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A Colour Lover's Guide To Travel (INFORGRAPHIC)

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Valentine's Day may have February all painted up in hues of reds, whites, and pinks, but take a look out your window and chances are you'll see something along the lines of pitch black nights, curtains of white snow, and greyish-brown slush on the ground.

Not exactly the most inspiring palette, is it?

If you're in need a pop of colour to liven things up, you have some travel options.

And while we've yet to hear about anyone arranging a travel itinerary based purely on colours, this handy Cheapflights infographic can help you add some vibrancy to your adventures.

If none of those locations tickle your fancy, give these 10 cities a shot.


A Colour Lover




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WestJet Mulls Baggage Fees As Canadian Dollar Falls, Air Fares Rise

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A tumbling loonie and rising air fare have created something of a double whammy for Canadian airline passengers as of late, and now, more fees could be on the horizon.

On Tuesday, WestJet announced it has since increased the cost of airfare with a “system-wide” two per cent hike. The airline has not ruled out a future fee on checked baggage.

CEO Gregg Saretsky said the move would bring the airline in line with carriers in the United States who have been charging customers for checked luggage without much backlash.

All our competitors on trans-border are operating with load factors similar to ours. It’s hard to see that we’re getting any advantage in the market by not charging for a bag,” he said in a conference call to investors.

Saretsky stresses WestJet would pursue more baggage fees if no other options are available.

"If the IT team and our outside suppliers come back and can't deliver a solution that is commercially reasonable, feasible and competitive, we wouldn't go forward with implementing a first-bag fee," said Saretsky.

The airline currently charges a luggage fee for passengers with three or more pieces of checked luggage, according to the company's website. If it were to start charging for the first piece of checked luggage, it would need to set up a system to exempt V.I.P. customers, such as frequent fliers and loyalty credit card customers.

The idea comes as the Canadian dollar reaches a four-year low, leaving airlines like Air Transat, Sunwing and Air Canada Vacations to implement a $35 currency surcharge, since they operate in U.S. dollars, the Toronto Star reports.

Saretsky says WestJet won't budge on its stance against using a currency surcharge, a common way airlines compensate higher fuel prices and weak currencies.

“We don’t take price increases lightly,” Bob Cummings, executive vice-president of marketing and guest experience told Global News. “We’ve avoided price increases as much as possible.”

With Files From The Canadian Press

CheapAir's Rob Ford Rehab Offer Is The Latest Stunt To Get Toronto Mayor 'Help'

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The road to rehab is never an easy one but one travel agency says it's willing to get the process started for Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and fly him to rehab.

Over the last four months, the embattled mayor of Canada's largest city has admitted to issues with substance and alcohol abuse, leaving his critics questioning his competency and providing plenty of material for late-night comedians.

In an open letter addressed to Mayor Ford, CheapAir.com, a travel booking site, offers Ford a free ride to and from his location of choice for rehab. You can read the entire letter here:

Dear Rob,

With horror we've watched the incidents of the past year. The crack smoke, the slurred, inebriated episode at Steak Queen, the crashing of the Board of Trade dinner.

Listen, we're not saying you have a problem (a unique leadership style, perhaps?) but, CheapAir is here for you. We sometimes hear from individuals with heart-wrenching stories who ask for assistance with flights, but your story has struck a chord like few others.

We're offering you a FREE roundtrip ticket to the rehab of your choice, courtesy of CheapAir.com!

You'll be bathed in luxury onboard with features like recline, seatback pocket, underseat storage, wall-to-wall carpeting and personal reading light. Let's just keep it to seltzer water onboard, eh?

We can't promise that our world-first voice recognition flight search app will understand your Steak Queen ramblings, but in sober tests we've found it works great.

Sincerely,

CheapAir.com


The letter, while serious in its offer to fly Ford to rehab, pokes fun at the mayor's past follies, including showing up at a Toronto Board of Trade meeting uninvited and two videos of Ford ranting and sluring in Jamaican patois. Ford called the later incident a "setback".

Ford has yet to address CheapAir.com's offer.

This isn't the first time travel companies have used Ford for fodder. Last year, a Spirit Airlines lampooned the mayor as part of an online ad for its airfare by proclaiming "we're not smoking crack" followed by a puff of smoke and insisting its prices are "real", a reference to a video of Ford using drugs now in possession of Toronto police.

But while companies are having fun at the mayor's expense, new details have emerged to suggest some people are worried about the his well-being.

In Crazy Town, a new book by Toronto Star reporter Robyn Doolittle, Ford's wife Renata reportedly expressed concern over her husband's drug use.

“He still thinks he’s going to party,” Renata allegedly said. “He thinks that he, oh, you know, ‘I’ll get off the pills, but I’m not giving up the blow,’” the Toronto Star reports. Ford's lawyer, Dennis Morris, told the paper Ford's wife now denies her alleged comments.

