Faro in Southern Portugal is one of the world's most exclusive golfing resorts, and a popular tourist town too. Located on the Central Algarve coast it is home to the region's international airport and offers numerous golf courses and beaches to visit - all within a few minutes drive of each other.

The Golf – There are twenty excellent golf courses along the Algarve coast. The ones closest to Faro are the Ocean Golf Course - an 18-hole course with great views of the Atlantic; the Pinheiros Altos, a par 72 course with a putting green, driving range, golf academy, restaurants and bars; the Quinta da Lago South which has hosted the Portuguese Open several times; and the feature-packed Royal Golf Course. If you are prepared to drive around the Algarve even more golfing delights await!

More than just Golf? There’s definitely more to Faro than just golf. The Aquabus - a submarine with a glass hull - will take you on a magical, mystical underwater ride that you won’t forget. Then you have Atlantic Park - a fun-filled water park with rides and adventure for all the family. A short drive away from Faro is Lagos Zoo, and, if you are travelling with children, you won't want to miss Krazy World, with its own mini-golf, an alligator swamp, turtle town, and a whole lot of other fun-stuff.

Eating and Shopping in Faro – Faro town centre is a delight for those in search of good places to eat and places to shop in the Algarve. Restaurants and coffee-shops are numerous in number, and cater for all tastes. There are showrooms offering designer wear, and an impressive array of small arcades where you can explore Portugal's local brands. The alternative is to wade through Faro's monthly market, which abounds in ceramics, leather goods, jewellery, and local antiques.

Faro Beach and Ria Formosa – Between the sea and the lagoon there is a scattering of sand dunes of varying sizes. Whereas in a typical overcrowded resort you would be hard-pressed to find a tiny spot on the beach to call your own, here you can claim your own little island of serenity. Ilha de Faro is one such island with restaurants and other tourist amenities. The Ria Formosa lagoon is home to some amazing wildlife, including pink flamingoes. Why not enjoy them from the open deck of a waterside restaurant on Ilha de Faro. It is an experience that you'll never forget!

Kichwa Tembo is a large and well –maintained tented camp just outside the national reserve to the northwest. Popular with its predominantly American clientele for its setting and high standards, Kichwa Tembo has an aura of permanence and quality. Although guests sleep in tents, the camp has the trappings and comforts of a first-class permanent lodge. There are notice boards in the lobby, a large gift shop, laundry service and carefully tended and fenced grounds. Most of the camp faces broad, park like lawns with dramatic cactus gardens. Beyond, there are wide open vistas of the Mara Savannah.

One of Mara’s largest tented camps with 45 well-appointed tents, Kichwa Tembo has also six rondavels to cater to those who prefer to sleep behind walls. The tents are set fairly close together, but they all have private views from their verandas. Many face the long sweeping Mara view while others look over more secluded forested areas alive with birds and monkeys.

The tents are spacious with many screened “windows” and a large bathroom with stone floor. Kichwa Tembo means elephants head in Swahili, and the elephant theme is reflected in the rugs and bedspreads.

You approach the camp on a shaded dirt road through a dense stretch of indigenous forest, home to an interesting variety of monkeys. The circular lobby with its high thatched roof and red polished floor is cool and dark, a marked contrast with the view which greets you out the other side-golden space stretching forever.

The long dining room and circular lounge have wide openings between stone pillars and also face this marvelous vista. Afternoon tea and sandwiches are served in the lounge with its heavy wooden chairs, low tables, and yellow lights in hanging baskets. The roof is lovely-thatch lined with pale golden papyrus which contrasts with dramatic black supporting beams.

There is a secluded swimming pool, its unusual shape edged by big boulders and gardens of cacti and palms. On the lawns surrounding the pool are chairs and comfortable lounges. It is quite luxurious to swim in the heat of the day, then lie in comfort with a cool drink and watch for wild animals which might be only a stone’s throw away.

Most guests fly to the Kichwa Tembo airstrip just five minutes from the camp. There are package rates which include game drives, (the camp operates 26 land cruisers). You can go on a nature walk or visit a Masai manyatta. Picnic lunches are available, and there are binoculars for hire. Masai dancers perform most evenings, and it is possible to organize bush breakfasts or banquets-even a “black-tie” dinner which is served under the stars with crystal glasses etc. (P.S you don’t really need a tie)

My exciting long weekend in Montreal unfortunately had to come to an end. After an exciting day of exploration yesterday that ended with an absolutely delicious dinner at Nuances, the fine dining restaurant at the Casino de Montreal, capped by an impressive pyro-musical performance at La Ronde, I rested up so I would be able to squeeze in a few more hours of discovery this morning. One more exploration of the city before I would have to had back to Toronto on the train before noon.

