Toronto

Native Traveler's CUBA show!

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“I recall the busy atmospheric streets. The snapshots of lives lived out in the open, and the unmistakable aromas: Tropical Papaya mixed with Tobacco leaf, petrol and musty carpets….” writes Lonely Planet author on Cuba, Brendan Sainsbury. His latest guide coming out in October is an evocative, info-packed read. Brendan spends some time talking with us. Writer Allison Yates transports us into the optimistic resilient heart of the Cuban people in her feature, "me resolvi." And chef Gabriel Gonzalez of Toronto's Mojito Cubano gives us an authentic taste of his homeland. Dig in.

(Allison Yates//me resolvi: 1:04; Brendan Sainsbury//Lonely Planet: 14:14; Mojito Cubano live: 31:04)

 

Allison Yates

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Allison is a writer and traveler who has done everything from selling pumpkin donuts to working as a cleaner at a uranium mine to fund her life abroad. She's a Latin American enthusiast who loves Cumbia, coconut water, and the Spanish language.

 

Brendan Sainsbury // Lonely Planet Cuba Writer

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Born and raised in the UK in a town that never merits a mention in any guidebook (Andover, Hampshire), Brendan spent the holidays of his youth caravanning in the English Lake District and didn’t leave Blighty until he was nineteen. Making up for lost time, he’s since squeezed 70 countries into a sometimes precarious existence as a writer and professional vagabond. His rocking chair memories will probably include staging a performance of ‘A Comedy of Errors’ at a school in war-torn Angola, running 150 miles across the Sahara Desert in the Marathon des Sables, and hitchhiking from Cape Town to Kilimanjaro with an early, dog-eared copy of LP’s Africa on a Shoestring. In the last eleven years, he has written over 40 books for Lonely Planet from Castro’s Cuba to the canyons of Peru. When not scribbling research notes, Brendan likes partaking in ridiculous ‘endurance’ races, strumming old Clash songs on the guitar, and experiencing the pain and occasional pleasures of following Southampton Football Club.

- (Bio from lonelyplanet.com)

 

Mojito Cubano

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Mojito Cubano, located at 1510 Queen Street West in Toronto, is run by Cuban chef Gabriel Gonzalez. It's the real deal in authentic Cuban cuisine and casual warm atmosphere.

Check out Native Traveler's full-length WALKING CITIES show!

 
 

There's just no substitute for covering the ground, step by step—noting landmarks, feeling the lay of the land, mind-mapping the pattern of streets. I'm a big fan of walking cities to know better both the place and the people. In this show, we learn all the good reasons to lace up and stride out. Come along.

 

Leslie Garrett // Journalist & Author

Our feature contributor this week, Leslie Garrett is an award-winning journalist and author of more than a dozen books.

Our feature contributor this week, Leslie Garrett is an award-winning journalist and author of more than a dozen books.

 

Suzanne Urpecz // Co-Founder & Lead Culinary Ambassador of Savour Toronto

At 34 years old, Suzanne was living the dream—she was her own boss, had just married the love of her life, and was planning on buying a home and starting a family. Those plans came to a screeching halt when, upon returning from a trip to Australia, …

At 34 years old, Suzanne was living the dream—she was her own boss, had just married the love of her life, and was planning on buying a home and starting a family. Those plans came to a screeching halt when, upon returning from a trip to Australia, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Read the rest of Suzanne's story here.

Savour Toronto:

Founded in 2013, Savour Toronto is an award-winning company specializing in creating exceptional tailor-made food and drink experiences. They are dedicated to supporting Toronto's food and dining scene with a team of passionate and dynamic local experts.

 

Jane's Walk

Jane’s Walks are free, locally-organized walking tours in which people get together to explore, talk about, and celebrate their neighbourhoods. Where more traditional tours are a bit like walking lectures, a Jane’s Walk is more of a walking conversa…

Jane’s Walks are free, locally-organized walking tours in which people get together to explore, talk about, and celebrate their neighbourhoods. Where more traditional tours are a bit like walking lectures, a Jane’s Walk is more of a walking conversation.

A Jane’s Walk can focus on almost any aspect of a neighbourhood, and on almost any topic you can think of. Walks can be serious or funny, informative or exploratory; they can look at the history of a place, or at what’s happening there right now. Anyone can lead a walk, because everyone is an expert on the place where they live!

 

A Taste of Savour Toronto