Vancouver Cat Cafe Coming Soon

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After the news that Montreal was getting its own version of the popular cat cafe (yes, literally a cafe filled with cats), we were suffering from some feline envy.

But BREAKING MEWS: Vancouver is pawsibly getting a cat cafe of its own.

Dubbed the Catfe, the establishment is coming to downtown Vancouver as early as the fall of 2014, Metro News reports.

People will meet the cats, fall in love with them and maybe want to adopt them,” Catfe founder Michelle Furbacher told the newspaper. "[The cats] have to have the right kind of personality, that likes hanging out with a lot of humans and a lot of other cats.”

Popular in Asia and even clawing into Europe, the cat cafe model is also on its way to America.

And really, it's no surprise this catmosphere is so popular around the world; who wouldn't want to cuddle up with a kitty as they sip on their tea? The idea sounds purrrfect. We wish we were at one right meow.

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10 Vintage Photos Of Canada That Prove The Country Looks Good Young Or Old

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Fact: Canada is a pretty, old country.

OK, compared to other countries Canada is relatively young, but at nearly 150 it's not exactly a spring chicken any more. As for the pretty part, we could go on about how gorgeous the West Coast is, how stunning Banff National Park is or how a sunset on the East Coast never fails to yield a smile.

Or we could show you some vintage photos the British Library Colonial Copyright Collection. It features more than 4,000 photos of Canada from 1895 to 1924. Once held in libraries in the U.K., hidden away to collect dust, these photos have now entered the public domain and are free for all to see and share.

There are snap shots of Canadian cities in their infant stages, images of Canadians planting their roots for generations to come and, of course, plenty of photos showing off the country's natural beauty way back when prime minister Wilfrid Laurier was in charge.

Just check out these photos of the 1000 Islands in Ontario.

1000 islands
1920: Aeroplane Picture of 1000 Islands. No. 1500.


1000 island

Or Kakabeka Falls near Thunder Bay, Ont.. Not one of the country's well-known falls, but it still looks great.

kakabeka falls
1899: Kakabeka Falls.


kakabeka falls

But if we're talking about falls, you can't forget about the Niagara Falls.

niagara falls air
1919: “Niagara Falls from the Air”


niagara falls air
Mist rises over Horseshoe Falls, the largest of the Niagara Falls on June 4, 2013 at Niagara Falls, New York.


Back in the day, like today, Canadians loved trains.

union station winnipeg
1913: Union Station and Yard, Winnipeg.


union station and yard
Winnipeg VIA Union Station is pictured in Winnipeg Sunday May 22, 2011. Designed by Warren and Wetmore and built by the Canadian Northern Railway, National Transcontinental, and Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, Union Station is the inter-city railway station for Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Canadian Press Images/Francis Vachon


From Winnipeg, you could head East to Montreal, across the Victoria Bridge or try your luck West.
victoria brdige montreal
1899: Victoria Bridge, Montreal.


victoria bridge montreal

Ontario would have bee a good choice too. Just look at this sunset on Muskoka Bay.

muskoka bay sunset
1921: Sunset, Muskoka Lake


muskoka bay

And if the photos prove anything, it's that the natural beauty of Western Canada continues to shine -- particularly at the National Park level and in the cold.

grouse point alberta
1911: The Lions, as seen from Grouse Mountain Trail in British Columbia.


gouse mountain trail

lake louis
1908: “Lake Louise, Winter.”


lake louise
Lake Louise in the winter.


Black and white photos may not be so popular anymore, but West Cost sunsets never go out of style.
prince rupert island sunset
1915: Prince Rupert harbour under northern sunset.


prince rupert harbour
The sun sets behind a cargo ship in Prince Rupert Harbour, B.C.


So keep it up Canada, you may be turning 150 in three years but you hardly look more than 25. And here's to a future filled with plenty more games of shinny.

curling at banff
1906: Men play curling outdoors in what is now Banff, National Park in Alberta.


bannf outdoor hockey classic
The 4th Annual Lake Louise Pond Hockey Classic on the frozen surface of Lake Louise on March 2, 2013 in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada.


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Deer Droppings Lead To Artistic Protest In Penticton

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An anonymous artist of sorts in Penticton, B.C., has found a unique way to show displeasure with the city's urban deer problem.


Late last month, someone dropped off a statue of a deer on city hall steps decorated with deer scat. The half metre-high statue is mounted on a wooden pedestal.


Penticton Mayor Garry Litke said the work of art definitely made a statement.


"That was a very effective way of communicating with us that there was a problem out there that needed to be resolved," he said. "We have some artistic people in Penticton, that's for sure."


The city already knew there was a problem with urban deer, of course, but it had been awaiting the outcome of the legal battle over deer in a community near the Alberta border.