With all my suitcases duly packed I went off for one more urban adventure. Fortunately checkout wasn't until noon, so I was able to leave my luggage at the hotel and just head off with my camera and my backpack. I started walking west on Rue De La Gauchetière Ouest which starts off as a fairly small street surrounded by five or six story high older buildings. The first major sight I came across was St. Patrick's Basilica.

This gothic revival building, a designated Canadian heritage site, is one of the most magnificent examples of this style in all of Canada. The massive arrival of Irish immigrants in the early 1800s created the need for more houses of worship and construction of St. Patrick's was started in 1843 with the first mass being celebrated in 1847. The interior of this church features 150 oil paintings of saints and is known for the "St. Patrick's Chimes", a chime system composed of ten bells, the oldest of which dates back to 1774.

I continued west past increasingly modern buildings until I happened across a major urban square: Dorchester Square, formerly known as Dominion Square. This wide open public space is a former cemetery which held the victims of the 1832 cholera epidemic. Today it holds several statues, including a monument commemorating the victims of the Boers War, a statue of Robert Burns - a Scottish poet, and another statue of Sir Wilfried Laurier, a former Canadian prime minister.

The south side of the square is called Place du Canada, which is the setting for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony which honours Canadians that were killed in the First and Second World Wars as well as the Korean War. Dorchester Square is surrounded by several magnificent buildings. The north end holds the Dominion Square Building which is also the location of the Centre Infotouriste, Montreal Tourism's headquarters.

The east side of Dorchester Square is adorned by one of Montreal's most astounding buildings: Mary Queen of the World Cathedral. This impressive church is one of two surviving local churches from the era before 1875. It illustrates the power that the church wielded before the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s. One of Montreal's catholic bishops, Ignace Bourget, devised a grandiose plan to outshine the Notre Dame Basilica.

He decided to commission a church that would be a replica of Rome's St. Peter's Cathedral with a location right in the middle of a Protestant neighbourhood. Construction lasted from 1870 to 1894 and the copper statues of thirteen patron saints of Montreal's parishes were installed in 1900. The church underwent extensive modernization in the 1950s. In recent years there has been significant reconstruction and the statue of Bishop Ignace Bourget outside the cathedral was restored in 2005. Mary Queen of the World was named a National Historic Site of Canada on May 14, 2006.

Further north on Place du Canada is the Sun Life Building which was finished in 1931 after three stages of construction. It was built exclusively for the Sun Life Assurance Company and measures 122 meters in height and counts 24 stories. Although the new head office of the Royal Bank of Canada at 360 Saint Jacques Street in Montreal was taller by several floors, the Sun Life Building was at the time the largest building in terms of square footage anywhere in the British Empire. The Sun Life Building has historic significance: during World War II the basement vaults of the Sun Life Building were the secret hiding place of the Crown Jewels of England and the gold bullion of the Bank of England. Today it stands as Montreal's 17th highest building.

On the West side of Place du Canada are also several historic buildings, starting with St. George's Anglican Church, a Gothic Revival-style church, which was opened for worship in October of 1870. Its main features include the magnificent double hammer-beam roof, one of the largest of its type in the world. The unique column-free interior combines elements of both English and French Gothic plans, and the church features magnificent wood carvings in the chancel.

The original bells of the church had to be sent out to a country church since the sound of the 13 bells was considered too loud for a city church. A new set of 10 bells of a lower tone was installed in 1901 and the new sound was deemed to be beautiful. The original architect considered to include a clock in the clock tower but was concerned about a clock spoiling the appearance. In addition, with the church facing Windsor Station, the architect was afraid of the wrath of railway passengers in the event that the clock was going to be inaccurate. Nevertheless, the clock was installed, only losing 6 seconds a year. A public clock was extremely important to people at the time since wrist watches had not been invented yet and pocket watches were difficult to access under thick winter apparel.

Right across the Street from St. George's is Windsor Station - one of Montreal's historic railway stations. Cornelius Van Horne, the famous chairman of Canadian Pacific, asked well-known architect Bruce Price to draw up plans for a modern railway station in 1887 to serve Canada's transcontinental railroad. Price had already gained lots of experience from constructing skyscrapers in Manhattan, he had also built the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, the Banff Springs Hotel and other chateau-style buildings across Canada and was the prime candidate to build this project. The railway station opened in 1889 and was enlarged in 1916 with a 15-story main tower. Windsor Station, built in a solid Richardson Romanesque revival style, witnessed a big expansion in rail travel in the early 20th century. In 1979 Windsor Station was abandoned in favour of Montreal's Gare Centrale for transcontinental passenger traffic, but continued to house local commuter trains until 1993. Today it holds a hotel, a variety of stores and offices and the beautifully preserved central concourse still features the original arrivals and departure board and is used as a venue for major events. A major beer festival is also held at the Station annually. In recognition of its historic and architectural significance Windsor Station was named the first heritage train station in Canada in 1990.

