Go! Running Tours Barcelona

After arranging my flight into Barcelona to join my wife who had earlier gone over on business, I knew I would have one solo morning to kill while she was still in company meetings. I was looking for something active that would help me beat the jet lag but at the same time give me a quick introduction to the sights Barcelona has to offer. Initially I was thinking about a bike tour, but I noticed that Go! Running Tours Barcelona was one of the top rated activities in the city according to TripAdvisor. As I am an avid runner at home, this seemed like a fantastic option for Day 2 (my first full day) in Europe.

Go! Running Tours Barcelona offers several different options which vary in length, route, private vs group etc. I chose the 10K Old Town private run. I initially found the cost a little steep at 60 euro, but when you consider that it is essentially a private tour guide as well as a private photographer the price-point ends up being very fair for the service offered. I booked my run for 8am which was a little early, but provided some open space as well as the exciting backdrop of a city just coming to life for the day. 

My guide Robin was awesome! We met at the convenient Plaça de Catalunya (they offer to meet at your hotel, but mine was a little too far out of the way for the tour so this central location was chosen). After a quick meet and greet we were off, with Robin allowing me to set the pace while he ran alongside with his pole-mounted GoPro camera in hand. For the next 2.5 hours we would explore much of Barcelona’s historic Old Town. Main stops included Plaça Reial, El Raval, Las Ramblas, Palau Güell, Parc de la Ciutadella, Santa Maria del Mar and many more. 

Our total time on the move was about half of the 2.5 hour excursion and the rest of the time was spent standing in/around the aforementioned sights while Robin provided both factual historic information as well as humorous personal commentary. Of particular interest to me was the history behind the Estelada flag that I saw all over the city. In all we ended up covering just under 12.5K, so even more than the 10K that was paid for. In my remaining days in Barcelona I was able to use this base knowledge of the city to further explore with my wife.

The day after the run Robin emailed me over 70 excellent photos as well as a map of our route. He also offered for me to further contact him by email at any time later in the trip or even down the road if I had any questions about Barcelona.

I would highly recommend Go! Running Tours Barcelona for both casual and serious runners who want to keep up their cardio abroad while receiving an excellent jumpstart on their city sightseeing. Robin is a real pro and a great ambassador for his city. Here are some of my favorite shots from the run:

Meeting up with Robin for the run!

El Raval Cat

Picking up speed through the old hospital

Las Ramblas in the morning, before the crowds

Heading for the docks

Santa Maria del Mar - The "People's Church"

Fountain in Parc de la Ciutadella

Pretending we are running the Barcelona Marathon through the Arch

Here is the Go! Running Tours Barcelona website.

Mike & Palms & Pints
@palmsandpints

Wine & Snow Shoes!

Before winter in southern Ontario met it's timely end about a week ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to try something unique. After a nice evening spent in Niagara Falls, we headed to rural wine country, Ontario for a snow shoeing adventure. 

I wouldn't call myself a wine connoisseur by any means, but to say I enjoy my wine would be a bit of an understatement. This winter also saw me uncover a new love for snow shoeing, something I picked-up out of necessity to fill the 3-month void where running is rather uncomfortable and inconvenient. After doing a bit of research looking for some winter trails in the Niagara region, I stumbled across the Thirty Bench vineyard snow shoe tour and wine tasting. Needless to say I booked us a spot without much hesitation. 

The tour was at a fairly gentle pace to suite the needs of the group of young and old, fit and... well, getting fit! Our guide was exceptionally knowledgeable about the wine as well as the vineyard's history. She also provided a quick but useful tutorial for anyone new to the sport. We sampled about 6 wines in total, mostly white. I'm a red drinker but I enjoyed the exposure to various whites and I think it may have somewhat converted me! 

After the tour through the various plots of the property, we were given the chance to explore on our own for a little bit. I used this time to test out my "snow shoe running" techniques, using the rows of vines like they were lanes in an Olympic event. This is not as easy as it looks... actually it does not look particularly easy.

