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Canada

A reunion, a road trip and a valley full of wine

December 21, 2023 by Kirsten Neil 2 Comments
Rotary Park At Gellatly Bay, Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Last year, my cousin Kathy contacted me and my sis and the rest of the family on our mother's side to get together for a family reunion. It had been way too long since we had [Read more]

Posted in: Friends & Family, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Alberta, British Columbia, Canada, Kelowna, Photography, Photos, Road Trip, Travel

The beauty and the birds of Witless Bay

September 14, 2021 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
A puffin flies in Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada.

Way back in 2018 -- oh, remember those glory days before corona -- I meant to share a bit about our adventure along the Atlantic Coast while we were road tripping through [Read more]

Posted in: Artwork, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Artwork, Atlantic Canada, Birds, Canada, Newfoundland & Labrador, Photography, Photos, Puffins, Road Trip, Travel, Wildlife

On the road again: How to plan a memorable road trip

July 25, 2018 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada

In early June, we embarked on our latest Canadian road trip, this time to the furthest eastern part of North America: Newfoundland. This was our last province to tackle [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Canada, Newfoundland & Labrador, Photography, Road Trip, Travel

My life…in travel books

February 16, 2017 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Road to Hana, Maui

Three amazing adventures happened in 2015. I flew to Maui with my best friends, hit up San Francisco with my mom and sisters, and spent a weekend in Eastern Canada with my [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Canada, Maui, Niagara, Ottawa, Photography, San Francisco, Travel

How to get them to not look away

January 19, 2017 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
The Quidditch team. Highway of Tears virtual reality documentary

Sometimes we become so comfortable in sending out our stories on the same old channel, in the same old way, that we forget to focus on how people want to see it or interact [Read more]

Posted in: Content, Work Tagged: Canada, Virtual Reality, Work

18 terrific travel experiences…so far

August 30, 2016 by Kirsten Neil 1 Comment
Along the coast, Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii

"Travelling -- it leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller." When I started this blog way back when, my goal was for it to force me to write more often, become [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Banff, Canada, Cotswolds, Girls Trip, Jasper, Maui, Nova Scotia, Paris, PEI, Road Trip, Rome, Travel, Turks & Caicos, Vancouver

High altitude and high spirits in Alberta

August 11, 2016 by Kirsten Neil 4 Comments
Bow Lake viewpoint, Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park

You know what's silly? Trying to book a trip to Alberta three weeks before heading there. Especially during the height of high season. Because of such silliness, the amount of [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Alberta, Banff, Canada, Canadian Badlands, Jasper National Park, Photography, Road Trip, Travel

Manitoba roadies

May 29, 2016 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Elk, Riding Mountain National Park

Chuck and I absolutely love living the road trip life. We've tackled quite a bit of this magnificent country by car (west coast in 2010, east coast in 2014, Ontario in 2015), [Read more]

Posted in: Food & Drink, Photography, Travel, uncategorized Tagged: Canada, Manitoba, Riding Mountain National Park, Road Trip, Travel, Wasagaming, Wildlife

A fall colour analysis in eastern Canada

April 25, 2016 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Gatineau, Quebec

Weekend getaways are the best, aren't they? A short trip away from work, home and any type of responsiblity is just the ticket to rejuvinating the soul. Our latest adventure [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Autumn, Canada, Fall, Niagara, Ottawa, Photography, Road Trip, Travel, Wine tour

A feast of colour by the sea

August 26, 2014 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Lunenburg was the last destination on our road trip through the Maritimes. Located on Mahone Bay, it's a vibrant port town that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Canada, East Coast, Fishing Village, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Photography, Road Trip, The Maritmes, Travel, World Heritage Site

Uncorked in the valley

August 25, 2014 by Kirsten Neil 3 Comments
Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The Annapolis Valley is known to have some of the warmest weather and richest soils in eastern Canada. It's full of high tides, colourful farmland, and sweet, sweet wine, [Read more]

Posted in: Food & Drink, Photography, Travel Tagged: Annapolis Valley, Canada, East Coast, Nova Scotia, Photography, Road Trip, The Maritimes, Travel, Wine

#GoMedia2014

August 21, 2014 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Polar bear at CMHR. GoMedia 2014 Selfie Contest for Travel Manitoba.

Winnipeg just finished hosting GoMedia Marketplace -- the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)'s annual travel media marketplace that profiles Canadian tourism products to [Read more]

Posted in: Artwork, Travel, Work Tagged: Assiniboine Park, Canada, Contest, GoMedia, Manitoba, Selfies, Social Media, Travel Manitoba, Winnipeg

The tide is high, oh wait, now it’s low

August 12, 2014 by Kirsten Neil 3 Comments
Scots Bay, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia.

