MacsTravel Blog

Welcome to our Travel Blog!

We’d like to welcome friends and family to our travel blog! Rather than sharing some of our adventures through social media tools we thought we might take advantage of this technology as a sort of journal to capture some of our experiences for our own benefit as our capacity to remember seems to decline in inverse proportion to our age! We would also like to share our adventures with those who have an interest (thanks friends!) or a feeling of obligation to have some sense of what we are doing and where we are going (thanks family!)

We hope you enjoy following along!

Robin and Rich

Our Latest Posts

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• Villa Sonia BotticelliJune 4, 2025
  Where to start? We started talking about a university friends reunion in Italy to celebrate over 40 years of friendship and the 60th birthdays for most of our group a… Read more: Villa Sonia Botticelli
• FirenzeJune 4, 2025
  At one point or another on this trip, all ten of us squeezed in a visit to Firenze (Florence). Whereas most of the group fit this in before our villa… Read more: Firenze
• Tuscan TownsJune 2, 2025
  One of the wonderful features of Tuscany are the numerous, impossibly picturesque small towns which pepper the countryside. This short post covers some of the ones explored by various members… Read more: Tuscan Towns
• SienaMay 31, 2025
  On our last two trips to Tuscany we had a chance to visit the wonderful city of Siena. In August. In high 30 temps. With 10,000 other tourists. So it… Read more: Siena
• San GimignanoMay 29, 2025
  Over the course of our week long stay at our villa in Tuscany we had plans to visit a few hill towns as a group. First up on the list… Read more: San Gimignano
• LuccaMay 23, 2025
  Lucca feels like a bit of an oasis after the overtly touristy vibe of visiting Pisa. Not to say that there aren’t tourists here (after all, we were in Lucca… Read more: Lucca
• PisaMay 21, 2025
  We woke up Tuesday morning to threats of torrential rain in the forecast which put our plans to visit Pisa on our way to Lucca (where we had plans to… Read more: Pisa
• The Cinque TerreMay 20, 2025
  We had a lovely few days in The Cinque Terre with friends Lisa, Pete, Scot and Anne. The weather cooperated and staying in one of the villages (Monterosso) gave us… Read more: The Cinque Terre
• Monterosso al MareMay 18, 2025
  We zipped to Florence from Bologna and picked up our friends Lisa and Pete. This involved a considerable amount of packing and repacking the “mid”-sized MG hatchback, but once we… Read more: Monterosso al Mare
• BolognaMay 16, 2025
  “La Dotta, la Grassa, la Rossa” -motto of the city of Bologna In English, “the learned, the fat, and the red”, this motto sums up this quirky and charming city,… Read more: Bologna
• VeronaMay 14, 2025
  Before we get to “fair Verona” you have to get into “fair Verona”, which involves an inordinate number of multi laned roundabouts. We were staying in the historic Castelvecchio Apartments… Read more: Verona
• Bardolino vs ValpolicellaMay 14, 2025
  We had to be out of our accommodations fairly early on our last day in Riva del Garda, so we decided to take advantage of the lovely weather and find… Read more: Bardolino vs Valpolicella
• Riva del GardaMay 11, 2025
  We have always been interested in exploring the Italian Lake District, and decided on Lake Garda for this trip. Lake Garda sits just to the west of Verona and runs… Read more: Riva del Garda
• Modena, ItalyMay 9, 2025
  We arrived at our B&B in Modena wrung out from a long day of travel: a flight from Toronto to Zurich followed by a delayed connection to Florence where we… Read more: Modena, Italy
• Mijas CostaFebruary 25, 2025
  We spent the bulk of our time on this trip to Spain staying in a one bedroom apartment at the Las Mimosas Beach Club in Mijas Costa, located between Malaga… Read more: Mijas Costa
• Ronda, Setinel de las Bodegas and Gibraltar, or, “Two Towns and a Territory”February 25, 2025
  Our four weeks in Spain overlapped a little with our friends Mary Lynn and Garth’s stay here, so we decided to take a couple of days to do a little… Read more: Ronda, Setinel de las Bodegas and Gibraltar, or, “Two Towns and a Territory”
• CómpetaFebruary 19, 2025
  The wonderful Robin MacPherson turned 60 (!) on this vacation, and we wanted to find a special spot to celebrate. Our original thought was to stay somewhere near the seaside… Read more: Cómpeta
