All was ice, white curving fingers spilling from mountain valleys. Dark lines of ground rock defined each icy highway
KLUANE NATIONAL PARK AND RESERVE, Yukon – I’ve been a geography nut since I was a kid. My noggin is full of useless facts. In pre-metric days, I memorized details of the world’s highest and lowest: Mount Everest, 29,028 feet; Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, 35,814 feet. As a proud Canadian, I knew that…
Historic, colourful, quaint and sleep-deprived Dawson City; and up the perilous, muddy Dempster Highway
Upon our return from six weeks exploring Canada’s north, friends enquired, “So what was your favourite place?” And each time, gazing distantly while recalling the amazing scenery, people and places we encountered, I answered: “Haven’t a clue.” But Dawson City, Yukon, is a good start. I love Dawson. Unlike cruise-ship destinations on the nearby Alaska…
Discovering Virginia Falls, a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site – and learning a little German
ON THE ALASKA HIGHWAY – In German, weichei means soft egg. It defines a person’s character. In Canada, we call them wimps. Charly Kudlacek is from Frankfurt in the German state of Hesse and, as eggs go, is hard-boiled. We met Charly and his wife Marion in a remote campground at Summit Lake on the…
Would it really benefit Canada to get into bed with these types – even if the bed was a hammock swaying in a tropical breeze?
I once had political aspirations. It was the early 1980s. A federal election was brewing. At the same time, a tiny chain of British islands in the Caribbean – Turks and Caicos Islands – had expressed interest in forming an association with Canada. What a great idea: Canada’s own warm winter destination. No more currency…
The beauty and hospitality of Italy soon becomes apparent whether astride a bicycle or driving down its twisting, narrow country roads
The Most Serene Republic of San Marino is located in the middle of Italy. At 62 square km, it's one of the smallest nations in the world. Although only a few dozen kilometres from Italy’s Adriatic Coast, San Marino’s summit is almost 800 metres above sea level. And crowning this mountainous micro-state is the medieval…
Basking in the splendour, charm and hospitality of southern Italy, particularly when you wander off the beaten track
On a lonely country road near Ostuni, in the province of Puglia – the heel of Italy’s boot – I stopped to photograph a field of poppies in an olive grove. After a few happy snaps, I jumped back in the car and motored on. Fifteen minutes later, I reached for my daypack and realized…
Climbing Fisher requires no mountaineering equipment, no technical skills. But the steady steepness makes for a long, hard day
Once in a blue moon something improbable occurs. A goal beyond expectations and beyond the capacity of aging knees is accomplished. The view of Fisher Peak from our Kimberley, B.C., condo is mesmerizing. For years I’ve gazed across the Rocky Mountain Trench at that daunting, taunting pinnacle. Fisher dominates the skyline in this range of…
In the last of a four-part series on India, Gerry Feehan explores a world of exotic spices – and encounters Joe Tourist yet again
After three chaotic days in Mumbai, we boarded a plane for the relative calm of Kerala on India’s extreme southwestern tip. The “land of coconuts” is a tropical paradise dense with rainforest, wild elephants, monkeys, tea plantations – and spices. Kerala is home to a wonder of zesty flavours: pepper, cinnamon, liquorice, chili, cardamom, ginger,…
In Part 3 of a four-part series, Gerry Feehan explores one square kilometre that will forever be seared into his memory
It was in the rooftop restaurant of the InterContinental Hotel in Mumbai that we first encountered Joe Tourist. He was at the other end of the open-air bistro, ordering sushi. “Hey,” he shouted across the floor at the flustered waiter, “make that four tuna belly and throw in an extra order of unagi.” Ordering sushi…
In the second of a four-part series on India, Gerry Feehan visits the Taj Mahal and the blessed Ganges
The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. Constructed of ivory marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, the Taj Mahal is described as the world’s most perfect building. The Taj does not disappoint. The grand mausoleum is best viewed in…
In Part 1 of a four-part series, Gerry Feehan avoids ‘Delhi belly’ and discovers that India is a photographer’s paradise
This is the first in a four-part series on India. “India. Are you nuts?” an incredulous friend remarked. “Why would you want to go there? It’s dirty, crowded, smelly and full of stray cows.” So I was anxious as I stared out the window of the 787 Dreamliner on descent into New Delhi after a…
At every turn, a mind-blowing vista opened before us. But always – far below – lay Lake O’Hara, an artist’s palette in aquamarine
A Red Deer friend described Lake O’Hara Lodge in Yoho National Park, B.C., as the most beautiful place she’d ever been. My wife and I have done our share of travel to exotic and wonderful places so my expectations for our three-day visit to O’Hara were tempered with a grain of salt. The lodge, accessible…