I think you're a machine for testing the forum members' nerve endurance.
Coming from you, that's pretty ironic. 😐
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
The "us" and "you" used that way only exist in your imagination. In my language, you chose the Italian blonde because that kind of politics is the only thing that suits you. The border is far less significant than the worldview.
About the article in the link... I’m too lazy (the morning alternative is diving into Quignard’s silence). So, I bet readers are educated enough to identify the author of the article and then see whether it’s information or propaganda.
Catherine
By this, and this only, we have existed. Which is not to be found in our obituaries. (T.S. Eliot)
Can we discredit or undermine the justice system in your opinion? I completely agree if, with blindfolded eyes and holding its scales, it produces unassailable and impartial judgments, if it doesn’t venture into political territory by trying to play kingmaker, thus overstepping into the executive branch:
Take the LePen ruling: what democrat can accept that in a legal consideration, a candidate is eliminated from a presidential election for the reason of disturbing public order? It makes me furious. If this measure affected Mélenchon or Macron, I’d be just as outraged!
Almost as serious in the legal consideration, the judges ordered immediate ineligibility for a non-existent situation: LePen is no longer a European deputy and therefore cannot reoffend. The risk is ZERO!
If you respect this justice system, it’s not mine. In this case reheated at the right moment after 14 years, the three judges that day ruled in the name of the French people, and I was absent from my people. But let’s not get into the merits of the case, which still needs to be retried because it won’t change the legal considerations.
I’m not a legal expert, but I rely on the more authoritative opinions of Noëlle Lenoir, member of the Constitutional Council, and Maître Régis de Castelnault, author of the blog "Vu du droit" and yet a convinced Marxist.
Didn’t Marine Le Pen demand relentless justice for others?
Relentless doesn’t mean inconsistent in its reasoning: and honestly, whether it’s her or anyone else, this isn’t coherent.
That’s what’s really worrying.
Besides, the arrogance you’re showing is a powerful driver for backlash at the polls—would Trump have been elected in a landslide if the campaign to take him down, discredit him, and eliminate him hadn’t been so intense?
Even on official French media: just listen to France Inter in the weeks before his election, or the same channel’s derisive, shameful remarks about Ms. Meloni.
Whatever you say, Michel.😉
I don’t get this defense of the dark side, but you’re as free as I am to speak your mind.
You’re really diving into black-and-white thinking here.
Rationality, justice as a concept, logical rigor—none of that seems to register with you, just because you’ve let yourself get worked up over a political speech you don’t even truly listen to yourself?
Nothing uplifting about reading stuff like "useful idiots" who’ll soon be waving their self-righteousness like a banner, paving the way for populism to take power—all thanks to their blindness and dogmatism.
(Just to clarify, "useful idiot" isn’t an insult but a well-known Marxist reference.)
But the long months separating the National Rally from the next election.
Their power to cause trouble is greatly diminished.
A no-confidence motion that passes, a Marine out of a job...
Alert! Beep beep!
Careful, the Godwin point is about to be reached here😉[;]
If this measure affected Mélenchon or Macron, I’d be yelling just as loud!
We’re not exactly at risk of losing our voices, since I’d be surprised if this measure affected either of them. And since the first one (he’s not the only one) is useful to the second... [;]
In your view, can one discredit or denigrate the justice system? Absolutely agree—if, blindfolded and holding her scales, she delivers unassailable and impartial judgments, if she doesn’t venture into political territory by trying to crown kings, thus overstepping into the executive branch:
Take the LePen ruling: what democrat can accept that in a legal consideration, a candidate is eliminated from a presidential election on the grounds of disturbing public order? It makes me furious. If this measure had affected Mélenchon or Macron, I’d be just as outraged!
Almost as serious in the ruling, the judges imposed immediate ineligibility for a scenario that doesn’t even exist: LePen is no longer a European deputy and therefore can’t reoffend. The risk is ZERO!
If you respect this justice system, it’s not mine. In this case, reheated at the right moment after 14 years, the three judges that day ruled in the name of the French people—and I wasn’t part of my people. But let’s not delve into the merits of the case, which still needs to be retried, as it won’t change the legal considerations anyway.
I’m not a legal expert, but I rely on the more authoritative opinions of Noëlle Lenoir, a member of the Constitutional Council, and Maître Régis de Castelnault, author of the blog "Vu du Droit" and yet a convinced Marxist.
Hi François,
I feel like I’m reading something straight out of Berlusconi...
And the sad denial of that old La Fontaine fable (Depending on whether you’re powerful...) because that’s the core of your argument: the blonde should’ve been acquitted of her misdeeds just because she’s surely running for president.
Was the law created solely to target her? Was the penalty invented just for her? If the answer to both questions is no, then there’s no issue. And if there is one, we can trust the justice system to adjust or overturn the ruling.
Either way, it might frustrate her personally from holding the presidential office and sadden her followers who see her as a natural leader, a maternal figure, whatever (they love their chiefs and guides), but it won’t stop her movement from seizing power by pulling all the victimization and conspiracy levers—basically, their bread and butter.
Catherine
By this, and this only, we have existed. Which is not to be found in our obituaries. (T.S. Eliot)
Zorba isn’t talking about that—he’s addressing the legal grounds and explaining how absurd they are, like disturbing public order and repeat offenses.
I share this view; moreover, I really struggle to even understand the offense itself.
The European election is a party-list system; it makes perfect sense to me that elected officials would consider the funds allocated to them as intended for their party’s activities, whether at the European or national level.
Given that, the fact that the penalty is as severe as possible and accompanied by an exceptional measure is indeed problematic.
And if there is one, you can trust the justice system to soften or overturn that ruling.
An immediate sentence with no possibility of a suspensive appeal—does that seem fair to you?
"but that won’t stop his movement from taking power by pulling all the victimization and conspiracy levers—basically, their usual playbook."
I still find it quite hard to follow your reasoning: the idea that the RN’s program, project, or vision could only become majority-backed through manipulation, a conspiracy, or cheating.
What if that project actually gained majority support—what would be the problem?
Reading you, I feel like I’m hearing that France Inter commentator who, every Friday morning, only had disdainful labels, sweeping generalizations, and dogmatism to try to banish any differing opinions.
I’m not a legal expert, but I’m relying on the more authoritative opinions of Noëlle Lenoir, a member of the Constitutional Council, and Maître Régis de Castelnault, author of the blog "Vu du Droit."
I’m not a legal expert either, but there are other authoritative opinions that support an equally legitimate argument...
Take the Le Pen ruling: what democrat can accept that in a legal consideration, a candidate for the presidential election is eliminated?
On this point, the clarification by Jean-Philippe Derosier, a professor of public law at the University of Lille and holder of the parliamentary studies chair:
"By arguing that it should be up to the people to decide Marine Le Pen’s fate, one is advocating for a partial and partisan popular justice. Should it be up to the people to judge all defendants? Should the people decide whether someone is a rapist, a murderer, or should be acquitted? And, in that case, based on what arguments and what framework?"
The judges imposed an immediate ineligibility for a non-existent situation: Le Pen is no longer a European MP and therefore cannot reoffend. The risk is ZERO!
"Marine Le Pen embezzled European Parliament funds for years and doesn’t seem to see the problem. The judge believes that if she doesn’t see it today, she likely won’t see it tomorrow either. There’s every chance she’ll perpetuate the system she put in place."
The second risk would be that she evades justice if elected President of the Republic, which would grant her immunity.
...
The sentence has political consequences... but should the judicial time submit to political time?
In this case, the organized embezzlement of public funds has been proven. In a healthy democracy, at the risk of further eroding citizens' trust in their representatives, shouldn’t that be enough to permanently bar the guilty party—or parties—from any political office, especially the highest one?
Tatra beat me to it, but he summed up the situation well.
