At 2 am this morning, we finished the kitchen after exactly 3 months. Jean Michel has done a splendid job but we are both exhausted! The tiles on the left of the window are the 18th century tiles we bought in Portugal last September.
The rest of this week will be spent getting the house ready for the paying guests who are coming while we are on holiday. In fact, our favourite guests, Sandy and Bill, who are coming to stay for the 4th year in a row, will get to try out the new kitchen before we do. I want to apply a special protective coating to the grouting between the tiles and I need the grouting to dry for 3 days and then for the protective coating to dry 36 hours which takes us to our departure on Sunday.
Our first stop is Lake Garda for at least 3 days, cycling along the eastern side, then we’ll work our way across Italy – we’ve never been to Padua – through Slovenia and then Croatia (Zaghreb) and maybe onto Bucharest or Budapest to continue cycling along the Danube. We will be guided by the weather and possible cycling areas. I will be drawing inspiration from all Anda’s posts on Romania in her wonderful travel blog Travel Notes and Beyond.
Until we leave, you may not hear from me again but once we get going, I’ll probably be posting every second day. While Jean Michel writes up the travel journal, I write my posts.
I have just received emails from two Sydney readers asking about visiting Paris in December so I decided to answer them in a blog post so that other travellers could benefit from my responses and experienced readers give their opinion.
Marie asks:
Can you tell me how cold it is in Paris in early December compared to our Sydney winter? I want to be sure I am prepared and I want to know if wearing thermal undergarments and jeans and Australian winter coat would be enough to keep us warm.
I have seen snow in Paris in December so it can be cold, i.e. close to zero. Indoors, there will always be heating, sometimes quite high, especially in cafés and museums where people’s body heat adds to the temperature.
The secret is wearing several layers because warm air builds up in-between the layers of clothing which means that two thin pullovers are warmer than one thick one. It also means that you can take off layers if you are too hot.
Thermal underwear or even tights or leggings under jeans should keep you warm. I did not wear thermal underwear in Paris – I would have been too hot – but I find it useful now I am living in a house in the country which is not overheated.
Make sure you have decent hats and gloves. Silk gloves under woollen or leather gloves will add an extra layer. You can buy silk gloves cheaply in sports stores (Go Sport, Decathlon) in Paris as they are used for skiing.
Are the cafes, attractions, museums all opened in December?
Paris is popular venue all year round and nothing closes in the winter as far as I know.
Some sites say (and I may be understanding it wrong) that there is fewer daylight hours during the day. Is this true?? if so can you tell me how many hours I can walk around while the sun is still out.
In the summer, with daylight saving, it doesn’t get dark until 11 pm while in December, which has the shortest hours of the year, it doesn’t get light until 9 am and then gets dark again around 4.30 pm. However, everything is well lit at night so you wouldn’t have to worry about safety issues. It may not necessarily be sunny though. You could find yourself with only pale light all day if it’s rainy or overcast.
Are the supermarkets and groceries similar to Australian products? Are the labels in French or English?
Some products are similar, some are different. It all depends on what sort of food you are looking for. Very often, the ingredients are also in English, but not always. You’d have to go to a special store for Vegemite, for example.
My daughter is prone to getting sick and has asthma. If I had to buy medication would I find brands that I know eg. panadol, codral, vicks.
Medication around the world is more or less the same these days, but the brand names are different. You need to know the name of the “molecule”. For example, Panadol is paracetamol and comes under the brand name of Doliprane here. Codral, on the other hand, is a mixture of ingredients and is mainly sold in Australia and New Zealand. You should bring a box with you. Vicks is readily available. I always travel with small amounts of the medication I use most frequently. That way, you can take something immediately and then take a sample to the pharmacy. You will find someone to speak English in most pharmacies in Paris, particularly in the tourist areas.
Elaine asks:
My 19-year old daughter and I arrive on Sunday 6 December in Paris. We are having difficulty finding a clean, warm, budget hotel with twin beds and an ensuite. This is my first trip overseas without my husband and I am a bit nervous about booking, paying and regretting. I have been considering the Latin district as I think my daughter would fit in as she is a university student. Was hoping around the $1200 mark (750 euro) for the 7 nights, don’t mind paying more or less if location is going to save time and transport hassles. I’m assuming they would have heating, particularly for this time of the year.