The Annapolis Valley. A place I had never heard about until I asked for East Coast travel feedback on Facebook. After the fifth person recommended the region, it was added to [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Annapolis Valley, Bay of Fundy, Canada, East Coast, Nova Scotia, Photography, Road Trip, The Maritimes, Tides, Travel

Captivated by Cape Breton

August 11, 2014 by Kirsten Neil 4 Comments
Driving the Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Scenes from our journey along the Cabot Trail, one of the world's most scenic drives.

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Cabot Trail, Canada, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Photography, Road Trip, Travel

Seafood, sea breezes and sunshine

July 31, 2014 by Kirsten Neil 5 Comments
Larry the lobster at Top Notch Lobster Tours, PEI.

This was it. This was the experience we were looking forward to the most on our East Coast trip. The one we talked about non-stop with each other and anyone else who would [Read more]

Posted in: Food & Drink, Photography, Travel Tagged: Canada, Charlottetwon, Fishing, Lobster, PEI, Photography, Road Trip, Tour, Travel
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Artwork by Kirsten Neil on ETSY

Top Posts

Discovering Naija's vibrant roots
Captivated by Cape Breton
Something wicked's lurking in the dark
A very English road trip
Tis the season?
Oh Hana -- Part II
Manitoba roadies
A lovely sunrise

INSTAGRAM

Madrid, in like a minute. 🇪🇸♥️ We only had one day Madrid, in like a minute. 🇪🇸♥️ We only had one day in Madrid, which was a shame as we found the city to be quite charming.

As we had so little time, our only excursion was a guided tour of the Museo del Prado, which houses the best collection of Spanish Art. We saw some amazing pieces both light and dark. 

Swipe to the end to see the two pieces from the Prado that floored me. The bright and chaotic triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, and the dark and fraught Saturn Devouring His Son by Goya. I’m still thinking about the room that housed Goya’s “Black Paintings.” They are gut-wrenching, harrowing masterpieces the public was never meant to see. (He painted them all on the walls of his home)
—
#ckvacays #madrid #pradomuseum #spain #kirstentravels
Short and sweet in Barcelona. 🇪🇸🐰🙏🏻 On our way ba Short and sweet in Barcelona. 🇪🇸🐰🙏🏻

On our way back to Canada this year, we stopped in Spain to see Bad Bunny’s show. We only had two days to look around this city that’s full of so much life and beauty. 

We stayed in the super walkable Eixample district and also made our way to Sagrada Família to be wowed by the most amazing church that’s over 150 years in the making…so far! And also dealt with celebrity Chuck posing for photos with all his fans. 😂 

We also ate so well here. Not one miss. 

On concert day, we bused it over to the pinchos area where we walked the street going from place to place noshing on little pinchos and drinking beer before walking up the hill to reach Estadi Olimpic for the concert. 

What a gem Barcelona is. We didn’t get nearly enough time to discover all her charms, but consider us completely charmed nonetheless. 
—
#ckvacays #barcelona #sagradafamilia #spain #kirstentravels
Bad Bunny! 🐰🔥 Most joyous concert ever! I said I Bad Bunny! 🐰🔥 Most joyous concert ever!

I said I wasn’t going to take video because I never watch concert videos after I see a show. Couldn’t help but take many. It was such a spectacle. And I’ve been watching them all on repeat since last night. The artistry of the camera work and lighting was a thing of beauty. Benito was as good a showman as they say. The vibe was unreal. 

The reason we visited Spain on our way back to Canada was for this show. I was hoping it would live up to the hype. Boy, did it ever. 

Also, not one word of English for the entire show. Not one. And it didn’t f’n matter. 
—
#ckvacays #badbunny #barcelona #badbunnybarcelona #kirstentravels
March & April in Lagos. 🇳🇬♥️ — #ckvacays #kirstent March & April in Lagos. 🇳🇬♥️
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #lagoslife
What a morning at Oshodi Market in Lagos looks lik What a morning at Oshodi Market in Lagos looks like. @ezechalzz 
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #lagoslife
Jan & Feb Lagos photo dump. ☀️🇳🇬♥️ — #theckhome #l Jan & Feb Lagos photo dump. ☀️🇳🇬♥️
—
#theckhome #lagoslife #awoyaya
Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dune Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dunes, gassy camels, desert camps, deep gorges, high mountain peaks, friendly Berbers, an even friendlier tour guide, all contained within a terrain that screams “STUNNING!” around every bend. What more can one ask for on a three-day journey? How can one fit all that in in just three days? 

Hands-down, the biggest highlight on our Moroccan adventure (besides AFCON, but that’s sports) was a journey from Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara Desert.

We found a highly-rated three-day trip from @moroccofabuloustravel via @tripadvisor. I didn’t know Morocco’s beauty could stun even more after our first few days in Fes, Chefchaouen and Tangier, but boy, did it ever. We were left enchanted…

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #morocco🇲🇦 #moroccofabuloustravel
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦

Tangier was not originally on our agenda for Morocco. But once we saw how pretty Chefchaouen (see previous post) was, and that it was conveniently situated between Tangier and Fes, we altered our plans to visit the coastal city that’s situated on the Strait of Gibraltar. 