After my explorations on Dorchester Square I strolled to the north-east end of this grand public space to enter one of Montreal's most popular streets: Rue St-Catharines. This street stretches for a length of 15 km and is Montreal's main commercial artery. Hundreds of stores and fashion retailers are located along this busy street and it also is the main location of the Montreal Jazz Festival. Since the 1960s several shopping centres have sprouted up and replaced some of the older townhouses that used to flank this historical thoroughfare. Montreal's Eaton Centre is the most recent addition to the shopping centres on St. Catharines.

This street also features a wealth of historic buildings including Christ Church Cathedral. This impressive Neo-Gothic church was built in 1858 and consecrated in 1867 in the growing Gold Square Mile area. The architect Frank Mills used the cathedral of Salisbury, his home town, as a model for this building. The church features a beautiful stained glass window and surprisingly, the church itself rests on the roofs of an underground mall. Prior to the construction of the mall, the church was actually sinking into the soft ground. Indeed the original steeple had to be removed in 1927 due to its heavy weight and a much lighter steeple made of aluminum was constructed in 1940. Today the underground shopping centre, whose 1987 excavation required the church to be supported by concrete beams in mid-air, provides adequate structural support for the church. The 34-story office tower behind the church is topped by a crown of thorns and makes for a popular photo motif.

I continued to walk east on St. Catherines and happened upon Phillips Square, a beautiful urban space where the retail trade began in Montreal. Rue St. Catharines had formerly been a purely residential area. Henry Morgan, a Scottish immigrant with excellent connections in the dry goods retail trade in Glasgow, had moved a retail store to a new location at St. Catharines and Phillips Square after the old city , location of most of the retailers warehouses, had suffered a devastating flood in 1886. This store, built in the solid Richardson Romanesque style, later became "The Bay", for the "Hudson's Bay Company", which is a chain of about 100 fashion department stores operating throughout Canada whose origins date back to the fur traders of the 1600s. The centre of Phillips Square is home to a monument of King Edward VII, and a Birks jewellery store, located in an attractive sandstone building, flanks the square on the west side.

It was getting close to departure time so I speeded up my walk back to the hotel. There was one more major architectural attraction on my way: St. James United Church. Completed in 1889, the present St. James Church is the fourth home of the St. James congregation and due to its impressive size it used to be known as the Cathedral Church of Methodism. The two towers anchored around a central large rose window are reminiscent of great French Gothic cathedrals. As a matter of fact, St. James United Church was hidden by commercial storefronts from 1926 onwards in order to raise revenue. The church remained concealed for more than 78 years and after the demolition of the commercial buildings it was finally uncovered again in 2005 and is currently undergoing some exterior renovations.

On my way back to the hotel I thought what amazing architectural wealth and beauty Montreal has to offer. From Old Montreal and the Old Port, first and foremost led by Notre-Dame Basilica, to its stunning Second Empire City Hall area to the historic centres of commerce on Rue St-Jacques or St. James Street to the magnificent public and religious buildings that can be seen all over the downtown core, Montreal dazzles with its architectural heritage.

Any architecture and history buff can't help but love this city and I realized that three and a half days in this city are barely enough to scratch the surface. As I settled into my comfortable seat in the Via Rail coach back to Toronto I concluded that this trip was just an introduction, a mere overview, a brief taste of a diverse, multi-faceted city, with so many more places to explore in detail next time I come back.

My personalized tour of the Casino de Montreal was very interesting and taught me many different things that I had never known about casino operations. My learning experience was followed by an opportunity to sample the Casino’s hospitality first hand. Alexandre took me up to the top floor of the Casino and handed me over to Benoît, the restaurant manager at Nuances, the Casino’s gourmet restaurant.

I had a perfect table by the window with a beautiful view overlooking the St. Lawrence River and the downtown Montreal skyline. The sun was just starting to set and the entire scene was bathed in golden hues. Benoît even took me out on to a terrace on the top level of the Casino that offered a completely unobstructed 180 degree view of downtown Montreal and the entire island. The vista was absolutely stunning. The Casino de Montreal is definitely one of the best places to view Montreal’s skyline.

Nuances is a highly acclaimed fine dining restaurant that has been awarded the coveted CAA-AAA Five Diamond Rating. This 72-seat restaurant has a sophisticated atmosphere and a highly dedicated staff. Once I got comfortable, Gérard, the waiter for my table, brought an “amuse-bouche”, a starter plate that featured frozen goat cheese on ice in a reduction of apple cider. The mixture of sweet and tart flavours definitely perked up my taste buds and got them ready for the culinary surprises yet to come.

