Who We Are
Castles and Canals consists of wives Dani and Tori. Originally from the US, they have called Amsterdam their home since 2018. Join them as they share their love for travel, exploration, cruising, and all things Disney.
Dani Holmes-Kirk
Dani is an avid runner and loves a good “run-cation”. As a lifelong fan, she is passionate about all things Disney parks and RunDisney. She blogs about running and fitness over on WeightOffMyShoulders. You can also find her on the socials as @irisheyes1982
Tori Holmes-Kirk
By trade, Tori works as a technical artist and indie game developer. In the winter you can also find her playing goal for an ice hockey team in Amsterdam. You can find here as @supertorio on the socials or at her personal blog.
Videos - New uploads most weeks!
Join us this week for the second half of our incredible maiden voyage on the Disney Destiny. We'll check out some more of what's new on this new Disney ship, including a new live character shows and interactions. This disney cruise vlog also offers a glimpse into the ship's interior spaces and showcases onboard entertainment, making for a memorable Disney Cruise line experience.
We traveled down to the south of the Netherlands to check out what may be the best Christmas market in the country. Maastricht's Magical Vrijthof market if full of food, act ivies, shopping, and of course a lot of Christmas Cheer. Come along with us as we explore the market on a bustling Saturday night.
We got up close and personal with the God of MIschief himself, Loki, during the maiden voyage of the Disney Destiny
Join us this week as we board the maiden voyage of the Disney Destiny in part one of this action-packed cruise vlog series. We explore our stateroom, enjoy themed entertainment, and share our first impressions of this new ship. Highlights include a look at the ship's decor, special events, and a lively nighttime show, making for an exciting start to our cruising adventure.
We spent two amazing weeks in Cyprus, where visited a lot of different locations all around the island. From ancient Roman ruins, to underwater museums, there’s so many epic adventures Cyprus. In this video we’re going to bring you along to ten of our favourites from the trip.
Travel and Adventure Tips, Advice, and More
Earlier this year, Dani and I were scheduled to take our first ever cruise, a five day mediterranean cruise from Barcelona on the Disney Magic. Unfortunately the week before, covid finally hit our house. We made a quick pivot and rebooked for a cruise our friends had already scheduled; a 4-Night Very Merrytime Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral. It was really just the best time.
The past weekend I joined my wife and a group of friends traveling to Athens Greece for the Marathon Weekend. The event consisted of three races, a 10k on the Saturday evening and a 5k and Marathon on Sunday morning. Of course there would also be some sightseeing to be done and some really delicious food to eat.
Earlier this month, Dani and I took a long weekend in Lisbon. It was the first time either of us visited this beautiful city and we had a genuinely lovely time. After touching down at the airport and a harrowing cab ride to our hotel, we took a long walk enjoying the sights, food, and ambience of the city.
A few years back, l saw a blog post about visiting Malta and it quickly jumped up on my list of places I wanted to visit. Our friend Antionette told us about a 50k ultra race on the Maltese island of Gozo and that was all it took to get Dani on board for the trip. I swear we do take vacations other than just race-cations.
Inside Amsterdam Forest there is a beautiful area called Bloesempark (Flower Park). Inside this part there are four hundred さくら (sakura) or cherry blossom trees. For a few weeks every spring these trees blossom together in a beautiful explosion of pink and white.
Rome had always been one of those places I've longed to see. The history and the Romance of the city is something I've wanted to experience first hand since I first learned about the ancient structures in school. So for my first birthday living abroad, it was an easy choice for a place to visit. So Dani and I spent four days there in this past July.
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Welcome back to the channel! This weekend, we escaped to the beautiful city of Maastricht for a stay at the historic Kasteel Vaeshartelt. If you’ve ever wanted to spend the weekend in a 17th-century estate surrounded by nature, you are in for a treat!