I was glad the bus was air conditioned as our group of eight drove on that hot July day, through Quebec's Eastern Townships - a part of Quebec famous for its tourist appeal. I was happy and content. Inside it was cool and comfortable and outside it was a scenic world. The countryside was covered with flowers, greenery as well as cultivated fields. At times we drove through rolling hills; at other times through flat and fertile landscape. As … [Read more...]
About Habeeb Salloum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeeb_Salloum
Habeeb Salloum is a Canadian author who grew up in Saskatchewan, joined the RCAF during the Second World War, and then worked for the Canadian Department of National Revenue for 36 years. For the last 30 years he has been a full-time freelance writer and author specializing in food, history and travel. Besides 7 books and 20 chapters in books, he has had hundreds of articles about culture, food, travel, history and homesteading in western Canada appear in such publications as the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the Western Producer, Contemporary Review, Forever Young, Vegetarian Journal and Saveur.
Among his most important published books are: From the Lands of Figs and Olives: Over 300 Delicious and Unusual Recipes from the Middle East and North Africa (Interlink Publishing, 1996); Journeys Back to Arab Spain (The Middle East Studies Center, 1994); Arabic Contributions to the English Vocabulary (Librairie du Liban, 1996) among others.
His most recent books, co-authored with Leila Salloum Elias and Muna Salloum, are Scheherazade’s Feasts: Foods of the Medieval Arab World (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013); and Sweet Delights from A Thousand and One Nights: The Story of Traditional Arab Sweets (I.B. Tauris, London, UK, 2013).
Habeeb was awarded the 2013 Saskatchewan Tourism Travel Media Award by the Saskatchewan Tourism on April 10, 2014 for his literary work on travel, tourism and the culinary arts of that province.
Shanghai World Expo – China Showcases its Place in the Modern World
With its management of the 2008 Olympic games a smashing success, China will, from May 1st to October 31st, 2010 at the Shanghai World Expo, try and outdo its Olympic success. As one of the Chinese workers at the Shanghai World Expo told me, "Like it left its footprints during the ancient ages, China is beginning to make its mark on the modern world." Well, he had a point. No one can deny that this country contributed much to the ancient … [Read more...]
Huangshan Gems
"Since you are here in Huangshan, you must visit our two traditional villages, Xidi and Hongcun. They are little gems of elegance and tradition." A guide advised when I asked him his favourite attractions in the region. We had already made plans to visit these villages and his advice reinforced our decision. Both Xidi and Hongcun villages rest in the foothills of the Huangshan (Yellow) Mountain. They lay amid a landscape of greenery, … [Read more...]
Old Quebec: A Tourist Destination par Excellence
Quebec City's magnificent castle-like Le Chateau Frontenac with its medieval stone towers, gables and copper turrets, we surveyed the St. Lawrence River. For a long time, we stood enjoying the enchanting view. From our vantage point, in this symbol of the city, it was easy to dream of the past - the time when Samuel de Champlain, in 1608, established the city, which was to become the cradle of French civilization in the Americas. For … [Read more...]
Exploring Richmond’s History, then Taking the Highway to Heaven
From modern Asian malls to the 'Highway to Heaven' with its churches, mosques, temples and historical landmarks, British Columbia's Metro-Vancouver's suburb city of Richmond, the only Canadian city surrounded by dykes, is a place worth visiting. Emitting the sounds ands aromas of the mysterious Orient as well as a religious aura and structures oozing stories from the past, the city of 188,000 is made up from 17 islands, half of which are still … [Read more...]
The Terracotta Urns of Cuba’s Camaguey
"Camaguey is known as the city of tinajones (huge terracotta or earthenware urns). You will find them everywhere as you walk around town. They are a symbol of our city." Our guide smiled, then continued, "However, wives, beware! Do not let your husband drink from them! There is a legend that if a man takes a drink offered by a woman from a tinajone, he will fall in love with her and remain in Camaguey the rest of his life." In the bygone … [Read more...]
Acapulco: Litterly the Mother of all Mexican Resorts
I was walking on the Costera Miguel Alemn, Acapulco's main thoroughfare, with a colleague who had last visited the city in the early 1960s when he remarked, "I can't believe how Acapulco now looks! When I was last here all I remember is the grit, annoying peddlers, polluted beaches and unsafe streets. Look at it now!" He continued, "Now what some travellers once described as 'a dazzling resort spreading on the green towering Sierra Madre del … [Read more...]
A Safari through Cuba’s Wilderness Island
I felt content as our catamaran gently sailed through the gentle waters of Bahia de Nipes on our way to Cayo Saeta, located 120 km (75 mi) southeast city of Holguin in eastern Cuba. The bar on the catamaran was open and everyone in our group with drinks in their hands was enjoying the massage of the soothing breeze. We lazed in this glorious do-nothing atmosphere, thinking of the day we would soon spend on a pristine island, literally … [Read more...]
Shurniak Art Gallery Pays Tribute to Canada’s Pioneers
"You will not believe it! It's one of Canada's great museums here in the heart of the prairies." Patricia, a Saskatchewan tourist official commented as we stopped in front of the Shurniak Art Gallery, in Assiniboia, - a small town of some 2,305 souls that caters to a farm population in the surrounding countryside. She went on, 'Would you have thought that this small town would have a fine art gallery?' The Shurniak Art Gallery would not exist … [Read more...]
Exploring Havana: Queen of the Caribbean
To fully discover Havana both old and new, we decided to explore the city in two stages. In the morning, we would explore the new part by auto and in the afternoon roam through the old section by foot. I had visited Havana numerous times before, but I had not truly discovered the city. This time it was to be different. We began our exploration of Havana by car in the Miramar district, with its foreign embassies and plush hotels, in the new … [Read more...]