• CordobaFebruary 14, 2025
  While much of this trip to Spain was to be dedicated to relaxing on the Costa del Sol, we did want to explore a few places that we had missed… Read more: Cordoba
• Malaga, January 2025February 4, 2025
  Our four week winter trip to Spain was a relatively late decision. We have planned a big trip to Italy in May 2025 with friends we’ve known since university days,… Read more: Malaga, January 2025
• The Seven Hanging Valleys TrailMarch 10, 2024
  We woke up to beautiful sunshine on our last full day in Portugal. After breakfast we checked out and drove down to the trailhead for the Percurso dos Sete Vales… Read more: The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail
• LagosMarch 9, 2024
  When we woke up it was pouring rain. It rained solidly until noon, let up for a bit, and then, as we pulled into the town of Lagos, it came… Read more: Lagos
• Ferragudo and the Caminho dos PromontóriosMarch 8, 2024
  Booking a spot in the off-season in Portugal’s famous Algarve was trickier than one might think. Our visit here was in the final stretch of a six week trip, and… Read more: Ferragudo and the Caminho dos Promontórios
• LisboaMarch 5, 2024
  Lisbon (Lisboa) is a city that feels lived in and authentically local. Despite the influx of visitors and its growing popularity with cruise boats, it has a gritty beauty rather… Read more: Lisboa
• Sintra, Cabo da Roca and CascaisMarch 5, 2024
  We took one day while in Lisbon for a trip to Sintra, the nearby hill town that was the traditional escape for Portugal’s aristocracy and which is the location of… Read more: Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais
• The return to MalagaFebruary 29, 2024
  We began our trip to Spain with an overnight in Malaga in early February. As many visitors to Andalusia do, we were using Malaga as a launch point to other… Read more: The return to Malaga
• Spanish Side TripsFebruary 28, 2024
  Although we had decided to set up a base in each place we stayed in Spain (Sevilla, Granada, Ronda, Cadiz and Malaga for a minimum of four day at a… Read more: Spanish Side Trips
• Cadiz and the Carnaval ChiquitoFebruary 25, 2024
  We are big fans of guidebooks when trip planning, and the Rick Steves series of travel books are typically some of the best. They are heavy on information and logistics… Read more: Cadiz and the Carnaval Chiquito
• Jerez de La FonteraFebruary 24, 2024
  Jerez de La Fontera is a town of a couple of hundred thousand people which lies 30 minutes to the north of Cadiz. It’s primarily famous for sherry and horses.… Read more: Jerez de La Fontera
• Zahara and GrazalemaFebruary 22, 2024
  Based on the title, some of you might be under the impression that this entry is about Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters. You are wrong. First off, in the Disney version of… Read more: Zahara and Grazalema
• Camino(s)February 21, 2024
  Earlier in the week I stopped by the local tourist information office in Ronda to see if they had any suggestions as to some day hikes that we might explore… Read more: Camino(s)
• Welcome to RondaFebruary 19, 2024
  The trip from Granada to Ronda was surprisingly seamless: a two hour bus ride to Malaga, a painless pick up of our rental car, a decent lunch (!) in the… Read more: Welcome to Ronda
• Sunny Days in GranadaFebruary 16, 2024
  Our four day visit to Granada finished in sunshine as we had two glorious days of blue skies and temperatures in the mid to high teens. It was great weather… Read more: Sunny Days in Granada
• The AlhambraFebruary 16, 2024
  Th Alhambra is the greatest remaining Moorish palace and was the last stronghold of Moorish civilization in Spain. It is the primary attraction in Granada, with more than 8000 visitors… Read more: The Alhambra
• Welcome to GranadaFebruary 15, 2024
  We took the bus from Sevilla to Granada, 25€ for the two of us. The ride involved a few detours due to construction but the highways were blissfully free of… Read more: Welcome to Granada
• Bario Santa Cruz and the city beneath the cityFebruary 14, 2024
  We had two days with some rain, a rarity in this city. It was certainly welcomed by the farmers who have been facing historic drought in Spain. One rainy afternoon… Read more: Bario Santa Cruz and the city beneath the city
• Food in SevillaFebruary 13, 2024
