Paint the town red in Quebec City

Q: What kind of summer events are planned in and around Quebec City this year? I know last year they celebrated their 400th anniversary. Thanks.

-- K. DONALDSON, TORONTO

A: Quebec City enjoys celebrations year-round and this year is no exception. There will be all types of parties and celebrations, many of which are free to attend.

For instance, Cirque du Soleil -- cirquedusoleil.com/en/events/chemins-invisibles/show.aspx -- is celebrating its 25th anniversary and has a special performance for Quebec City only. Dubbed, Les Chemins Invisibles (The Invisible Paths), this free travelling street event continues through Sept. 7.

Shows are held nightly Wednesday through Sunday in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood and begin simultaneously at three locales. Choose from the "Brumes tribe," which will meet at Saint-Dominique between Saint-Roch and De la Reine; the "Brasiers tribe," at the corner of Dupont and Saint-Vallier East; and the "Sables tribe," which will be at the corner of Leperon and Saint-Vallier East.

Robert Lepage, who brought his amazing multimedia show to the old Bunge grain silos of Quebec City's waterfront for last year's 400th anniversary, is returning with his 40-minute production Image Mill. Considered the world's biggest outdoor architectural projections ever made, this free stage show will be presented each summer for the next five years. You can view The Image Mill now through Sept. 7.

Now in its 15th season, the Loto Quebec International Fireworks Competition -- quebecfireworks.com -- is holding its astonishing pyro-musical competition at the historic Montmorency Falls Park through Aug. 12. Spectators can see top-ranking fireworks teams from England, South Africa, Italy, Spain and Canada.

For a taste of New France, the SAQ New France Festival (nouvellefrance.qc.ca) runs Aug. 5-9. Among the period re-enactments with music and dance you can view "Giants" -- large puppet mannequins with costumed performers breathing life into them through the streets of Old Quebec.

For more Quebec City events, visit quebecregion.com/now or call 1-877-BONJOUR ext. 655.

Q: Our family has never really travelled and I'm not quite sure how to tackle this subject. Airports are totally foreign and booking hotel rooms has never been done before. So I'm hoping you could give some practical tips for this newbie travel family.

-- S. HYNES, HAMILTON

A: Finding the right vacation fit for you and your family can be daunting. But some travel experts have made this task simpler.

Although it's a U.S.-based group, you may find the United Sates Tour Operators Association's online quiz -- ustoa.com -- helpful. Under the "Travel Wise/Finding the right vacation fit" heading there are five questions that can help determine your family's needs. These include: What is important to you? How much activity do you want? And are your expectations realistic? There is also a quick 15 question self-help test called the "Vacation Personality Quiz." This association also provides downloadable brochures on topics such as how to select a tour or vacation package.

Another suggestion can easily happen over dinner one night. Take a poll to see what sparks your family members interest. You might be surprised. If you find too many options are coming at you, take time to reflect and see movies or read books with this destination or travel theme in mind.

Often watching travel programs or even blockbuster films that were filmed at the location could help. When The DaVinci Code movie was released in 2006, it prompted a whole surge in tourism for these locations. Some tour operators even designed DaVinci Code itineraries highlighting spots caught on celluloid.

Travel agents are also a wealth of knowledge. You can always drop by a travel agency, review brochures and sit down with a travel consultant.

ILONA@MYCOMPASS.CA

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Romancing the Rhine

We had only one day, but what a magnificent 24 hours it was. And we were determined to eke out every little bit of exquisite pleasure that we could from this majestic experience aboard the five-star Premicon Queen.

The complete Romantic Rhine cruise is five days, so leave your stress at the dock as you embark at Cologne, Germany, and indulge fully in this delicious escape until disembarking at Basel, Switzerland.

It was 8 a.m. and our day was our oyster. No sooner did we board at Koblenz then we were off to the wellness and fitness spa, and right into the pampering -- whirlpool with a view, and a Kneipp's therapeutic hot and cold foot bath, aaah what luxury. Hmmm, what to do next? A 10 a.m. Tai Chi lesson, image advice at 11, maybe a massage later?