Anti-cull group ordered to pay Invermere's costs


In Invermere, a group fighting the decision to cull problem deer lost its case in B.C. Supreme Court, and has now been ordered to pay the district's court costs.


For District of Invermere Mayor Gerry Taft, the decision means his local government can recoup some of the $20,000 it calculates it has spent fighting the The Invermere Deer Protection Society in court.


"It's a full vindication of the process that we have followed, through the process of having the petition dismissed and now having costs awarded, what the district has been saying the entire time around this being a frivolous lawsuit wasting time and money," Taft said.


The Deer Protection Society already posted a $12,000 security with the court, which spokesman Devin Kazakoff says is money mainly from volunteers.


Penticton deer to be relocated


Invermere was the third community in B.C. to cull urban deer, but Penticton won't be joining its ranks.


Instead, Penticton City Council voted this week to relocate animals, and to allocated $15,000 towards the program.


The city will now put out a request for proposals from contractors to move the deer to Penticton Indian Band land more than 10 kilometres away.


Johnathan Kruger, chief of the band, said his community will welcome the animals.


"We just thought this would be a good story, to show people that we can work together and take care of our interests," he said. "We definitely wouldn't mind having deer on our reserve and getting some of those aggressive deer out of the community of Penticton."  

Ottawa's Sparks Street 'Get Nipped' Promo Asks You To Kiss A Beaver And Drink

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Canada's capital may be a hotspot for political scandal and intrigue, but when it's not ground zero for shake-ups and shakedowns, Ottawa has trouble shaking its reputation as Canada's most boring city.

Enter 'Get Nipped': the brainchild of the Sparks Street business association, a group looking to infuse a little life into the well-known strip of bars and restaurants.

So, what does it take to "get nipped"? First, visitors must declare to their barkeep in a Sparks Street business that they want to "get nipped." Someone rings a bell and yells out "Here Here, we got a Nipper".

You then must down a nip of seasonal whisky, face the Canadian flag on the Peace Tower of Parliament Hill, raise your nip and recite the oath praising Nicholas Sparks, the street's founder, the beaver and the city for never being a "bore", according to the event's page.

Things wrap up with the kissing of a beaver, though not a real one (we imagine health code violations play a role here). A plush version of Canada's "hardest working animal" will just have to do.

We’re trying to build this up as one of the three things you have to do when you come to Ottawa,” Les Gagne, the BIA’s executive director, told the Ottawa Citizen. “This is one thing we thought would be an opportunity to address this boring town syndrome.”

If the idea catches on, it could join rituals like "Kissing the Cod", a Newfoundland tradition where guests down a shot of rum, known as "Screech" and kiss a cod. Then there's the "Sourtoe Cocktail" in the Yukon, where patrons must drink a beer glass full of champagne spiked with a dehydrated toe that must touch the drinker's lips, according to 1310 News.

The idea follows up past efforts by the business association to jump-start interest in the area, including zip-lines, poutine festivals and even valet parking, the Ottawa Sun points out.

Will you be getting "nipped" or does the event sound more like a gimmick? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @HPCaTravel

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TripAdvisor Flights To Let Travellers Compare Flights By Perks

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(Relaxnews) - TripAdvisor Flights has updated its search tool to allow travellers to select their airline based not only on price, but also on the extra services and amenities available on board.

As most seasoned travellers will tell you, just because two airlines offer similar prices doesn't mean the in-flight experience will be the same with both. In fact, the services and perks offered can vary greatly from one carrier to the next.

To help members of its online travel community to make more informed choices, TripAdvisor has enhanced its flight search with information on the equipment and services provided by each airline.

Details on legroom, individual screens, Wi-Fi access and in-flight entertainment should allow the website's users to strike a better balance between comfort and price when selecting a flight. In addition, TripAdvisor Flights offers an inside look into the first class, business and economy cabins of certain airlines through photos taken by its contributing travellers.

This new feature is now available in 31 countries and 17 languages on TripAdvisor.

Sochi Olympics 2014: 15 Epic Hotel Fails In The 'Russian Riveria' (PHOTOS)

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With the opening ceremony fast approaching, it's safe to say the road to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia hasn't been the smoothest in Olympic history.

We mean that quite literally: there are still unpaved roads in and around the Olympic Village and Park, according to journalists stationed to cover the upcoming games.

Nicknamed the 'Russian Riveria' for its mild climate and location next to the Black Sea, Sochi has a history as a resort town — but has never hosted an event on such an international scale. That may be why Russia has poured over 51 billion dollars into funding the project, making it the most expensive Olympic games ever, the Washington Post reports.

Russia hasn't exactly had the easiest time setting up, either, with the international backlash it's faced for its laws against the LGBT community, controversial policy on killing stray dogs, and security threats from insurgents in nearby regions.