  Sevilla is blessed by access to incredible food: fresh fruit and vegetables as well as high quality meat and fish are readily available. The supermarkets are well organized and well… Read more: Food in Sevilla
• Plazas, Patios y PaseosFebruary 12, 2024
  One of the charming aspects of Sevilla are the distinctive barios (neighbourhoods) that are within a short walk of the historic centre. Over the course of a few days we… Read more: Plazas, Patios y Paseos
• The Cathedral, Giralda and Royal AlcazarFebruary 9, 2024
  Truus and Darren’s apartment is located on Calle Torneo alongside the canal, which features a lovely, long multipurpose pathway filled with walkers, cyclists and runners, and a waterway full of… Read more: The Cathedral, Giralda and Royal Alcazar
• SevillaFebruary 9, 2024
  The morning went smoothly. We woke up in our tiny Ibis Budget hotel room, squeezed our way into the hallway and made our way downstairs where we lingered over a… Read more: Sevilla
• Welcome to SpainFebruary 9, 2024
  It has been an unseasonably mild winter so far in Ontario. With the exception of the bitter cold snap over the weekend of our daughter Taylor’s wedding to Mike, it’s… Read more: Welcome to Spain
• HomewardSeptember 11, 2023
  We took almost three weeks to wind our way out to British Columbia. We took four days to come home. Initially we had thought we might explore a few of… Read more: Homeward
• Kelowna and the Myra Canyon TrestlesSeptember 5, 2023
  We returned to a very different Kelowna than the one we had left. The fires were under control in the Okanagan, evacuation orders had been lifted. While there were still… Read more: Kelowna and the Myra Canyon Trestles
• WhistlerSeptember 3, 2023
  The Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler is breathtakingly beautiful with dramatic sea views to the left and the towering Coastal Mountains to the right. Allegedly. We drove… Read more: Whistler
• The Flush, and more parks!August 27, 2023
  Highway 4, which bisects the Big Island and links the East Coast to the West Coast, has been a construction nightmare for years. The current focus is on the stretch… Read more: The Flush, and more parks!
• TofinoAugust 25, 2023
  Tofino is one of those rare tourism touchstones that meets expectations. And that is no small feat. We turned north from our overnight stop near Nanaimo and headed for Highway… Read more: Tofino
• The road (and boat) to Vancouver IslandAugust 23, 2023
  It was a while until we saw blue sky. The drive from Kelowna was a hazy one, even as we climbed high into the the Cascades on our way to… Read more: The road (and boat) to Vancouver Island
• Kelowna, August 17-19August 18, 2023
  We arrived to gathering plumes from the hills over West Kelowna. We were preparing to meet up with Robin’s brother and family before heading off to explore Vancouver Island together.… Read more: Kelowna, August 17-19
• Hazy Days in BCAugust 16, 2023
  As we left Jasper the wildfire smoke from the previous day had cleared, and we were treated to a beautiful day for driving back down the Icefields Parkway towards Lake… Read more: Hazy Days in BC
• Jasper National ParkAugust 15, 2023
  Wow. Banff and Jasper National Parks are linked by the incredible Icefields Parkway, which runs for over 230km through the parks from Lake Louise. It is an absolutely spectacular drive,… Read more: Jasper National Park
• Calgary, Canmore and old friendsAugust 14, 2023
  It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. Ralph Waldo Emerson We had Calgary circled on our calendar. Glenn and… Read more: Calgary, Canmore and old friends
• More Badlands in Dinosaur Provincial ParkAugust 13, 2023
  We had not expected this to be our second “badlands park” in a row. Grasslands had been an awesome surprise in terms of the variety and beauty of the terrain… Read more: More Badlands in Dinosaur Provincial Park
• Grasslands National ParkAugust 9, 2023
  We pulled into Regina for a hotel stop before our next six days of camping in Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan followed by Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta. The drive… Read more: Grasslands National Park
• We were promised skinks!August 5, 2023
  The drive from Fort Frances to the Manitoba boarder is incredible: empty roads rise and dip through shield rock, bending around jewel blue lakes and crossing dancing rivers. As you… Read more: We were promised skinks!
