I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on how my style and approach to travel has evolved and matured since my first backpacking trip to Europe in 1998. Last month I turned 35 while traveling here in Ecuador, and I think the decisions I make are a reflection of my age. Don’t get me wrong, I […]
France
4 Ways to Be a Savvy Backpacker in Paris
Tips to save you money in one of the world’s most expensive cities.
Friday Flashback: Bordeaux, France
While I did fly into the Bordeaux airport, and eat a few meals in the city, most of my time was spent farther south in the region around Arcachon Bay. I was staying with Sebastien and Magali, a French couple I met on the way to a small eco-hostel called Bulungula. The moment they suggested […]
Friday Flashback: Celebrating New Year’s Eve in Paris
Laura leads us through the Parisian streets. Grey, dreary, cold and wet. That sums up Paris in the final days of 2008. On the bright side, the city has lots of lights up for the holidays, and it presented the polar opposite experience I’d first had when visiting Paris in the peak of Summer ten […]
2 Wheels and The French Riviera
It turns out that Monte Carlo is a ghost town at night and everything was closed at 8 pm.
Where to Find Cheap Coffee in Paris
The best thing about hanging out in the Saint-Germain area is having a picnic on the Pont des Arts.
Final Thoughts – Brussels, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Spain
My return to Europe 10 years after my first backpacking trip there was a blast. No Visas, no currency exchanges, no need to show evidence of onward travel. The hospitality of my friends and couchsurfing hosts was amazing. I have definitely learned how to treat my future guests in the right way. Cathedrals, royal palaces, […]
The Grand Tour Of Arcachon Bay
On this day, Magali working a long shift at the bakery, Sebastien took me around the Bay of Arcachon. Biganos, the town where Magali’s mom lived, was at the southeast edge of the bay. First, we drove southwest to the Dune of Pilat, Europe’s biggest sand dune. Formed during the 18th century, it was […]
Wine Tasting In St. Emilion
In the morning, we ate bread and chocolate pastries for breakfast, before heading off to St. Emilion, the ” wine city”? northeast of Bordeaux which Magali first told me about during our time in South Africa. The district boasts 822 winegrowers and 5,400 hectares of vineyards. According to a tourism brochure, the land owned by […]
An Introduction To Life In Bordeaux
It felt good to be back in France, a little warmer, and ever so slightly less expensive than Switzerland. I picked up my bag and was happy to see Magali and Sebastien outside the baggage claim area, waiting to greet me. We drove to the center of Bordeaux (city) and started to walk around the […]