Yes, there will be heating. Your budget seems a little low to me though I may be wrong. I don’t have any personal recommendations, but I suggest that you consider renting an apartment through AirBnB as it would probably be cheaper for a week. I assume you have read my post on The Best Area to Stay in Paris. Fodor’s forum is also an excellent source when looking for hotels.
Wondering if I should book a shuttle from airport to hotel as we would have been flying for 19 hours and may be very tired. Or perhaps the metro?
There is a high-speed train (RER) from Charles de Gaulle to the middle of the city. It costs 10 euro per person. It depends on where you’ll be staying. Booking a shuttle could take some of the stress out of the trip.
When we came 10 years ago, the queue at the Louvre Museum was enormous last time and with children was not worth it.
It’s very easy to buy your tickets in various places ahead of time. Click here for more information.
The Eiffel Tower from Bir Hakeim bridge in winter
Eiffel Tower – I believe it is not very visible in the winter, so from the ground would be ok Everything depends on the weather.
A clear sunny day in winter is just as good as summer! If you don’t go up, the best view is from Bir Harkeim bridge. Click here for a fun local bus ride from the Louvre.
Segway Paris Tour (not sure if this would be appropriate for December, what do you think?
I don’t have an anwser for this one. Any readers have any experience with segways?
Moulin Rouge Show (Booked Thursday 10 December 9pm) Not sure how to get there? Although we have all day to find our way!
Very easy – you just take the metro to Blanche on line 2.
Paris Latin quarter walking tour – I think we would love this, although most websites are in excess of $300 AUD before we start shopping, can you recommend anyone? I’ve also read something about the Marais Neighbourhood, do you think we could find these areas on our own?
There are FREE walking tours of Paris. Just give the tip at the end that you think it deserves: http://www.discoverwalks.com/paris-walking-tours/. I haven’t tried one in Paris but have appreciated them in other European cities. The Left Bank tour, for example, is at 11 am and 2.30 pm every day. No need to book – you just turn up at the meeting point. There is a tour of the Marais at 2.30 pm and 5 pm every day but you could find your way there easily yourself. You could check out my post on the Marais. If you’d like to explore the area around the Louvre, you can also read my Powerwalking posts! Just enter powerwalking in the search box.
Christmas Markets – Saint-Sulpice etc. Be good to do some Christmas shopping while in Paris.
The Christmas markets have gone very much downhill in recent years. I don’t know the one at Saint Sulpice but my friend Sylvia Sabès, whose judgment I would trust recommends it in a post for Girls Guide to Paris on how to shop the Christmas markets.
There are two flea markets in Paris – Saint Ouen, which is a permanent market, and Porte de Montreuil which is only on Sundays. Follow the crowd when you get out at the Porte de Clignancourt metro and watch your purses!
I somehow feel that Granada escaped me. I think there are two reasons: the fact that I was still recovering from a bad bout of flu and the unexpectedly cold weather. It seems to me that Spain is an outdoor country and that is the only real way to enjoy it. With temperatures around freezing, it was difficult to find enough to do outside and the indoor venues were practically never heated.
We did not expect to see a snowman in Granada!
When to go – not winter!
So my first suggestion would be to avoid January and February, despite the oranges on the trees and the possibility of snow.
How to get there
I also think we were there too long, but surprisingly, the cheapest flights were Saturday to Saturday! There are no direct flights to Granada (you need to change in Madrid), so the cheapest way to go is via Malaga which has flights arriving from all over the world.
You can then either stay overnight in Malaga or take a bus directly to Granada. Because we were arriving at night, we pre-booked our transport from the airport to our hotel in the centre via airportshuttles.com. It wasn’t that much more expensive than public transport and much cheaper than a taxi. Our friendly driver was waiting for us and we arrived at our hotel in next to no time.
Bus from Malaga to Granada
We didn’t stay long in Malaga as there is nothing to see but new buildings. I seriously don’t see the attraction but Black Cat was there during fiesta time one year with local friends and loved it.
Modern buildings in Malaga
The bus station is within easy walking distance of the centre of Malaga. There are machines to buy your ticket (in English) and you get to choose your seat. The buses are modern and efficient and leave on time. We even had a bag of goodies on the ride back from Granada to the airport!
However, the bus station in Granada is very far from the centre so it’s better to take a taxi (less than 10 euro) to your accommodation. We literally walked outside and jumped in a cab. On another occasion, however, we walked there and bused back and it was long and complicated.
