J’écris ce carnet pour les quelques rares amateurs de voyages historico-militaires. En effet Je n’ai trouvé aucune information sur la visite du champ de bataille de Koursk sur le Net, à part des programmes de voyage extrêmement coûteux d’Agences Anglo-saxonnes. Si ces amateurs souhaitent entreprendre un voyage à Koursk, j’espère leur apporter une base de départ pour leurs projets.
Pour les autres qui voudront bien me lire, ils auront la possibilité d’avoir quelques impressions sur la Russie profonde et sur les pensées des quelques Russes rencontrés lors de ce voyage, en particulier sur le traumatisme encore présent provoqué par la 2ème guerre mondiale, et le patriotisme des Russes. Il est assez paradoxal que le pays le plus étendu de la Terre, ne soit visité en général que pour sa capitale actuelle et son ancienne. A l’heure où l’on se plaint de la surpopulation touristique, la Russie offre un terrain de jeu infini.
Qu’aller visiter, comment et que reste t’il des batailles?
Les batailles sont essentiellement des batailles de chars qui sur la durée ne laissent aucune empreinte sur le sol. S’ils ont pu être détruits au combat, tout aura été nettoyé ; s’ils ont occasionné des destructions, dans la région de Koursk tout aura été reconstruit, comme à Stalingrad. Il reste bien les ouvrages défensifs anti-char sur un territoire extrêmement étendu. Il faudrait sans doute en contempler l’étendue en avion, mais l’intérêt en est bien réduit.
Alors il fallait bien s’y résoudre, il reste la visite des lieux de mémoire, et surtout rencontrer des Russes : Des guides, et des anciens combattants, ces silhouettes vacillantes en uniformes constellés de décorations.
1er Jour : Paris - Zurich – Moscou
Pour 159 Euros AR, sans bagages en soute, j’embarque sur SWISS. Arrivé en soirée à Domodiedovo, le temps est maussade, les Russes pas souriants et affairés comme à l’habitude. Bon, je ne m’attendais pas à être accueilli avec un collier de fleurs. Je sais pourquoi je fais la gueule, c’est parce que j’ai peur de prendre le train et de me tromper.
J’étais venu la dernière fois pour le 9 Mai 2015 pour le défilé de la Victoire. Je n’avais pas supporté l’affront que notre Président d’alors avait fait à la mémoire de 25 millions de Soviétiques en refusant de venir aux commémorations. Toute ma jeunesse j’avais été éduqué dans l’idée que les Américains avaient gagné la Guerre, et que l’URSS était le diable. Ce n’est que récemment que j’ai réalisé que l’Union Soviétique avait porté l’essentiel de l’effort de guerre au prix d’un sacrifice monstrueux et avait finalement vaincu l’ordre nazi.
Trois ans après, je suis immédiatement frappé par rapport à 2015, par la taille du dispositif de sécurité : Il y a peut être deux fois plus de policiers ou de vigiles ; ici et plus tard dans la ville, au métro et dans les gares l’usage des scanners à bagages est généralisé. Le pays a pris la mesure de la menace terroriste après les attentats du métro, de l’aéroport Domodiédovo, de la gare de Volvograd , du Moscou – St Petersbourg et du métro de Moscou.
L’Aéroexpress pour Paveletskaïa est tout beau, tout neuf. Les vieux wagons sans âge ont été remisés. Les messages à bord et toute la signalisation avant d’aborder le train sont en russe et en anglais. La Russie entre dans la modernité.
A Paveletskaïa, je prends le Métro et je suis balayé comme un fétu de paille parmi cette multitude de voyageurs. Il y en aurait deux fois plus qu’il y a 3 ans ? J’étais devenu un expert en Métro moscovite, mais ce soir là j’ai perdu ma science, j’arrive quand même à Kourskaïa pour prendre le train de Koursk. J’arrive à mon compartiment, il ne fallait pas s’en faire autant, on y arrive malgré tout. La « Provonidtsa » du wagon a l’air moyennement renfrogné, il y a eu pire.