The tour was concluded with a delicious bowl of Moroccan cauliflower soup whilst sitting around a little fire in the great snowy outdoors. 

I highly recommend the Thirty Bench snow shoe tour for anyone in southern Ontario wine region whom enjoys wine or the winter outdoors (preferably both!)

Here are some of the best moments I captured from the afternoon: 

The wife and I getting ready to roll. 

Sampling a delicious white wine (Riesling) amongst the beautiful winter vineyard setting

Chardonnay post marking

Enjoying the day

Time for a run!

Wood Post Riesling - my favourite wine of the day.

Mike @ Palms & Pints 

@palmsandpints

Winter Weekend at the Falls

Having spent my entire life in the Greater Toronto Area, I have been to Niagara Falls more times than I can count. When family and Friends from abroad came to visit they were always eager to see either the iconic Toronto focal point, the CN Tower, or the world’s most powerful waterfall located just about an hour down the Queen Elizabeth Way.

In my adult years trips down to Niagara have been fewer and further between. Maybe I took this wonder of the world for granted, or maybe it’s one of those things you can only see so many times. However Niagara Falls is so much more than the falls themselves. The city is home to two world-class casinos, there is a plethora of fantastic restaurants, a brand new outlet mall and even the kitschy tourist trap known as Clifton Hill.

My wife and I decided to spend a night at the falls during a recent winter's weekend as a chance to see the falls in their partially frozen state (something, in my years of visiting the falls during the warm summer months, I had yet to experience).

We started things off by taking a nice stroll across Niagara Parkway, admiring  the postcard-worthy views of both the Horseshoe and American Falls in their glorious part-frozen, snowy state.

The half-frozen American Falls, with the City of Niagara Falls, NY in the background 

The majestic Canadian Horseshoe Falls

From there we headed up Clifton Hill where you will find a colourful, kitschy display of pop culture. A wax museum, a ferris wheel, an arcade and even a giant Frankenstein on top of a Burger King. We didn’t spend much time on Clifton, as it is easily one of the largest collections over-priced establishments you will find anywhere, but the uphill walk was refreshing and provided a few great photo op’s.

The kitschy charm of Clifton Hill

No shortage of activities (bring your wallet)

Ripley's Museum - A Clifton Hill institution

At the top of Clifton Hill we settled in for dinner at Antica Pizzeria, a great pizza place we try to make it to anytime we are in Niagara. Then it was off to try our luck at Fallsview Casino.

First opened in 2004, Fallsview Casino is about as close as you are going to get to a Las Vegas super-Casino in Canada. It is massive, chic and loaded with Vegas-style extras like boutique shopping, several restaurants including the classic all-you-can-eat buffet, a performing stage and much more. On a Saturday night the casino was expectedly packed and many games were hard to come by. I initially tried to get my hands on some digital roulette (prefer that over the standard table roulette which requires some etiquette), however there were no terminals available, and plenty of people circling waiting to grab anything that did open up. We decided to switch our attention to the slots and digital blackjack where we lost a combined $40, an acceptable “cost of entertainment” for non-gamblers such as ourselves.

Fallsview Casino would not be out of place on the Vegas strip.

Using our Player’s Advantage Card (the Casino’s loyalty program) we were able to earn free parking at the casino’s underground parking structure. Since our hotel was only about a 7min walk from the casino, this saved us the $20 the hotel wanted to charge us to park for the weekend. 

Niagara Falls is rightfully one of the top tourist destinations in the world, and it doesn’t have to be expensive either if you do the right research. There are plenty of mid-week hotel deals available through sites like Groupon or WagJag, and sometimes they even include meal, attraction and/or gambling incentives. The falls are beautiful all year round, the dining options plentiful, and you can always find some action at the 24-7 casinos. There is a little something for everyone in Niagara Falls. 

Here is our review of the Radisson Fallsview Hotel. An affordable and conveniently located home base for your Falls trip.

View from partial fallsview room at the Radisson

In my next post I'll get to the 2nd portion of our winter getaway weekend. Touring a winery by snow shoe!