Construction for the athletes' quarters has long finished, but the hotels set aside for members of the media are a different story. Roughly 97 per cent of the hotel construction is finished, according to Business Insider, but photos posted on Twitter over the last few days suggest that the term "finished" might mean something different in Sochi. Here are some of the highlights:

The bartering system is still alive and well in Sochi.




And we know just the guy...




...Just don't expect to score any trades with light fixtures.




Water is a scare commodity.




Well, clean water is a scare commodity.




Gin, however, seems to be plentiful.




Toilets are a bit complicated...




...Okay, make that very complicated.




C'mon, it's like you're not even trying!




Maybe they were too busy installing the curtains.




But hey, at least they've got their priorities in order, right?




On the bright side, we hear the washrooms are very safe.




Access to wireless internet has also been an issue, and when it isn't, well:




And that's assuming there's still power in your room.




But remember, Rome wasn't built in a day — and neither was this hotel gym.




Or this bedroom, for that matter.




The situation wasn't much better for construction workers like Johnnie Balfour, a snowboard and ski cross course builder. In January, the Vancouver resident railed against the living conditions he faced while working in Sochi before packing up and heading home early.

In his blog, Balfour said his bathroom had no hot water, the toilet flushed muddy water, and the water was brown and undrinkable. Sounds kind of familiar, no?

With Files From Jesse Ferreras

Pyramid Scheme Victims Win $6.5M In B.C. Lawsuit

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A Federal Court judge has awarded $6.5 million to an estimated two thousand investors who put money into the UltraLife Club through a Mississauga, Ontario corporation called Business In Motion International.


The company was run by Alan Kippax, who was first exposed in a CBC Marketplace investigation of a pyramid scheme that defrauded investors across Canada, including hundreds from B.C.


People attending meetings held by Kippax were asked to pay a $3,200 entrance fee to buy vacation packages worth $9,000 they could then sell to others.


Burnaby, B.C. resident Mark Cuzzetto says he just wanted access to cheap travel. Instead he was taken for a ride, losing thousands of dollars in the pyramid scheme. Cuzzetto was so upset he launched a class action lawsuit.


"We were all duped. I just wanted to see everybody get back what they put in," he told the CBC.


In fact, Kippax's vacation packages weren't even good deals. There were cheaper travel packages on the Internet and his business continually needed more recruits to keep profits flowing to those at the top — a scheme the court described as a classic pyramid scheme.


Yet when first approached by the CBC's Marketplace,  Kippax maintained he'd done nothing illegal.


"Never once, ever, have I been charged for anything to do with any of what you're talking about," he told CBC reporters.


But in 2011, Kippax was charged with running a pyramid scheme — counts that are still outstanding. 


The Toronto businessman has also had several other run-ins with the law. 


In 2012, Kippax was charged with operating a grow-op. In 2010, he was found guilty of taking part in a fatal Toronto street race, a crime for which he served a year in jail.


Now, the U.K. citizen is facing deportation to Britain.


And the  victory against him in court could be a hollow one.  No one knows where the missing money went. Cuzzeto's lawyer says the hunt is on to find the the missing money before Kippax is deported.


"Someone must know where the money went. And I want people to tell me about that. Where is it? He couldn't have spent it all, so it's somewhere."

Louis DiNatale, American Tourist, Brings Gun To Border, Gets Arrested, Incites Rage Against Canada

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An American couple on a romantic getaway found themselves afoul of Canadian border agents when it turned out they were packing heat, the National Post reports.

Just the small matter of a loaded handgun in the car's centre console. The husband, Louis DiNatale, claims he forgot it was there and didn't declare it to border agents.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, DiNatale recalled last September's run-in at the border crossing at Thousand Islands Bridge between New York and Ontario.

When asked if he owned any weapons, the retired soldier said yes.

"Why?" asked the agent.

"I told him I was retired military, I had respect for weapons, and I had a concealed carry license to do so," DiNatale noted in his statement.

"He asked me when was the last time I had a weapon on me. I told him, 'Earlier that week.' He asked me again, 'Why?' I told him it was my right as an American citizen to do so."


Now, after a four-day detention at the border, the 46-year-old faces gun-smuggling charges that could send him to prison for three years.

(Because, apparently, gun smugglers haul weapons one at a time to Canada in the most obvious place imaginable.)

“It was an honest mistake,” DiNatale, who works as a paralegal for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, told Postmedia News. “There’s not even a traffic ticket in my background. Why would I come to Canada to bring a small weapon to smuggle in?”

DiNatale says they didn't want to be in Canada at all, claiming that while vacationing in Vermont, their diabolical GPS led them to northern climes.

After hours of listening to gospel music on long Vermont roads, the couple failed to get any guidance whatsoever from a higher power.

“My GPS didn’t say, ‘you’re entering another country,’” DiNatale told the National Post.

Since then, DiNatale has also found himself entering another realm -- the land of gun-loving American forums.

And it seems to have declared war on Canada.

