Ride the chair to the Top of the World - Canada's largest ski area! From here we can see the famous Lake Louise, the Canadian Rockies in all their glory and look down towards Kicking Horse Pass! Plus we'll discuss skiing, glaciers and the mountains! 
And of course we’ll ski together!

Canada's first (and most famous) national park is home to spectacular scenery, a rich history and as many wild animals as people. From snowy winters to long summer days, it can take a lifetime to explore the Canadian Rockies.

Banff

Patchy in some places but that was mostly likely due to the location of this tour.

Very informative and interactive. I like that he read our messages and responded accordingly. Was a great first tour for me!

Thank you so much Patrick for this tour :)
What a gorgeous lovely landscape it was <3
So many colors, looked like someone has painted rainbow <3
Loved the Chairlift ride <3 It was the first time I saw Chairlift ride. Was amazing to see <3
Thank you so much for doing the ride for us :)
Thank you :)

Panoramic mountain views, wonderful autumn colours on the hillsides and expert tour guiding from Patrick. Fabulous to see the ski area without all the snow! Thank you!!

Patrick is always amazing. Informative and fun. Can’t wait when live tours will be available, 

What a special fall treat!  Stunning views- and we got to ride down the mountain on the ski lift!  Thank you so much Patrick!

Wow! Spectacular views and Patrick even took us on a chair lift ride! All of Patrick’s tours are pure joy!

This tour had amazing views and it was beautiful to see the changing fall colours. The gondola ride gave us some more great views.

It was so enjoyable.  I felt I was right there too.  Thank you!

Amazing quality for a wilderness tour.  No problems at all

Another wonderful tour with Patrick.  Patrick does a great job with explaining what we are seeing, engaging with comments in chat and providing beautiful postcard opportunities.  Every tour with Patrick is a treat.

Loved Patrick's tour. He always gives us 100% of himself in history, visual appearance of the area we are in, and safety if we are ever in those types of area. I always enjoy Patrick's love of the outdoors, his exploring nature and his love of sharing it all with us. You don't get a better tour guide than Patrick with outdoor experiences!  (Finn comes close!)  And we all love Patrick, so it's no wonder he always gets 5 stars!

Just love being in Patrick's company. He makes everything so interesting.

Can't thank Patrick enough... Fitting us into a busy schedule was much appreciated... What a brilliant tour, and going down on the ski lift AWESOME... 

More skiing with Patrick in breathtaking surroundings!  Loved it!

So fun to ski down the mountain, thank you!

I’ve only ever tried to ski once.  After a couple of private lessons, I managed half a green slope before my back gave up. Thanks so much for taking us to scenery again that I’d never be able to see if I visited (I was on the trip where you walked across the lake a few days ago).  My friends and I are loving your tours !!

Brilliant, looking forward to tomorrow for the next instalment

Absolutely FABULOUS!!! Thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooo much! Best tour yet!

Wonderful.   We visited in the summer and thought it would be spectacular in the winter.   Love to go back to experience the skiing.

Absolutely fantastic guide, very informative and a really nice gentleman! Will definitely watch more of his tours :)

Fantastic tour!!!  Skiing with Patrick was such a treat!  Beautiful scenery.  Thank you so very much for the beautiful adventure! :)

Fantastic! First time I have been skiing.

WOW!!! This was so amazing!!!  Of all the many amazing tours we have enjoyed, this is by far the BEST..  Thanks Patrick

WOW!!  Please run this trip again before the snow melts too much ... the runs look amazing and really felt as though I was there!  Tremendous trip!

Fabulous tour with a great tour guide. The Rockies in Winter are so spectacular and Patrick is the best guy to show you around! This tour brought back lots of great memories from my visit to Banff, Jasper & Lake Louise 4 years ago. 

Never done that before, ride up, ski down! What fun with picturesque scenery 

Great tour to a very beautiful area and lovely skiing.  Can't wait until the borders are open again so we can visit again in person.

Fabulous! I don't know how Patrick can ski, talk, and hold the equipment. Thank you, Patrick for this unforgettable experience!

The best guide. Wonderful voice and skills. These trips are amazing. Please pot more on especially with Patrick.