Otherwise, I note that in a debate, it's important to mock the opponent—thanks for the Berlusconi reference. But I don’t care, it’s so ridiculous and off-topic. You really disappoint me; I expected more nuance from you.
Let’s stick to the actual issues; these issues are scandalous for a democracy. Mélenchon could be next on the list of prosecutions, and I’d feel the same outrage if he were treated the same way. That’s what democracy is.
Note that the MODEM was prosecuted for the same reason; its leader Bayrou was cleared BECAUSE HE WASN’T AWARE OF THE ALLEGED MISCONDUCT IN HIS PARTY!! Who can believe that? He even became Prime Minister! It’s like Sarkozy, who wasn’t aware of the pharaonic spending in his election campaign.
Note that if, for the judge, Le Pen’s election would disrupt public order, Bardella’s election would also disrupt public order, as many civil servants have already announced they wouldn’t obey their new hierarchy. But Bardella is off the judge’s radar. What do we do? Block democracy under the threat of blackmail?
Finally, I’d like to make a point about the RN. It’s constantly ostracized, labeled as racist, anti-democratic, its leaders called evil, fascists... It’s become Pavlovian. The "Republican Parties" set up unnatural alliances as sanitary cordons against these "outcasts" in every election... Of course, everyone has the right to their opinion. But it’s worth noting that over the years, this party has fed off defections from the Communist Party and parts of the left through a communicating vessel. It’s become the party of the working class. Personally, I think it’s indecent to constantly spit on hardworking, modest citizens with limited means—those who feed us, care for us, build, transport, ensure our safety, and get pushed around on occasion.
Jean-Philippe Derosier’s opinion is irrelevant because no one asked the people to decide whether Marine Le Pen could run. That’s just hot air! This is a judicial matter.
All we know is that a court ruled Le Pen ineligible in its reasoning. The real question is: is that reasoning legitimate?
In a healthy democracy, at the risk of further undermining citizens' trust in their representatives, shouldn’t this be enough to permanently bar the guilty party or parties from any claim to holding political office, especially when it comes to the highest position?
Well... How should I put this?
I’m always wary of referring to a situation as "pure" or "healthy," or setting a perfect ideal, even as a "regulatory fiction," as someone once wrote.
I’m also wary of idealistic positions without nuance, like the one you’re expressing here by emphasizing "permanently." I’m cautious because I remember Robert Badinter’s speech in October 1981 about justice being fallible by nature since it’s human, and thus should never ostracize without the possibility of return.
Your idea would have kept A. Hitler out of power, certainly, and maybe B. Mussolini.
But it would have also barred Vaclav Havel, Lech Walesa, Nelson Mandela, Lula da Silva, and Mario Soares from power.
I don’t think it’s a good idea. Politics isn’t inherently a virtue contest.
“No one asked the people to decide whether Marine Le Pen could run for office.
In our country, which is certainly still far from perfect but is trying to get by as best it can, and in the name of a certain vision of "democracy," we already give the right to vote to the people—that is, to everyone... including that category of people who have no education/culture/political awareness or who still don’t understand the rules and principles by which justice is carried out!
... you wouldn’t seriously want, on top of that, to ask these people to write the law and dispense justice, would you?
"We only know that a court ruled Le Pen ineligible in its reasoning. The real question is: is that reasoning legitimate?"
In the Le Pen case, where the misuse of public funds has been proven (we know that too!), and even if it’s just hot air to you, court decisions only ever legitimately rely on the laws that define justice, which stipulate that, depending on the circumstances of the case, it’s up to the judges to decide whether or not to enforce the sanction immediately.
Whatever! 😎
What you’re doing, as is now both obvious and regrettable, is grossly and unfortunately confusing the concept of "justice" with that of "democracy."
Justice clearly isn’t made for you...
... hey, you should try economics—a fascinating field whose brilliant representative, John Maynard KEYNES, once said this truth: "You can’t make a donkey drink if it isn’t thirsty."
... it’s no coincidence: this specialty is made for you! 🙂
Thank you for attributing all sorts of abilities to me, including the one of not understanding justice. You can add my difficulty in grasping the twists and turns of your reasoning.
Now it’s my turn to ask if you can understand a one-line text and respond without beating around the bush:
Are the court’s considerations legitimate?
(I’m not mentioning the embezzlement of funds but the immediate execution for possible disturbance of public order and cessation of the offense by someone who is no longer a European MP.)
(I’m not mentioning embezzlement of funds but rather the immediate execution for possible disruption of public order and cessation of the offense by someone who is no longer a European MP)
... but who could very well become one again, whatever she says today!
The decision, which you claim to have read and understood, says nothing else:
"The existence of ongoing mandates, or even the intention to seek such mandates, is likely to perpetuate a risk of fraudulent use of public funds... and due to the disruption that would arise in this case from the fact that someone who has already been convicted at first instance—particularly to an additional penalty of ineligibility—could run for office, for example and notably in the presidential election, or even be elected."
So I don’t understand what you don’t understand...
... or perhaps I understand it all too well: your side and your sympathies have little regard for honesty, even intellectual honesty!
It’s very likely I have a distant view of this matter, which I’ve barely followed. Illegal use of funds, trial, conviction, sanction = ineligibility. Nothing surprising there. These "legal considerations" that seem to obsess you—and which I imagine are the subject of debate in France—are completely obscure to me.
The European election is a party-list vote; the idea that elected officials might consider the funds allocated to them as intended for their party’s activities, both at the European and national levels, seems perfectly understandable to me.
Don’t you have anything less specious to suggest? Because if everyone follows their own little logic, their personal interpretation—which has no reason to be common or shared—rather than the laws and regulations laid out to govern actions and behavior, it’s likely to create a magnificent mess.
An immediate penalty with no possibility of a suspensive appeal: does that seem consistent with the idea of justice to you?
No possibility to appeal?
I still find it quite hard to follow you: the idea that the RN’s program, project, or vision could only become majority-backed through manipulation, a conspiracy, or cheating.
What if that project actually garnered majority support—what would the problem be?
Reading you, I get the impression of hearing that France Inter commentator who, every Friday morning, only had scornful qualifiers, sweeping generalizations, and dogmatism on his lips to try to banish any thought different from his own.
It’s been 20 years since I last listened to France Inter. Or any French radio, except for nostalgia sometimes on long highway drives through the Massif Central, or a few France Culture podcasts about writers when I feel like hearing my native language.
On the other hand, I’m a bit surprised to see the same kind of rhetoric popping up here that I heard from Berlusconi for years: judges are in the pay of/complicit with my political enemies, who use them to take me down.
That only reinforced his popularity among his supporters, convinced he was the victim of a plot by those terrible baby-eating communist-judicial types (and some people actually believed it without irony).
Catherine
By this, and this only, we have existed. Which is not to be found in our obituaries. (T.S. Eliot)
in the name of a certain vision of "democracy," the right to vote is already given to the people, meaning everyone...
So, in plain terms, you want to take away the right to vote from the people if I understand correctly?
including that category of people who have no education/culture/political awareness
What category of people are we talking about here?
In short, if I understand correctly, you’re taking part of the population for idiots?
Or even bordering on considering the people who post on this forum...
I wonder how the people who came before me didn’t pick up on this and let this argument slide.
It’s very likely I have a distant view of this matter, which I’ve barely followed. Illegal use of funds, trial, conviction, sanction = ineligibility. Nothing surprising. These "findings" that seem to obsess you and that I imagine are the subject of debate in France are completely unclear to me.
Justice isn’t a mechanical process—it justifies its decisions and has broad discretion in choosing and applying sanctions. Here, it’s invoking reasons and considerations that simply don’t make sense. Do you know of any decisions that are accepted if they aren’t understood as making sense? I don’t. It’s precisely these differing assessments that, a few months ago, spared the current French prime minister from being convicted—or even rendered ineligible—for a very similar case involving the use of European funds for party operations.