At Calguns -- the 'California firearms owner's home on the internet' -- one user suggested DiNatale "could have conquered all of Quebec with that kind of arsenal."

The indignation quickly spread from gun policy to, well, everything.

"I was there last summer with some friends," another poster reminisced. "The cross into Canada took about half hour and the entire time up there kind of sucked. People were in large part rude, things were expensive, and traffic laws suck."

Over at the National Gun Forum, a particularly uninformed, seemingly paranoid and likely armed poster wrote, "There's no Constitution in Canada. No Bill of Rights. I've been there. Have family up there. If they throw you in jail, you are at their mercy and whim."

"Everybody and his neighbour in the U.S. either own a gun or carry a gun," DiNatale's Ottawa-based lawyer, Bruce Engel, told CBC Radio's As It Happens.

"It's just that culture. It's very different than in Canada."

2014 Olympics Already Suck Compared To Vancouver Games

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The Vancouver 2010 Olympics look so hot right now.

Reporters have been tweeting some shocking photos from Sochi that show the state of preparedness in the host city for the 2014 Olympics. There are power outages, dirty water and toilets that can't even handle toilet paper.

The conditions are so bad they've inspired their own Twitter account.

Canadians already know that they did the Games better. Here's why:



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2014 Sochi Olympics Photos: Satellite Pictures Of The City Past And Present

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The opening ceremonies for the 2014 Sochi Olympics is fast approaching but criticism against the Russian host city have surfaced long before the official start.

Journalists stationed in Sochi were greeted to an Olympic village and park still under construction with days before the Feb. 7 start date. Reporters also took to Twitter to share some of the imperfections and stories awaiting them within the first days of arrival in the city.

But to the credit of Olympic officials in Russia, the country has had a fair amount of work to do since winning the bid in 2006. Sochi, while widely considered as a resort town, has a population of roughly 400,000 and sees about two million tourists a year. In order to accommodate the influx of thousands of athletes, fans and members of the media, Russia had to build an Olympic city from the ground up.

And Google Maps has the photos to prove it.

This is what Sochi looked like back in April 2005, a year before it was even considered to host the Winter Games.
sochi olympics photos april 2005

And here it is back in January 2014
sochi olympics photos january 2014

You can see the gradual progression from what's essentially open fields to a collection of Olympic venues, parks and arenas for athletes and spectators in the pictures below.

Here it is in September 2007:
sochi olympics photos september 2007

The situation as of March 2010:
sochi olympics march 2010

Construction as of September 2011:
sochi olympics march 2011

Getting closer as of March 2013:
sochi olympics march 2013

Nearing completion in November 2013:
sochi olympics march 2013

On Thursday, Dmitry Kozak, the deputy prime minister in charge for the Olympic preparation, addressed his critics, saying that the circulating photos of undrinkable water, incomplete hotel rooms and questionable fixtures were overblown, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Also fighting back against earlier media reports was Vladimir Yakunin, head of the national rail operator Russian Railways, the company responsible for most of Sochi's infrastructure. In his blog, Yakunin criticized the Western media for bias covered against Russia.

I will not repeat the content of publications, but their essence is the same - it is unconscionable judgments about the ambitions of the Russian authorities, the Olympic budget, categorical statements about companies - construction contractors, fear mongering about the fact that the Games in Sochi will not be provided with the necessary level of security, all kinds of hints and it ... At the same time there is no word about the quality of Olympic venues, that level of infrastructure Olympics has no analogues in the world. No mention there of the unique features of this region of Russia that, for sure, would be interested in a Western audience, not too familiar with our history and geography.


Still not sold in booking a trip to Sochi? Well, Google has also expanded its Streetview technology to map the host city for Olympic armchair tourists.

Most Charming Canadian City: Montreal Wins Hearts, Toronto Gets Pity Vote

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(Relaxnews) - In a survey akin to yearbook superlatives, San Francisco took the title of most ‘charming’ destination, while Toronto got the pity vote and was deemed the city that needs the most love.

In separate online surveys, Hotels.com asked 1,200 Canadians and 1,200 Americans which cities they fancied in advance of Valentine’s Day.

Of all the cities in the US, San Francisco with its swoon-worthy esthetic, charisma and easygoing persona edged out New Orleans to be named the most charming domestic destination.

In Canada, that same title went to Montreal for serving as a pocket of European life in North America, in addition to its cuisine, distinctive culture -- and accent.

Paris was also top of mind for Canadian travellers as the City of Light was voted the city that was “hardest to break up with.”

“Maybe it's the blinding romantic nature of this city that makes you hold on, but whatever it is, the City of Light kept its grip on our hearts and was the first choice for Canadians."

Paris also placed second to Montreal in the ‘charm’ category.

If Las Vegas was cited by both Americans and Canadians as the date you wouldn’t want to introduce to your parents, quieter, more serious and sober destinations like San Diego, Denver and Seattle were chosen as the cities in which Americans would most want to settle down in -- "‘til death do them part."