• The Scenic Route, or Gas Gauge Obsession.August 3, 2023
  We had filled up in Wawa. In retrospect we should have topped up in Thunder Bay. When you leave Highway 17 for Highway 11 (also known as MOM’s Road- an… Read more: The Scenic Route, or Gas Gauge Obsession.
• A Quetico Catch-UpAugust 2, 2023
  We left The Voy, our hotel in Schrieber, well caffeinated and ready to push on to our second camping location, Quetico Provincial Park. The Voy was a joy: recently purchased… Read more: A Quetico Catch-Up
• The North Shore- Lake SuperiorJuly 31, 2023
  Robin and I have been married for 33 years (!), sharing three wonderful kids and one wonderful grandson, an incredible group of friends and extended family, one neurotic dog and… Read more: The North Shore- Lake Superior
• Aokari Mount Cook National ParkMarch 27, 2023
  Aotearoa (Māori word for New Zealand, meaning “land of the long white cloud”) has no shortage of iconic destinations. At or near the top of that list is Mount Cook… Read more: Aokari Mount Cook National Park
• Fiordland and Milford SoundMarch 26, 2023
  Fiordland National Park is huge. Jamaica huge. 1.2 million hectares huge. It makes up a large chunk of the south west coast of New Zealand, sits on the tectonic plate… Read more: Fiordland and Milford Sound
• QueenstownMarch 24, 2023
  We had booked three nights in Queenstown at the wonderful Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel, the kind of place that is certainly not our typical spot. Lovely room, individually prepared gourmet… Read more: Queenstown
• High Country and the South IslandMarch 23, 2023
  James Baxter is one of New Zealand’s best known poets. In “High Country Weather” he perfectly encapsulates our feelings in travelling by train and car from Christchurch across the Southern… Read more: High Country and the South Island
• Christchurch- a city in transitionMarch 20, 2023
  As one would expect there are hazards to be found in Christchurch. Of the two while the former may be feel more immediate the latter is certainly the more serious.… Read more: Christchurch- a city in transition
• The Coastal Pacific RailwayMarch 20, 2023
  Due to the absence of a rental car anywhere within a 100km of Picton on the South Island we were forced to scramble a bit to get from Blenheim to… Read more: The Coastal Pacific Railway
• Heading SouthMarch 18, 2023
  After the exhilaration of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing we crashed hard only for Robin to awake to the sound of what sounded like air raid sirens at 11:30 pm. Robin… Read more: Heading South
• The Tongariro Alpine CrossingMarch 16, 2023
  The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is considered one of the best hikes in New Zealand and one of the top day hikes anywhere. Over 20km and roughly 8 hours you cross… Read more: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing
• Waitomo and the Glow Worm Tour!March 15, 2023
  Today was a travel day. We were heading to Tongariro National Park and the wide open spaces of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, one of the most famous one day hikes… Read more: Waitomo and the Glow Worm Tour!
• Culture, Kai and ConnectionsMarch 13, 2023
  Our last night in Rotorua featured a visit to Te Puia for Māori Kai (food) and cultural storytelling. It was a fabulous evening. Te Puia is an education centre that… Read more: Culture, Kai and Connections
• RotoruaMarch 13, 2023
  New Zealand sits astride two great tectonic plates: the Pacific and the Australian. The North Island and some of the South sits on the latter while most of the South… Read more: Rotorua
• Where are we? Welcome to Middle Earth!March 11, 2023
  The astute reader of this blog may have noticed a peculiar omission from the graphic that adorns the home page. New Zealand, a country that is very much the focus… Read more: Where are we? Welcome to Middle Earth!
• 72 Hours in Sydney!March 10, 2023
  Day One Upon arriving in Sydney we had a short walk to our hotel on the edge of Chinatown, five minutes north of the Central Station. After an early check… Read more: 72 Hours in Sydney!
