Yeah, yeah, don’t worry, we’ll be out of your hair soon. Haha! 😛
Oh, please, no! A Herodotus leaving is like the Library of Alexandria going up in flames.
« 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
After that, I might be the next Jeanne Calment or you might be a super-centenarian.
That’s funny, I pictured you more as Jeanne Annoying
« 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
Maybe, but people didn’t live long back then either.
True, but not any less than in the 18th century—or even, to some extent, the 19th. What I mean is, we tend to associate the words "medieval" or "Middle Ages" with obscurantism, which isn’t fair. It’s all thanks to Renaissance scholars who coined the term "Gothic" as an insult. Let’s give the Middle Ages the credit it deserves!
Maybe, but people didn’t often live to a ripe old age back then.
True, but no more than in the 18th century and, to some extent, the 19th. What I mean is that we tend to associate the words "medieval" and "Middle Ages" with obscurantism, which isn’t accurate. It’s all thanks to the Renaissance men who invented the term "Gothic" out of disdain. Let’s restore the Middle Ages to its rightful glory!
The idea we have of "time passing" makes me smile...
First of all, time doesn’t flow—it’s *us* moving through it...
What will our descendants say about our era when they can live to 120 or 130 years old? With twenty years or more (very likely) spent in a wheelchair in a grim nursing home? Euthanasia will be on the agenda, and many will certainly ask to end things sooner than planned!
What’s the difference between 40 years or 85 years in the face of infinity? None. When life expectancy was 40 or 50 years, people lived their lives just as fully as they do today with a life expectancy of 75 or 80 years... The perception of "time passing" could have been different. And when the end was near in the Middle Ages, I think the idea of impending death was more accepted (at least by most) than it is today...
Women's independence, medical advances, technological innovations—none of that matters compared to the fact that real estate is more expensive?
In the Middle Ages, a roof must have cost less too, but strangely enough, I prefer living now.
(After the war, you couldn’t find housing either because of the destruction... And then the repatriated Algerians must have been thrilled in their shantytowns...)
You’re focusing on real estate and forgetting everything else, as if it were a given.
And besides, the baby boomers are a dying generation.
Soon, you won’t have anyone to envy.
Oh, it’s not about envy. Every generation has its problems. We’ve made undeniable progress socially—being gay, child-free, or just different is way less frowned upon. We’re making strides in gender equality.
When you love traveling, you see it’s more accessible now.
But we’re regressing in other areas. Real estate is just a symptom. Before, one salary was enough to support a family modestly, and now two salaries aren’t even cutting it.
Everything’s becoming more unstable—work, housing, relationships, you name it.
There’s never been so much depression. Sure, people talked about it less before...
And the skyrocketing insecurity.
Anyway, I won’t go on and on.
What really gets to younger people is the moralizing from boomers who are completely out of touch with reality (no one in particular).
On the other hand, we’re heading toward a healthcare crisis because soon there’ll be too many "old people" compared to the working population, and I’m not sure how that’s going to play out.
Before, one salary was enough to simply support a family without excess
Really without excess. A life no one would want today: mom in the kitchen, doing laundry, ironing, shopping, cleaning... dad at work then feet under the table... kids at attention...
A little movie now and then, but no other paid activities. Card games, board games, reading, TV in tiny doses, walking, etc. I don’t know if people under 30 could handle it?
Even in my parents' time, one salary wasn’t enough anymore.
And then, one salary meant the end of the other’s independence, leaving them high and dry in case of divorce. A great way to exert pressure.
Everything is becoming more and more unstable—work, housing, couples, etc.
It’s also because people allow it. A society of constant zapping where we no longer know how to be bored.
And besides, not all older folks ended their careers in the same place. In times of full employment, you’d slam the door if you weren’t happy and go somewhere else. Lifetime housing didn’t exist either. You might start more modestly: a studio, then a two-room apartment, and eventually a house. As for divorces, it was better not to know what was really going on in couples...
When it comes to work, door-slamming is making a comeback.
It’s very hard to retain younger generations.
There have never been so many depressions.
It seems to me that the depressive side of the French isn’t new. It’s not even linked to the standard of living.
I think a lot of undocumented immigrants are much less depressed than salaried workers earning 3000 €.
I don’t know what’s wrong. Why does this nation see the glass as half-empty rather than half-full?
I get the impression that developed countries aren’t swimming in happiness, as if they’ve forgotten how to enjoy life’s little joys.
Rising insecurity too.
This point is indeed quite sensitive. It’s especially a certain violence that stands out.
But didn’t it exist before? Today, every incident makes the headlines, whereas yesterday it would’ve just been three lines in the local rag.
What really annoys younger people, though, is the moralizing from boomers completely out of touch with reality (no offense to anyone).
I think this phrase works both ways...
And besides, the generational conflict has always existed.
Yesterday, we’d say "yes, grandpa" and do the opposite.
Today, we say what we think. It’s certainly less hypocritical, but it creates more tension...
Soon, there’ll be too many "old people" compared to the working population
Not if we open the tap to selective immigration.