Really not enough words to describe how wonderfully exciting this tour was! To virtually ski down a mountain was an experience that so many of us will never have the chance to have, and was just thrilling. Patrick deserves so many thanks for arranging this for us all, and he is such a personable guide in every respect. 

Patrick did an Amazing job!  I’ve never had such a FUN virtual tour!   He is the best tour guide on land or in times of Covid!   Excellent job❤️

Another brilliant virtual tour.    You feel as if you are with Patrick in person 

This was brilliant, I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend. Thank you Patrick!

The skiing was amazing! It was a new experience and what a ride! Almost like being there and feeling the wind in my face. WOW!!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Another awesome tour from Patrick. Absolutely loved it  

Always a great tour with Patrick. Something new every time I view his tours,
Very informative

Unbelievable tour! I really felt like I was skiing.....amazing scenery
Thank you so much.....you have brought so much joy to the whole world

Absolutely fantastic. Great experience of Skiing down the mountain !!!!!

We went skiing!!!

We went skiing!!! Thank you!

Really enjoyed the ski runs, perfect in all respects.

This was seriously the most unbelievable tour.  OMG!  Fantastic scenery.  Patrick was fantastic AGAIN!

Thoroughly enjoyed the ski trip with Patrick.  He is a brilliant guide. Thank you 

Fantastic! Thank you Patrick for an exhilarating trip. Closest we'll ever get to skiing.

Patrick took us up the Rockies and down again skiing..it was awesome ...he is a great guide, full of info!!!!

100% wonderful, living vicariously through Patrick as he bombs down a Canadian mountain. 

This was a thrilling tour. Great views from the mountain  & good information about the mountain ranges. Remember to pack your gloves, scarf & goggles. Patrick is a wonderful guide.

Patrick is an engaging guy and is very knowledgeable about his subject. It was a pleasure to follow him as he took us through the gorgeous area of Banff. It is a place I have not been to and did not know much about. It was especially interesting to see the skiers enjoying that gorgeous part of the world ! 

I didn't for a minute realise I would be going on a ski lift then skiing from the top of a huge mountain in Banff when I booked onto a tour! Patrick did an excellent tour telling us all about the history of the area aswell as skiing whilst holding a gimbal! Excellent work! Thanks very much

Amazing tour , you were amazing can’t wait for the next one 😀😀

What a great tour! I never thought I'd be skiing at Lake Louise but Patrick made it possible. He chose wonderful scenic routes with magnificent views to the Rockies.

Best idea ever for a tour! Loved riding up the chairlift and skiing down the mountain with Patrick! The views of the Canadian Rockies were amazing

Patrick is a great tour guide. Today he took us skiing and we saw some awesomely beautiful mountains.

What a brilliant tour skiing in Lake Louise!  It was thrilling, exciting, wonderful, new (never done it!), easy, fun!  It was a wonderful day for a ski run.  I’m so happy we got to do this today and on such a beautiful spot and with one of the best tour guides VT has found for us.  Thank you Patrick.  Thank you VT.

Super as usual, great to ski from the highest point. I don't know how he does it, Thank you, my brother loved skiing here.

Just an amazing tour, stunning scenery, fantastic experience & a great, great guide. Thank you so much, Patrick.

Another fabulous trip with Patrick- live skiing and wonderful scenery. Brilliant thanks.

Patrick is a brilliant guide, highly knowledgable & approachable. I attended his Lake Louise ski area tour which has helped compensate for not being able to ski this year! I had a lot of issues with the picture going fuzzy and had to refresh every couple of minutes (literally!) but this is not his fault. 

It was the opportunity to ski downhill with you that really made this a great trip! More of this please..

Incredible scenery. Amazing to go skiing with him as we will never do that ourselves. Great fun.  Thank you 

10 stars if possible.  Done several trips with Patrick during last week in and around Banff all excellent. Patrick is very knowledgeable and has great enthusiasm. The Lake Louise skiing trip was unbelievable, fantastic.

Another good trip with Patrick, really enjoying the skiing! Patrick is good at sharing his knowledge of the history of Banff. Camera work is good, lots of postcard opportunities. Thank you for the preparation work that has so obviously been done to ensure good signal and that every thing goes well. 

