Renowned for leading the world in sustainability, are we at all surprised that the world’s first vegetarian restaurant was born in Switzerland? Probably not. But you will be surprised at how old it is and how many customers are actually vegetarian.

Sometimes you think Switzerland must be a preview of heaven. Snow-dusted mountains, lush meadows full of happy cows, tumbling waterfalls and blue lakes all combine in stunning landscapes. Then there are the towns: pastel-painted, trim and tidy, cascading with geraniums and gnarly with the passing centuries.

Canadians know exactly what cosy means, and have no restraint when it comes to seasonal celebrations, making December the most wonderful time of the year.

You can be sure of one thing in the great Canadian wilderness: it comes with plenty of entertaining instructions on how to deal with the local wildlife.