As an appetizer I enjoyed mixed a vegetable salad and mesclun lettuce with vegetable chips and a sherry vinaigrette. This entrée was accompanied by three different types of bread with home-made butter, made from heavy cream. Gérard explained that the breads were a French baguette, a hazelnut/ honey / raisin bread and a so-called Lodeve bread from the South of France.

I also got a quick peak at Nuances' three different wine cellars: the wine cellar behind the bar features wines that are organized carefully by region and type of wine. One of the cellars holds extremely rare and expensive wines. I asked for Benoît’s suggestion to select a main course as well as a wine to match. He recommended that I try the Chilean sea bass. The black rice accompanying the fish is also referred to as ‘forbidden rice” since only the Chinese emperor was allowed to consume it. Benoît suggested a glass of German Gewürztraminer to go with this dish.

Shortly after I received my meal and enjoyed the delicate taste of the sea bass, accompanied by mixed vegetables such as wild asparagus, bok choy and parsnips. The fish was drizzled in a yellow wine sauce, made with wine from Jura in the French Savoie region. Some drops of parsley oil rounded out the medley of complementary flavours.

As I would have to rush off shortly to go to the fireworks which would start at the La Ronde amusement park, Benoît ensured the speedy arrival of my dessert: a Muscat wine jello with strawberries combined with a vanilla and Szechuan pepper mousse on a chocolate base with a pistachio sauce, a delicate treat. We even had a chance to visit the kitchen to meet the chefs who had prepared my gourmet meal. As I got back to my table and got myself organized, Benoît dropped by with a “petit four”, a “little oven” of baked goods that included miniature biscotti, fruit jelly, pistachio jelly and American chocolate. I just loved the creative French terms used, "amuse-bouche" and "petit four" are perfect descriptions for these culinary delights.

This multi-course meal combined with the personalized and highly attentive service and the stunning views of Montreal made my evening at Nuances a very special experience and a definite highlight of my trip. When I had to leave Benoît took me personally down to the main entrance of the Casino where he flagged down a taxi for me to ensure I would make it on time to the fireworks at La Ronde. The staff at the Casino de Montreal went out of their way to make this evening a memorable experience.

My five-minute taxi ride took me back across the bridge to Ile Sainte-Hélène where my driver dropped me off in front of the main entrance at La Ronde. La Ronde is Montreal's amusement park and first opened in 1967 as part of Expo 67, a world fair that really put Montreal on the map. Today La Ronde is a member of the famous Six Flag family of amusement parks.

My seat provided a perfect view of the soon-to-come spectacle and the huge crowd was filled with anticipation. What seemed like many thousands of people were located inside the La Ronde amusement park in different seating sections and many thousands more were planning to watch the fireworks from the Jacques Cartier Bridge.

The fireworks today were part of a competition series called “L’International des Feux Loto-Québec” which features a schedule of 10 pyro-musical events between June 17 and July 29, 2006. Countries participating in this competition include Switzerland, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, the United States, France and Australia with a special finale on July 29.

Our presentation tonight was put on by the Cienfuegos Fireworks company from Argentina, which is a key player in the field of pyrotechnics due to its unique know-how. Tonight’s program was anchored around the personalities of Evita Peron and Che Guevara and enchanted with classic Argentian melodies and music from Central America. The stunning fireworks displays were choreographed in perfect harmony with the music and lit up the sky with stunning multi-coloured displays of light and sound.

This fireworks presentation provided a dramatic artistic ending to three and a half wonderful days of Canada Day festivities in Montreal. As I sat in the subway on the way back from Jean Drapeau Park I realized that I would only have a few more hours in this beautiful city before my train was going to leave tomorrow just before noon. But I was determined to take advantage of every minute here to discover yet another facet of this fascinating city and sneak in one final walking tour of the city before my departure.

Every time I go to a new city, the spirit of adventure and discovery heightens my energy level and 6:10 am I was already awake. I read my guidebook for a while and then doze off again, only to be awakened by a major thunderstorm that drenched the city with a downpour. So I got up and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and by 9:30 or so things had calmed down again, just in time for my explorations of the city. The Old Montreal Ghost Tour last night had already given me a bit of an overview of the old historic centre of Montreal and introduced me to some interesting characters.

Five minutes from my hotel is the Place d’Armes, one of Montreal’s most famous squares. The old part of the city was still quiet, and I enjoyed a peacefull stroll through the cobble-stoned streets. I headed into one of Montreal’s Tourist Information Office, located right at the southwest corner of Rue Notre Dame and Place Jacques Cartier to stock up on maps and ask various questions of the helpful staff.