No possibility of appealing the decision?
No, not when it comes to the immediate enforcement of ineligibility.
the judges are in the pay/complicit with my political enemies who are using them to take me down.
Following Berlusconi
We absolutely cannot generalize; our country has many high-quality magistrates, and there’s no doubt that at the Court of Appeal level, their professionalism will correct the partisan bias and amateurism shown in this initial ruling.
I feel targeted as a "Berlusconi supporter." Yes, the man made me laugh, just like Meloni, for their quintessentially Italian character—much funnier than the dull figures running our country. When a journalist asked him why he had the ear of the Russian president or other world leaders, he replied, "It’s due to my charm."
And Meloni, who shot Macron a withering look at a reception. It said it all—pure gold.
I know I haven’t suffered under them and that we should look beyond the anecdotes. Still, I can’t help but smile.
Beyond the Le Pen case, there’s a broader movement to block political figures from running through legal means. We remember the Fillon affair, then Trump’s case, and now it’s spreading to Romania and Le Pen.
We should take note of former European Commissioner Thierry Breton’s comment (who, by the way, is Senegalese!???), which speaks volumes about the European Commission’s mindset:
In January 2025, on RMC, Thierry Breton claimed it would be possible to annul the results of the 2025 German federal elections if the AfD wins, thanks to the DSA, because it would be the result of foreign interference—referring to American entrepreneur Elon Musk’s support for Alice Weidel’s party: "We did it in Romania, and we’ll obviously have to do the same in Germany if necessary."[171], [172], [1. Source: Wikipedia
What’s the point of voting?
(DSA: Digital Services Act)
There she invokes reasons and assessment elements that simply don’t make sense; do you know of any decisions that are accepted if they aren’t understood as making sense? I don’t.
Fortunately, Maitairoa (post 527) transcribed here the excerpt that’s causing such outraged reactions.
I fully understand the reasoning: postponing the enforcement of the penalty until the appeal ruling could lead the country to have a head of state recognized as a criminal and ineligible. As a result, his voters would cling to the democratic mandate to defend him, while those who voted against him would rightly deny any legitimacy. Avoiding such a conflict for the country seems very sensible and rational to me.
It’s not the party or its ideas that are ineligible.
Catherine
By this, and this only, we have existed. Which is not to be found in our obituaries. (T.S. Eliot)
Otherwise, we have to move past the Le Pen case, because there’s a movement to prevent political figures from running through legal means. We remember the Fillon affair, then it was Trump’s turn recently, then it affected Romania, and now Le Pen.
This is open to interpretation. My take is that political figures aren’t above the law.
And since Meloni makes you laugh, I’ll just say that here too, sometimes, it’s better to laugh than cry—to dilute the anger.
You’re cruel because you shattered the image I had of Meloni that made me laugh, with that sketch—and I still didn’t even catch what she was saying. Fair game, though! Well played.
Of course, politicians aren’t above the law, especially when it comes to criminal matters. The issue is delicate because of Montesquieu’s separation of powers: Can a judge walk into the National Assembly to see how MPs’ allowances are being used? No. A president has even shut the doors of the National Assembly in a judge’s face. Can a parliamentary inquiry look into how judges’ offices and clerks operate? No.
Can a judge decide who can run for president? I hope not—otherwise, that would be a major overreach of the judiciary into the executive branch.
As for message 527, sorry, but I don’t read it the same way as you. I don’t have a desperate need to be right, but what do I see? Simply an assumption of intent and amateurism from the judge: if we let this elected official get re-elected, she’ll do it again! Does the judge have psychic powers? What does she know about Le Pen’s intentions? She’s just making assumptions.
That’s not how the law works. If authorities found out you *wanted* to rob the Bank of Italy, they couldn’t do anything but wait to catch you in the act—after wiretapping your calls, for example.
I haven’t paid much attention to MLP’s judicial case. She was particularly bad during her two televised debates for the presidential election runoff, which, in my opinion, completely undermines her credibility—if she ever had any to begin with.
This party is nothing more than a small family business that’s been keeping its members fed for decades, and that’s about it. Expecting this party to win is as naive as the Greeks who voted for the far left a few years ago. Once in power, it took them just two days to do the same as—or worse than—their predecessors.
Indeed, all it takes is a threat from the Americans to let things slide or to raise interest rates, and everyone obediently falls back in line.
It’s pretty much for the same reasons that Islamist infiltration is only half-heartedly fought: the Gulf monarchies lend us hundreds of millions every weekend to balance our banks’ books, or else one fine Monday morning, we’d wake up to some very nasty surprises. This is the aftermath of the 2008 disaster, where we’re trying to patch up—or rather delay—the inevitable consequences with quick fixes and endless money printing, the LAST thing we should be doing (see the 1930s).
We also have to consider the issue of campaign financing. If politicians stuck to what’s legally allowed, they wouldn’t make it. That’s why we hear stories about Pasqua’s bag carriers for Chirac, the Khadafi-Sarkozy affair, and suspicions of Algerian funding for Macron—all of which shed interesting light on Manu’s strange benevolence toward that country.
On another note, our universities and justice system have swung completely to the left. You’d be shocked if you really knew what goes on there. More than ever, rulings reflect judges’ moral principles rather than the actual application of the law.
The explanation? After nearly half a century of freedoms—which also had the perverse effect of eroding national pride, order, discipline, analysis, organization, and foresight—many people have become progressive, ultra-leftist, or even anarchist.
After being stuck under authoritarian rule for so long, the pendulum has swung straight into carelessness, slowly leading us toward third-world status.
What’s more, 99% of humanity are just pawns on the chessboards of a few. The entire West is now nothing more than the lackey of the Anglo-Saxons, while most people’s reasoning is black-and-white—pro or anti—with no nuance or real dialogue.
Individualism has made almost everyone narrow-minded, sectarian, bitter, and vindictive. That’s why it’s pointless to hope for a real dialogue with opponents, especially since some seem completely unhinged based on the style and substance of their responses.
No matter what individual efforts or election results we see, we’re once again caught in one of history’s cycles, heading toward a major clash. After which, it might be possible to temporarily rebuild on solid foundations. Then again, maybe not—the worst is never certain.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Not bad! I mostly agree with your analysis, except for:
suspicions of Algerian funding for Macron, which shed interesting light on Manu’s strange benevolence toward that country
The reason is different, but I can’t talk about it without being labeled a dreadful conspiracy theorist.
As for the Le Pen family, it’s damning that we can only have these people as the main opposition. And Bardella? An RN member once let slip that he’s a bit of a fool. If I focus on exposing the flaws in MLP’s conviction, it’s not for her sake, but because of my idea of justice and to warn about the serious danger threatening our democracy. See Thierry Breton and the European Community.
Anyway, I can’t support a party that seeks recognition from a country that massacres women and children.
Still, I’ll tell you a great story: under the Fourth Republic, France was in even worse shape. General de Gaulle came to power and appointed Jacques Rueff as Finance Minister. Rueff turned the accounts around and paid off the debt. As a result, the General had the means to kick the Americans out. What followed were massive infrastructure programs that we still benefit from today, along with widespread decolonization. Who today could rise to that challenge? On the other hand, I foolishly believe the French people are extraordinarily talented, but they need to be inspired and deserve leaders worthy of them.
"Which man or woman can take up the challenge today?"
It might take a while—we can wait, chat, and keep discussing endlessly, because in France, we only get a great statesman every 3-4 centuries. The last one was C. de Gaulle.
That’s why it’s completely pointless to go on and on about divisive topics for pages. Nobody will convince anyone, and the only result will be tearing each other apart.
What brings us together on this forum is travel.