Not to miss a thing, we sprang from the whirlpool realizing we had 20 minutes to get changed into our street clothes. Disembarking the ship for a stopover in Boppard was essential. Staff provided us with maps and a recommendation to head three streets up where we'd find the town's lovely, half-timbered dwellings.

Our snippet visit was short but magnificent and so memorable. The many other excursions are considerably longer and organized if you wish.

Back onboard, at 2:15 p.m. all were invited for a glass of Riesling Sekt on the Sky Deck while the Loreley song was performed under a warm Rhine sun. The sweet melody filled the air, contrasting with the torrid tale of the mythical siren, Loreley, who distracted seamen to their demise.

A couple, perhaps on their honeymoon, embraced and toasted at the railing as we passed the notorious sheer cliff.

It's impossible not to be swept away and enchanted by the Romantic Rhine's beauty, endlessly repeating cliches.

The rest of the afternoon is spent marvelling at the spectacular moving scenery serenely gliding by. A stage set of castle after castle. We have an infinite choice of front row seats, whether on a deck chair sipping champagne, or enjoying a gourmet meal in the restaurant with its panoramic windows on three sides, or lazing in the whirlpool eye level to the river's edge, or stretched out on your bed facing the panorama, caressed by a soft breeze from open sliding doors that are part of each suite's expansive stretch of windows.

This 65 km of Upper Middle Rhine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been the inspiration for poets. Legendary, medieval fortresses, quaint villages and heritage vineyards precariously perch on bucolic, steep banks. Echoes of a rich history are endless -- of the Celts, the Romans who brought winemaking to the region, and the French who plundered their way up the river.

At 5 p.m., we dock at idyllic Rudesheim, where we wend our way through its hilly, picturesque streets to a wine-tasting. The ship departs at midnight and makes quick time through the night to the next port.

Ship cruise life is special, but this is the jewel in the crown. Forget the anti-nausea medication, this gently gliding hotel, built in Germany in 2008, is a spacious, vibrationless gem. Indeed we were royally spoiled, every request and need was graciously seen to by a professional crew of 60, attending to a maximum of 106 passengers.

Soon it's morning and time to depart at Mannheim. If one day can have such an impact, imagine how five days of absolute bliss would feel. I wonder if anyone has ever had to be dragged off the ship, refusing to leave.

---

The Kaiser Wilhelm 1 colossal monument looms over the Deutsches Eck (German corner) in Koblenz, at the junction of the Rhine and the Mosel rivers. The original 1897 statue was blown up in World War 11 by the United States artillery, leaving it badly damaged. Apparently the statue's head was found in a junk yard. It was rebuilt in 1993.

Our delightful guide, Ulrich Helsper, recited his tongue-in-cheek poem about the statue's convoluted past. This is a line from his witty work: "Then occurred some bad mishap -- My horse and I were sold for scrap."

In the distance across the river is Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, the "Gibraltar of the North." The first reference to it is in the year 1000. It was besieged several times by the French. There is a cable car, and it's worth the view and visit. Beethoven's mother was born in the village below.

---

COLOGNE Day 1:

Depart 10 p.m.

KOBLENZ

Day 2 8 a.m. - 9 a.m.

stopover

RUDESHEIM

Stopover, 5 p.m. to midnight. We are taken for an entertaining wine-tasting excursion at Grunen Kranz's grotto set on a narrow street in the beautiful village of Rudesheim, which is known for more than just its wonderful Asbach brandy. There is a cable car that floats above the village surrounded by vineyards

BOPPARD

12:15 - 12:45 p.m.

A half-hour excursion allows for a brief look at this precious little town

MANNHEIM

Day 3

8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Day excursion to Heidelberg and Speyer

KEHL - BREISACH

Days 4 & 5:

12:30 p.m. - 5 a.m.

Day excursions to Strasbourg and Colmar in France

BASEL Day 6: 8 a.m.