We actually didn’t do a heck of a lot in Tangier as we were already spinning from a hectic first few days in Fes. Instead, the city became a place where we could slow down, relax and breathe in the fresh sea air.

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #tangier #morocco🇲🇦 #afcon2025
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Instagram

Madrid, in like a minute. 🇪🇸♥️ We only had one day Madrid, in like a minute. 🇪🇸♥️ We only had one day in Madrid, which was a shame as we found the city to be quite charming.

As we had so little time, our only excursion was a guided tour of the Museo del Prado, which houses the best collection of Spanish Art. We saw some amazing pieces both light and dark. 

Swipe to the end to see the two pieces from the Prado that floored me. The bright and chaotic triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, and the dark and fraught Saturn Devouring His Son by Goya. I’m still thinking about the room that housed Goya’s “Black Paintings.” They are gut-wrenching, harrowing masterpieces the public was never meant to see. (He painted them all on the walls of his home)
—
#ckvacays #madrid #pradomuseum #spain #kirstentravels
Short and sweet in Barcelona. 🇪🇸🐰🙏🏻 On our way ba Short and sweet in Barcelona. 🇪🇸🐰🙏🏻

On our way back to Canada this year, we stopped in Spain to see Bad Bunny’s show. We only had two days to look around this city that’s full of so much life and beauty. 

We stayed in the super walkable Eixample district and also made our way to Sagrada Família to be wowed by the most amazing church that’s over 150 years in the making…so far! And also dealt with celebrity Chuck posing for photos with all his fans. 😂 

We also ate so well here. Not one miss. 

On concert day, we bused it over to the pinchos area where we walked the street going from place to place noshing on little pinchos and drinking beer before walking up the hill to reach Estadi Olimpic for the concert. 

What a gem Barcelona is. We didn’t get nearly enough time to discover all her charms, but consider us completely charmed nonetheless. 
—
#ckvacays #barcelona #sagradafamilia #spain #kirstentravels
Bad Bunny! 🐰🔥 Most joyous concert ever! I said I Bad Bunny! 🐰🔥 Most joyous concert ever!

I said I wasn’t going to take video because I never watch concert videos after I see a show. Couldn’t help but take many. It was such a spectacle. And I’ve been watching them all on repeat since last night. The artistry of the camera work and lighting was a thing of beauty. Benito was as good a showman as they say. The vibe was unreal. 

The reason we visited Spain on our way back to Canada was for this show. I was hoping it would live up to the hype. Boy, did it ever. 

Also, not one word of English for the entire show. Not one. And it didn’t f’n matter. 
—
#ckvacays #badbunny #barcelona #badbunnybarcelona #kirstentravels
March & April in Lagos. 🇳🇬♥️ — #ckvacays #kirstent March & April in Lagos. 🇳🇬♥️
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #lagoslife
What a morning at Oshodi Market in Lagos looks lik What a morning at Oshodi Market in Lagos looks like. @ezechalzz 
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #lagoslife
Jan & Feb Lagos photo dump. ☀️🇳🇬♥️ — #theckhome #l Jan & Feb Lagos photo dump. ☀️🇳🇬♥️
—
#theckhome #lagoslife #awoyaya
Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dune Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dunes, gassy camels, desert camps, deep gorges, high mountain peaks, friendly Berbers, an even friendlier tour guide, all contained within a terrain that screams “STUNNING!” around every bend. What more can one ask for on a three-day journey? How can one fit all that in in just three days? 

Hands-down, the biggest highlight on our Moroccan adventure (besides AFCON, but that’s sports) was a journey from Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara Desert.

We found a highly-rated three-day trip from @moroccofabuloustravel via @tripadvisor. I didn’t know Morocco’s beauty could stun even more after our first few days in Fes, Chefchaouen and Tangier, but boy, did it ever. We were left enchanted…

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #morocco🇲🇦 #moroccofabuloustravel
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦

Tangier was not originally on our agenda for Morocco. But once we saw how pretty Chefchaouen (see previous post) was, and that it was conveniently situated between Tangier and Fes, we altered our plans to visit the coastal city that’s situated on the Strait of Gibraltar. 

We actually didn’t do a heck of a lot in Tangier as we were already spinning from a hectic first few days in Fes. Instead, the city became a place where we could slow down, relax and breathe in the fresh sea air.

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #tangier #morocco🇲🇦 #afcon2025
Follow on Instagram

Top Posts

Discovering Naija's vibrant roots
Captivated by Cape Breton
Something wicked's lurking in the dark
A very English road trip
Tis the season?
Oh Hana -- Part II
Manitoba roadies
A lovely sunrise

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