Even if we don’t all define that word the same way.
some seem pretty out there
Makes sense to be out there when so many traps are being set...
Ponts du monde : concours de photos amical de juillet 2026
Rubrique Jeux Voyages
C'est le moment de poster vos meilleurs clichés !
Please don’t hold me responsible for what you don’t understand, misunderstand, or only interpret through the lens of your personal analysis:
Oh, I understand perfectly—what I get is that you’re taking the members of this forum for idiots.
Well, if that’s your stance, you’ll end up isolating yourself. If everyone on a forum speaks with one voice, I don’t see the point of exchanging ideas 😉
Do you know of any decisions that are accepted if they don’t make sense? I don’t.
hmm, the fact that laws are full of jargon and written in such a cryptic language that only legal experts can decipher and understand is something I realized a long time ago ;)
It’s for sure that reading a law text is like reading Chinese to me.
Whether we knew him or not isn’t the point. I didn’t know him either.
It’s more about what remains of what he did and put in place.
"A recipe for today’s world," and yet he’s constantly referenced—of course, you have to put things in the context of the time, and objectively recognize what he did for his country.
I fully understand the meaning: postponing the enforcement of the sentence until the appeal ruling could lead the country to have a head of state recognized as a criminal and ineligible. As a result, his voters will cling to the democratic anointing to defend the leader, while those who voted against him will rightly deny any legitimacy. Wanting to spare the country such a conflict seems very sensible and rational to me.
I find this shocking, and even quite serious.
In my opinion, the justice system shouldn’t interfere or interpolate like this out of precaution or anticipation of voters' possible choices.
The people are sovereign.
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Hi everyone, just this once I’m not posting for a travel story, but to share a thought for Venezuela.
If you didn’t know—since it’s not making headlines—the country was hit by two 7.5-magnitude earthquakes last week. Over 2,200 people have died, more than 50,000 are missing, and some coastal towns have been completely destroyed.
Maybe when the scale of the humanitarian crisis becomes clear, our media will cover it a bit more... especially since earthquakes with this many casualties usually make the front page, but there’s been nothing in France.
So here’s a thought for this country, which, whatever you think of its politics, is a true jewel of South America, both for its landscapes and its people.
hi there
I’d like to invite you to discover my coastal province in central Vietnam: Quang Ngai.
This year, my province has really improved its infrastructure—mountains, countryside, and sea are all authentic here.
No harassers or thieves, and no Russians either.
A local lunch costs around 1 €.
A *** hotel room is about 25 €, and you can find hotels right on My Khe Beach.
We have a specialty: *banh xeo*—10 crepes for just 1.5 €.
You can rent motorbikes to explore the province and maybe visit the many ethnic minorities.
I live here—I’m not selling anything, but I can help if needed (my father-in-law is a traditional Vietnamese doctor and he’s very skilled).
Hi everyone! 😉
I’m Typhaine, 35 years old. Five years ago, I left France for a solo round-the-world trip—no planes, just a van, hitchhiking, cycling, and even a canoe in the Amazon! Today, I work as a naturalist guide in Argentine Patagonia.
Wherever I go, my compass stays the same: observing and photographing wildlife, which I deeply admire and respect.
My project: I’d love to share this experience through a sustainable, authentic, and immersive nature tourism initiative. But to build something meaningful, I need to understand how other nature enthusiasts experience their own adventures.
If you:
Are over 20 years old
Have a true passion for Nature
Have already taken at least one trip lasting more than 3 nights (in your country or abroad) in your life
Promise: I’m not selling anything, this isn’t marketing. Your answers are 100% anonymous and will only help me shape this wild project.
A huge thank you to everyone for your help and kindness! Looking forward to chatting in this thread 😛
(Dear admins, this is purely a collaborative effort for my project study, with no commercial purpose. Thank you so much for your support!)
Photo: Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), female on the left and her cub on the right. Photo taken by me in Alaska, Denali National Park.
It’s something we often notice in this forum—and many others—this behavioral shift.
A long-time member, or even a new one, asks a question.
They get one or more answers, some brief, some detailed, and then... nothing???
Not even a simple thank you!!!
From what I’ve gathered, if the answers don’t align with what they wanted to hear, it seems natural for the asker to just disappear!! 😕
Unless—(and I fear this is the case)—basic politeness is no longer part of our society????
I spent 3 weeks in Bali last summer (+ 3 nights on Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java). So I wanted to see what ChatGPT could suggest for comparison...
Here’s the prompt I gave:
"You’re a local expert guide for Bali.
- Plan a 20-day itinerary for Bali with a side trip to Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java without staying overnight.
- I’m traveling with my wife, and I love visiting historical sites, hiking, relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, and exploring rice terraces...
- For the duration of the stay, I don’t want more than 8 places to sleep, and I’d like to stay at least 2 days at each stop to avoid unpacking too often. Except for the last night, where I’m okay with just one night near the airport.
- I prefer neighborhoods that are walkable and try to avoid typical tourist traps, though I don’t want to miss the must-see spots. So suggest a mix of iconic sites and hidden gems.
- Recommend hotels or guesthouses with a budget of 50 to 100 € per night, including breakfast. Make suggestions in areas popular with travelers, specifying the vibe (I prefer quiet), and consider safety and proximity to attractions.
- For lunch and dinner, suggest two to three restaurants that are well-rated by customers.
- Give me a day-by-day program with details on travel times, visiting times for each point of interest, and recommendations for transportation (taxi, train, bike, etc.).
Estimate the total cost of the trip, including accommodations, food, transportation, and activities, and suggest two tips for saving money in each category.
- Don’t make anything up—be realistic about travel times, take into account the opening dates and hours of sites, and give me the entry fees for places to visit.
- Ask me all the questions until you’re 95% sure you understand what’s being asked. Don’t generate your response until you’ve understood."
The AI asked for a few clarifications:
"Great request—I can build you a really optimized and enjoyable itinerary, but to be 95% sure I hit the mark, I need a few key clarifications (this will really influence the pace, areas, and accommodations)."
In the end, it proposed a program very close to what we actually did.
I’ll skip its accommodation and restaurant suggestions...
Its proposal:
"Ubud (4 nights) => we did 5 nights
Sidemen (2 nights)
Amed (3 nights) => we’d planned 2 nights
Gili Meno (3 nights) => we did Gili between Sidemen and Amed
Munduk (3 nights) => we did 2 nights before Pemuteran
Pemuteran (3 nights) with Ijen => we did 4 nights
Sanur (2 nights + 1 last night) => we chose Jatiluwih instead of Sanur
It suggested "activities" (and accommodations too):
IN UBUD:
- Walk around central Ubud (1–2h)
- Campuhan Ridge Walk
- Tegalalang Rice Terrace
- Tirta Empul
- Gunung Kawi
- Massage / market / slow café
IN SIDEMEN:
- Rice terrace hike (2–3h)
- Cooking class
IN AMED:
- Snorkeling
- Japanese Shipwreck
- Beach + relaxation
- Volcano sunset
ON GILI:
- Snorkeling at Gili Meno Turtle Point, Nest Underwater Statues
IN MUNDUK:
- Jungle & waterfall hike - Munduk Waterfall + Melanting Waterfall
- Loop: 3–4h (perfect for your level)
- Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
- Twin Lakes
IN PEMUTERAN
- Snorkeling: Menjangan Island
For Kawah Ijen, it detailed the day well:
👍 from Pemuteran = best possible option
12 PM: leave hotel (we left at 10 PM)
1 PM: ferry
3 PM: arrival in Java + transfer
11 PM: start ascent
2 AM–6 AM: volcano
Return to Bali around 11 AM–12 PM (we got back at 4 PM)
👍 still very intense, but doable with an agency
💰 ~80–120 €/person all-inclusive
IN SANUR:
- Relaxation
- Quiet beach
- Proximity to airport (30 min)"
J'ai gardé comme habitude, de me moucher à l'évier, et de me laver ensuite les mains, coutume ramenée d'Inde, parfois, ca choque certains non voyageurs quand je suis prise en flagrand délit...
