Guest blog by Lorraine Boissoneault, Go Girl Magazine
Traveling around the world inevitably means coming down with some form of illness or another. Whether it’s a simple cold picked up from fellow fliers, or the more uncomfortable experience of the local variation of Montezuma’s curse, having a well-supplied med kit is a must for all foreign adventurers.
My own experiences getting sick in distant lands somehow end up being more dramatic than most people’s, with the result that almost everyone I know thinks I am a walking cesspool. I swear I don’t actually get sick that often! Not with the common cold, anyway. When I get sick, I get sick in style, and require more medical attention than just a visit to the closest pharmacy. I could lament my bad luck, but instead, I try to look at the sicknesses as a chance to assess the health care system in each of the countries. As of now, my list consists of three countries: France, Morocco, and China. Travelers heading to these locales – read on and educate yourself. You never know when you might come down with a bad case of dengue fever (no, I have not had dengue fever – yet). Read more
Guest Blog by Karen A. Chase reflecting on being a Deliberate Tourist. “I went to Paris. I was about to turn forty. I wanted to see all Paris had to offer and you simply can’t do that in a six days-and-five-nights stay, and this was my fortieth. It was something to celebrate. So I saved, planned and spent a year preparing for it, and decided to go for a month.”
Bonjour 40: A travel log – (40 years. 40 days. 40 seconds) Read more
Susan Minnich – writes about her Pyrenees Cycling adventure
Solo on my cycle 
again, again in France, and again thrilled by my trip. (read about the last trip here) This time I rode from the Atlantic, starting in Bayonne/Biarritz, through the Pyrenees and their foothills, across the Corbieres and finished on the Mediterranean, at Narbonne (Gruissan Plage.) My ride included three Tour de France climbs, beautiful days in the Pyreneean foothills, breath-taking valleys, history, culture, and great food … perfect.
My goal was to do the hardest thing that I thought I could accomplish (in France,) while having a lot of fun. I really didn’t know just how hard that would be, and while I wanted to climb some of those famous cols, I had a lot of respect for just how challenging they could be. Fun for me includes riding, sometimes hard riding and climbing, but also meeting people, visiting historic and cultural sites, and seeing a gorgeous landscape.
This ride was all those things: the Pyrenees turned out to be a cycling paradise.
My planning was time-consuming and careful. I did want to succeed!
Unlike my last trip in the Cevennes, I decided not to camp. There would be more climbing and steeper descents, and I preferred to be less encumbered. I booked lodging in two fabulous cycle lodges, chambres d’hotes and small hotels. That was a good decision. It was a tremendous de-stresser to know where I would be staying and that I was sure to eat dinner.
The plan carefully considered mileage and climbing. I wanted a leisurely, if sometimes challenging trip, that left time for visiting medieval walled cities; prehistoric and Roman ruins; abbeys, Romanesque carhedrals, basilicas; and beautiful natural sites. Beauty is always high on my list: art, architecture, the natural environment. I also planned time for long lunches, meeting people and photo stops. In retrospect, I might have made some cycling days longer, I frequently got off the bike before I was ready to srop. But, I also know that I love cycling, and my inclination is not to stop until I am far too tired!
Things I learned, relearned or remembered, were to make it my own trip … not to jump at everything that was recommended to me, but to consider advice carefully, in light of my goals, and then take it … or not. To be flexible, consider my options, and change plans when that suited me better. That happened sometimes when faced with busy roads or stormy weather. And to stick with a plan and decision once made … not to constantly second-guess myself. At some point any given day just will be what it will be.
But first I had to get from Massachusetts, with a border on the Atlantic, to Bayonne, on the other side of that large, cold, ocean….
Read more of Susan’s Cycling Adventures in her Blog http://susancycling.blogspot.com/
Fancy living in the wine region, welcoming the world to your door at a world class B&B – the fabulous Le Couvent is for sale. I have stayed there and it is absolutely gorgeous – a dream come true for two English women who now have other dreams to pursue. So you could make this your future. Read more
NileGuide.com recently launched a Valentine’s Day themed contest:
‘Fall in Love with the City of Love’
The grand prize is a trip of a lifetime for two to Paris!
- Stay for a week in a high-end Parisian apartment courtesy of iStopOver
- Enjoy an intimate dinner at classic Parisian restaurant Les Deux Magots
- Receive two tickets to visit the Eiffel Tower
- Receive two passes to the Museé Rodin to view the famous sculpture “The Kiss”
Competition runs until February 21st and only open to US residents 18 and over.
(If you don’t reside in the US, it’s still great to share the contest with friends since a US resident winner could still bring you along as their guest!)
Susan Minnich writes:
I was determined that I could do this, travel solo on my bike, in France, as a 61-year-old, reasonably fit woman, with some ability to speak French. It didn’t really occur to me not to do it, though I can’t say why I was so clearly sure that all would go well. After all, I had only been to France once before, the previous year, and other than that had only been out of the US to Canada (mostly hiking trips that were many, many years ago, in an English speaking country, not solo.) Read more
Discover Paris and the secrets of real French products. Tours in Parisian markets and in gastronomic manifestations, samplings and meals in private apartments. An original way to discover Paris and to have a glimpse of Parisian daily life.
What better way to explore the city than as a gourmet food traveller with this great tour company Succulent Paris
“Where are the men?” This was clearly the unspoken thought of many who watched the five of us toss the ropes and maneuver our Barge through the locks on the Canal du Midi in Southern France. We were the only crew of women on the canal and when on the last day we steered our way through the famous seven locks at Beziers, the crowds that come to watch this spectacle gave us a round of applause for our efforts. Read more
I went to the Eden Artists festival on Saturday in Mt Eden Auckland. A beautiful day with local well known artists painting away – the art is sold in an auction at the end of the day. I was particularly drawn to the work Nicky Foreman was working on.
On her table was a flyer advertising a 12 day art tour of France that she escorts annually to France. It is called Renaissance to Modernism – a journey through an artists eye and this year (2009) it is 29 September – 10 October. Read more
Le Couvent B&B is in the heart of Roujan, 20 kms or so from Besiers, it is the perfect place to stay to explore this area. Ali and Lizzie are fantastic warm hosts, you are in the centre of the lovely village of Roujan, close to the great Castle-Abbey of Cassan. Read more