Disembark

---

IF YOU GO

Cruising on the Premicon Queen

Excursions

Organized shore excursions include Heidelberg, Speyer, and Alsace, France, where there are visits to Strasbourg and Colmar, to name a few. Maps are available onboard and the concierge will offer suggestions and organize arrangements for the day-long excursions.

More information

- Our five-day Rhine cruise started in Cologne, Germany, and ended in Basel, Switzerland. The 2010 itinerary is available.

- Besides Rhine cruises (April to end of July), there are journeys on the Danube (starting in August), three-river cruises and winter cruises, with one over Christmas and New Year's. Winter trips are cheaper.

- Laptops can be borrowed.

- Digital images can be reviewed in your room.

- Visit premiconqueen.com.

- For information on travel to all parts of Germany, visit the German National Tourist Office website at cometogermany.com

GETTING THERE

- Lufthansa has frequent flights to many German destinations. Visit lufthansa.com.

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Farmers market has it all

Pickled beets, dips and spreads, flavoured honey, and something called Korean mundoo -- tiny deep-fried morsels with beef and vegetable fillings. That's what I'd sampled so far, and it wasn't that long since breakfast.

Free nibbles are just one reason the aisles are crowded at Edmonton's wonderful Farmers Market, held every Saturday, year round, in the Old Strathcona neighbourhood.

It combines the comfort of an old-time market with contemporary touches sought by discerning foodies and shoppers concerned about what they put on their plates and where it comes from.

The produce, for example, isn't grown thousands of kilometres away, then trucked to a huge, central food terminal before being moved to Edmonton. It's grown nearby. Market rules state that vendors must grow or make whatever they offer and be present when it's being sold.

So those pickled beets I tried first came from Holden Colony Greenhouses, a Hutterite operation about 90 km east of Edmonton. The dips and spreads were made at The Happy Camel, the flavoured honey at Very Berry Honey, the mundoo at Korean Food Market, all in Edmonton.

In the next aisle were Dip-Sea Chicks (seafood spreads), Marina's Cuisine (salads such as a carrot with cheese and walnuts), and The Pasta Guy, with an enticing array of seasonings and sauces.

But I had another stop, the two-block-long Downtown Farmers' Market on 104th St., open Saturdays from Victoria Day weekend through Thanksgiving.

That's where Gail Hall, owner of Seasoned Solutions, shops before she and her cooking class students prepare a meal. (Visit seasonedsolutions.ca.)

Our lunch featured tenderloin of bison from Tom Cliff's Pemmican Hill stall. Cliff told us his 250 head are grass fed, making them leaner "and better for you'' than even Alberta's vaunted beef.

Half-inch-thick medallions were brushed with minced garlic, thyme and olive oil, sprinkled with pepper and seared over medium-high heat in a heavy saute pan (about 20 seconds per side for medium-rare). Hall transferred the meat to an ovenproof plate, which she covered and placed in a 350-degree oven.

Next she added white wine to the saute pan, deglazed the juice and bits, and sauteed diced shallots a minute or two until they softened. Goat's cheese was added and heated, and the sauce was served over the bison. It was easily as tender as a tenderloin of Alberta beef I'd had earlier.

Another chef who buys locally is Blair Lebsack at Madison's Grill in the Union Bank Inn (unionbankinn.com). A "forager'' he provided the forest mushrooms that went into the soup that started out supper there, along with potato gnocchi and parmesan cheese. Alberta's many greenhouses and abundant winter sunshine mean heirloom zebra tomatoes -- featured in Blair's salad with Camembert cheese and balsamic fig jam -- can be had year round.

Other downtown eateries getting good reviews include Il Portico and Normand's. I've eaten twice at Packrat Louie's (don't let the name put you off) in Old Strathcona. Edmonton writer Gilbert Bouchard, who knows the restaurant scene, also likes these three in the same neighbourhood: Flavours (goulash), Daddio's (Creole/Cajun cuisine) and Continental Treat (schnitzel).

Several events that focus on cuisine are held in Edmonton. Visit festivalcity.ca for details.