Old Montreal in the morning has such a European feel to it, with the little cafés just setting up shop and local residents getting ready to walk to work. The calm relaxed atmosphere contrasts quite sharply with the usual frenetic hustle and bustle that we are so used to in our North American metropolitan cities.

After a relaxing walk that allowed me to admire the architecture and the narrow streets and alleyways I returned to Place d’Armes where my Old Montreal Walking Tour, provided by licensed tour guides from Guidatour, would be starting at 11:00 am. The meeting place was just outside the Notre-Dame Cathedral and our two tour leaders were already waiting. Our English-speaking group would be handled by Louis while the French-speaking group was entrusted to another guide, Bruno.

Eleven of us tourists congregated around Louis and in his charming French accented yet perfect English he started to educate us about the history and architecture of Old Montreal, adding a dose of subtle humour. Naturally our tour started with the Basilica of Notre Dame, probably Montreal’s most visited building. Louis took us inside the basilica and we discovered that the C$15 admission ticket for the walking tour actually covers the $4 that the Basilica charges for admission.

The Basilica of Notre Dame is a magnificent Gothic revival church, designed ironically by the Protestant Irish-American architect James O’Donnell who had also designed churches in New York City, and built between 1824 and 1829. In addition to a stunning Gothic revival exterior, Notre Dame features a dramatic interior, with a deep blue ceiling that is decorated with golden stars. It is one of the most unusual churches I have seen and its visual impact is stunning.

Louis explained to us that for about Can$2000 you can get married in this church, but obviously there is a waiting list of at least two years. Celebrities like Quebecois singer Celine Dion and hockey great Mario Lemieux got married here. Notre-Dame Basilica was also the location of former prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s funeral, Canada's most well-known prime minister. Louis then took us through the side chapel out into the wedding chapel, officially called “La Chapelle Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur” which unfortunately was seriously damaged in a fire in 1978. Much of the woodwork has been reconstructed in a more modern style, but the chapel is still an impressive space.

After our first introduction to Montreal architecture we walked westwards just a few steps on Rue Notre-Dame and had a look at Montreal’s oldest building: the Old Seminary or “Vieux Séminaire Saint-Sulpice”. Built in 1683 by Sulpician priests, this building used to be a manor from which the priests managed their vast land holdings. During the early years of Montreal’s history, the town’s citizens were exposed to frequent attacks by the Iroquois, and the Old Seminary represented a refuge in a place that was still mostly wilderness. The characteristic public clock was installed in 1701 and is among the oldest such timekeepers in all of North America.

We then stopped to admire Place d’Armes, right in front of the Basilica, so called because it used to be a location for military manoeuvres as well as for religious processions. Place d’Armes is a veritable collection of architectural history. The New York Insurance building, dating back to 1888, was the first building to install the newly invented elevator, at the time making it the highest building in all of Montreal. The Hotel Place d’Armes just north, originally five stories high, actually had three stories added once the building was retrofitted with an elevator.

The Aldred Building is a fine example of Art Deco skyscraper architecture and for many years it was the highest building in Montreal. Louis quite appropriately referred to the stepped back skysraper design as the wedding cake architectural style. The centre of Place d’Armes is watched over by a statue of Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maissoneuve, who founded Montreal in 1642.

The north end of Place d’Armes holds another architectural marvel: the Bank of Montreal building. Founded in 1817 as the first bank in Canada, the Bank of Montreal decided to build an impressive headquarters in 1847 and created a neoclassical exterior modeled after the Roman Pantheon. The interior was completely redesigned in 1904 to 1905 by the famous New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White with a magnificent banking hall modeled after a Roman basilica.

Heading west of St. James Street (or rue St-Jacques), Louis explained that this used to be Canada’s business centre during the 19th century. Many Canadian banks had their headquarters here until they were moved into downtown Montreal or later to Toronto. Railway and shipping companies also had their head offices here, many of them founded by immigrants from Scotland.

The architectural mix on rue St-Jacques is impressive and Louis pointed out one example that has recently been renovated and reincarnated as the extremely upscale St. James Hotel. This trendy boutique hotel offers a penthouse suite that can be rented for around $5000 a night (in low season) and it is a favourite hangout of celebrities. To mention just one example, Madonna just stayed at the St. James recently at the end of June during her Montreal concert stop.

Another truly impressive architectural jewel came into view: the former head office of the Royal Bank, whose construction began in 1928 according to designs by famous New York skyscrapers experts York and Sawyer. For a long time this building was the largest in the British Empire. The design is influenced by a Florentine palazzo and the impressive high ceilings of the Great Hall feature the coats of arms of eight of Canada’s ten provinces.

