Year End Blog 2011

As I reach the end of my summer term working as a Summer Student for the year 2011, I thought why not blog about it?

To start off I just want to thank the Tourism department of Sudbury for giving me this opportunity, to work as a summer student and experience a new type of work atmosphere. One that is positive and hard working and makes sure that this city keeps on smiling.

With all honesty I had never worked in an office before, it was something completely different and unique to me. But I loved the experience and the new skills I have acquired. It helped me develop further communication skills and learn to work in a team, which to me are very valuable skills to have.

Office work was a third of the story, on weekends we would be at Market Square, managing the tourist information booth and making sure that all the tourists would have all the proper information needed. There I met multiple vendors, and had the opportunity to learn who they are, and how proud they are of what they do. Visual artists have a passion for what they sell, because it is who they are and what they love. Others sell pottery but the passion is still there and that passion and pride is what makes the atmosphere in our market vibrant and alive.

Finally the last part of the job, for me this was probably the most interesting part of the job, the people you get to meet. Now let me explain what I mean, when you work an information booth in the middle of the downtown core you expect typical Canadian tourists, WRONG, the amount of international tourists I have talked to is phenomenal and the stories they tell are simply fascinating. Just hearing there accents and asking them where they are from gets me every single time. You never know what to expect, I’ve talked with people from, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Greece, etc…

With all of this being said, I cannot exclude all of the festivals and events that I had the opportunity to visit. I had the opportunity to see cultural festivals, music festivals, festivals that celebrate food and many many more.

This city has lots to offer to all of us from museums to go-karting, paintballing and even sitting down and enjoying a nice cup of coffee in the downtown area. We’ve come a long way from just being a mining town and the future can only get brighter from here on now.


Pat :)



Don't forget if you want to view our videos visit www.youtube.com/SudburyTourism

Unfortunately, Summer Does Come to an End...

Sadly, my time with Sudbury Tourism has come to an end. I have had an amazing three summers here. I have learnt so much about myself and this beautiful city.

On weekends, I worked at Market Square at the visitor information desk. I enjoyed meeting visitors visiting our city and telling them about all the great things Sudbury has to offer. I had a number of interesting conversations with visitors about their experiences in Sudbury. I had the opportunity to do things I wouldn't normally do. I was able to visit all our great attractions and attend all the events that take place during the summer.

Sudbury is truly a beautiful place. Citizens of Sudbury should be very proud with what Sudbury has to offer. Both Science North and Dynamic Earth are great attractions, we have over 330 lakes and the Big Nickel is a huge attraction (literally!).

I had a great time creating blogs and video blogs about my experiences this summer.

Click here to view the videos the summer students created while out at events and various other locations around Greater Sudbury. Thank you for reading my blogs and going on this adventure with me.

I have grown to love my city and I am happy to be a citizen of Greater Sudbury!

Continue to stay updated with events happening around Greater Sudbury all year long: www.sudburytourism.ca

Sincerely,

A Sudbury Tourist
Shanna

Summerfest 2011

This year I had the opportunity to visit Summerfest and catch a glimpse of the entertainment happening over there. This year, Summerfest was held at beautiful Bell Park with a weekend full of nice, warm weather.

Katherine and I started off by touring the concerts and listening to some live music, watching the public dancing and singing and simply enjoying a good time. I was doing the same thing, sitting back and enjoying the tunes. After listening to some live entertainment, I noticed people that were bouncing around on these special shoes. Me being a curious person I went to see if I could test them out. After chatting for a bit with the owner of Zen fitness, next thing I know I was wearing the Kangoo (the special bouncy shoes). I had a blast! One of the instructors was putting me through a quick lesson and I was bouncing around while I had them on. We went for a little jog, did some jumping jacks, etc…

Once my kangoo adventure was done we went to see what we could have for a snack. There was a variety of food vendors all along the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre. There was food for people with an appetite for salty and sweet foods. With a variety such as Jamaican to Canadian foods, who can deny that!

We finished it off by visiting the kid’s area. As we were browsing throughout the area we noticed a ventriloquist was holding a show, and multiple bouncing castles were all set up, topping it all off there were vendors selling hair clips, tutus, t-shirts, etc..

Who can forget about the midway that was happening across the street with rides, food, and entertainment happening all around you.

Over all it was an action packed weekend for all ages, and I recommend anyone to go and visit the event next year and listen to all the bands and enjoy the attractions.


Pat

To view some of the tourism videos visit
http://www.youtube.com/SudburyTourism

Downtown Adventure: Respect is Burning Supperclub

As part of our downtown adventure, Rob Gregorini, owner of Respect is Burning Supperclub, was kind enough to invite us to his restaurant to taste some of his delicious dishes.
As we walked through the RiB doors, we were instantly greeted by the hostess and escorted to our table. The ambiance in RiB is exquisite. It is like nothing I have ever experienced before. They have a number of different unique art pieces and red lighting throughout the restaurant, which makes for a perfect dining atmosphere.
Shortly after we arrived, Rob greeted us at our table and explained some of the dishes he would like to bring out for us. They all sounded amazing and we couldn't decide which one we wanted. We told him to surprise us with whatever he would like to serve.
Now let's talk about the food; absolutely delicious! I am starting to drool just thinking about everything we ate.

First we were served some real fruit daiquiris and three appetizers. The first appetizer was Carpaccio (citrus cured sirloin with arugula), the second was RiB homemade charcuterie and the third was flatbread with fresh sliced procuttio, tomatoes and pesto. Each of them was delicious and I didn't want to stop eating.
Next up: the main dish. Rob and his staff brought out a delicious looking pasta dish that consisted of clams, scallops and shrimp. It was mouth-watering! We stuffed ourselves with so much pasta we didn't have room for anything else …except for dessert of course!
We decided to go with the ultra berry cream trifle, a RiB favourite. Instantly it was our favourite too.
We had a great time at RiB and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to enjoy such an amazing dinner. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. You can see the love and passion for RiB in Rob and his staff. I can't wait to go back in the near future. Personally, this is one of my favourite restaurants in Greater Sudbury. I will never go hungry when I am at RiB and there is always something on the menu that catches my eye. I recommend Respect is Burning Supperclub to anyone who is looking for great- tasting, quality food and an amazing dining experience.

Check out our RiB experience here

Downtown Adventure: La Boulangerie du Village

It was not too long ago that Shanna and I stopped in at La Boulangerie while out and about Downtown Sudbury. We each ordered our food and took it outside to one of their cafe style tables. I have never experienced the European Cafe myself; however, I imagine the La Boulangerie is a similar experience. I have heard from others who have been to Europe that it has the same feel.

I had the Bou Box which consisted of garlic hummus, red pepper hummus, Greek tzaziki and feisty feta with an assortment of bread pita, pita chips, taco chips and veggies. Shanna had the Roasted Porketta Sandwich which she enjoyed as much as I enjoyed my Bou Box. I also indulged in a wonder full tiger brownie baked on site. It has such a wonderful flavour I have to stop myself from returning to get another. There is just something about a chocolate/vanilla brownie with a hint of coconut that makes one want to eat more.

I do suggest to all those people looking to experience a European style cafe without the expense of heading to Europe to head over to the La Boulangerie du Village for lunch or just to pick up some freshly made bread.

Check out the video at: http://www.youtube.com/sudburytourism#p/u/3/CJrTkR6xBW0

Katherine