Auparavant j’avais pris mon billet douillettement de chez moi devant mon ordinateur ; plus besoin d’essayer de se faire comprendre par les caissières à la gare. (Je n’ai pas encore tapé sur le site des chemins de fer russes le mot magique « Vladivostok » pour faire un essai et rêver). Comme la vie peut être facile parfois : Réserver un Transibérien depuis ma cambrousse : la magie à portée de tous !
Question Kupé ou Pladzkart ? (2ème classe ou 3ème classe)
Les guides papiers et peut être les forums s’accordent pour affirmer que le Pladzkart (3éme classe, avec compartiment ouvert, c’est à dire que vous pouvez entendre les ronflement des 35 autres passagers) sont le moyen idéal pour rencontrer les Russes en voyage. En fait je n’ai eu que 2 expériences positives en Pladzkart; l’une en rencontrant des anciens élèves d’un institut de Petrozavodzk ; j’ai partagé avec eux la joie de la retrouvaille, mais j’ai eu besoin d’aide le lendemain pour repérer ma gare de destination, tant la vodka avait coulé. Une autre fois je vois un fils installer son vieux père en uniforme et cliquetis de médailles ; le fils dit à son père d’être sage, il fait ses dernières recommandations et s’éclipse. Le père repère un compère, ils sortent chacun une petite bouteille de vodka et des petites victuailles et engagent un dialogue à la russe dans la nuit. Tout se termine par un concert de ronflement titanesque des deux compères. Durant mes autres voyages, on se regardait en chien de faïence entre passagers et aucun dialogue n’a jamais été engagé. Enfin si vous avez le malheur de tomber sur les couchettes du couloir, trop courtes, vous sentirez vos courbatures toute la journée.
Par contre en Kupé, je me souviens d’un voyage Riga-SPB avec un polisseur d’ambre de la Baltique qui se rendait à Sarkoié Sélo pour travailler au cabinet d’ambre ; et d’un voyage Moscou – SPB aves deux Russes, très classe et d’un Japonais bout entrain (Ca existe !). Je préfère nettement le Kupé pour son confort aussi.
Et là maintenant je me retrouve une jeune Demoiselle de Voronej dans le compartiment Kupé et nous sommes seuls.
La Demoiselle en raconte des tonnes au téléphone comme une Ado de chez nous, puis elle me découvre sans aménité. Evidemment nous ne sommes pas du même âge, elle aurait sans doute préféré faire le voyage avec un minet moscovite. J’ai souvent remarqué que les Russes étaient cash ; ils ne cachent pas leurs sentiments dans un sens ou dans l’autre : Combien de fois je les ai entendus railler mon parler russe. A moi d’être pragmatique et d’améliorer mes connaissances.
Le train démarre, nous rompons la glace : La Demoiselle revient de Saint Jacques de Compostelle et de Paris. En Espagne, elle, la continentale de Voronej, a découvert la mer et les huitres et s’en est gavées. Je penserai à elle quand j’irai m’acheter mes Isigny favorites, comme je n’éprouve aucune difficulté d’approvisionnement. Elle est aussi étudiante en architecture, et elle est tombée amoureuse de Paris et de ses architectures. Elle me presse de questions sur Singapour et son architecture. Je lui dessine le sublime opéra de Pékin de Paul Andreu, cette goutte d’eau posée sur l’eau.
Je ne fréquente pas beaucoup les Demoiselles de cet âge, sauf lorsque j’étais répétiteur de mathématiques. Je devais subir des Ados de 3ème et je leur faisais subir la problématique des droites qui se rencontrent ou qui ne se rencontre pas. J’étais l’épouvantable personnage qui interrompait leurs émissions télés de l’après midi. Je me sens maintenant dans la peau de Tolstoï (Je suis toujours très modeste), ce vieil écrivain qui a su si bien décrire l’excitation d’une jeune fille à son premier bal : Nous sommes en phase, il n’y a plus un vieux et une jeune. Cette conversation nocturne nous a fait plaisir mutuellement. Mais nous devons éteindre, même à 50 km/h la gare de Koursk se rapproche.
Notons que la sécurité de cette jeune fille était assurée de facto par la présence d’une Provonitza, comme dans chaque wagon ; elle pouvait discuter, seule, avec un avatar de Tolstoï en toute sécurité. On éprouve le même sentiment d’oubli à Singapour.