Aussi, quand je tombe en panne de pq, ca ne me dérange pas, sauf si j'ai de la visite... 🤪
Maintenant je reviens d'avoir baladé le chien (d'un copain en vacance), portant djellabah et bottine tibétaine... 😏😏😏 Ah pour sur si j'avais croisé des locaux, sans doute aurais je choqué?😏
Enfin, tant que je ne suis pas à cracher par terre au resto et à m'accroupir sur le bord d'une autoroute bouteille d'eau en main...
Et vous, vous ramenez des coutumes au pays?
After taking a little trip around the world, I came back a few months ago with an idea in mind.
I mostly do diving, and I love observing animals in their natural habitat without disturbing them.
During the trip, I realized it was quite complicated to know where and when to see certain species.
For example:
where to dive with sharks or manta rays
where you might get a chance to swim with whales
I even discovered thresher sharks during my trip… I didn’t even know this species existed before, even though they’re incredible to see.
We spent a ton of time searching for info all over the place, especially on social media, without ever getting a clear picture.
So I started putting all this together on my own, in the form of a map, to make it easier to visualize where to go depending on the seasons.
I recently put a first version online (it’s called Fauneya).
There are probably mistakes, inconsistencies, or things to improve, and that’s partly why I’m posting here.
I’d really love to know how you all go about planning this kind of trip.
As part of my Master’s thesis, I’m currently conducting a public survey on a topic that concerns all of us when planning a trip: artificial intelligence and the role of human contact in travel planning.
These days, we’re using more and more digital tools to find ideas, compare options, and book trips... but is the role of human advisors still essential? At what moments? And for what types of trips?
The survey is anonymous and takes about 7 minutes.
It’s aimed at anyone who travels (or has traveled) for leisure, whether you plan everything yourself or go through an agency.
en parcourant le forum pour glaner des infos pour mon prochain voyage en thailande, je vois souvent les mots "voyageur, grand voyageur" mais aussi "touriste" donc pour vous quelle est la nuance?
I've traveled quite a bit in Vietnam over the past few years—from the southern delta to bustling cities and even some small islands—but what really sticks with me is the north, the high mountains.
Up there, there's something different—maybe slower, more raw. The morning markets with ethnic groups, women in traditional clothes, the colors...
The stilt houses, kids following you and laughing for no reason, the terraced rice fields—it almost feels unreal at times, so vast and quiet, yet so human and simple.
You often hear that Sapa has become too touristy, and that's partly true, especially in the center. But as soon as you move a little farther away, everything changes quickly. The landscapes open up, encounters feel more natural, and you rediscover something truly authentic.
I think it's that contrast that struck me—the difference between what you imagine before going and what you actually discover when you take the time.
And you—what memory do you hold onto from Vietnam? A particular place that touched you more than others?
Hello,
We’re finalizing the plans for our upcoming trip to China in May 2025. The second-to-last stop will be in Zhangjiajie, where we’ve planned to stay for 2 full days before heading to Shanghai.
We’re traveling solo using local transport and have arranged to stay in the city of Zhangjiajie.
We’ve seen that there’s a lot to see:
Tianmen Mountain, the Grand Canyon and the glass bridge, Zhangjiajie National Park, and that the sites are quite far apart with fairly expensive entry fees.
We’re thinking of dedicating one day to the national park and the Grand Canyon (glass bridge) and one day to Tianmen Mountain.
But we’re not sure if this plan is realistic—any thoughts would be much appreciated!
I should be serving a warming drink to the participants in the discussion about gardens and parks that provide us with beautiful photos, I could mention the delicious buttery scent wafting from bakeries in the thread about returning to France, but my heart, its powerful pulse that nourishes my entire being, is elsewhere.
Dasht-e Lut, Yazd, Esfahan, Bam, Kerman, Qeshm, Hormuz—a melody, a prayer at the heart of desire.
A dream, an unattainable fantasy? No. Not anymore.
A very serious Italian travel agency is organizing this trip for 6 people this winter. I’m signed up, I’m going, I’m living. Maybe.
"But you’re completely crazy!!!!"
I know... I know that every civilization, every society has a vital need to create scapegoats to define and justify itself, pathetically. And Iran is one of them, top of the list. I laugh or sigh, and it doesn’t bother me.
But that unchanging red, deep red and garnet, so beautiful in itself, in all the Western chancelleries repeats, whispers, shouts: don’t go, don’t go, don’t go, you’re putting yourself in danger and we can’t do anything for you. You’ll be turned into mere bargaining chips, into arguments for endless negotiations. Fear must be instilled, its power absolutely preserved, no concessions made to the enemy. The information (how many French hostages, real or fake, compared to the number of travelers?) is always lacking.
Traveling becomes a merciless confrontation between desire, the vital pulse, and anxiety, its ghosts.
Hi everyone, here’s our itinerary. Arriving on the evening of December 13th. Departing on January 7th.
Thanks in advance for your tips and valuable feedback.
Manila – 1 night
Coron – 4 nights
Coron to El Nido cruise – 2 nights
El Nido – 4 nights
Port Barton – 5 nights
Flight from Puerto Princesa to Vigan
Vigan – 2 nights
Sagada – 2 nights
Banaue – 2 nights
Bagabag – 1 night
Manila – 1 night
I’ve only booked the flight to Manila and the Manila/Coron flight so far. Is it possible to book boat trips, accommodations, and the Puerto Princesa flight last-minute?
Vraiment déçu du Costa Rica ! Pura vida ? L'arnaque du siècle !
( Costa frica pure vide ).
Le pays où les animaux sont en liberté et les hommes en cage .
3 semaines en décembre dans ce pays et bien plus jamais. . Imaginez la bande annonce d'un film qui paraît intéressant, et en allant le voir vous vous apercevez que c'est un ''nanard'' et que les meilleurs moments tenaient dans la bande annonce.
Et bien c'est ce que l'on a ressenti avec le Costa frica pure vide .
Nous avons ma femme et moi pas mal voyagé et nous ne nous attendions pas à nous tromper a ce point.
Dans les grands axes nous avons fait :
Sant José
Alaiela
Limon cahuita Porto viejo manzalino ( côté caraïbe)
Jaco quepos manuel Antonio ( côté Pacific)
Et d'autres courts passages dans les villes intermédiaires.
Notre mécontentement c'est fait crescendo de la sorte:
Arrivés à l'hôtel le taxi nous dépose dans une petite rue devant un portail métallique blanc avec les fenêtres du RDC entravé par des barreaux. Nous le regardons dubitatif mais l'enseigne correspondait .
Il s'approche du portail appuie sur la sonnette le buzzer retentit et la porte s'entrouvre .Hôtel pas trop mal pour le prix , à 10 minutes à pied du centre ville, mais avec effet " Fleury merogis" garantie.
Jusqu'ici tout va bien .
Après la douche et après avoir repris nos esprits, nous partons faire un tour au centre ville.
Ce qui a commencé à nous interpeller sur le trajet c'est de voir quelques maisons avec barreaux aux fenêtres au RDC et même au premier étage.
Sur le coup nous nous sommes dit que le quartier de l'hôtel ne devait pas être trop top .
Le centre ville de san José :
C'est une ville quelconque pas dépaysante avec une rue piétonne et un petit mercado où vous pourrez manger local sans artifice. Très peu de touriste pour ne pas dire pas du tout ce qui vous permettra de vous noyer dans la population . Nous déjeunons et avons des difficultés à nous faire comprendre car hormis un ou deux magasins l'anglais n'est pas parlé.