A café at the bottom of our hill with great tostadas
How long to stay – and make a side trip to Cordoba
I think that 3 or 4 nights is a maximum to spend in Granada. I regret that we did not get our act together in time to rent a car (50 euro for 24 hours), drive the 2 ½ hours to Cordoba, visit the famous mosque, stay the night, visit the rest of the town the next morning then drive the 2 ¾ hours directly to Malaga airport.
Eating in Granada
When we visit another country, we prefer to eat in fairly basic local restaurants rather than go for an often disappointing gourmet experience. Spain is known for its tapas. Sometimes, they are served free with drinks in the evening and other times you pay a small amount (1.60 to 2 euros a time) per serve. Some are very filling. Larger serves that you can share are called raciones.
Menu del dia for 8 euro!
We found the menu del dia (menu of the day) at 8 to 9.50 euros excellent value for money. It includes a starter, main course, dessert, bread and a glass of wine. There is sometimes a tapa as well. There isn’t a very wide choice but the food is often prepared on the premises and copious.
Breakfast with tostadas and fresh orange juice
Eating hours are very different from France. Breakfast seems to take place at about 10 am, with people having a break from the office. Tea or coffee, freshly-squeezed orange juice and a tostada(toasted bread) spread with tomato pulp and olive oil, butter or just olive oil are always offered. On the last day, we went to a very small café and watched the lady put some tomatoes into a blender to make the pulp. Delicioius! It seems you can grate the tomatoes as well. The total price for this type of breakfast is about 3.50 to 4 euros per person.
The wonderful breakfast café at Plaza Larga in the Albaicin we found on the last day!
Churros are another speciality of Spain. We loved them in Madrid but found that even in the most popular churro place in Granada (Futbol Café), they were salty and too chewy. You dip them in hot chocolate that is made with some kind of thickening. I don’t really think they are worth the calories to be honest!
The Futbol Café famous for its churros and where every game of futbol is celebrated with great gusto
Where to stay
With regard to accommodation, we chose a self-catering flat as that is what we prefer if we go somewhere for more than a few days. I’m still not sure about the location. We were halfway up Cuesta Alhacaba in the Albaicin, which is the oldest neighbourhood of Granada and definitely the most interesting. If we went down the (very steep) hill, we were in the main modern part of the town and if we went up the (slightly less steep) hill and wandered around the other side, we were in the older part. The two best vantage points, Mirador Nicolas and Mirador San Cristobal, are at the top of the Albaicin. However, at least in winter, there isn’t much open there at night.
Our self-catering flat from the outside, halfway up Cuesta Alhacaba
The Alhambra, of course, is the star attraction, but it’s up on a hill and isn’t really close to anything else. A view of the Alhambra is much sought after apparently, but you can drink in the view from a lot of places in the city. To book ahead, you can use the official website and pick up your tickets in a ServiCaixa machine with your credit card.
One of the many views of the Alhambra from the Albaicin quarter
My perference still goes to Seville which we visited at about the same time several years ago and loved and Barcelona which we really enjoyed as well, especially anything to do with Gaudi. We also enjoyed San Sebastian, despite the weather!
The first time I went to Granada was in the spring of 1976 when I was young and naive. I was living and working in Pau in the French Pyrenees and had befriended a woman called Anne Marie who ran a hikers’ refuge in the mountains in the summer months. She suggested we go on a hitchhiking holiday to Spain. After the repressive era of the dictator Franco, young women – and foreigners in particular – were easy prey so Anne Marie insisted we wear obstentious signs of religion so that the men would leave us alone. I had a large coloured ceramic cross! It worked. We were never bothered.
Seville during orange season
It was a whirlwind trip. Anne Marie had omitted to inform me of two major details: she had no money and she had a rendezvous with her Spanish lover in Sarragossa at the end of the trip, which was a surprise to me because first, she was married and I knew her husband, and second, she was not my idea of a femme fatale.
When she came to collect me, she proceeded to empty half my backpack, which meant that I had only the barest of creature comforts. It was not until a year or so later that someone pointed out to me that my superduper backpack contained a small rubber mattress.
Anne Marie was used to sleeping on the ground when mountain-hiking but it was a rude shock when I had to sleep on hard concrete in a sleeping bag for the first time in my life. I know that we went to Seville, Granada and Cordoba but since I left my camera behind in the train to Madrid, I have nothing to jog my memory and my subsequent visits to Seville and Granada have contained no familiar places.