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints

Snow Shoeing - Winter's Cardio

About 5 years ago I discovered the joy of running. At first it was all about fitness as I was terribly out of shape and looking to lose some weight. By the second or third year however it became more about my passion for the sport, the love of the outdoors and the desire to be in the sunshine on anything from a crisp April morning to a sweltering July afternoon.

Proud of my first medal at one of my first running events

While my running evolved over the first four years, one thing stayed the same. I did not run in the winter. Something about the temperatures dipping below 5C just turned me right off the sport and had me indoors until the following spring. This winter, however, I was able to put that behind me and run right into the depths of January and February. This new found love of cold weather activity sparked a new interest which made use of the snowy, slippery terrain; snow shoeing. 

It started by chance. Early in the winter a buddy had bugged me to try cross-country skiing with him. I did... and I hated it. I had trouble staying on my feet and even when I could I must have looked like a drunk flamingo. He saw my struggles and recommended we try something with a lesser learning curve for the rest of the afternoon, so we strapped on some snow shoes and headed for the trail.

First snow shoe adventure near Barrie, Ontario

Fast forward two months and I now own my own pair of snow shoes (Atlas 9-series), and have been out on many adventures both back-trail and urban. My first big run was High Falls trail in the southern tip of Algonquin Park's panhandle. Great views of a mostly frozen river/waterfall and beautiful forest scenery. Algonquin is one of my favourite places to visit, and the snowy winter setting puts a fresh spin on it.

Beautiful frozen scenery

High Falls Trail - Algonquin Park 

Moose sighting after leaving the High Falls trail

Not being able to 'get away' every weekend however has forced me to track down some great urban snow shoeing. I explored the parklands of my own neighbourhood here in Mississauga and while there were no wild life sightings, I had myself a great view of a passing GO Train. I feel as though you don't really know even your own neighbourhood unless it is explored outside of a car. In the summer this can be done on a bike or even on foot, but in the winter time snow shoeing is a fantastic option.

Loving my Atlas snow shoes

Many chilly Sunday mornings have been spent with my father-in-law in Brampton trekking across several city parks. We cruise through thick powdery snow that boots alone wouldn't dream of, passing by small half-frozen duck-filled ponds. These trips even include a bit of urban exploration checking out an abandoned highway overpass which had been decommissioned since the closing of a quarry many years earlier.

Urban exploration - a decommissioned highway overpass

Out exploring, even on the coldest of winter days

While snow shoeing doesn't offer the adrenaline of snowboarding or downhill skiing, it is a great (affordable!) winter sport for those looking to explore nature, see their own local park from a new perspective or even just keep up with that outdoor cardio in the harsh Canadian winter. Just remember to layer up!

Ducks!

Note - For those who like to track progress I highly recommend the Strava app/site. It is great for running, cycling and even has an option to track other types of movement like snow shoeing. 

Mike @ Palms & Pints
@palmsandpints

Punta Cana All-Inclusive: 10 Things I Loved

If you are a sun-worshipper such as myself, the Dominican Republic cannot be beat. Temperatures almost always over 25C, blazing sunshine, pristine white sands and turquoise waters. Sitting on the eastern tip of the country, Punta Cana is widely considered to be the top beach destination in the DR and one of the best in all of the Caribbean.

I was recently in Punta Cana to attend a friend's wedding, and I had a fantastic experience. Like is done by the majority of travellers to Punta Cana, we stayed at an all-inclusive resort. Paradisus Punta Cana excels almost everywhere with great food, well equipped rooms, beautiful landscaping and of course a prime slice of sun-kissed Punta Cana beachfront.

Here are 10 awesome travel experiences I got out of my trip to this corner of paradise, in no particular order:


1. Early morning beach runs.

2. Admiring the towering palms.

3. Attending a beautiful beach wedding.

4. Drinking coconut water fresh from the tree.

5. Lounging (aka doing nothing) on a world class beach.

6. Consuming all-inclusive island cocktails.

7. Strolling through the stunning resort landscaping.

8. Taking full advantage of tank top and shorts weather, all-day everyday. 

9. Indulging on high-quality meals at breakfast, lunch & dinner. 

10. Did I mention the sunshine and coconut water? 

-Check out my full review of Paradisus Punta Cana resort here. 