Accommodations: Rates at the Union Bank Inn, where I stayed, include a la carte breakfast, parking and daily wine and cheese.

Day trip: You can view bison on the hoof at Elk Island National Park, a 40-minute drive east of Edmonton. No sooner had we turned onto Elk Island Parkway than we were stopped by clusters of plains bison wandering beside and on the road. I counted more than three dozen. Guide Karen Evenden, owner of Urban Insight (urbaninsight.ca), said this was more than she'd seen in three years of park visits.

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Canadian sports trivia

How well do you know Canada's sporting past? Score one point for every correct answer!

2. MLB team established in 1977.
3. NBA’s Grizzlies were located here.
4. CFL team with five Grey Cups.
5. Former Baltimore Stallions.
6. Canada’s first MLS team.
7. Edmonton’s National Lacrosse League team.
8. Alberta NHL team with one Stanley Cup.
9. Original Ottawa Senators team moved here in 1934.
10. Only Canadian NBA team.


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Where celebs ran wild

The day before the 2008 European premier of Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight, bad boy actor Christian Bale was arrested in London’s Dorchester Hotel and charged with assault. The world held its breath: Had the caped superhero meted out swift justice to an intruder in the tea lounge? Defended the honor of a damsel in distress in the piano bar? Not quite. Bale, it appeared, had flown into a rage at his mother and sister in his hotel room, one of whom went on to file charges, later dropped. Batman taken down by his own Mum? As notorious hotel security incidents go, this was up there with the tawdriest.

See our slideshow of Bad Behavior in Good Hotels.

Celebrities have been trashing hotel suites or overdosing on heroin in marble-floored bathrooms since the invention of the mini-bar. In fact, the rock star throwing the TV out the window, or the pop tart throwing up by the roof-top pool bar has become so common as to be cliché. What was so special about Christian Bale’s behavior was how, well, odd it was. Throwing a fit at your Mommy? Batman?

“Luxury hotels offer anonymity, privacy, and escape,” says Steven Ferry, who, as Chairman of the International Institute of Modern Butlers, has trained staff in some of the most exclusive properties in the world. “But the combination of wealth, anonymity, and being tended to hand-and-foot by the best butlers in the world sometimes leads to bad behavior. The secret of a good hotel is to keep stories like this secret.”

Ferry has seen his share of bizarre incidents involving guests over the years but, like all top-class butlers, is discreet enough not to reveal the who, where, what, and how. Fortunately, the list of bizarre, tawdry, or just plain weird behavior in hotels that we do know about is long and colorful.

See our slideshow of Bad Behavior in Good Hotels.

Up there with Batman was Gladiator star Russell Crowe’s performance with a deadly weapon in New York’s Mercer Hotel in 2005. The deadly weapon? A telephone. Australian Crowe, in New York to shoot the boxing movie Cinderella Man, had been unable to get a connection on the room phone to his wife in Australia. Crowe charged down to the lobby at 2 a.m. to complain to the desk clerk. Finding the attention to his problem less than he expected, he promptly threw the phone at the concierge on duty, hitting him in the face. Then he threw a ceramic plate. Then, like Maximus before the emperor, he took up a deep theatrical bow. Job well done, Rusty.

What line-up of notorious hotel behavior would be complete without an offering from volatile supermodel Naomi Campbell? In 2005, Campbell allegedly beat up Italian actress Yvonne Scio at the beautiful Hotel Eden in Rome. The cause of La Campbell’s rage? Campbell had arrived at the hotel to pick Scio up to go to a party together, but was disturbed to find that Scio was wearing the same dress as hers.

That said, not all the worst behavior is by bratty celebrities. Few hotel security incidents are as tawdry as the case of former Democrat Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards at the Beverly Hilton hotel in August 2008. Edwards, the wholesome, happily-married family man of the campaign trail, was caught by tabloid reporters engaged in a secret meeting at the hotel with a blonde divorcee they claimed was his mistress, and the love child he had supposedly fathered with her. Shocked to find a camera crew in his face, Edwards ran and hid in a men’s room on the hotel’s lower floor, with reporters chasing after him. Eventually hotel security guards had to rescue the ashen-faced ex-Senator and ushered him out the hotel—and out of political life.