Unfortunately no photography was allowed in either the Bank of Montreal or the Royal Bank buildings, but they are astounding examples of architectural styles of different eras. Louis then took us through the narrow streets of Old Montreal towards the city’s waterfront and the birthplace of the city. As a major port town and shipping centre, many of the buildings in Old Montreal were warehouse buildings featuring large windows to let in a lot of natural daylight. This was to reduce the risk of fire that would have been caused by artificial lighting at the time, putting at risk the precious cargo that these buildings were storing.

I kept asking Louis numerous questions about the architecture and social history of Montreal. His knowledge of architecture was impressive, and to compare architectural styles, he was referencing numerous other well-known buildings in other cities such as New York City, Toronto, Boston and Chicago. He mentioned that a lot of historic buildings were torn down in Montreal during the 1960s as in so many other North American cities, but fortunately the architectural preservation movement gained strength and today all of Old Montreal is protected.

Old Montreal languished for a number of decades since most of the action had moved downtown, but in the last fourty years Vieux Montréal has experienced a revival that started with the major international event of Expo 67. Today, many of these former warehouse buildings have been converted into upscale condos and Louis informed me that even a small studio apartment will probably fetch a price tag of at least half a million dollars. Old Montreal has made a successful transition from a former commercial district to a vibrant tourism, entertainment and residential area.

Close to the waterfront we arrived at Place d’Youville, an elongated public space that is located on the former riverbed of the Rivière Saint-Pierre that was canalized in the 1830s and eventually covered over and dried out completely. The History Centre of Montreal is a former fire station and a rare example of Flemish architecture in Quebec.

Just a few steps east is Montreal’s Museum of Archeology and History at Pointe-à-Callière. It is very rare to know exactly where a city was founded, but Montrealers know exactly where their city first came into being: on a narrow strip of land between the St. Lawrence and the Saint-Pierre River. Right there the first settlers built Fort Ville-Marie, using earth and wooden posts. As a matter of fact, on May 17, 1642, Father Vimont held a mass celebrating the founding of Montréal, attended by Sieur de Maisonneuve, Jeanne Mance and some of the other founding colonists.

Today, the museum consists of six buildings and introduces visitors to the city’s history in the most innovative ways. There is even an archeological dig here, unearthing further knowledge about the city’s history. Various festivals including a multicultural festival and a historic market weekend are also held a Pointe-à-Callière.

Our route then took us back up to Notre Dame Street. The former Palais de Justice, built between 1849 and 1856, is a fine example of Canadian neoclassicism. Today the building houses the Quebec Court of Appeal. Across the street is the Ernst Cormier Building, opened in 1926 and named after the famous architect that also designed the main pavillon of the Université de Montreal as well as the doors of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

Our tour through Old Montreal appropriately came to an end at Place Jacques-Cartier, the gently sloping grandest public space of Old Montreal. Numerous restaurants with outdoor terraces line both sides of the square and the centre holds a variety of wooden stalls selling flowers, artwork and souvenirs. The north end of the square is overlooked by a statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who curiously faces away from Montreal’s port area. The statue is a testimony to the power of the merchants of British descent who wished to commemorate the British defeat of the French and Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar.

The northeast end of Place Jacques Cartier is the location of Montreal’s City Hall, built in the Second Empire Style and opened in 1878. A fire destroyed the roof and the interior of the building in 1922 and the roof was reconstructed in 1926 along the lines of the city hall in Tours, France. Today, Montreal’s City Hall is still located in this historic building.

Place Jacques-Cartier was a fitting place to end our tour of Old Montreal and everyone in the crowd thanked Louis profusely for sharing his local insight and knowledge. By this time it was almost 1 pm, and my stomach was telling me what it was time for: lunch at the Café du Chateau.

After an enjoyable dinner at Modavie I was ready to head to my next scheduled activity: a ghost tour of Old Montreal. Old Montreal Ghosts or Les Fantomes de Vieux Montreal was founded about 8 years ago by a local Montrealer, Eric Poulin, who got the idea for a ghost tour on one of his travels to London. Recently he has started to collaborate with Louise Hébert, owner of Guidatour and a very experienced tourism entrepreneur who has won numerous prizes from Quebec Tourism and in 2005 was also honoured as one of Chatelaine Magazine Top Ten Women of the Year. Both entrepreneurs together combined to provide a special experience in Old Montreal.

Old Montreal Ghosts offers a variety of tours: a traditional ghost walk that introduces visitors to the streets, alleyways and piers of Old Montreal, to the locations of many historical events including fires, ghost appearances, political gatherings, hangings, crimes, heroic acts and unexplained facts. The Montreal Historical Crimes Tour makes visitors relive some of Montreal’s most famous crimes through the testimony of victims and criminals.