I don’t remember our tapas being this sophisticated in 1976
We mainly ate bread and tapas which, at that time, were free. You just had to buy a drink to eat any of the little « lids » of olives, ham and cheese set out on the counter. I can remember being hungry. I would have been happy to buy food for both of us but Anne-Marie wouldn’t be any part of it and I had to eat what she ate.
From Cordoba, we were supposed to hitch-hike up the Sierra Nevada to Madrid but rides were scarce so we ended up taking the train on the last stretch, then another train in the direction of Saragossa. By the time we arrived in some little town I can’t remember it was close to midnight and Anne-Marie managed to find a double bed in someone’s home that sank badly in the middle. Only mildly better than hard concrete.
The next morning we hitch-hiked the rest of the way to Saragossa and arrived late for the rendezvous with the Spanish lover on the steps of the Cathedral. We waited about an hour before we finally left with Anne-Marie in tears. About ten minutes later, she decided to go back to the cathedral steps and there he was, waiting for her!
We drove out of town to a forest in his Mini and I waited in the car and dosed while they went off into the forest. How I/we got back to Pau I don’t remember. It’s a long time ago, but I didn’t ever go on holiday with her again!
My next trip to Spain was a couple of years later when I did a two-week language course in Salamanca while studying translation at ESIT. This time, I hitch-hiked by myself down to San Sebastian just over the French border then took the train the rest of the way. I boarded with a family in their small apartment. I was still not used to people with children actually living in anything other than a house and my day-to-day Spanish was virtually non-existent. It was a strange experience. I also only knew the third person of verbs so would have to say things like “she’s going out now – me”.
One day the landlady asked if I had any ropa. When I couldn’t work out what she meant, she called in the other boarder, a German girl to explain that she wanted to wash my clothes. After that, everyone assumed that I didn’t speak a word of Spanish and they wouldn’t actually believe that I had understood a whole conversation about the stock exchange (la bolsa). I knew a lot of financial and technical vocabulary from ESIT but we had never done any texts on washing clothes.
It was the same occasion on which I went to visit Avila, home of Saint Teresa of Avila and saw her little finger. It put me off relics for a lifetime! Don’t worry – I don’t have a photo of that either!
Sunset over the Alhambra in Granada
I have retained a surprising amount of vocabulary but have never actually learnt to speak or understand the language with any ease. But when we travel, I get by especially if I practise what I want to say beforehand but I’m often discouraged. I have less formal learning in Italian and can understand (and speak) a lot better.
I’m not sure I’ll ever need Spanish again though, because I think we have exhausted our possibilities here. Next time, we’ll go back to Italy for the sun!
Venice, Germany and Lisbon, in that order, outside France, and Turquant near Chinon, closer to home.
Saying “spaghetti” at the end of our wonderful gondola ride
Venice comes first because of our wonderful gondola experience (which sounds very touristy I know) and all our other less touristy visits as it was our second time in the Floating City. Strange as it may seem, it was not until I had read my way through Donna Leon’s 23 Commissioner Brunetti crime novels a few months later that it became really apparent to me that there are no cars in Venice.
I see Venice as being full of canals and bridges and boats and alleyways rather than being without cars. I was fascinated by all the different types of boats and activities on the canal. Last time we were there, I had a foot problem and we spent a lot of time on the vaporettos. This time, we did a lot more walking.
The Elbe from Bastei Rocks
Next, Germany, where we cycled for a month, first along the Moselle River, then the Rhine, followed by the Elbe, which took as into the former East Germany then up to the North Sea and Friesland, chasing the sun and windmills.
September found us in Lisbon which we loved when the sun come out but found somewhat seedy when it rained, which was more often than not. The best surprise was the marvellous monastery of Jeronimos in Belem, which is among the five places in the world that have left an indelible mark on me. The others are Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, Tasman National Park in Australia and Rila Monastery in Bulgaria.
Beautiful lacework on the arcades at Jeronimos Monastery
Lisbon is a city of vistas and tiles and we even bought some 18th century azulejos to incorporate into our future kitchen. The other place we really enjoyed was Sintra with its beautiful palace and hilltop castles.
We didn’t go very far afield in France this year, because we spent a lot of time cycling along the many paths around Blois and the neighbouring châteaux of Chambord, Chaumont and Cheverny, but we did go to Turquant on the Loire not far from Saumur for a surprisingly early cycling weekend in March.
The famous kitchen at Fontevraud l’Abbaye
We went back to visit the austere and beautiful 12th century abbey of Fontevraud with its extraordinary kitchens.
