by Belt Drive Betty | Jul 17, 2026 | Travel Tips
Paris is one of those cities where even a single day, done right, leaves you with memories that last years. The key is choosing carefully — you can’t see everything, so pick the experiences that speak to you and savour them properly. Here’s how to spend 24 perfect hours in the City of Light.
Morning: Café, Seine, and Monet
Start at a classic Parisian sidewalk café — Café de Flore or Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, both legendary for their literary history and their café crème. Walk to the Seine and cross Pont des Arts with its romantic city views, then spend a contemplative morning at the Musée de l’Orangerie — smaller and more manageable than the Louvre, it houses Monet’s breathtaking Water Lilies murals in two oval rooms designed specifically for them. One of the most quietly moving experiences in all of Paris.
Mid-Morning: Montmartre
Take the metro to Montmartre and climb to Sacré-CÅ“ur Basilica for one of the best panoramic views of Paris — without the crowds of the Eiffel Tower. Then find your way to Clos Montmartre, Paris’s only working vineyard, hidden behind a wrought-iron gate on rue des Saules. The open-air square of Place du Tertre, where local artists display their work, captures the bohemian spirit that made Montmartre famous. Lunch at Le Consulat — classic French onion soup, duck confit, crisp Sancerre.
Afternoon: The Marais and the Seine
The Marais district rewards slow wandering: boutiques, art galleries, beautiful 17th-century mansions, and some of the best falafel in the world on Rue des Rosiers. For something more leisurely, a one-hour Seine River cruise puts Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower in their proper context — seen from the water, Paris makes architectural sense in a way it doesn’t from street level.
Evening: Dinner and a Nightcap
For an authentic Parisian bistro experience, Le Bon Georges is a well-kept secret: hearty French cooking at its finest — steak-frites, mushroom fricassée, classic crème caramel. For a truly unforgettable splurge, Le Cinq at the Hotel George V (three Michelin stars) offers French cuisine at its absolute peak. End the evening at Bar Hemingway inside the Ritz Paris — cozy, old-world, and the perfect place to reflect on the day over a glass of Champagne.
Paris as a Cruise Port
Many Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises include overnight port calls in Paris — or fly-cruise packages that begin or end here. Regent Seven Seas Cruises pairs particularly well with Paris, given their commitment to ultra-luxury experiences and fully inclusive shore excursions. Talk to Renée about cruise itineraries that make Paris the beginning of something bigger.
by Belt Drive Betty | Jul 10, 2026 | Travel Tips
For Albertans, the open road is second nature. And Atlantic Canada offers one of the most rewarding self-drive experiences in the country — a region where every coastal bend reveals a lighthouse, a fishing village, or a stretch of Atlantic shore that makes you pull over just to breathe it in. Here’s what 11 days looks like on this extraordinary Maritime loop.
Nova Scotia: Peggy’s Cove to the Cabot Trail
Halifax is a world-class gateway city with a vibrant waterfront, extraordinary maritime history, and a craft beer scene that punches well above its weight. From here, the South Shore drive to Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse and UNESCO-listed Lunenburg is one of Canada’s most scenic road trips. But the real showstopper is the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton — consistently ranked among the world’s most beautiful coastal drives, with hiking trails branching off to hidden waterfalls and panoramic views at every point.
Prince Edward Island: Anne’s Island
A ferry crossing from Nova Scotia brings you to PEI — glowing red sand beaches, fishing villages with colourful boats, and the gentle landscapes that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved Anne of Green Gables. The Green Gables Heritage Place is exactly as the novels describe. And Charlottetown, the birthplace of Confederation, is a charming small city with excellent seafood and a lively downtown core.
New Brunswick: Bay of Fundy and Hopewell Rocks
The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world — a fact that becomes viscerally real at Hopewell Rocks, where you can walk the ocean floor in the morning and return in the afternoon to find those same rocks now completely surrounded by water 40 feet above your earlier position. It’s one of the most astonishing natural phenomena in Canada, and it’s in your own backyard.
Planning Your Atlantic Canada Road Trip
Atlantic Canada is genuinely unknown to many Western Canadians — which makes it an extraordinary discovery trip. Fly into Halifax, pick up a rental, and drive the loop. No passports required, English spoken everywhere, and a Maritime hospitality that genuinely lives up to its reputation. It pairs beautifully with a few nights in Quebec City or Montreal if you want to make it a full Canadian grand tour.
by Belt Drive Betty | Jul 3, 2026 | Travel Tips
Lima is one of South America’s great underrated cities — and increasingly, travellers are choosing to linger longer rather than rush through on the way to Machu Picchu. The world’s second-largest desert city is home to a culinary scene that consistently ranks among the planet’s best, coastal cliffs with spectacular Pacific views, and neighbourhoods that swing from colonial grandeur to bohemian cool. Here’s how to make the most of 24 hours.
Morning: Coffee and the Coast
Start the day with Peruvian coffee — some of the best in South America, known for its vanilla-toned sweetness and nutty aroma. The brave can try emoliente, a traditional herb-infused hot drink with maca. Then head to Óvalo de Miraflores and walk south along the Malecón promenade — a cliffside path above the Pacific with sweeping ocean views. Follow it to the artsy Barranco district, where the legendary Bridge of Sighs is said to grant wishes to anyone who holds their breath while crossing.
Afternoon: Food, History, and the Plaza Mayor
Lima’s food reputation is global — the city is home to several of the world’s top 50 restaurants. But the best foodie experiences aren’t always the fanciest: try fresh ceviche at a casual spot on Calle Berlin, or sample choclo con queso (Andean corn with cheese) and papa rellena (stuffed potato with aji sauce) from street vendors. For culture, the Plaza Mayor — a UNESCO World Heritage site surrounded by the Presidential Palace and Cathedral of Lima — gives you the city’s colonial history in one stunning square.
Evening: Pisco Sours and Peñas
No visit to Lima is complete without Peru’s national cocktail, the Pisco Sour. The Museo del Pisco is the obvious starting point, but any bar worth visiting makes an excellent version. If you want to go deeper into local culture, look for a peña in Barranco — hidden-away basement restaurants where couples perform traditional dances to live music, unchanged by tourism and utterly authentic.
Routing Through Lima — How It Works from Alberta
Lima is typically a gateway city for Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and G Adventures tours throughout Peru and South America. Spending a proper day or two in Lima before heading south is one of the smartest decisions you can make — and it’s easy to build into any South America itinerary.