For Canadian respondents, meanwhile, that city was Vancouver for its “laid back lifestyle and mild climate.” The west coast city was followed by Toronto and Paris.

And finally, Canadian respondents felt particularly bad for Toronto, which continues to make international headlines for its embattled, crack-smoking mayor and has also been battered with relentless ice storms this winter. The runner-up in this category was Calgary.

Sochi Olympics 2014: Russian Airport Ban On Carry-On Toiletries Not Working

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SOCHI, Russia - Despite a temporary Russian ban on liquids in carry-on luggage, some air travellers heading to the Sochi Olympics through Moscow brought toothpaste and other toiletries past security checkpoints without any problems.

Security concerns ahead of the Sochi Games were renewed after the U.S. Homeland Security Department warned airlines flying to Russia that terrorists may try to smuggle explosives into the country in toothpaste tubes. The agency on Thursday banned all liquids from carry-on luggage for nonstop flights from the U.S. to Russia.

Yet six Associated Press employees arriving in Moscow from across the world or beginning their journey there passed through security without having to remove toothpaste, hand lotion or water bottles from their carry-on luggage. Another AP journalist, arriving in Moscow from Singapore, said a security official checked his deodorant and then returned it, but didn't notice or make mention of a very small tube of toothpaste.

Other air travellers heading to Sochi also said their experience of Russian airport security was surprisingly hassle-free.

"It was pretty chill. I had an empty 1 1/2-litre water bottle because I was hoping to fill it up on the plane but no one checked it," said Matt Segal, an Australian tourist who travelled from Moscow to Sochi on Thursday. "No one has pulled it out and asked about it."

The no-liquids rule applies to anyone departing from a Russian airport, including transit passengers, said Russian Transport Ministry spokeswoman Nataliya Nesterova. She said it was up to airports to make sure it is enforced.

The sporadic enforcement underscores the difficulty that governments face in ensuring that airport personnel in many places, screening thousands of impatient people in a compressed period of time, maintain consistent practices as they try to prevent attacks. And even if practices are consistent inside a single country, the many points of transit that travellers pass through en route to Sochi fall under the jurisdiction of multiple governments.

An AP journalist starting a three-leg trip to Sochi in Detroit on Thursday had to leave his toothpaste and deodorant behind after an airline official told him he couldn't bring those items to Russia in his carry-on luggage.

Moscow airport officials didn't return calls Thursday seeking comment about enforcement of the ban, which runs from January to April, well after the Olympics and Paralympics end. Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak had no comment on the toothpaste warning from Homeland Security in the U.S.

"I don't have any reaction at this point. We're checking this information," Kozak told reporters at a news conference in Olympic Park.

He said Russia can guarantee the safety of people attending the Sochi Games as efficiently as any other government hosting a major event.

"I believe that warnings about Sochi, about Russia were superfluous, and the threat levels in Sochi are just like they are in Boston or London," he said. "I would like to reiterate that security in Sochi will be no worse than in New York, London, Washington or Boston."

Some AP employees travelling directly to Sochi from Frankfurt, Germany, passed through security there carrying travel-sized liquids, including toothpaste.

A photographer who brought a Ziploc bag with a half a dozen liquid items said he was asked to take it out in Boston, where he began his trip, but security officials in Frankfurt left it in the bag, while inspecting his camera equipment.

No-liquid rules appear to be enforced more strictly at train stations in the Sochi area. One AP journalist was stopped Feb. 2 at a security checkpoint in the train station in Krasnaya Polyana, the mountain hub for the games, because his hand luggage contained a tube of leather conditioner. He was asked to open it, stick a finger in it and rub it onto his shoe.

Another AP journalist who carried a water bottle at a train station in Sochi had to hand it over to security officials who examined it with a scanning device to make sure its contents were not flammable.

In late December, bombings of a train station and an electric trolleybus killed 34 people in the southern city of Volgograd, heightening security fears ahead of the Sochi Olympics. The leader of the Caucasus Emirate, an umbrella group for militants seeking to establish an independent Islamic state in the North Caucasus, has urged his followers to strike the Winter Olympics.

___

Associated Press journalists from across the world contributed to this report.


What To Do In Sochi: Your Options For Hotels And Eats At The 'Russian Riviera'

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Relaxnews) - Now that Sochi, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics, has made it onto the world’s radar as a potential travel destination with its sub-tropical climate, spa and wellness culture, here’s a look at some of the top-rated hotels and attractions in the area.

According to user-generated reviews on TripAdvisor.com, the Grand Hotel and Spa Rodina is the top-ranked hotel in the city and is described by guests as elegant and luxurious.

Designed in Stalinist neo-classical architecture, the boutique hotel is surrounded by towering cedars, larch trees, maple and rhododendrons, echoing the city’s lush, botanical heritage.