However the real find was the restored troglodyte village of Souzay Champigny which we literally stumbled upon on the bike path between Saumur and Turquant.
An 18th century pigeon house in the troglodyte village of Souzay Champigny
Our first trip in 2015 will be to Granada for a week at the end of January to soak up the Spanish atmosphere of Andalucia, which we discovered (and loved) in Seville a few years ago and get some much-needed sun.
We have a home-exchange in Istanbul to redeem, but haven’t fixed the dates yet.
With Black Cat now living in New York I would like to visit the city through her eyes and take in Boston as well.
With Black Cat on the opening day of the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris
I’m still hoping to go to Australia before the end of the year but don’t know yet whether that will eventuate.
This summer may be a series of short cycling trips, along the lines of Turquant, as we plan to renovate the kitchen and add at least one large and several small windows to bring in more light. And, as everyone knows, renovation always takes far longer than expected!
Three very different destinations are on the agenda for this week’s blogger round-up. First Rosemary from Le Chic en Rose, shares an aperitivo with us on Lake Como, a must if you go to Italy. Next Abby from Paris Weekender takes us cycling along the Nantes-Brest Canal in Brittany and finally Sara from Simply Sara Travel invites us to Iceland and shares some of the most stunning photos imaginable. Enjoy!
Aperitivo Hour at Hôtel du Lac
by Rosemary from Le Chic en Rose, initially from Yorkshire, now in Perth in Western Australia who writes of the many things that inspire her including travel, fashion, history, learning languages and spending time with her family
One of the most civilised Italian customs is their love of the late afternoon/early evening aperitif. Both in the Italian speaking part of southern Switzerland and in northern Italy at 5pm on the dot (sometimes 6pm depending on where you are) their version of “Happy Hour” begins. We found when staying there, however, that the emphasis was as much on the food as the drink (though it was admirably washed down with a glass or two of prosecco or pinot grigio). Aperitivos, as they are called in Italian, always constitute an opportunity for food and plates of olives, prosciutto, bruschetta and even small salads and grilled meats would appear along with our drinks. Read more
Cycling the Nantes-Brest Canal
by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living part-time in New York and part-time in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town
For some time now, I’ve been wanting to cycle the full length of the Nantes-Brest Canal. Technically, the classic cycling route actually runs from L’écluse de Quihex, about 25km north of the city of Nantes, along the canal to Carhaix, then parts from the canal and heads north until it hits the English Channel at Roscoff. All in all it’s approximately 350km or about 220 miles.
I figured that ideally I would need about 4 or 5 days to complete the full route. But then I realized that with a bit of logistical complication, I could actually complete the first half of the trail during the week (while still going home in the late afternoon to work and sleep in my own bed!) and the second half over the weekend, with just one night in a hotel. Read more
Cruisin’ Through Iceland
by Simply Sara Travel, a girl from New Jersey who traded in her bagels for baguettes and moved to Paris. The aim of her blog is to inspire readers to travel, embrace a new culture, and open their minds to new perspectives
1 Toyota Land Cruiser
4 Tanks of gas
2 Volcanic craters
8 Waterfalls
5 Days
And 1,800 km of Icelandic roads covered. (Or 1,100 miles and change. Or for those like me who numbers don’t register much, the equivalent of over a third of the way from coast to coast of the United States.)
Any way you choose to look at it, it’s certainly a considerable distance for two people to cover. Especially two people who rarely drive these days being city dwellers and all. Read more
We have an all-Australian line-up for this week’s Blogger Round-Up, starting with some excellent tips from Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel on safe travel for solo women. Carolyn from Holidays to Europe then discusses another aspect of solo travel – why single travellers have to pay a supplement. And to end up on a completely different note, Phoebe from Lou Messugo tells us how you can take your family to Iceland on a budget. Enjoy!
Brilliant Readers’ Safety Tips for Solo Women Travellers
by Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!
If you follow me on Facebook or Pinterest you will know that, like many bloggers, I repost old content periodically. It’s a good opportunity to connect new followers to some of my older content, and to share old content that is still valid and timely. Recently I re-shared a post on tips for safe solo female travellers. While I was very pleased with the content of my post, I was blown away by the comments from other women travellers. What started out as a small post on my perspective as a female solo traveller turned into a fantastic community of great ideas. Re-reading the post and the comments I’ve been inspired to create a new post – this time curated by me, but with brilliant content provided by real frugalfirstclasstravel readers. Read more
Why Do Single Travellers Have to Pay a Supplement
by Carolyn from Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of
One question I was asked many times over the years I worked as a travel consultant was ‘why do single travellers have to pay a supplement?’ Firstly, let me assure you that it’s not because tour companies don’t like single travellers! The reason that solo travellers have to pay a supplement on the price of their tour or cruise comes down to the accommodation component of their trip.