I was going to partake of the New France Ghost Hunt, with characters dating back to the founding times of Montreal. Another ghost tour focuses on the Port area while a Scavenger Hunt is also offered where competing teams have to find answers to rally questions.

Based on these interesting offerings, I was sure a special experience was waiting for me. So just before 8:30 pm I went to a booth on Jacques Cartier Quay in the Old Port of Montreal to participate in the New France Ghost Hunt. Quebec was part of New France and Montreal’s French regime lasted from 1642, the founding of Montreal, to 1760, when France conceded its overseas territories to Great Britain in 1763 at the end of the Seven Years War. The ghosts we would be meeting tonight would date back to that era.

Two ghost tours were being offered tonight: one in French and one in English. Together with a family from Battle Creek, Michigan, and another family from Boston I was ready to go searching for Montreal’s ghosts. A lady dressed in a late-medieval costume called us together and explained to us how the tour would work. She handed out some critical accessories: a flag of New France as well as a lantern and designated a tour leader who would have to coordinate our efforts.

She gave us maps of Old Montreal that contained 4 stops at each of which we would have to locate the resident ghost and call him or her by chanting “Long live the King of France”. This would make the ghost appear. And off she sent us on our treasure hunt for the ghosts of Old Montreal.

Well, it was a beautiful evening and hundreds of people on the outdoor restaurant patios on Place Jacques Cartier could attest to that. Our first ghost destination was located at Champ-de-Mars, a former parade ground for military manoeuvres, and since 1991 a place where the old fortifications of Montreal have been revealed. We went through our ghost calling ceremony and sure enough, the ghost of a young man appeared, telling us stories of young forbidden love, arson and his early death. He was a rather charming ghost that endeared himself to his audience with his French-Canadian accent and his bright smile.

Our next ghost location was just south of Montreal’s City Hall, in the Place de la Dauversière, a public square next to Place Jacques Cartier that holds several works of public art as well as a statue of one of Montreal’s most famous mayors, Jean Drapeau. Place Jacques Cartier itself at one point held a public market and a statue of British Admiral Nelson overlooks the square, however, the famous admiral interestingly faces away from the port area.

Having arrived at the proper spot, we were able to call up a young female ghost who told us tales of her voyage to North America and her love story with one of the sailors. She was also reaped away by an untimely death and her expressive playful demeanor was fitting for such a young girlish ghost.

Then we crossed Place Jacques Cartier and strolled to Cours Le Royer, a complex of huge warehouses that used to be the property of the religieuses hospitalières (nursing sisters) of Saint-Joseph, an order of nuns who rented out the warehouses to importers to generate revenue for their organization. The complex was built between 1860 and 1871 and features a cobble-stoned alley between the warehouses.

After some searching we found another ghost and went through our ghost calling ritual. A young male ghost talked to us of his journey to the New World and how he came into conflict with the authorities. In gruesome detail he depicted the torture techniques that were used at the time of the French regime. This ghost was the most scary of all and his anger at his fate was palpable. When he was finished telling us his story we started to proceed to search for our fourth and final ghost. As I looked back, this ghost was still standing on the rue Saint-Sulpice and his haunting gaze kept following our group, sending a chill up our spine.

Finally, on Place d’Armes, after a long search, we were able to find our last ghost. He was one of the "coureurs du bois", young men that used to venture deep into Native territory in order to negotiate with Indian tribes who were supplying fur to the merchants of New France. His stories made the early years of fur trading in wild and uncharted lands come to life.

Each of these ghosts shed light on a different aspect of life in New France in the 17th and 18th century, a time when adventure and danger were part of daily life. Our tour finished around 10 pm, a perfect time for me to walk back through the safe streets of Montreal to write up today's experiences and catch some sleep for my adventures tomorrow: a walking tour of Old Montreal.

Tourists who want to relax in the Caribbean should visit Puerto Rico. With its white sandy beaches and clear blue waters it is a perfect place to relax and unwind. The beauty of the island doesn't end with beaches alone, with an amazing geographic diversity; it also offers deserts, mountains, forests and caves. Because of this, a lot of fun activities are in store for you in the island.

With the Atlantic on its north coast and the Caribbean on its south coast, beach lovers are sure to enjoy staying in the island. There are also a lot of tourist destinations inland for you to enjoy. The El Yunque rainforest, which is 28,000 acres, has a vast diversity of plant and animal species. With over 240 different types of trees and around 50 bird species, ten of which are on the endangered list, rainforest would surely thrill the nature lovers.

Activities on the island are varied and a lot is in store for the tourist. Like all other colonies of Spain before, the island has a lot of festivals that are mostly religious in nature. Every town has its own festival and it is exciting to join in one of them. Food, arts, music, dances are all what makes these festivals great.