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New York minutes

The Big Apple is a great place to have a mini-vacation with the family. Here are five tips to get the most out of the city that never sleeps during a three-day visit that won't break the bank.

Tip 1 -- Fly In

If you only have three days to spare, you'll want to fly in and Porter Airlines (flyporter.com) is a good choice to do just that.

You can take public transit to the Toronto City Centre Airport ferry and save on parking. The five-minute ferry ride is free and it will leave you right at the terminal. Inside, as you await your flight, you and the kids can enjoy free coffee, pop, water and snacks. The freebies don't stop there. On board the plane you will be served a snack box with your choice of beverage that includes free wine or beer for the grownups.

Porter flies into Newark Airport seven times a day and after comparing the price of flights, it was still the cheapest option from Toronto, even after adding a fee for getting into New York City. The cost for that is a $25 round trip if you take the Newark Liberty Airport Express (coachusa.com), a direct motorcoach that can be booked upon your arrival. Children 12 to 16 pay only $10 and those under 12 are free.

Tip 2 -- Stay in Manhattan

If you are wondering how you are going to afford a Manhattan hotel, wonder no more. With the travel industry reeling from the recession, there are lots of great deals to be had, especially if you schedule your trip during the week for even greater savings.

We stayed at the newly renovated The Hotel at Times Square (applecorehotels.com), which is a mere two blocks from the world famous tourist attraction after which it was named. The hotel was an economic choice with its double rooms starting at $129 US, including a hearty continental breakfast and free Internet. The double rooms are a great choice for a family of four because each room has a nice flat-screen TV and a good amount of space.

Tip 3 -- Buy a CityPass

Want to visit New York City's most iconic attractions for less than $100? For just $79 US, you can purchase a booklet of tickets known as the CityPass (citypass.com/city/ny.html).

Each pass includes free admission to five attractions -- Empire State Building Observatory, American Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim Museum, Musuem of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art -- and discounts for other attractions.

But the convenience doesn't end there. Each ticket has a tip on how to bypass the main ticket lines.

When we visited the American Museum of Natural History on a weekday morning we were faced with huge ticket lineups, but with our CityPass in hand we were able to bypass the crowds by going to the customer service desk.

The price for a youth (13-17) is $59 US, and while many attractions are already free or discounted for children 12 and under, you may want to consider additional youth passes for younger kids in order to bypass lineups. Check the CityPass website for a list of attraction prices for kids.

Tip 4 -- Cheap Thrills

There's no doubt that New York City is expensive, but there are many places a family can visit that won't cost a dime. The most famous of all is obviously Times Square. The best time to see the busiest intersection in the world is at night when all the neon billboards can be fully appreciated.

As well, the kids will want to check out the gigantic Toys "R" Us store with a working Ferris wheel inside, not to mention M & M's World where they can marvel at the metres of colourful chocolate adorning the walls.

Another must-see is Battery Park and its vendors. It's the place to go where you can get your caricature drawn in charcoal for $5 US, but be prepared for when the artists hit you up for another $10 to place the drawing in the protective matte you'll need in order to get the picture home intact.

And don't be surprised to see Spider-Man hamming it up with tourists or a boa constrictor wrapped around a man's neck. While we were there a large group of young men broke out into an impromptu Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts dance) performance, much to the delight of the crowds. It just goes to show you that you never know what you might see in Battery Park.

Tip 5 -- Take Transit

Although walking to many NYC attractions from Times Square is possible, you might want to give little feet a rest. The best way to do that is to pick up a one-day FunPass for $8.25 US. With this card, you can take unlimited subway and bus rides from first use until 3 a.m. the following day.

If you are worried about getting lost in the vast subway system, don't be. We were repeatedly helped by friendly New Yorkers who showed us how to get where we wanted to go with a smile.

For details the FunPass, see mta.info/metrocard/tourism.see nycgo.com.