Let’s say a hotel room costs the equivalent of $250 per night and a tour lasts for seven nights. That’s a total room cost of $1750. If two people are sharing the room, they would pay $875 each but if the room is only occupied by one person then that person has to cover the entire room cost of $1750. In this case, a tour company would generally charge a single supplement of $875 or thereabouts in addition to the tour or cruise fare so that the full cost of the hotel room is covered. Read more
8 Tips for a Family Holiday in Iceland on a Budget
by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia.
Iceland is notorious as an expensive destination and probably doesn’t spring to mind as a place to go with children, but it’s totally possible and heaps of fun for families, if you follow my Top Tips for adventure on a budget. I spent 2 weeks in Iceland in the summer of 2014 with my husband and 2 children (aged 9 and 14) and didn’t spend a fortune, and yet we had the best holiday in a long time. This is how we did it. Read more
I’m back from Lisbon (but there will still be more posts) so am resuming my weekly blogger round-up, beginning with a wonderful story about a Florentine pig from Margot from The Curious Rambler. Next, Andrea from Rear View Mirror, is celebrating her second anniversary on the road with a wonderful photo giveaway that I’m sure you won’t want to miss. And to end up, The Good Life France tells us the story of an Australian from Queensland who finally saw her dream come true with a visit to Paris and Provence. Enjoy!
The Bronze Pig of Florence
by Margo Lestz from The Curious Rambler, who lives in Nice, France where she likes to bask in the sunshine, study the French language and blog
I’m back in Florence studying Italian and my courses seems to be going better this time. I’m not confusing Italian and French anymore (at least during the first week). We rented a beautiful little apartment in a 15th century palazzo which has painted ceilings, huge windows, and terracotta floors. Florence is full of these wonderful old buildings and it’s such a pleasure to stay in one of them.
While I’m in Florence, I thought I’d take a break from writing about France and write about some of the curiosities of this city. Hope you enjoy the story of the Bronze Pig. Read more
Snapshots of Europe
by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up her Paris apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.
It’s coming up to the two year anniversary of me handing in the keys to my Parisian apartment and hitting the road to travel full time. Two years of living out of suitcases, countless hotels, Airbnb apartments and one barely habitable hostel.
I’ve been fortunate to visit most of Europe’s capitals, wander quaint villages, swim in turquoise waters, go zip lining in a national park and hiking through gorges. I’ve found my way to the top of mountains and dipped my toes in glacial lakes. My hard drive is at capacity with sunset photos and even the occasional sunrise. Read more
Visit to Paris and Provence
Written by The Good Life France, an independent on-line magazine about France and all things French, covering all aspects of daily life including healthcare, finance, utilities, education, property and a whole lot more.
Many of us dream of visiting France, especially Paris, the most visited tourist destination in the world, and Provence, high on the wish list of places to visit for so many, we talk to a lady whose dream came true…
We meet Carolyn Ansky from Queensland, Australia who says “for years I played the Marianne Faithful song ‘At the age of 37… she realised she’d never been to Paris”. I felt that at the age of 54 it was now or never for me. Read more
This week’s blogger round-up brings us three completely different subjects. We start with favourite Europe travel apps by Marie-Eve from Europe Trip Tips, a girl after my own heart, because she, too, is addicted to her iPhone! Next, Janine Marsh from The Good Life France shares 5 things she doesn’t like about France and I’d be very interested to hear your own list. To finish up, Anda from Travel Notes and Beyond takes us to Sibiu in Romania – the more I learn bout her country of origin, the more I want to go there! Enjoy!
My Favourite Europe Travel Apps
by Marie-Eve from Europe Trip Tips is a something Canadian, full-time travel blogger, amateur photographer, translator and copywriter living as an expat in France who’s been to over 17 European countries and keeps adding new ones every other week.
