Serenity now

As delightful as a summer cottage visit can be, I have this ‘thing’ where I don’t really feel I’ve had a holiday unless it involves boarding a plane for a minimum three-hour flight and arriving to a blast of warm, tropical sea air. Especially now, as we toil at our desks after the summer that never was (at least in Ontario) with new plans, budgets or strategies to work on, how many of us have visions of azure oceans, swaying palm trees and daiquiris dancing in our heads? ’Tis the season for planning winter getaways and, for some, even weddings in the sunny south. (And foodies out there take note: you may want to put the upcoming St. Croix Food and Wine Experience and the Cayman Islands Cookout on your calendar – both are not-to-be-missed culinary events.)

Apropos of this, an invitation to the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Rum & Rhythm event landed in my inbox today, and not a moment too soon. The culmination of a week-long bacchanal, Rum & Rhythm celebrates two of the region’s greatest exports with rum tastings and live music. The Caribbean has, of course, much more to offer: beautiful islands, glorious weather, a variety of delicious cuisines