Patrick is always very interesting , extremely friendly and unfailingly professional. A real pleasure to go on tours with him.
  

A terrific guide to a fabulous location. Patrick was very knowledgeable, personable and a great Ambassador for Banff ! I’ll be back. Thank you Patrick.

Wow! What an experience. Patrick is such a great guide. Knowledgable and entertaining. Can't believe I got to go skiing! Great work. 

Refreshing!!! This guide is just a delight - I never thought I'd go virtually skiing with someone but he accomplished it beautifully. So pleasant to be in the mountains with someone so knowledgeable and friendly. Loved this trip and look forward to more.

What a great idea for a tour! I felt like I was skiing right along with Patrick. What a fun idea and from the comments of the participants, I think everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. Well done!

This as a wonderful tour and Patrick is a great guide.  I loved skiing with him

The landscape is breathtaking and our knowledge and enthusiasm adds to the splendor of the Banff area trips. Thank you for taking the time to present this to us. I learned a lot about Alberta and the area, and thank you for care and interest in presenting us with the best of Calgary and Banff. I enjoy your trips and love skiing down that mountain!!

brilliant as ever, really enjoy his guiding

I felt like I was on a pair of skis going down the mountain. What fun!

a lot safer than my own attempts at skiing but unfortunately had to leave early as I'd forgotten I was hosting a zoom call at the same time! I'll have to rebook...

Patrick's tours are always good fun, professional and friendly and interesting.  

Ok, I do not ski. I have never skied and I don't intend ever to try it. But, holy moly did I enjoy this tour!!! I did not book it in advance, I just scrolled through the tour calendar spontaneously and thought: "Banff. Nice. Let's go to Banff!" without reading the tour description. I was surprised to find "myself" on skies but I LOVES it!

Spectacular scenery and a tour that went downhill - in the best possible way: on skis! Brilliant.

Patrick is an extremely knowledgeable natural guide and the town of Banff is charming with breathtaking vistas!  

Fun as always, wonderful way to spend time virtual skiing when you have never experienced it

Patrick was amazing! The tour was phenomenal, educational and I’m tired from all the skiing!😊

Superb tour and surroundings. Thank you so  much Patrick. 
You lift our spirits in lockdown.

Great tour as usual.  I love being able to ‘ski’!!!! 

Another wonderful trip with Patrick! I signed up for the Calgary tour Friday....sometimes hard to fit in all the places I want to go and actually do other things in the day..... Virtual Trips has been so wonderful....and so extremely popular...See you soon Patrick...I will fly home to Sisters Oregon very soon, and spend the spring, summer and fall there. Then hopefully back to Arizona. Sue

Patrick's tours are always great! He is very kind, knowledgeable, and the scenery  can't be beat!

Skiing at Lake Louise

Patrick Twomey

137 years ago Vienna opened the public university, our starting point for a pleasant stroll along the Ringstrasse. The wide avenue that circles around the historic center of the city reminds us where the medieval defensive wall of the city once stood; Not coincidentally, it's where the main tourist attractions are today. It is well-known for its history and its different architectural styles. The City Hall, the National Theater, the Twin Museums, the view of the entrance to the Imperial Palace and gardens are some of the attractions you can't miss. It will be a pleasure to take you for this virtual walk on one of the most beautiful and monumental avenues in Europe!

Vienna's Ringstrasse: As majestic as ever!

The medieval town of Ávila has often been described as “ciudad de cantos y santos” (town of stones and saints). And it is true that we encounter many convents, churches, and other religious buildings built in stone, like the fantastic Romanesque cathedral. But all this together with the superb wall that encloses the old town, the variety of palaces and the eternal presence of Saint Teresa make Ávila a well-deserved position among the UNESCO towns.
We start our tour by the most important entrance gate, Puerta del Alcázar, to then discover together the beautiful historic town.

Join me in this walk through Ávila!

Ávila, the Historic Ancient Town of Saint Teresa of Ávila and the Unique Wall - Part I

Doodling is a fun way to express yourself and learn about yourself but also the underrated aspect of  DOODLING is how satisfying and calming it is to just doodle without thinking too much.
YES, you read it right without thinking, this would be a guided beginner-friendly session to doodling which will lead to bringing calmness and satisfaction.
When I say Doodle I don't mean an Artist, You do not have to be an artist when you are Doodling, A pen and a paper that is all you need to have all the fun while doodling!


Cultivate Silence Through Doodling.

We will go together to the Monastery complex of Khor Virap -  a monastery situated in the Ararat plain just 30 km southwest of Yerevan. 

Khor Virap is one of the most frequented religious and tourist destinations in Armenia, the monastery is close to Mt. Ararat. The ancient Armenian capital Artashat was once situated in the place of the monastery. Armenia is the first country to adopt Christianity as its state religion and the site is highly related to the adoption of Christianity! 

I will take you on a tour around the monastery, I will give you information about how the Armenian Kingdom adopted the new religion, and I will tell you interesting stories about the King and Gregory the Illuminator. We will enjoy the scenery, and weather permitting we will enjoy the view of the biblical mountain! So there is history and scenery for this tour. 

Come join me on my tour 😉

Khor Virap: A Monastery Complex with the Biblical Mountain in the Background 

Giraffes, or 'twiga'  in Swahili, are one of the most fascinating creatures on the savannah, and we all too often see them from a distance, when they're grazing on tall trees and lolloping across the plains. On this tour, we get up close and personal with some of the friendliest giraffes you'll ever find, at Nairobi's Giraffe Centre. Run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, the centre allows visitors to connect with the giraffes on an unprecedented level, and see how gracious and friendly they truly are. The centre is home to Rothschild Giraffes, which is an endangered species and raises them on 120 acres of lush land, before releasing them back into the national parks. 

Join your Nairobi Heygo guide, Claire, as she rubs noses (quite literally) with these giraffes, and learn more about these fascinating creatures. 

Up close and personal with the giraffes of Nairobi's Giraffe Centre

During this 60 minutes long live virtual tour, Adam will walk you through the heart of Pest, which is one of the most interesting parts of Budapest’s city centre. He'll introduce you to the second-largest place of worship in Hungary. After that, we will walk across Liberty square which is filled with tons of history allowing us to talk about the Monarchy times, Cold War and certain aspects of the political transition. 

The icing on the cake is the House of Parliament building which is one of the hundred wonders of the world and also listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

This tour can be a perfect complement to any of our virtual tours in the Buda Castle, or even to my historical Jewish quarter tour as this tour covers a different part of the Pest side than the so-called Jewish quarter.

Highlights of Budapest: Belle Époque Landmarks and the Shoes Memorial

River Nile is the longest river in the world and very famous. It has a rich history and green environment with biodiversity sanctuary including gardens combined with local beautiful artwork shops making it a top tourist destination in Uganda and the world.

River Nile flows into 4 countries before pouring into the Mediterranean sea. Interesting, who has the source of River Nile?

River Nile also has famous world renown figures:

1. Speke Memorial Monument: named after John Hannington Speke who was the first European to discover the Source of the Nile. Will we get glimpses of this famous pinkish monument?

2. Mahatma Ghandi Monument: who wouldn't recognize the great Ghandi. World's famous universal peacekeeper and nonviolence. Upon his death, he requested his ashes to be immersed in the River Nile. It will be awesome to read his biography from the back of the Nile.


PS: If there is interest after the actual tour, we could go an extra 10 minutes on its biodiversity side through a staircase beaten path to see the former hotel now immersed in water when the Nile decides to expand, and if there is a chance, we could see the little monkeys hopping and sleeping on trees.

A Walk Through the Source of River Nile

“Where can one see old Odessa? On the Second Christian Cemetery”. 
A visit to the Odessa’s Second Christian Cemetery truly makes for an interesting journey into the city’s very eventful twentieth-century history. Of course, if you’re up for a cemetery visit. 

Founded in 1880s, the cemetery is a burial place for over 300,000 Odesseans and is a fascinating reflection of Odessa being a huge melting pot. The city’s Greeks are buried next to the Polish, Russian, French, Armenian and even Jews there. 

The oldest preserved cemetery, it boasts gravesites of the 1917 revolutionaries and the WW 2 heroes, the legendary Soviet Black Sea shipping company's sailors and Odessa’s bohemians. Buried on the same ally are a Jewish poet, a Bolshevik, a French revolutionary and a Soviet general. Their tombstones and shrines reflect the grandeur and decline of the epoch, representing design styles typical of different periods of the twentieth century. 

Towering over the cemetery is a beautiful old Russian Orthodox church. The only working church in Odessa during the Soviet times It was the place of the funeral service of the poor and the rich, the Soviet elite and the twenty-first century nouveau riche. 

Join me on this interesting, although a bit grim tour of Odessa’s oldest cemetery. The city’s history is there. 

Odessa City Walk Part 8 - The Second Christian Cemetery

We, that's Mark and Lee (looking just a little like Rembrandt and The Girl with the Pearl Earring) cycle around town on the coolest tandem bike in Amsterdam! 

We go in search of locations that feature in Golden age art and show you the painting and the location. 

As always with our Random Tandem tours there will be scrapes, near-misses and laughs!

The Random Tandem Art Adventure

Starting  with the finest view of Edinburgh Castle see all the highlights along this world heritage street with a local guide who is passionate about his city and full of stories about people who lived there.

Princes Street, Castle, Gardens and More

Do you enjoy reading in Spanish?

In these short sections of about 10 minutes, mostly outdoors, I will show you and read you a text in Spanish (from books in Spanish or translated into Spanish).

From authors such Lorca, Unamuno, Cervantes,…but also from writers of our times such García Márquez, Almudena Grandes, F J Mite, María Teresa Álvarez, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Juan Carlos Rubio, Pérez Reverte, Ildefonso Falcones,…

I will underline the words that I consider more difficult or complicated in the text and explain them briefly in English and Spanish.

The last 2-3 minutes will be for questions.

¡Vamos a leer en Español! ¡Te gustará!

Let’s Read in Español

Beware the ides of March? Why? It's unlikely even Shakespeare could have predicted how his famous phrase would have evolved.

On March 15th we will discover the sacred area of Largo Argentina, the place were Julius Caesar was killed  by Brutus and Cassius, then his body was taken and left inside the Roman forum were he was Cremated. 

We will enjoy a nice walk to see the Statue representing the dictator, the place were he was murdered and the iconic place described by William Shakespeare were Marc Anthony did his speech in front of the body of Julius Caesar! We will talk about the moon, the Romans and the cats...visiting one of the largest cats community of Rome

Ides of March, Julius Caesar & the cats of Rome

¡Hola!

Learning a language is always exciting and fun.
The region where Ávila is located, Castile, is the cradle of the second most spoken language in the world: “castellano”.

These short series of walks are reduced versions of some of my tours...but in Castilian Spanish now.
I will make brief introductions in English and then in Spanish.
So your level of Spanish is not that important. Besides I never speak very fast...

And from time to time I will recommend a Spanish singer or band, book, film,…so you can check them out and keep on learning.

I invite you to learn, hear and practice a bit of “español”. ¡Anímate y ven conmigo!
¡Gracias!
¡Aprender es vivir!


Learn Castilian Spanish in Ávila

The holiday season in the Rockies carries on for months. Christmas & New Year is just part of the winter celebrations during our shorter winter days. These tours will share the beauty of winter here in Banff (and even Canmore & Jasper). 

Winter Wonderland - the Lights of Winter

The most incredible way to enjoy  Venice from the water, including the main highlights and everydays life.

Gondola ride, St Mark square, bridge of sighs and inner canals

Africa's and world's longest river The White River Nile flows through 4 - 11 countries to it's final destination in the Mediterranean sea covering a distance of 6,600Km.
The official source of River Nile is known to be Jinja.

We shall have a slow walk specifically along the Nile waters with only the view of the Nile in it's fullness and it's source distance.

The Nile is a water supply to alot of biodiversity. We shall pass by the remains of the former reptile zoo to learn what happened and their future.

 Then walk through a stone pave lining into the Nile breeze to fly our arms like the titanic. 

We may see lots of young happy fish near the banks, and conclude with a sit on the bench for reflection and view of the birds, and it's source surrounding of small islands.

Get also to experience an orange sunset disappear over the source point exactly!

PS: At the back is the former Nile safari park zoo now being integrated with guest housing, where we can have a quick staircase climb for final pitstop!