them to my eyes. Outside, there's a bunch of beat-up looking lean-to's and sheds with an old abacus, stacks of incense sticks and a shirne to Ryoi, who looks stern and very much a task-master.

It's a lovely hike and the place has more atmosphere than some of the polished, highly visited spots in town.
Best part of Kyoto to me was the Hoshinoya. I'd never stayed in anything resembling a ryokan so it was a huge treat. Mind you, this ain't your mama-san's ryokan but a reinvention that's right on the river, with the feel of European/North American modern hotel grafted onto the look of a traditional Japanese Inn. You can take a small car on a tiny road at night, but most guests arrive on a small, covered boat that motors slowly up the river. Romantic as hell.

The rooms feel very Japanese, with use of tatami mats and occasional rice paper screens or even a rectangular, wooden bathtub, but they also have Internet, CD's (no Tv's, thankfully), comfortable beds and a wonderful restaurant, as well as 24-hour room service. No forcing you out of bed at 7 a.m. to roll up the futon here, folks.

They teach Japanese cultural classes, including music and the incense ceremony, where I was kind of pathetic in building my ash cone but managed to get the job done. On weekends they add to the atmosphere by having a fellow in traditional costume play the shamisen, like a Japanese violin. Wonderful. Look for more later in Star Travel, but suffice to say it's a magical property and one of the top places I've stayed anywhere in the world.

Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn?...Biz Class on Sale (sort of)...Jim's deal/day

Got ya with that headline, didn't I?

I have no idea if it's any good, and I really don't like using shock words like that in a headline, but I spotted a tweet during my afternoon Twitter searching and there was a mention by a twitter user named travel_book of a, well, travel book that's titled,  Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran.

It's written by a chap named Jamie Maslin and it sounds pretty hilarious.

Amazon.com calls it "a backpacker’s charming, hilarious account of the secret world of counterculture Iran."

The web site continues: "Maslin finds himself suddenly plunged into a subversive, contradictory world of Iranian subculture, where he is embraced by locals who are more than happy to show him the true Iran as they see it—the one where unmarried men and women mingle in Western clothes at secret parties, where alcohol (the possession of which is punishable by hand-amputation) is readily available on the black market, where Christian churches are national heritage sites, and where he discovers the real meaning of friendship, nationality, and hospitality."

HOTELIER OF THE YEAR

Hotelier Magazine has named David Mounteer, General Manager of Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City, the 2009 Hotelier of the Year.

The hotel is a stunner, blending important archaeological artefacts with wonderful rooms and an incredible restaurant, Panache (see photo)

The award is to be given out on Dec. 3 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel as part of the hospitality industry's Pinnacle Awards Luncheon.

BIZ CLASS DISCOUNTS

USA Today says business fares to Europe this fall have dropped 33% to 66% compared to a year ago.

Still, before all us ordinary travelers get TOO excited, keep in mind that they're still awfully high. The paper said Delta Air Lines' cheapest round trip, a non-stop New York-London coach ticket on Oct. 7, for example, was $716 for an Oct. 23 departure and an Oct. 30 return. The least-expensive business-class fare for the same flight was $4,634 U.S. (about $35 Canadian the way the loonie has been going).

I just checked Air Canada, and a ticket for a Toronto departure to London on Oct. 30 and a return to T.O. on Nov. 7 was priced at $6254.48 CAD for the class of "executive first lowest."

YIKES.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

A new package at the Westin Trillium House offers the best of the fall season: a scenic country drive, hot apple crumble and reduced room rates. Celebrating the launch of the Blue Mountains Apple Pie Trail, the Westin is offering special rates between $149 and $209 per night. Normally at this time of year, rates range from $189 to $229. To sweeten the deal, the Westin is also including two complimentary slices of Sour Cream Apple Crumble Tart from the Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill, located on-site at the hotel. The new year-round Apple Pie Trail winds its way from Collingwood through the Blue Mountains and on to Thornbury and Meaford, with stops at orchards, markets and restaurants along the way. See www.westin.com/bluemountain.

CZECH CHANGES

Czech Tourism Canada has advised that Czech Airlines will terminate its summer schedule to YYZ as planned 13OCT and will not resume its Canadian operation for the summer of 2010.