-My review of the wedding venue JellyFish Restaurant is here. 

-If you are looking for tips on planning your own all-inclusive vacation, check this out! 

Mike @ Palms&Pints

@palmsandpints 

Algonquin Park

Some of my fondest childhood memories come from time spent camping with my dad in Algonquin Park. While only being a few hours’ drive from the Toronto area, there is just something enchanting about getting away from the urban sprawl to a place where the air is fresh, the water is clear and the outdoor recreation is endless. We would spend each 3 or 4 day getaway hiking the various interpretive hiking trails, cycling the daunting mountain bike routes and of course relaxing around a campfire under the stars at night. Years later I have rediscovered my love for Ontario’s most popular provincial park and try to make it there at least once a year for my dose of Canadian escapism.

Towering Pines 

A beautiful vista, one of the countless in the park

Transportation around the park is easy. The main road (Highway 60) runs right through the park from the West Gate to the East Gate, with visitor centers at each side. Pick up a park map on your way in as all of the trails, campgrounds and other points of interest are mapped based on kilometre marking from the West Gate. This section of the park is known as the ‘corridor’, whereas the less accessible ‘interior’ can only be accessed via portage routes and is recommended for more experienced and adventurous folk.

Whiskey Rapids 

As an avid runner and cyclist I am always looking for a cardio-based outdoor adventure. The hiking trails of Algonquin are unbeatable. Each one explores a different element of the park’s geography, eco-system and history from raging rapids to beaver dams, early 20^th century logging camps to peaceful spruce bogs. The views from these trails probably haven’t changed much in hundreds of years since the early settlers portaged through the land. Be sure to grab a guidebook (50 cents) at the starting point of each trail (or from the park visitor centres during the off-season) to get an excellent description of each section of the trail via numbered posts.

Lush forests and pristine waters

A hiking trail post marker

 Unlike most of Southern Ontario’s well known lakes, many of the lakes within Algonquin Park’s boundaries ban the use of power boats, meaning both the noise and oil pollution is non-existent and the water is calm and crystal clear; a canoer's paradise. Some of the golden sand beaches I would wager could compete with the best in the country.

Blue sky reflecting off of clear waters in a typical Algonquin bog

My most recent trip to Algonquin Park was this past October. Like the last couple of years we stayed at a very well located cottage complex in Dwight, only a 15 minute drive from Algonquin’s West Gate. Full review of this property can be viewed here, but in brief as long are you are not looking for luxury, this is a clean, well equipped and very affordable option in the area. On the way back to the city be sure to stop at 3 Guys and a Stove in nearby Huntsville for the best gourmet buffet breakfast you’ve ever had!

Logging Chain Lodge - our base for all Algonquin adventures

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada in Photos

This past September my wife and I finally made it over to Ripley's Aquarium of Canada in Toronto. Working downtown, I passed by this highly reviewed attraction many times over the summer but chose to wait until the fall when the suffocating crowds they were reporting had somewhat died down. 

As the aquarium is open until 11pm on many nights, we made our reservations for 7pm and had more than enough time to explore the entire premises quite thoroughly and crowds were no issue at all.

We had a fantastic time at this creative, interactive, state-of-the-art facility and would highly recommend it to anyone living in or visiting the Toronto area.

Full details and review of our experience can be found on my TripAdvisor review here.

These are some of our favorite shots from the outing:

Arriving at the Aquarium 

Sharks overhead in the uniquely designed 'Dangerous Lagoon'

A Sawfish trolling the faux-ocean floor

Sting ray getting up close and personal in 'Ray Bay'

Chillin' with some Nemos (clownfish)

A stunning jellyfish in 'Planet Jellies'

Wifey posing with the crew from 'Ray Bay'

Thanks!

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints