sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

You might not even be out to shop for deals on Black Friday and over the weekend, but big sales at a popular mall are expected to cause traffic delays for anyone heading in or out of Vancouver International Airport.

With a rich culture, friendly people, affordable prices and a salty setting on the edge of Europe, Portugal understandably makes a rewarding destination for travellers.

Over the years, I’ve popped into a lot of burial grounds — some peaceful and scenic, some eerie and evocative — all revealing compelling stories of the past.

VANCOUVER — At Vancouver International Airport, beside Bill Reid’s famous Spirit of Haida Gwaii jade canoe sculpture, sits a brand-new installation: a beige Mini car with a giant pile of chopsticks spilling out from the trunk and onto the ground.

Sampling Italian cuisine is sightseeing for your palate. The tour plan: Start with fresh ingredients and talented cooks, take in a city’s personality, and seek out a happy dining crowd.

Picture this: Half-timbered towns with tall cathedral spires, thatched-roof cottages dotted among green rolling hills, fat happy cows and drifts of gnarled apple trees. This is the beguiling Normandy coast of France.

Tiny St. Andrews has a huge reputation, known around the world as the birthplace and royal seat of golf.

From church domes to bell towers, fanciful rooftops to sky-piercing monuments, Europe is full of climbable structures.

I’ve spent the last several decades exploring Europe from every conceivable angle. And this includes checking out Europe the way millions of people do — from a cruise ship. I’m not out to promote or put down cruising.

Stockholm’s inviting medieval centre, leafy parks, top-notch sights and exciting urban scene make the city a highlight of any Scandinavian vacation. But don’t let Stockholm’s charms blind you to the variety of fine day trips at the city’s doorstep.