And besides, boomers are the last to have had a fairly healthy life in their youth (non-industrial food, physical activity...).
I think other generations will have more trouble reaching old age. Especially the most recent ones, where obesity is starting to cause real damage.
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I don’t know what’s wrong. Why does this nation see the glass as half empty rather than half full?
Because men and women belong to a nation, to a people, when it feels like an obvious truth to them—when it’s tied to an ethnicity, a language, a culture, often a religion, and, to put it bluntly, blood.
You’re Polish, Hungarian, Greek, Scottish, or Russian as a given; and if you’re part of a nation by choice, like in the United States, it’s because you live in communal freedom, not under centralist ideals.
As a French person, you have to accept values that sometimes forced your parents or grandparents to deny their roots, a language, to stop passing it down. Values that are very intellectual, very globalizing, very universalist, very isolated in the modern world—values that only offer the comfort of abstraction.
If you’re okay with that, great.
I'm struggling to follow your reasoning, to understand what's stopping you from feeling French. Before speaking French, my parents already spoke two languages—they never denied their roots, and that didn’t stop them from integrating and feeling perfectly French. I went to a public school in France and felt completely French from early childhood, even if my mom sometimes spoke to me in another language when I was little. I see that as a plus, as a cultural richness.
We have different experiences. France absolutely wanted to impose monolingualism, and that’s still the case today. It has nothing to do with the Welsh, the Scots, or the Irish, who preserved their languages by allying with the English.
When I was a child, when my parents were, when my grandparents were, it was forbidden to speak anything other than French—Breton or Corsican, for example—and this ban was tied to school humiliations and denigration.
I’m orphaned from my cultures, and I know who’s to blame.
Every language gives you a different view of the world; one less language is a poorer world.
Speaking "at home," in secret, a language that’s been part of the land you’ve lived on for centuries isn’t the same as immigrating and blending into a culture you accept while knowing you’re a foreigner.
If foreign language education in France is such a failure, it’s actually a sign of this monolingualism push.
As for the current situation, we’re seeing a kind of hardening of French universalist ideas, which clash with a globalized world that no longer really accepts them. That’s why, around the 2000s, there was a shift from a secularism that protected freedoms to an increasingly authoritarian secularism, where this mindset no longer applies just to the state but to more and more public spaces—even recently affecting sports practices.
Our friend Agnès, like I’ve had the chance to do, can discuss this in Central Asia and hear, as I did, the serious image damage it leads to. I remember very reserved comments from taxi drivers, for example, on this topic: "France is surely very beautiful, but what you’re doing really isn’t good for us."
When I was a child, when my parents were, when my grandparents were, it was forbidden to speak anything other than French, Breton, Corsican, for example, and this ban was associated with school humiliations and denigration.
A language dies when it’s no longer spoken. There was nothing, in principle, preventing parents (if they spoke Breton) from speaking Breton with their children (in private). North African children manage to express themselves (more or less) in both languages. If French was required at school, the state didn’t send spies into homes to check if the rule was being followed, right?
When I was a child, I had family in Munster (Haut-Rhin). When we walked around town or went shopping, everyone spoke Alsatian. French was taught at school, and many children of farmers didn’t know a single word of it and learned it when they started school at age 6... Before that, it was Alsatian.
Later, I went to Corsica, the Basque Country, and all over, and you could hear Corsican in Corsica and Basque in the Basque Country. I’ve been to Brittany several times; my sister-in-law is Breton, the daughter of a fisherman in Morgat. I’ve spent time in bars, restaurants, and nightclubs in her region (Crozon/Morgat) and never heard a single word of Breton spoken... Strange, isn’t it? What reason(s) could there be? Was there a special regime for Brittany?
Yes, I understand your reaction, Jean Michel, but it doesn’t do justice to the reality of the constraint, which didn’t stem so much from positive law as from moral pressure.
You have to understand that many people indeed refused to pass on their language because they feared doing their children a disservice and excluding them from any social or academic advancement. Bretons are generally quite marked by a culture of duty and shame, vestiges of Christianity, and in the situation from roughly the 1920s to the 1980s, there were more discreet and subtle ways than coercion to discourage passing on one’s culture.
Regardless of the means—legal bans or moral pressures—the generations at the time, in a position of weakness, gave in. That doesn’t diminish the consequences.
The fact is, life is getting more and more expensive—that’s just how it is.
As for the instability, I’m not here to judge; it works for some people and not for others.
But it can really cause anxiety.
I don’t know if there were studies on this before, but we’re definitely seeing more and more of these kinds of issues.
When it comes to selective immigration—without getting into a cultural debate—it’s mostly about the fact that it costs money, and that’s where things get stuck.
The retirement system is falling apart, and so is the healthcare system.
Basically, everything’s kind of collapsing, more or less. It’s a slow decline.
You just don’t feel as good in a dying society as you do in a time of growth and improvement...
I wouldn’t want to be 20 years old today. I’ve already done most of the hard part—phew! !
You’re all describing a deculturalization of Brittany and noting the disappearance of the Breton language. I have to respond to such a misrepresentation: which region of France can assert its cultural distinctiveness as much as Brittany, with its multitude of summer festivals where *bagadoù* and Celtic dance circles perform? Go to Lorient for the Interceltic Festival or to Quimper for the Cornouaille Festival; look at the last Sunday in July, when a hundred bagpipers spectacularly close the festival on the banks of the Odet to see the proof. Even the French Navy has a *bagad*. A radio station broadcasts in Breton.
As for the language, it’s kept alive especially by Diwan schools; there are still speakers despite the French Jacobin steamroller, which has finally accepted Breton as an option for the *bac*. My ears have been charmed several times by the ancestral language heard in Kemper, Gwened, Kraozon, Sainte-Anne-la-Palud, and Sainte-Anne-d’Auray.
I don’t know where Choucarde is—she could speak about Breton culture better than I can; Breton is her reason for living.
I can’t conclude by saying *"Breiz Atao"* since those words were taken by a collaborationist movement, but I express the same sentiment with: *"Bretagne toujours"*.
You also have to understand that we’re no longer just Breton, Corsican, or Alsatian—we’re mostly a mix of all that plus contributions from across Europe and beyond.
If I had to learn, understand, and absorb all the cultures of my ancestors, I wouldn’t have enough time in one lifetime.
Brittany, Alsace, Lorraine, Normandy, Île-de-France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Auvergne—who knows what else? I haven’t even finished my family tree...
Those days when you never ventured more than 20 kilometers from home are pretty much over.
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The fact is that life is getting more and more expensive—it’s a fact
Inflation does exist, sure, but it doesn’t affect everyone the same way.
How you spend matters too.
Back in 1967, a color TV cost the same as a 4L.
Who would buy a flat-screen today if it cost the price of a Dacia (12,990 € as of now)?
But we’re still seeing more and more issues like this.
It’s possible, like everything else, that it’s just getting more publicity.
And isn’t this anxiety the flip side of a more cushioned upbringing than before?
Newer generations are less used to boredom or frustration. Parents are obsessed with zero risk and might be passing their anxiety on to their kids.
As for selective immigration—without getting into a cultural debate—it’s mostly about paying for it
???
Attracting educated people from other countries is all upside for France. No need to pay for their education.
You feel worse in a dying society than in a time of growth and improvement...
You sound ready for expatriation...
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Young people today often had divorced parents who experienced unemployment, which probably didn’t help reduce anxiety levels.
Still, I do see that inflation is very real and hits basics like housing and, increasingly, food.
And I stand by my point about insecurity.
Expatriating might be an option one day, but the problem is global—I don’t see any promised land. If I were forced to, it’s a possibility, but for now, I don’t see myself anywhere else and have no plans to move.
If I had kids, though, I’d encourage them to go see the world elsewhere.
We must also understand that we are no longer Breton, Corsican, or Alsatian, but above all a mix of all that plus European influences or even more.
I get that you think and say that, but I can assure you that you’re completely out of touch with the current mood. Here are a few references, including this one from 2018:
More French than Breton: 17%
Only French: 22%
All while saying and showing themselves to be very European.
https://hal.science/hal-03713437/document
I agree with you.
I’ll add: the road signs in both languages, the many evening classes for adults, masses in Breton, the Breton flag flying outside people’s homes, bilingual classes, etc.
It’s not just folklore.
That said, Diwan is facing financial difficulties.
In Vannes, you don’t hear Breton spoken.
I’m not going to bicker with you in this somewhat catch-all discussion, sure, but it does have a purpose.
The word "folklore" doesn’t have the same meaning in French as it does in Anglo-Saxon anthropology, and I’m using it in the first sense, where it *is* pejorative.
To me, what you’re presenting as proof of cultural vitality really does come across as folklore—something you’ve both willingly embraced, which is to your credit.
A nation’s culture is about more than just summer demonstrations. I mentioned Scotland and Wales earlier, and I could’ve added Ireland. A quick comparison will make things clearer.
Of course. I’m referring to the time when I used to go to the Vannes market at Place des Lices. The countrywomen selling their produce wore the traditional headdress and spoke Breton. Same with Marie Joseph, my grandparents’ servant. That was only yesterday!
By the way, Tatra didn’t fall into the cliché of calling Breton a dialect.
However, following Tatra’s point, you’ve confused "cultural vibrancy" (a lovely way to put it) — folklore — with "summer demonstrations" (no doubt organized by tourist boards to liven up resorts with performers) and the real culture that thrives in the true Celtic nations: Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Thankfully, Tatra is here to set the record straight.
The members of interceltic dance circles or *Bagadou* who meet every week to practice, the choreographers, the seamstresses, the costume designers — they’ll all appreciate Tatra’s statements. And where does Alan Stillvell fit in: culture or folklore?
Finally, let’s talk about the Festival Interceltique de Lorient. It’s the world’s largest festival of Celtic nations. Being invited is an honor. You can see photos of the Lorient festival in many pubs in Ireland or Scotland — *"these nations, keepers of true Celtic culture,"* — because it’s the Mecca of the Celts.
Every year, the people of Lorient (whether demonstrating "cultural vibrancy" or putting on "summer demonstrations" for tourists) invite Irish, Scottish, or Welsh "bands" to their festival. These representatives of authentic Celtic culture deign to perform alongside Breton folklore performers each year. Their understanding warms the heart, and we’ll always need a Tatra to provide an authoritative and insightful analysis — so we don’t get lost. I’m sure after this, you won’t confuse Celtic culture with Celtic folklore anymore.
I see what you mean; I know quite a few people who play in *bagadous*, or even pursue careers in that field, and from what I’ve discussed with them, they tend to agree with me.
When a language or culture has been uprooted, reduced to an anecdotal status, sometimes—often—looked down upon and implicitly belittled, it scatters into folklore, shifting from the political sphere to that of leisure and entertainment.
Think what you will about it, but I’ve lived in Brittany day in and day out for about 50 years—it gives you time to reflect.
It’s a bit like the snake biting its own tail.
After all, this Mr. Tatra lives in Bigouden country.
Let’s say I live in Ollioules and express my contempt for Provence and the Costa Azzurra 😛
You must definitely know Carlos Lagadec and his electric bagpipes then? 😛
Carlos Lagadec is to the bagpipes what Jimi Hendrix was to the electric guitar.
Can you be annoyed by the poor welcome some Brittany restaurants give tourists while still being thrilled when 100 bagpipers spectacularly mark the finale of the Fêtes d'Armorique in Quimper?
I don’t see any connection between these two things, and I’m surprised my post from 7 years ago is being brought up to seemingly contrast with my admiration for Breton culture today. The restaurant welcome and the cultural event in Quimper are completely unrelated!
If I’m repeating myself, you’re talking nonsense.
(The restaurant welcome has improved a lot since this post was written 7 years ago, but hotel capacity is worrying, driving prices up sharply in the summer.)
Your reply really makes me think; that’s what’s great about a forum.
From my research, actually, folklore is a subset of culture. So you can’t really pit them against each other, and of course, we should move beyond the level of "summer demonstrations" when it comes to folklore. It’s an entire tradition of songs, music, dances, costumes, and *pardons* that makes up this folklore, and it’s not just for tourists. Language is part of it too, but it’s fading away.
Now, about your main point: it was the French state that uprooted Breton culture, which later resurfaced as a thin layer of folklore. You back this up with 50 years of living in Brittany and meeting many key figures—but which ones? The Breton speakers who are hostile to France?
Fair enough! I don’t have that kind of experience since I’m part of the diaspora, but I can still have a perspective.
What I’ve gathered from my trips to Brittany and now through AI is that the French state did target the Breton language, but not the rest of the culture. And even then, not with the same intensity as, say, the treatment of Russian speakers in some countries or Kurdish speakers in another.
I think Breton culture has been passed down without interruption and is still very much alive today. And I can’t imagine such a stubborn community letting a central government dictate its rules.
I know there’s a very identity-driven, hostile, and resentful segment of the population in Brittany, but I think most Bretons feel fully French and don’t fear threats to their culture. They’ve learned French and are managing just fine now.
Remember: they won the battle for bilingual city names and road signs.
The state, in a generous move, now recognizes Breton as an optional subject for the *bac* and even includes a *Bagad* in its military.
I suggest we all open a thread about Brittany to keep the conversation going.
« 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
I’ll keep my reply brief—otherwise, we’ll stray too far from the original topic.
Pondy started a thread: “AI: The Holy Grail of Travel and Travel Journals.”
I don’t write anything with AI; it’s an ultra-powerful research and synthesis tool that writes in proper French. To stay on the Brittany topic, I asked it the difference between culture and folklore. Then I asked if the French state had oppressed Breton culture. It answered yes, and only regarding the language. It included a poster that said it was forbidden to spit and speak Breton. What chance would I have had of finding that poster on my own?
The graphic tool is mind-blowing but refuses to touch Brigitte Bardot’s clothing.
I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of a French or history teacher who has to detect the authenticity of a paper.
Right now, I’m looking for an AI that would address me by saying: “At your command, venerable master.” I made the same request to my family, and they shot me down.
So, to stay on the Brittany topic, I asked them the difference between culture and folklore; then I asked if the French state had oppressed Breton culture.
AI (or "AI," depending on how you spell it) is a useful tool, but it’s totally incapable of nuance, subjectivity, or taking a stance.
It just lists facts.
And that’s not interesting—might as well read Wikipedia.
I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of a French or history teacher having to detect the authenticity of a paper.
A text generated by AI is easy to spot.
Anyway, aside from being a regurgitation of clichés, I don’t see the point.
The AI wasn't very helpful when it came to Conlie. On the other hand, a classic search led me to a good article from *Ouest France*. I wasn’t familiar with the event—it’s truly eye-opening. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
I don’t see many new members logged in—I see quite a few members connected but who don’t participate or no longer do.
While there are a number of "old-timers" who don’t log back in, it’s crazy how few "ghost" contributors there are who pop up every now and then ;)
Like Ms. Sophie L., who posts a photo of herself—let’s just say scantily clad—and who’s, well, not exactly virtuous ;)
These people must definitely be reading the *guide du brouteur*...
I feel a little bad for the moderators of this forum.
Oh, and off-topic: thanks to Mr. Zorba and Tatra—I just found out that *la Champagne mancelle* exists too!
I get that you think and say that, but I guarantee you’re totally out of touch with the times. Here are a few references, including this one from 2018:
More French than Breton: 17%
Only French: 22%
All while saying and showing themselves to be very European.
https://hal.science/hal-03713437/document
The most interesting part of your survey is the roughly 5% of "others or won’t say." Too bad they weren’t broken down further because there’s a world of difference between Well, I feel Venezuelan and What’s the point of this question? I don’t care—none of this defines my identity.
The spirit of the times and these groupings into mythological nations, religions, economic ideologies. The era of stunted anthropos.
Catherine
By this, and this only, we have existed. Which is not to be found in our obituaries. (T.S. Eliot)
Like Ms. Sophie L., who posts a photo of herself, let's just say scantily clad, and who seems to be, shall we say, of questionable virtue 😉
Could you please send me a screenshot as soon as possible?
« 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 spirit of the times and these aggregations into mythological nations, religions, and economic ideologies. The era of stunted anthropos.
Isn’t this what people live by?
All nations are mythological.
Besides, this isn’t "my" survey—I know from experience and discussions that very few people are indifferent to it.
Totally agree.
But the mythology of this new millennium is Star Wars, it’s the space conquest with Mr. Musk sending spacecraft while running SpaceX.
The downside is we might forget the first peoples—the Aboriginal Australians, the Amazonian Indigenous peoples, etc.—
and miss understanding the earliest roots of humanity.
Isn’t this what men live for?
All nations are mythological.
Besides, this isn’t "my" survey, but from experience and conversations, I know very few people are indifferent to it.
And do their kisses follow them from afar?
It’s all about the setting. The setting.
Given the marinade we’re developing in, indifference on this matter has to be earned.
Catherine
By this, and this only, we have existed. Which is not to be found in our obituaries. (T.S. Eliot)
Given the marinade we’re developing in, indifference on the matter is something we achieve.
No, I don’t think so.
And the fact that you or I might possibly be capable of it doesn’t mean it’s something we should wish for everyone.
Without roots and without religion, people are orphaned and unhappy—I’ve seen it many times, and in my opinion, what we’re seeing in France and Europe right now illustrates that.
I’ve even come to believe that the French universalist ideology’s inability to address religious and identity issues isolates it from the world, erases its influence, and leads it to ruin.
After that, are they ready to be? That’s another question.
Apparently not in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, etc.
Hi,
Freedom is your own vision of things, but maybe freedom is conceived differently in those countries.
You see things through your own Western filter.
And Pakistanis don’t want the Western way of life.
Without roots and without religion, people are orphaned and unhappy—I’ve seen it many times, and in my opinion, what we’re seeing in France and Europe right now illustrates this.
I see some truth in that, as long as we take the word *religion* in a very broad sense. When it comes to simply belonging to a religious denomination, though, I think people remain trapped by outdated rules... These rules may serve a purpose as a regulator of instincts to maintain social cohesion, but that’s about it for the individual, who often stays stuck in a hypocritical morality.
Religion as a social police force or to keep society together? Maybe... But for individual happiness, I’m pretty skeptical.
If we consider the "religious" as a transcendent experience, that’s a whole different story.
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Who’d like to share their best and worst travel memories in a few lines?
For me, it’s watching the TAJ MAHAL at sunrise and getting chased by dogs at the top of a mountain pass in GREECE on the way back from ISTANBUL.
THANKS GUYS
This is my 15,000th post, and it's a message I would have preferred never to write.
Patrick—Yangguizi—won’t be returning from his trek in Uganda. His health betrayed him in the mountains.
Like many of you, I laughed until I couldn’t anymore at his travel stories. I met him in Shanghai, then in Istanbul... We scoured restaurants—he was an incredible expert on world cuisines. We relived Korea, China. Always brilliant, so sharp, so funny, so down-to-earth. Being even a little bit his friend was something to be proud of. I think I envied him.
Patrick is still out there, of course...
He found his happiness running across the world. He’s on his path. He never doubted that "the traveler doesn’t even know if he’ll return one day."
Not sure this would’ve suited him, but his departure devastates me.
Alright,
Farewell, you foreign devil. Safe travels.
hello to all travelers with their eyes wide open to the desert...
I’ve always wondered what I was "doing" on this earth. And why my father, who died a few months after I was born—a former youngest French resistance fighter—joined the First Saharan Motorized Company in Atar and spent the rest of his life repairing army engines in Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali (which didn’t exist under that name back then), Morocco, and finally Algeria, where my mother was born and raised. (Believe me, it’s not "cool" being the child of a soldier in a country occupied by France, and even less so the child of a "pied-noir.")
Of course, I never got an answer: the dead don’t talk, and the army doesn’t either.
But here’s the thing—I had photos...
So naturally, one day I hit the road. I wanted to see, to understand.
It’s thanks to VF that I was able to do a little research on crossing the Morocco-Mauritania border, and I’m grateful to its members, just as I’m grateful to all those who welcomed me on the road for 14 years.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been wondering if I should talk about this or not...
It turns out the Mauritanians changed my life by asking for my help... And that started as early as February 2012... (Did I owe them something? No answer to that question.)
Ah, the irony—they saw me coming. But when you’re handed sick children and begged to do something, what would you have done? I’d worked in a hospital, so I knew a bit about the rules to follow. I didn’t hesitate.
And well, over all these years, I met doctors, surgeons, and together we organized care, evacuations of children, training for surgeons—even trying to stop children from having to travel outside their country. It was never easy. I’d like to thank those who supported us, as well as *La Chaîne de l’Espoir*, *La Fondation Face au Monde*, and everyone who built bridges between our two countries.
Unfortunately, despite the constant efforts of Mauritanian doctors and surgeons, some children couldn’t be helped in time. Today, I want to talk about four siblings—orphans of their mother—suffering from congenital glaucoma causing irreversible blindness. Their case was entrusted to me in 2020, just weeks before the big lockdown. We couldn’t do anything for them then, but when their father asked me for a gift, I rushed to my computer and wrote a story.
Through a tale, the children take a great journey, explore their country, and fulfill a dream. I never thought this book would be published—it was, in 2023.
This book pays tribute to Mauritania. It’s a message for those who know nothing about the hardships of life there, carrying both the harshness and beauty of an immense desert where you can travel by 4x4, bike, on foot, or by camel in complete safety. It bears witness to the kindness of Mauritanians toward travelers.
As a woman traveling alone in my vehicle—a now-rusted old Mercedes that no longer runs—I had the most beautiful encounters of my life there (I’ve seen other parts of the world...). The blind children of Choum, Atar, Nouadhibou, and Nouakchott will forever be in my heart.
Volunteer readers transcribed the book into a free audio version for the visually impaired. It’s available in sound libraries in France, the *Fondation Valentin Haüy*, and the Swiss Romande library.
I made my last trip to Mauritania in my old 4x4 to distribute the book everywhere, especially to its heroes and the school for the visually impaired in Nouakchott.
After that, I thought it was time to close the chapter because I no longer have the means or the strength to travel.
My publishers chose this title for it: *The Blue Eyes of the Desert*.
This publication helped a mission of Swiss volunteer ophthalmologists come to operate on glaucomas in Mauritania. I’m thrilled because they come back every year!
This adventure is ending, yes—everything must come to an end—but ultimately, it was born here, on the VF site!! So yes, I had to say it: THANK YOU!!!!!
Hi everyone,
I’m Loulou, a French expat who’s been living in Southeast Asia for about fifteen years, currently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A passionate walker at heart, I’ve trekked in Nepal (Thorung La, Mardi Himal), India, Vietnam, and I’m still planning new hikes (Char Dham, Langtang, Annapurna).
I’ve just published my first travel journal, recounting three months of walking and encounters across India. A portion of the sales goes to an educational center I support in Kep, for children whose parents work in the salt marshes.
I’m also working on a second book about Nepal with a musician friend, focusing on the Mardi Himal trek—two independent perspectives on the same journey.
Happy to swap stories with you about the Himalayas, India, Southeast Asia, or just the urge to hit the road and walk far from home.
Safe travels,
Loulou
Hi! It was totally by chance that I stumbled upon VoyageForum (an ad online and a story lol), and I’ve been reading some really old posts from 2011 about Thai massage schools—discussions on how to get by, accommodation, prices, etc. It reminded me of my own experience: I kept things simple by staying with a local family during my entire trip. I only shared all the expenses with them, which, I’ll admit, was super cheap… and I often traveled with them, which naturally opened a lot of doors for me. To start, at the school in Salaya, my Thai friend immediately connected me with Teacher Phong (the school’s mentor and teacher of teachers, a former monk). I was supposed to join a group session with other foreigners, but for some reason I don’t know, I got two days of private lessons for free with this expert… incredible! And on top of that, he loved France! It was an amazing experience. I "discovered" massage by chance—the Thai family just told me: "Try it, you’ll see!" (I’d had a pretty intense massage in the capital before 😅… but the next day, I felt unbelievably great!))
Every morning, I’d take a taxi (chosen by the Thai family at prices that beat all the competition) to this school—I’ve forgotten the name of the little village now… right in the heart of the countryside. Then, in the evenings, I’d keep practicing massage on all the family members… and they’d teach me Thai at the same time!))
Since then, I’ve practiced a bit, with lots of positive feedback. Following Teacher Phong’s advice—he thought my pressure was deep, firm, and precise—he strongly encouraged me to take this seriously.
I love Thailand so much. It’s a whole different way of living… and it’s a real blessing, even if I couldn’t live there full-time. Anyway, that was an unforgettable memory, and sometimes the Thai family and I still say hi—from 2011, 2013… right up to today!
"It seems to me that poverty would be less painful in the sun" wrote Aznavour...
Not sure...😕 Who can prove that people in hot countries are happier than others?
What do you think?
Is it better to live in Montpellier than in Lille?
Are the Pygmies happier than the Inuit?
Are Canadians less happy than the people of Louisiana?
Are there more French expats in hot countries?
And your travels? Do you choose your destinations based on the climate?
Do you rejoice when a bit of sunshine appears?
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)"
I’ve kept the habit of blowing my nose in the sink and then washing my hands—a custom I picked up in India. Sometimes, non-travelers are shocked when they catch me in the act... 🤪
Also, when I run out of toilet paper, it doesn’t bother me—unless I’ve got company over... 🤪
Just got back from walking a friend’s dog (while they’re on vacation), wearing a djellaba and Tibetan boots... 😏😏😏 Oh, for sure, if I’d run into locals, I probably would’ve shocked them? 😏
Anyway, as long as I’m not spitting on the floor at a restaurant or squatting on the side of a highway with a water bottle in hand...
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.
While browsing the forum to gather info for my upcoming trip to Thailand, I often see the terms "traveler," "great traveler," and also "tourist"—so what’s the nuance for you?
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?
Really disappointed with Costa Rica! Pura vida? The scam of the century!
(Costa Rica pure emptiness).
The country where animals are free and people are in cages.
3 weeks in December in this country and never again. Imagine the trailer of a movie that seems interesting, and when you go see it, you realize it’s a flop and the best moments were in the trailer.
Well, that’s exactly how we felt with Costa Rica pure emptiness.
My wife and I have traveled quite a bit and didn’t expect to be so wrong about a place.
On the main routes, we visited:
San José
Alajuela
Limón, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo (Caribbean side)
Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio (Pacific side)
And a few short stops in intermediate towns.
Our dissatisfaction grew gradually like this:
When we arrived at the hotel, the taxi dropped us off on a small street in front of a white metal gate with ground-floor windows barred. We looked at it skeptically, but the sign matched.
He approached the gate, rang the bell, the buzzer sounded, and the door opened slightly. The hotel wasn’t bad for the price, a 10-minute walk from downtown, but with a "Fleury-Mérogis" vibe guaranteed.
So far, so good.
After showering and regaining our bearings, we headed downtown.
What started to unsettle us on the way was seeing houses with bars on the ground-floor windows and even on the second floor.
At first, we thought the hotel’s neighborhood wasn’t great.
Downtown San José:
It’s a generic city, not very exotic, with a pedestrian street and a small mercado where you can eat local food without frills. Very few tourists—if any—which let you blend in with the locals. We had lunch and struggled to make ourselves understood because, aside from one or two shops, English wasn’t spoken.
On the way back to the hotel, we took a different route, and while chatting and strolling, my wife pointed out a beautiful two-story white house completely barricaded like Fort Knox.
From that moment, we started noticing the facades of houses and buildings, and wow, it was creepy—most looked like prisons, some even with barbed wire.
Though put off, we told ourselves it was probably a big-city thing and the rest of the country couldn’t be like this.
So far, so good.
We relaxed at the hotel and had a drink at the bar. Night falls early, around 5:30 PM. By 7:30 PM, we headed back downtown for dinner. A bit unsettling for a capital—downtown was almost deserted, and aside from fast-food chains, very few restaurants were open, with hardly anyone on the streets.
Bars with security guards out front.
I won’t say we felt unsafe that night, but once it got dark, we realized the bars on the windows weren’t for nothing. First day in, and our impression was already mixed.
The next day, we explored the city and surroundings, and our feelings didn’t change.
So far, so good.
Off to Cahuita by bus—4 hours of travel.
The landscapes are very green but quickly become monotonous. The road runs alongside the forest and passes through a few towns and villages, and even in the countryside, there were just as many prison-like houses.
The bus dropped us off at Cahuita’s terminal station—only four of us got off. It’s a village, or rather, a small town. Cahuita is basically one straight road and a perpendicular one, and honestly, doubt started to creep in.
A few restaurants that add 13% tax and 10% service charge—so 23% extra. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and went to explore. In 20 minutes, we’d seen it all. We had lunch and planned to check out the famous park.
Entry is by donation—well, the "entry" is a joke. There’s a path along the forest by the sea, and that’s it.
Nothing’s going right anymore.
We thought it was a total scam, but since we hadn’t gone far, we decided to come back the next day to explore further.
We returned to the hotel, relaxed, and around 8:00 PM, we went out for dinner. Only two restaurants were open, and the streets were deserted.
Creepy!
The next day, we explored the so-called park more thoroughly and really got it.
A path along the forest by the sea—2 hours there and 2 hours back, where you see animals that feel like showing their faces.
A total joke—"all that for this?"
The beach was full of wood debris and coconut husks. We wondered if the photos online were edited because the sea, very rough, wasn’t the azure blue we’d seen in pictures.
But calling this a park is a joke—it’s like a new concept.
When we thought about the reviews online, we started to suspect that professionals with interests in the country were monitoring and countering any negative feedback that could harm their business.
Too bad we didn’t check the negative reviews beforehand—we did while we were there, and it helped. We wondered if we’d become too demanding after all our travels, but no—when something’s bad, it’s bad.
Manuel Antonio’s park is even more ridiculous—there’s a short path along the sea for about 500 meters, and then nothing. You have to climb through mud and hack your way through the forest. We ended up barefoot because the mud was up to our calves. All that to see a raccoon and a few parrots flying overhead.
We didn’t expect Noah’s Ark, but we’ve seen more animals in Bali, Mexico, and Thailand while visiting temples or just walking around than in these so-called parks!
Puerto Viejo, not far from Cahuita and supposedly livelier—well, it couldn’t be worse!
According to Lonely Planet, it had a Caribbean vibe and wild nights, but maybe that was a long time ago. The good reggae music playing everywhere isn’t enough.
In the evening, Puerto Viejo was a bit livelier than Cahuita, but that’s not saying much. Very few tourists—if any—no night market, just two or three shops open selling $20 T-shirts. Same vibe as San José.
No big deal—we enjoyed the beach and the sun, which was reliable.
Our itinerary was supposed to include Tortuguero Park, but after talking to other travelers who’d just been, we changed our minds, knowing we’d be visiting Manuel Antonio Park on the Pacific side.
To get back to the Pacific side, you have to take the bus and go through San José again—5 hours this time—then switch bus terminals and another 4.5 hours to Quepos.
A stopover town to get to Manuel Antonio’s beach and park!
A town just like the others we’d seen—deserted as soon as the sun sets, and not exactly bustling during the day either. (Where are all the tourists?)
Still as many bars on the windows and that feeling of being in the wrong place.
7 km later: Manuel Antonio beach and park.
The beach is very beautiful and quite large, but don’t expect turquoise blue water—the waves stir up the sand, giving the water a brownish color.
Along the beach, shops and restaurants for about 300 meters, and then nothing. At night, after sunset, the town shuts down too.
Manuel Antonio Park is highly praised for its wildlife, so we were eager to see it. When you express dissatisfaction with Cahuita or Manzanillo parks, the response is always, "But you should’ve gone to Monteverde or Manuel Antonio!" No matter what you do or say, they’ll tell you, "You should’ve gone there or here."
Back to our famous park—entry was about $16, and contrary to what we’d heard, it wasn’t crowded!
Guides at the entrance with spotting scopes offered their services for about $30.
The park: a mix of boardwalk and dirt paths through the forest, sometimes running alongside beautiful coves and beaches.
As soon as we entered, a crowd was taking photos of a deer eating leaves.
A little further on, a guide with a group of five stopped. The guide raised his arm and set up his spotting scope! He showed them, about 100 meters away, a hummingbird perched on a branch. Some, looking through the scope, exclaimed, "Oh my God! Amazing! Incredible!"
For a moment, we thought they’d discovered a unicorn or were in Jurassic Park and had just crossed paths with a T-Rex!
The concept is comical—looking at a bird or another animal through a spotting scope because it’s too far away. Isn’t that what TV is for?
For our part, we saw monkeys, ants, an armadillo, an iguana, and the backside of a sloth climbing a tree. Amazing, incredible!
We stayed a few days in Manuel Antonio to enjoy the beach, changing hotels often because prices varied wildly from one day to the next for shameful services. On top of that, they’d quote a price in dollars and convert it at their discretion—thieves!
Alajuela, a city near the airport, has a two-story mall and a local market downtown! No interest except its proximity to the airport.
What we liked:
The climate and, in hindsight, San José—the most authentic city we visited.
What we didn’t like, in addition to what we’ve already mentioned:
Costa Ricans aren’t very friendly or communicative. English is barely spoken, not even by doctors at Quepos Hospital, where my wife ended up with food poisoning (thanks, Google Translate). The widespread obesity among Costa Ricans, who eat like Americans. The insecurity. The eco-hipsters who leave their $150 lodges in minivans with guides to visit parks and other sites, then return to barricade themselves in their fortresses at nightfall (oh my God, amazing, incredible). The blue signs at the entrance of towns that accept this payment method: "We accept American Express." Parking lots that become paid just because a guy is watching your car. Prices displayed in dollars. The cost of living (hotels, restaurants, taxes). Landscapes that are too green and not flowery enough. Beaches—nothing exceptional. Pollution in cities where big American trucks rule. Sewage dumped directly into the sea. Aside from the jungle, there’s nothing to visit—no ruins, monuments, or anything worth seeing.
In short, my wife and I think the hype about this supposedly eco-friendly country is overrated. It’s just the trendy destination of the moment. There are much better, cheaper, and more authentic places.
In hindsight, we keep the good memories and our beautiful photos, but if we had to do it over...
Before signing off, a little message to those who don’t like hearing opinions different from theirs:
Well, some things aren’t up for debate. And to those who’d have us believe that in 3 weeks, we don’t have the right to criticize a country or express our feelings—how can you praise it in so little time? What a scam. Costa Rica is a money pit. Pura vida? Pure cosmic emptiness.
If you like spending your evenings barricaded in your cozy hotel after dark, this country is for you.
For everyone else: run!
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
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