The summer resort town is known as the Russian Riviera for its sub-tropical climate which helps maintain one of Sochi’s most popular attractions, the Dendrary Botanical Garden.

In February, temperatures range between 3C and 10C. Sochi lies on the same latitude as Toronto, Nice in France and the Gobi Desert.
The Grand Hotel & Spa also boasts one of the largest hotels spas in Europe, spanning 4,000 square meters. The fitness center includes two 25 and 35-meter swimming pools, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts.

Rounding out the three top-rated hotels in Sochi are the Sochi-Breeze Spa Hotel and the Radisson Lazurnaya Hotel.

Meanwhile, the top-rated restaurants in the city include Cafe Del Mar, Brigantina Cafe and Cafe Del Mar Plyazh.
Here are a few of the city’s main attractions:

The Arboretum
Located in the heart of the city, the park is home to Russia’s biggest collection of oak trees, as well as palm, cypress and other sub-tropical species. Visitors can also head to the aquarium, which recreates the marine life of the Black Sea.

Trinity Georgian Convent
It’s said that those who undertake the pilgrimage to the cathedral, hidden deep in the Caucasus Mountains, and pray before the Vladimir Mother of God find healing, hope, faith and love.

Achishkho Ridge
With sweeping views of the Caucasus Mountains and home to sub-alpine meadows, adult-sized flowers and cascading waterfalls measuring up to 30 meters tall (98 feet), the Achishkho Ridge is described as a gem of a destination.

Tea time
Between visits to health resorts, spas and mountain treks, be sure to squeeze in a visit to a traditional tea house. Wash down sweet cakes and jams with smoking samovars filled with strong, rich Russian tea -- one of the most popular beverages among Russians.

Best Romantic Hotels Of 2014, As Chosen By TripAdvisor

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(Relaxnews) - It's not hard to see why the following hotels were ranked among the most romantic in the world by users of the largest user-generated travel website in the world.

Most offer private, beach or poolside suites in milieus where the water shimmers otherworldly hues of turquoise and blue, and four-poster beds beckon couples invitingly.

Greece leads the top 10 list with three addresses, followed by the Maldives and South Africa, which tied with two properties each.

Taking the top spot is The Place Koh Tao in Thailand, a luxury getaway that offers five boutique villas, tucked discreetly in the Thai tropical forests, each with its own infinity pool.

If you haven’t booked your Valentine’s Day getaway yet, or just want to daydream with your partner, take a virtual tour of the most romantic hotels in the world, as rated by TripAdvisor users.

Red Light Secrets Museum Of Prostitution In Amsterdam Now Open

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(AMSTERDAM-AFP) - Amsterdam's red-light district opened its first "prostitution museum" on Thursday, hoping to lure tourists who always wondered what life was like for those on the other side of the infamous glass windows -- but were too afraid to ask.

"How do they live? What happens in their world?" said Melcher de Wind, a founder of the "Red Light Secrets Museum of Prostitution" which showcases one of the Dutch capital's most famous attractions.

"I have always wondered what really happens behind those neighbourhood windows."

Nestled between two famous brothels overlooking a canal, the new attraction seeks to offer something different to nearby museums on the subject such as the Sex Museum or the Museum of Eroticism.

"The other museums focus on sex and sexual performance. The new museum gives you a glimpse into the world of sex workers -- what it feels like to stand behind a window and the looks you get," explained Yolanda van Doeveren, who deals with prostitution for the Amsterdam municipality.

"Maybe tourists will get a chance to change their behaviour and show a little more respect," she added.

Inside the small museum, a large television screen shows a woman performing a strip-tease. Visitors are then shown a film about the other side of prostitution -- women with families living everyday lives.

There are exhibits showing how both fashions and attitudes towards the world's oldest profession have changed over the centuries.
Visitors are shown a display of the tools of the trade -- condoms, lubricants and sex toys -- based on the experiences of former prostitute Ilonka Stakelborough who advised the museum.

Prostitution in the Netherlands was legalised in 2000 and there are now around 7,000 people working in the industry in Amsterdam.

Around three-quarters of the women come from low-income countries, mainly from Eastern Europe, according to Amsterdam municipality figures.

They pay 150 euros ($202) to hire one of Amsterdam's 409 "frames", which comes with a chair in front and a bed at the back.

Many women work 11 hours a day, six days a week with a visit to a prostitute lasting around 10 minutes.

The museum depicts BDSM (bondage, domination, sado-masochism) practices, and also features a "luxury" room with mirrored ceilings, a bed lit from below, and a bathtub next to an open bottle of champagne.

By way of contrast, there is a small room with barely space for a single bed that was used by a Polish prostitute when she was not with clients.

"We want to show all aspects of prostitution," Stakelborough told AFP.