Sur le trajet du retour à l'hôtel nous empruntons un autre chemin et en papotant et flânant ma femme me fait remarquer une belle maison blanche à étage complètement barricadé façon fort Nox.
Dès cet Instant on s'est mis a regarder les façades des maisons et des immeubles et lá , glauque de chez glauque, la plupart des façades ressemblent à des prisons avec barbelés pour certaines.
Bien que refroidi nous nous sommes dit que c'était peut être l'effet grande ville et que tout le pays ne devait pas être comme ça .
Jusqu'ici tout va bien.
On se pose un peut a l'hôtel on prend un verre au bar de celui ci. La nuit tombe tôt vers 17h30 . Sur les coups de 19h30 on repart pour le centre pour dîner . Un peu flippant le soir pour une capitale, le centre était quasi désert et hormis les chaines de fast food , trés peu de restos ouverts et pas grand monde dans les rues .
Des bars avec agent de sécurité devant .
Je ne dirai pas ce soir là que nous nous sommes senti en insécurité mais la nuit tombée on s'est dit que les barreaux aux fenêtres n'étaient pas la pour rien . Premier jour sur place un peu mitigé.
Le lendemain journée ville et environ , et sentiments inchangés .
Jusqu'ici tout va bien.
Direction cahuita par bus ,4 h de trajet
Paysages très vert , mais vite lassant la route longe la forêt et traverse quelques villes où villages et à la campagne aussi autant de maisons prisons .
Le bus nous dépose à la station terminus de cahuita, nous sommes 4 a descendre . C'est un village, que dis-je un bourg , c'est simple cahuita c'est une ligne droite et une perpendiculaire et franchement la le doute commençait à s'installer sur nos visages . Quelques restos qui appliquent 13 % de taxes et 10 % de service soit 23% .on pose les affaires a l'hôtel , et on part visiter ce lieu . En 20 minutes on en fait le tour , on déjeune et devions aller jeter un œil a ce fameux parc .
L'entrée est sur donation , enfin l'entrée c'est comique , il y a un chemin en bord de forêt qui longe la mer et voilà le tour et joué.
Jusqu'ici rien ne va plus .
Là on s'est dit que c'était une belle fumisterie mais n'ayant pas été très loin nous décidons de revenir demain pour approfondir.
On rentre a l'hôtel , on se pose, et sur les coups de 20h00 on sort dîner . Et bien , 2 restos ouverts et rues désertes .
Flippant !
Le lendemain on approfondit la visite du Pseudo parc et là vraiment on a compris.
Chemin qui longe la forêt en longeant la mer , 2h de parcours aller et idem retour où vous croisez les animaux qui veulent bien montrer leur museaux
Une belle connerie " tout ça pour ça "
Plage avec plein de morceaux de bois et de cadavres de noix de coco . on s'est demandé si les photos sur le net n'étaient pas retouchées , car la mer trés agitée n'est pas du tout bleue azur
Mais oser appeler ça un parc c'est comique et ressemble à un nouveau concept..
Quand on repense aux avis émis sur le net , on a commencé à se dire que des professionnels ayant des intérêts dans ce pays épiés et contrecarrer tous avis qui risquerait de nuire a leur business.
Dommage que nous n'avons pas pensé a regarder les avis négatifs avant , nous l'avons fait pendant et je dois dire que cela nous bien aidé, car nous nous sommes demandé si nous n'étions pas devenu trop exigeant grâce où a cause nos nombreux voyages, mais non quand c'est pourri c'est pourri .
le parc de manzalino est encore plus comique il y a un début de chemin qui longe la mer mais que sur 500 mètres et ensuite plus rien vous devez escalader dans la boue et vous frayer un passage dans la foret . nous avons fini pieds nues car la boue nous arrivé aux mi- mollets . tout ca pour croiser un raton laveur et un survol de perroquets
On s'attendait pas a voir l'Arche de Noé mais on a vu plus d'animaux a bali au Mexique en thailande en allant voir les temples ou en baladant que dans ces soi disant parcs !
puerto vierjo non loin de cahuita et apparemment plus vivant et bien oui ça pouvait pas être pire !
sur le lonely planet il était question d'ambiance caribéenne et de soirées endiablées et bien peut etre que cette époque a eu bien lieu mais ce n est plus le cas et le très bon son reggae diffusé un peu partout n'y suffit pas .
le soir a puerto viejo un peu plus vivant que cahuita mais ça c'est pas difficile ; pas enormément de touristes voir trés peu, pas de marché de nuit mais 2 à 3 boutiques ouvertes avec leurs t shirts à 20 dollars et même constat qu' a san jose.
Pas grave on a profité de la plage et du soleil qui lui était fidèle au rendez vous.Notre programme devait inclure le parc de tortuguero mais après avoir échangé avec d'autres touristes qui en revenaient nous nous sommes ravisés sachant que nous devions faire côté pacifique le parc de manuel Antonio.
Pour repartir côté pacifique vous êtes obligés de reprendre le bus et passer par sans José . 5 h cette fois ci et ensuite il faut changer de terminal de bus et c'est reparti pour 4h30 pour arriver à quepos .
Ville étape qui permet de se rendre a manuel antonio plage et parc !
ville à l'image de ce que nous avons pu voir jusqu'à present c'est à dire : qui se dérsertifie dés le
coucher du soleil sachant que la journée il n y a pas foule ! ( mais ou sont les touristes ?, )
toujours autant de barreaux aux fenêtres et cette sensation de s'être trompé d endroit
7 km plus loin ; manuel antonio plage et parc
la plage est très belle et assez vaste mais ne vous attendez pas à avoir une mer bleue turquoise car les vagues font remonter le sable en surface et donnent une couleur marron a l'eau ;
le long de la plage boutiques et restos sur 300 mètres et plus rien ; quand au soir après le coucher du soleil la ville se couche aussi .
parc de manuel antonio assez vanté pour la richesse de sa faune nous l'attendions de pieds ferme car quand vous exprimez votre mécontentement concernant les parcs de cahuitat et manzalino , la mode est de vous dire
''mais non il faut faire le parc de monteverde ou manuel antonio '' en fait quoi que vous fassiez ou disiez on vous dira '' mais tu aurais dû aller là bas ou ici
revenons à notre fameux parc ; entrée 16 dollars de mémoire et contrairement à ce que l'on a pu nous dire on ne s'y bouscule pas !
des guides a l entrée équipés de longue vue vous proposent leurs services moyennant une trentaine de dollars
le parc ; un chemin planchéié ou pas dans la forêt qui longe par moment de magnifiques criques et plages .
Dès notre entrée dans le parc , un attroupement qui prenait en photo une biche qui mangeait des feuilles,
un peu plus loin un guide accompagné d'un groupe de 5 personnes marquent l'arrêt, le guide vient de lever le bras et pose sa longue vue ! il leur montre à un centaine de mètres niché sur une branche : un colibri mais oui vous avez bien entendu un colibri! certains en regardant à travers la longue vue s'exclamaient:" oh my good ! amazing ! incredible"
on a cru un moment qu'ils avaient découvert une licorne ou qu'ils étaient à jurassic park et qu'ils venaient de croiser la route d un tyranosor rex !
le concept est comique; regarder un oiseau ou un autre animal à travers une longue vue ! car trop loin ! idem qu'à la télé non ?
pour notre part on a croisés des singes , des fourmis, un tatou, un iguane et le cul d un paresseux qui montait à l'arbre ! amazing incredible !
nous sommes restés quelques jours à manuel antonio pour profiter de la plage en changeant souvent d'hôtel car les prix variés du simple au double du jour au lendemain pour des prestations honteuses ; en plus ils vous annoncent un prix en dollars pour le convertir à leur guise ! des voleurs!.
Alajuela ville proche de l'aéroport avec un mall sur deux étages et marché local au centre ville ! sans interêt si ce n'est la proximité avec l'aéroport !
Ce que nous avons appreciés :
Le climat et la ville de san jose qui avec le recul est la ville la plus authentique que nous avons traversés .
Ce que nous n'avons pas appreçiés en plus de ce que nous venons de citer :
Les costaricains qui ne sont pas très avenants ni communicants , l' anglais qui n' est pratiquement pas parlé , même pas par les medecins de l'hôpital de Quepos où ma femme victime d'une intoxication alimentaire y ait passé, ( merci Google translate) , l'obésité omniprésente des Costaricains qui s'alimentent à l'Américaine, l'insécurité, les bobos ecolos qui quittent leur lodge à 150 dollars en mini-van avec guide pour visiter les parcs et autres sites puis reviennent se barricader dans leur forteresse la nuit tomb��e (oh my god amazing incredible), le panneau bleu à l'entrée des villes qui acceptent ce mode de paiement ; "acceptamos american express" les parkings devenus payants par la seule présence d'un gars qui surveille vos voitures , les prix affichés en dollars , le coût de la vie (hotels rerstos taxes ), les paysages trop verts et pas assez fleuris , les plages rien d exceptionnelles , la pollution dans les villes où les gros camions trucks américain sont rois , les eaux usées rejetées directement à la mer . Hormis la jungle il n'y à rien a visiter, aucun vestiges , ruines , monuments , digne de ce nom .
Bref , nous pensons ma femme et moi que la publicité faite pour ce pays soi disant ecolo est surfaite , mais que c est un peu le pays à la mode du moment ! Il y a beaucoup mieux , moins cher , et plus authentique .
Avec le recul nous gardons que les bons moments et nos belles photos , mais si c'était à refaire .............
Avant de vous quitter petit message à tous ceux qui n'aiment pas que l'on puisse avoir un avis divergent du leurs :
Et bien certaines choses ne se discutent pas , et á ceux qui voudraient nous faire croire qu'en 3 semaines on n'a pas le droit de critiquer un pays ou d exprimer un ressenti , et bien comment pouvez vous l'encencer en si peu de temps. Belle supercherie, Costa frica pompe à fric , pura vida , pure vide sidéral.
Si vous aimez passer vos soirées barricadé dans votre douillé hôtel le soir tombé , et bien ce pays est pour vous .
Pour les autres : fuyezzzzzzzzz !
Hello,
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine, nothing is simple anymore for traveling to Belarus due to sanctions.
No more direct flights from the EU to Minsk.
Driving is a huge hassle, especially crossing through Poland at the only open border in Brest—you can wait 2, 3, or even 4 days just to get through by car.
The least painful driving option is to come via Lithuania and cross at the only open border, with a minimum wait time of 8 hours, sometimes up to 20 hours or more!!
Controls are very strict and annoying on both the Lithuanian and Belarusian sides. Avoid bringing alcohol, food, or cigarettes—everything will end up in the trash, especially when leaving Belarus for Vilnius, where the Lithuanians are tough, even with EU citizens.
The joy I once knew when visiting my wife in Minsk is sadly over—it’s now a real ordeal.
The fastest solution is to fly. My wife travels to France by taking a bus to Kaunas in Lithuania, where you can catch a flight (though not daily) to Paris Beauvais or Charleroi in Belgium with Ryanair, for example.
For the return trip, it’s the same: a flight to Kaunas and then a direct bus from the airport to Minsk.
The bus crossing is quicker than driving—the 250 km journey, including border checks, takes about 6 to 8 hours for buses leaving Lithuania around midnight, but controls are still strict at the border.
The biggest challenge is finding flight schedules that align with the bus routes between the two countries, given the unpredictable border crossing times.
Now, my wife travels via Charleroi in Belgium (near Brussels), and you can take a train to Paris. Alternatively, you can fly into Beauvais and take a bus to Paris (Porte Maillot).
For those driving, note that EU insurance and assistance policies no longer work in Belarus or Russia. You’ll need to get local insurance, usually limited to third-party liability (I don’t think full coverage exists?), as well as mandatory medical insurance. This is available at the border.
You now have to pay highway tolls—no more BELTOLL boxes. Instead, you pay a flat fee for the duration of your stay. Stop at the first gas station after crossing from Lithuania to fill up on fuel and cigarettes.
From what I know, Lithuania bans carrying more than 60 € in cash, but there’s no limit for USD (though it’s capped at $10,000??).
With a Visa card, you can now withdraw 1,000 rubles per week (about 270 €)—two months ago, it was only 500 rubles!!
For now, you can still pay by card in shops and gas stations.
However, major retailers like KORONA (which may be Russian-owned??) no longer accept foreign Visa cards.
Unfortunately, the additional sanctions announced by the U.S. on August 5, 2025, against Russia—and possibly Belarus—aren’t promising for the future.
After 20 years of visiting Belarus, I’m truly saddened to see the joy of living in this country with my wonderful wife turn into such a bleak situation, all because of human folly.
Hi everyone!
I’m putting together our travel itinerary for Veneto at the end of April. And the more I look and research potential sites to visit, the more I find!
We’ll only be there for a week—my family and I—including 3 days in Venice. So we have to make some choices...
I plan to rent a car when we arrive in Venice and head straight to Bergamo, which would be our first stop. We’d leave the car at the airport when we return to Venice so we can explore the city at our leisure.
What do you think:
1 night in Bergamo (a 2h15 drive from Venice airport),
1 night in Garda,
1 night in Verona,
1 in Padua, and
3 in Venice—would that be doable?
Thanks in advance for your tips and experiences! :)
Now that the curtain has fallen on the past year, it’s time to see what’s happening around here.
It seems pretty quiet, but I’ll read more in detail later.
First, I need to tell you all an anecdote.
My eldest little girl, in her third year of law school, was really scared she wouldn’t pass the year.
I told her:
“Trust yourself, you’ve worked so hard, and worst case, if you fail, you’ll just redo the year.”
“But I don’t think I’ll make it—they changed the rules, and if I mess up even one unit, I have to start all over.”
I knew her grades weren’t exactly stellar, and with what I was about to say, I wasn’t taking much of a risk.
“Here’s the deal, sweetheart: if you pass, I promise I’ll take you to India, just the two of us.”
I have to admit, India is a country I’ve talked about so much to all my grandchildren that in their minds, it’s become a magical, mythical place (hmm).
July had barely begun when my phone rang, her name flashing on the screen.
“Mamido, I did it!”
My promise came rushing back—oh no, oh no, oh no!
“Congratulations, sweetheart!”
A little shyly, she said:
“Is the India trip still on?”
And me, replying:
“Of course it is!”
And that’s that—a promise is a promise, or you risk losing that precious trust that keeps hearts warm and at peace.
We’re leaving in February. Only 8 days—yikes, the carbon footprint!
But we can’t miss her tutorials, or she’ll be kicked out.
Personally, that works just fine for me.
Going to India has become a challenge for me. It’s far, it’s exhausting, I sweat, I hate mosquitoes, the spices bother my mouth when I used to love them. There’s noise all the time—at night, the dogs bark nonstop, and we almost get run over. I’ll get lost in the streets because my sense of direction has vanished. I don’t like rice anymore. All that chaos and those cultural differences that once enchanted me now just overwhelm me.
But I promised.
The upside—and it’s a big one—Raman, the same driver I’ve had forever, will be at the airport with a sign with our names. We’ll stop at the same little shop for chai (or tea, plain and simple) with that aroma that intoxicates me, halfway through the trip.
It’ll be a tiny trip—staying with friends, I’ll show her a few places I love: Chidambaram, Mamallapuram, and the clinic where I worked. Then we’ll head back.
My little girl will go home to her parents.