• The Blue MountainsMarch 6, 2023
  “We’re not in Collingwood anymore!” With apologies to “The Wizard of Oz” We landed in Sydney after a three hour flight from The Red Center to find the city in… Read more: The Blue Mountains
• Evenings in The Red CenterMarch 4, 2023
  First a correction. There is some confusion about what exactly the word Uluru refers to. I was under the impression that it was a widespread replacement for Ayers Rock. While… Read more: Evenings in The Red Center
• The Kata Tjuṯa Domes (“The Olgas”)March 2, 2023
  Like its counterpart Ularu, the Kata Tjuṯa domes are both culturally significant and physically impressive. In the late 1800s these domes were named the Olgas after a German benefactor who… Read more: The Kata Tjuṯa Domes (“The Olgas”)
• Uluru and The Red CentreMarch 2, 2023
  Our trip to Uluru from Melbourne did not get off to an auspicious start. We ordered a “maxi-taxi” to ferry the four of us and our mound of luggage to… Read more: Uluru and The Red Centre
• Melbourne and The Great Ocean RoadMarch 1, 2023
  Melbourne was a bit of an afterthought. In our initial planning we had intended to travel to Uluru with Lisa and Pete between visiting Patty and Graham in Adelaide and… Read more: Melbourne and The Great Ocean Road
• Adelaide and AreaFebruary 27, 2023
  We have thoroughly enjoyed our visit to South Australia. Graham and Patty have been absolutely fabulous hosts touring us to their favourite spots, preparing incredible meals and sharing fantastic wine.… Read more: Adelaide and Area
• Rattle your bag PeteFebruary 26, 2023
  Australia is filled with amazing animals who aren’t necessarily lethal. On the top of our list as first time visitors to Australia were close encounters with Koalas and Kangaroos! In… Read more: Rattle your bag Pete
• Fun at The Fringe!February 24, 2023
  I’m sure many of us are aware of the Fringe festival concept from hearing about the annual summer event in Edinburgh. When we started planning our visit to Australia Patty… Read more: Fun at The Fringe!
• McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Wine SceneFebruary 24, 2023
  If you have any interest in wine at all you will be familiar with the wines of the McLaren Vale. This beautiful region is only a short drive from Adelaide.… Read more: McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Wine Scene
• Welcome to Adelaide! Day OneFebruary 24, 2023
  The trip to Adelaide from Heron Island was a bit of an odyssey. It started with a two hour journey on the catamaran in pretty rough waters. The captain began… Read more: Welcome to Adelaide! Day One
• Heron Island Part 3- The ReefFebruary 23, 2023
  Visiting the Great Barrier Reef has been a bucket list item for Robin and me for a very long time: other than seeing our friends Sarah, Ian, Patty and Graham… Read more: Heron Island Part 3- The Reef
• Heron Island Part 2- The TurtlesFebruary 22, 2023
  One of our great hopes for our visit to Heron was that we would have the opportunity to see the nesting green turtles. We had read that we were nearing… Read more: Heron Island Part 2- The Turtles
• Heron Island Part 1: The BirdsFebruary 20, 2023
  From the moment we started planning out our trip to Australia we knew that visiting the Great Barrier Reef would be one of our top priorities. Initially the options seemed… Read more: Heron Island Part 1: The Birds
• Welcome to BrisbaneFebruary 17, 2023
  Our first stop in Australia is the city of Brisbane. Initially we selected Brisbane as a launching point for accessing the Great Barrier Reef with our travelling companions for this… Read more: Welcome to Brisbane
• Kei tawhiti koe Auckland!February 16, 2023
  One of the most striking things about Auckland is the ubiquity of te reo Māori, the language of Māori people. While you see reference to it everywhere and hear it… Read more: Kei tawhiti koe Auckland!
• Let’s roll with it!February 15, 2023
  Well last night was an adventure. Thanks to the cyclone dismissively referred to as “Gabby” by the New Zealanders we’ve met, we were stuck in Auckland without a flight or… Read more: Let’s roll with it!
• Cyclone Gabrielle 1- Macs 0February 14, 2023
  Our early optimism about escaping Auckland without incident proved to be very optimistic. Cyclone Gabby came as advertised: the most dangerous cyclone New Zealand has seen this century. Due to… Read more: Cyclone Gabrielle 1- Macs 0
• En routeFebruary 13, 2023
  I’m writing this as we sit in the airport lounge in Auckland, fortifying ourselves after 22 hours of travel from Toronto via Vancouver. The 14 hour flight here from YVR… Read more: En route
• Preparing to Board!February 4, 2023
  The pandemic isn’t over. Logically we know this. In fact we both received our fifth COVID shot in the past two weeks, along with the requisite headache, chills and aching… Read more: Preparing to Board!

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