More information

- For details on special offers, see nycgo.com.

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Bonds for a day

WASHINGTON -- An Ohio family of five recently went undercover in the nation's capital to help foil a cyber "terrorist attack." Their attire wasn't very suspicious: shorts, T-shirts and jackets tied around their waists.

They were playing a new game at the International Spy Museum that sends tourists trolling through the city with handheld GPS devices to search for clues and codes to stop the attack before it starts.

The game, called "Spy in the City," was developed by former intelligence officers who want to teach the public a bit about their craft.

Carol Metzger, Brock Sturgeon and their three kids -- Brooke, 11, Luke, 8, Alaina, 6 -- thought they were up to the task, squeezing it in with a recent beach vacation in Delaware and a trip to Capitol Hill.

The mission: find a hidden password to deactivate a terrorist device that could wipe out computers in the nation's capital. Players also must test clues from a source, code-named Catbird, to see if he can be trusted.

The first clue -- a photo of their first destination -- sends the quintet down the block to an old bank's night deposit box, then on to Ford's Theatre where (Abraham Lincoln was shot) and past the real FBI headquarters.

Game creators at the Spy Museum believe their game is a first of its kind, and they're planning more scenarios with varying levels of difficulty.

"The old days of a museum being just dusty artifacts in a display case that you walk by and admire, I think are long gone," said Peter Earnest, the museum's executive director who was in the CIA for 35 years.

Games, in fact, could play a big role in keeping museums relevant in the future, according to a recent American Association of Museums lecture by Jane McGonigal of the California-based Institute for the Future. She urged curators to recreate museums as places where visitors can interact, perhaps through games that solve real-world problems, and have fun at the same time.

The spy museum has been a popular draw for about 700,000 visitors a year since opening in 2002, despite its $18 US admission fee. It has also benefited from the buzz of spy-themed movies and video games over the years. Recently, Angelina Jolie was filming at some of the same D.C. sites as those in the museum's game for the upcoming spy movie, Salt.

That blend of pop culture, reality and a dose of education is key for how the museum hopes to nab visitors willing to pay $14 US to play.

"You actually get to feel what it's like to be a spy," said Anna Slafer, the museum's education director. "That's what our public has told us they want."

The plot is based on a combination of real spy stories, the creators say. One was the Kitty Hawk case, in which the FBI used a double agent to help identify Soviet intelligence officers.

It also draws on practices that date back to the days of George Washington, who used secret, invisible writing with some of his agents. The spy game includes similar secret messages the players must uncover.

"When you don't know who to trust, when you don't know the answers, when you're sort of dropped into a situation and you're not sure what to do, that's real espionage," Slafer said.

Slafer said the museum's game can spark curiosity among players about real challenges the intelligence community faces, namely the idea that terrorists would try to knock out computer systems.

"With this particular plot and in this city, the idea of cyber warfare is very real," she said. The game is not "just run, run, run, fun, fun, fun. It's really more reflective."

The players find clues at the National Archives and in small fountains and statues. The toughest task is decoding a message from the words of the First Amendment, engraved in stone at the Newseum, a journalism museum on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Metzger and Sturgeon family, from Findlay, Ohio, completed the mission, despite a few wrong turns on city streets.

Brock Sturgeon, 38, said he liked it but felt like "a fish out of water" as they tried to find their way.

"Keeping track of where you're at is kind of hard," he said. "I don't think it's for little kids."

Brooke and Luke said the game was fun and that they might like to be spies someday. "I'm sneaky like that," Luke said, hiding behind a museum display. It didn't always hold the attention of younger sister, Alaina, though. By the end she had other thoughts: "I'm hungry."

The family didn't quite foil the terrorist plot on their own, after hitting the wrong button and failing to deactivate the cyber terrorism device. "Spy agents" who were directing the operation had to step in.

"Although your work today wasn't stellar," they were told by spy HQ, "we definitely think you have potential as a covert spy agent."

On the Net: International Spy Museum: spymuseum.org

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