Anytime someone asks me “What’s the one thing you wouldn’t travel without?”, my answer inevitably is “My iPhone” — what I commonly refer to as my other half (and yes, I am married to an actual human being). Saying that I am obsessed with my phone isn’t an understatement, and I am seriously considering a surgical operation in order to permanently attach it to my hand. I barely ever read guidebooks anymore — not because I don’t enjoy them, but because frankly, I cannot be bothered to go out and buy them when I can get the same insightful information for one third of the price and one tenth of the weight at the tips of my fingers. Considering travellers can book hotels, purchase flights, look up restaurants, take and edit photographs and plan an itinerary with their phone, it’s hardly surprising that I wouldn’t travel without mine. Read more
5 Things I Don’t Like About France
By Janine Marsh from The Good Life France, an independent on-line magazine about France and all things French, covering all aspects of daily life including healthcare, finance, utilities, education, property and a whole lot more
People say I’m always going on about how wonderful France is. They say “there must be something you don’t like” and there is. Nowhere is perfect. But first, let me just emphasise, I love France and having a home here, I can never understand those people who moan constantly about living somewhere they chose to live. Of course if they have bad luck I sympathise, and that does happen. But, most people I meet who are unhappy and moan would be so much happier if they could make more of an effort to integrate, learn to speak the language and accept that nothing is perfect – not even in France.
So here are 5 things I don’t like about France (but they are just little moans)… Read more
Transylvanian Trails; The Historic Centre of Sibiu
by Anda from Travel Notes & Beyond, the Opinionated Travelogue of a Photo Maniac, is a Romanian-born citizen of Southern California who has never missed the opportunity to travel
It took me a long time after emigrating from Romania to become interested in exploring the land of my birth. Being born there, Romania wasn’t at the top of my list of European countries to visit. But I have to confess that every time I came across other people’s posts about my country of origin I felt a little jealous and ashamed. So here I am, trying to undo my betrayal.
A couple of months ago we took a road trip to Sibiu. Also known as Hermannstadt (in German) the city was the center of Romania’s German minority since medieval times. But the Transylvanian German population started decreasing after World War II and the process continued during the Communist Era. Read more
We’re off to the sunny French Riviera for this week’s blogger round-up, starting with Margo Lestz from The Curious Rambler who gives a very interesting historical explanation of the August exodus I mentioned recently. Next, Chrissie from Riviera Grapevine introduces us to the wonderful and often unknown wines of the French Mediterranean Coast. To finish off, Mohammad Riza Amirinia from The Good Life France takes us on a cruise down the Canal du Rhone to Sète. Enjoy!
The Grand Vacations: July and August in France
by Margo Lestz from The Curious Rambler, who lives in Nice, France where she likes to bask in the sunshine, study the French language and blog
The French love their holidays. There are lots of them scattered throughout the year but July and August are the months of les grandes vacances, or the “grand vacations”. Most people take two to three weeks off in either July or August. Those who vacation in July are called juillettists (pronounced jwee-yeah-teest) and those who take August holidays are called aoûtiens (pronounced ah-oo-sian). For the sake of simplicity, we’ll call them Julyists and Augustians. Read more
Vineyards of the Alpes Maritimes
by Chrissie from Riviera Grapevine, a Sydney girl living in Nice with an insatiable thirst for the wines of the Var, Alpes Maritimes and Liguria. She happily sells, drinks and blogs about
Did you know that you can enjoy wines from Menton, Mougins and Mandelieu?
As well as Saint-Jeannet, Saint-Paul de Vence, Tourettes-sur-Loup and even theLes Îles de Lérins off Cannes?
There really are vineyards in places least expected along our azure coast!
The aforementioned local vineyards are all classified as IGP, which stands for indication géographique protégée (or vin de pays).
So what’s the difference between an AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée) and an IGP? Read more
A Cruise on the Canal du Rhône to Sète
By Mohammad Reza Amirinia for The Good Life France, an independent on-line magazine about France and all things French, covering all aspects of daily life including healthcare, finance, utilities, education, property and a whole lot more
A cruise on the beautiful Canal du Rhone is to float deep into the heart of France, a chance to experience the famous nature reserves of the Camargue, a tranquil break that takes in several key destinations on the Rhone to Sète route…
I always dreamed about living on a houseboat and a boat trip starting from Bellegarde on the Canal Du Rhone near Nimes in South West of France was a great opportunity to experience the lifestyle I hankered after…
I arrived at the Port of Bellegarde to take a self-drive cruise with Nicols Boats with my wife and two friends and met with the manager Ralfe, who presented us with a ten-year-old boat, one of their top models. Read more