"Yes, there are women who are victims of human trafficking, but prostitution is mostly a career many women volunteer for."

Snow In Vancouver Means..

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In anticipation of up to 10 centimetres of snow on Sunday, the City of Vancouver is starting to salt and sand major bus routes and roads near hospitals and schools.

Temperatures are then forecast to rise by Monday afternoon, followed by rain. Sounds like it's going to be messy.

It's already so cold in Vancouver that a 66-year-old record was broken this week. And with the snowfall warning for the South Coast, including the Lower Mainland, it got us thinking: What does snow in Vancouver mean, exactly?

It's not exactly the most well-equipped city when it comes to snow, and its citizens are, well, kind of wimpy. Yeah, we said it. We use umbrellas when snow is falling.

Here's what else snow in Vancouver means:



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Air Travel Complaints From Customers Have Been Steadily Going Up

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TORONTO - A passenger alleges that Air Canada agents laughed at him and refused to help after a delay caused him to miss a connecting flight.

Another customer claims he was notified via email that his flight with Spanish airline Iberia had been cancelled — four days after the scheduled trip.

And thirteen people say they missed their flights after Air Canada changed its check-in time for domestic travel from 30 to 45 minutes.

These are some of the allegations contained within nearly 400 air travel complaints obtained by The Canadian Press through an Access to Information request.

The quality of service complaints — which detail allegations against both domestic and foreign carriers — were filed with the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) between January and August 2013.

In its annual report, the federal agency notes that the total number of complaints it received against both domestic and foreign carriers has increased in the past year.

It received 301 complaints against eight Canadian carriers in 2012-2013, up from 215 complaints in 2011-2012.

Complaints against foreign carriers rose to 218 in 2012-2013, compared to 145 the previous year.

Quality of service was the most commonly cited issue for the seventh year in a row, although the agency notes that those types of complaints are outside its mandate.

Some consumer rights advocates say that an increase in complaints speaks to the need for an airline passenger bill of rights.

Industry Minister James Moore had previously suggested Ottawa would consider such an initiative, but the measure was absent from the throne speech last fall.

Allegations about rude, unhelpful staff and poor communication are among some of the complaints to the CTA.

A handful of complaints allege that passengers were put up in "dingy" hotels, where there were cockroaches and escorts, after they had been bumped from their flights or while facing delays. Thirty-nine cite problems with getting in touch with a carrier's customer service department citing "impassable phone menus."

"I tried to contact Air Canada, however they do not have a claims department, no phone number to call or a live person to explain the situation to. Only an email address that no one answers," says one complainant.

"Correspondence with airline has run me around in circles," writes another complainant of his experience with Sunwing Airlines Inc. "Representative does not respond to phone calls, and emails are weeks apart."



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Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) received the lion's share of service complaints during the period with 150, while Sunwing had 24 complaints. WestJet (TSX:WJA), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and United Airlines were mentioned about a dozen times each.

Air Canada, the country's largest airline, notes that it carries an average of 115,000 customers a day and more than 35 million people a year.

"While we strive for zero complaints, in this context, 150 complaints is a minute fraction relative to the number of interactions we have with all our customers," spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email.

Although quality of service issues are outside of the agency's mandate, many complaints about quality of service also cite other issues — such as lost baggage, flight disruptions or incidents where passengers are bumped from overbooked flights.

The aim of the agency's informal complaint process is to ensure that airlines are operating in line with the rules set out in their tariffs, the written guidelines that outline how passengers should be treated.

But the agency doesn't award legal costs to passengers — something that passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs says would help deter airlines from breaking the conditions of their contracts.

"Right now the worst case scenario is that CTA will order them to pay the passenger," says the Halifax-based mathematician. "Given that the agency refuses to award costs, there's no risk for the airline."

Lukacs has had his share of run-ins with carriers and has filed dozens of complaints with the agency. Some of his conflicts with airlines have landed in court and have led to changes, such as a ruling by the agency that Air Canada must increase its compensation to passengers who are bumped from overbooked domestic flights.

However, airlines note that not all complaints filed with the CTA are legitimate.

Sunwing spokeswoman Jessica Patriquin says in some cases, passengers simply don't understand the rules around compensation and expect to be compensated more than is appropriate.

"As a result, that process may feel as though they're going in 'circles,'" Patriquin said in an email.

Sunwing also noted that all of the complaints it was mentioned in during the period in question have been resolved.

Meanwhile, in response to a number of complaints that Air Canada failed to notify passengers of its new check-in time, the carrier argues that it extensively promoted the change via news releases, social media, email notifications and on its website.

It also admits that customers looking to resolve issues after their flight have to do so via email, noting that it's easier to deal with more complex, post-flight issues such as claims and refunds online.

Meanwhile, Iberia says the customer who complained booked his flight through the website Expedia and it was up to the portal, not the airline, to notify the customer of the change.

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