As for me, I’ll leave right away for our Scottish island with Homme for our chilly winter.
How can you love a country so much you want to live there, then suddenly reject it, no longer able to appreciate what once made it special?
That’s the mystery of love, I guess.
I’ve visited the U.S. four times myself, including two long road trips. The last one was just this past August...
I won’t be going back. I already felt guilty last August, but recent policies have finally convinced me: the humiliation of Zelensky, authoritarian excesses, Gestapo-like methods for detaining people of foreign origin, the murder of innocent people (a mother shot dead), corruption, insane "tariffs," skyrocketing healthcare costs for Americans, the abduction of foreign figures to secure oil, the requirement to disclose social media accounts, and now... threats and blackmail to forcibly take Greenland—a region that belongs to Denmark and thus the European Union!
The reality is that simply posting this could get me denied entry to the U.S.!
In this context, I just can’t keep spending money there. I loved my trips, but there are so many other countries with stunning landscapes to explore.
So I get why you’d want to travel there. I did, and I loved it. But once a country no longer respects any of the values that made us love it, why go?
How can we even consider traveling to a country that threatens to take one of our territories by force?
Hello everyone,
Controversial topic? Not necessarily—maybe just a reflection on a world to come.
I spent the last 15 days of August on a cruise in Greenland, from Kangerlussuaq to Tasiilaq.
I was utterly amazed by this unique world of rock and ice, the little houses in every color, a simple life that’s also complicated by isolation and climate, among other things...
I carry in my heart the kindness of the people I met, the raw and gentle majesty of the icebergs, the colors of the sky...
So, I can’t even imagine a massive presence of raw material prospectors, heavy machinery requiring roads to be built—if that’s even possible—changing their way of life... putting sled dogs out to pasture!
Do fast food and Greenland’s northern lights really mix?
I wouldn’t trade my memories for an ESTA!
All opinions are respectable, which is why this isn’t a controversy—but I’m sorry, I have a soft spot for *my* Greenland.
We’re a couple aged 58 and 63. We’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to South India in Tamil Nadu and a few days in Kerala. We traveled with a local French-speaking guide and his friend, the driver. They both live in Pondicherry. We spent 3 weeks with them in the most authentic way!
We covered just over 2,500 km and visited not only temples but also archaeological sites, museums, and small artisanal businesses making tiles, tea, sculptures, bronze, and silk spinning. We were lucky enough to visit a public school, attend a wedding, and even a death announcement in a small countryside village. We were fully immersed in the culture, food, noise, and colors—it was incredible!
The hotels and guesthouses we chose were very clean and mostly quiet. We’re returning from India with amazing discoveries!
We’re happy to share more info if you’d like!
M-Claire and Jean
This isn’t exactly a traveler’s question... I’d like to know who handles the technical side of this forum?
I run a similar forum on a different topic (unrecognized children), and we’re dealing with a few technical issues that are slowly killing our forum... so I’d have one or two questions to ask 😊.
Also, I was wondering who created this forum... who the administrators or moderators are, etc.
I think this forum is great. Much better than Facebook, which I’ve been using since it shut down (so I’m happy to see it’s working again...)
Hi there, I’ve been traveling for 18 years now, at least 6 months a year, and as the years go by, I actually enjoy coming back to France more and more—a feeling I struggled with at first. I mean, we always think the grass is greener elsewhere.
But in the end, I find meaning in that saying about how there’s no place like home. I still love traveling just as much, but now my trips are shorter, and I enjoy spending more time in our beautiful country, even though I don’t hesitate to criticize it.
How about you? How do you handle coming back from your travels?
Il y a quelque années, j'étais parti avec un groupe d'amis donner un coup de main dans une petite école rurale à côté de Thiès, au Sénégal.
Ambiance détendue mais travailleuse, avec les mains dans le mortier, la rigolade, les échanges, et tout ce qu'une COOPERATION peut engendrer.
Aujourd'hui, le petit projet vole de ses propres ailes.
Voulant profiter des richesses du Sénégal, on est parti faire un peu de tourisme dans le Siné Saloum. Une fille de notre groupe est tombée malade (crise de paludisme) et on a décider de l'emener voir un médecin dans un grand complexe touristique juste à coté. Malgré son état, il a fallu montrer patte blanche (si j'ose dire) pour entrer. Elle a été soignée et va bien depuis.
Cette "étape" dans ce centre style Club Méditerranée à la sauce teutonne, ressemblant au Grau du Roy en plus chic à été pour nous une vision d'horreur : Piscines, immenses bassins artificiels teintés de bleu, de rose ou de vert (!!!!), animateur hurlant autour d'un concours de teeshirt mouillés ou d'escalade de cocotiers, et toubabs rotis, ou rosés.
L'ensemble de l'hotel était ceinturé d'un immense mur derrière lequel s'était constitué un petit bidonville de marchands de souvenirs digne des derniers faubourgs de Dakar
En repartant, on a vu un minibus de clients de retour "d'excursion", avec masques, tissus et djembés - Souvenirs d'Afrique ?
Ce sera peut être le leur ?
Quel sera l'impression des gamins agglutinés devant les grilles de l'hotel ?
Quel sera l'impression des serveurs noirs en "costumes traditionnels africains", servant à tour de bras cocktails et glaces ?
Pour moi, qui ai connu l'Afrique très jeune, et dans la brousse, cela reste une vision d'horreur, gravée en moi.
Sur V.F. ce genre de vacances ne semble pas être le lot commun des internautes, et c'est bien la raison de mon inscription.
Avez vous aussi connu ce genre de voyage intersidéral ?
Comprennez vous les martiens ?
Leurs motivations sont elles pacifistes ?
I’ve been wondering: Is it still reasonable to rent a car in the U.S.?
Apparently, since early January 2025—and very quietly—the most important insurance coverage, namely the driver’s civil liability, has seen its coverage amount drop from $1 million to just $300,000. This coverage is supposed to protect us from damages we might be responsible for while driving. We can go decades without a single scrape (especially if it’s our fault), but anything can happen in a split second. A motorcycle appearing out of nowhere, a misjudgment at one of those huge intersections with staggered traffic lights, and suddenly we could be deemed at fault for the accident. We’d then have to pay out of pocket for the other party’s medical expenses. Given what hospitals charge... it can easily exceed $300,000 and turn into a nightmare in no time!!! Plus, anyone who’s driven on American roads has seen those billboards for lawyers offering their services to accident victims. So on top of the sky-high medical bill, the lawyer will demand compensation worthy of a Hollywood movie!!!! So, is it even worth getting behind the wheel in America anymore? Well... that’s just my take! And on top of that, I haven’t found any insurance company that offers such high civil liability coverage. Chapka and others do offer coverage in the millions, but motor vehicles are excluded.... So here’s the thing... Unless I’ve "missed something," I’ve come to this conclusion: Renting a car in the U.S. is like playing Russian roulette! But maybe I’m being too pessimistic? What do you think?
My two bullfighting traditions when I'm back home in Camargue (France) and in Colombia (Caribbean) every time I return. 🤠
Details:
Bullfights (corridas) aren’t part of my two bullfighting traditions, but I respect those who attend them!!!
In these two ancestral bullfighting traditions—which aren’t bullfights—the Bulls and Toros aren’t killed or tortured, as some might think.
These are bull games where the animals return to their pastures afterward and only come back to the Arenas 2–3 times a year at most.
They spend 15 minutes in the ring for the Camarguais and 5 minutes for the Toros in the Colombian Corralejas.
They’re cared for and pampered. They’ll die of old age in miles of open fields.
The young people who face them are professionals, risking their lives to support their families and live their Passion for the Toro!!! 😄
https://youtu.be/yYKQer42HoQ
Colombian Corraleja in the link below (hope it works) 🤪
https://fb.watch/BMfmuCgQpG/
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