Tourists flock to this island all year round because of its pristine tourist destinations. Usually it is during the months of December to May that are the peak months for tourism. Even if you visit the island on off seasons, there are still a wide variety of fun and activities to do.

Upon arrival at Puerto Rico, your entry would most probably be in San Juan which is the capital city. Located in the Northern Coastal plains it is a major port and tourist resort of the West Indies. There are a lot of exciting places to visit in San Juan. A lot of beautiful beaches are located in this area.

Aside from the beaches, you should also visit the Old San Juan. This neighborhood in San Juan is more than 400 years old that originally served as a military stronghold. It is a 7 square block area whose streets are paved with cobbles of blue stone. People visit this area to admire the carefully restored 16th and 17th century Spanish buildings. There are also gambling casinos and fine beaches in this area.

Other structures of interest are the famous El Morro fort and its counterpart San Cristobal fort. El Morro is a six level fort with 18-foot thick walls. The view of San Juan Bay from this fort is magnificent. It is the largest fort in the Caribbean encompassing 74 acres and is now a National Historic site. San Cristobal, El Morro's partner in the city's defense, is considered the Gibraltar of the West Indies. Rising 150 feet above sea level with a total area of 27 acres, it is made of five independent units connected by moat and tunnel. It is now a World Heritage and National Historic site.

Agra is the most romantic city in India. Babar, who is considered the creator of the Mughal rule in India, built a beautiful garden on the banks of river Yamuna, called ‘Arambagh’. Its literal meaning is ‘the garden of relaxation’. His son Akbar built a new city near Agra, and called it Fatehpuri Sikri. It was more like a Mughal military camp. The only difference was that it was like a city and was built of stone. In Fatehpuri Sikri are the Salim Christi’s dargah and another beautiful architecture called ‘Buland Darwaza’.

Akbar’s son Jahangir loved nature and thus laid innumerable gardens in Agra and Delhi. He laid gardens even inside the Red Fort and his son Shah Jahan gave the world The Taj Mahal which is the pride of India. It symbolises love, true eternal love. It is a mausoleum of Mumtaj, Shahjahan’s wife and is a must visit place in India. The beauty and grandeur of the Taj has to be seen to be believed. The aura surrounding it mesmerizes the visitor and evokes deep emotions. It is undoubtedly the most famous landmark of Agra and India! It is situated on the banks of Yamuna and very near to Delhi. The Taj along with the Agra Fort and Fatehpuri Sikri has been declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO.

Agra Fort was built by Akbar in the sixteenth century. It a fort built of red colour sand stone and was used as a place by Shah Jahan after renovation. Inside the fort, there are many noteworthy buildings like Divan –e- am, Pearl Mosque and Divan –e- khas. The sheesh Mahal is a palace which has mirrors all over the place and its beauty is breath taking! Jehangir’s palace and Khas Mahal are other exclusive buildings.

The beautiful queen, Noojahan built (what is sometimes called the Baby Taj), Itmad Ud Daulah Tomb in honour of her father. The intricate marble work and the garden resemble the Taj Mahal in many ways and although smaller than the Taj, are as beautiful and sometimes also called “The Jewel Box”. Jama Masjid is a huge mosque in Agra which was constructed in 1648 and attributed to Jacamar Begum. The domes and minaret-less make it unique.

Chini ka Rauza is another beautiful tomb in Agra. There are blue coloured glazed tiles on its dome, which stand apart in its beauty and splendour. The dome looks truly beautiful with the blue sky in the background. Aalsi Bagh is the oldest garden built by the Mughals in Indian Territory. It was built by Babar and is quite near Taj Mahal. It has a romantic love story behind it. It was here that Akbar lay for six consecutive days till the gardener with whom he had fallen in love, agreed to marry him. Sikandra is the tomb which Akbar chose for himself and is his last resting place.

In the outer fringes of Agra is the Soami Bagh Samadh which is the mausoleum of Sri Shiv Dayal Singh, also known as Soamiji Maharaj. He is known as the founder of Radhaswami faith and it is said that the construction which began in 1908 will never finish.

You have excellent five star and budget hotels in Agra. Some of the well known five start ones are Jaypee Palace, Mughal Sheraton, Clarks Shiraz Hotel, Hotel Taj View, Hotel Amar Vilas.

Some of the well know four start hotels are Hotel Holiday Inn, The Trident, Howard Park Plaza International.

Some of the budget three start hotels are Hotel Amar, Hotel Deedar-e-Taj, Hotel Mansingh Palace and Grand hotel to name a few. There are many Luxury hotels too and countless others to cater to all types of travellers. You are sure to find one of your choice.

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