2ème Jour : Koursk 10 minutes d’arrêt !
Hotel Aquamarina
Voilà, je suis arrivé dans la cité mythique ; la jeune fille et moi nous quittons avec effusions. J’arrive à la gare, déclarée monument historique, bien qu’elle n’ait pas été le siège de combats. Deux fresques et une statue de soldat soviétique ornent la salle d’attente. Sur le mur du fond est dessiné un vaste plan de la bataille du saillant de Koursk. La ville de Koursk a échappé à l’honneur d’être une ville héroïque, ainsi au monument aux morts d’Alexander Sad à Moscou, son nom n’est pas gravé.
Au premier coup d’œil on peut détecter l’œuvre de la propagande soviétique : Les forces soviétiques sont en expansion, c’est à dire qu’elles sont dans la situation où elles se trouveront après la bataille de Koursk. En réalité le front nord avait auparavant reculé de quelques kilomètres ainsi que le front sud sous la pression allemande.
Ce fait est en soi une réalisation magistrale face à un adversaire aussi percutant : L’armée soviétique a tenu. La propagande soviétique de l’époque ne s’en est pas satisfaisait. Alors exeunt les combats de Ponyri et Prokhorovka, si l’on suit le schéma de la propagande. C’est dommage.
Me voilà dans la Russie profonde ! Je le remarquerai vite car je suis une bête curieuse. Je me rends à l’Hôtel Aquamarina à 5 minutes de la gare. Le séjour sera parfait. Candidats à cet hôtel, essayez d’attraper un prix bas, les variations dans la semaine sur Booking peuvent aller jusqu’à 40% .
Au sous sol on trouve une petite piscine, un sauna et un hammam. Personnellement je préfère le Banya : Cet endroit traditionnel tend à disparaître au profit de son homologue finlandais. Je pense que la raison principale en est que l’on peut mélanger les sexes dans le sauna, au lieu d’avoir deux enceintes pour chaque sexe et donc tous les équipements en double. Le Banya est une institution qui me semble remonter du fond des âges ; on se ballade à poil avec un chapeau de feutre pour protéger la tête de la vapeur. Les différentes phases du banya sont : Se soumettre à la vapeur brulante, se renverser un baquet d’eau froide, situé en hauteur comme une chasse d’eau, en tirant sur une chaine ; se plonger dans une piscine d’eau froide puis se faire fouetter avec des branches de bouleau. On discute, on boit et on recommence ! J’ai en vue une session aux bains Sanduni à Moscou, banya le plus beau de Russie.
Lera Tours
Je dois penser à mon excursion ; les hôtels n’ont été d’aucun secours. L’Aquamarina m’a seulement indiqué de m’adresser à l’Agence de voyage « Lera Tour » ; le musée de Poniry m’a fait la même recommandation. Le problème est que j’ai appelé cette Agence de France avec mon russe hésitant, je n’ai pas pu établir un dialogue. La correspondante avait raccroché. De même un message internet est resté sans réponse.
J’ai bien eu une proposition d’une Association de passionnés d’Histoire militaire, plus précisément on dirait en anglais de « Reenactor ». Un certain Blinov me proposait de faire un Moscou – Koursk AR , dans la journée, en train, de louer un taxi pour aller sur un front seulement. Je n’ai pas pris pour différentes raisons, peut être cela aurait pu être intéressant.
Je pars donc pour Lera Tour. La ville est immense ; en fait elle a 3 secteurs, je n’ai vu aucune carte distribuée. Alors je fais du Google Maps, mais je reste hors connexion, en dehors du Wifi de l’hotel. Il faudra que je me mette un jour à acheter une carte SIM du pays pour plus de confort. Je me déplace soit en Marchtruska, soit en bus ou en trolley.
J’arrive à Lera Tour où je suis agréablement reçu. J’entends des bruissement de conversation : « C’est le Français qui a écrit ». Je me dis intérieurement « Oui cocottes, mais vous ne m’avez pas répondu ». La conseillère et la directrice me font une proposition pour une visite privée de 2 jours des deux fronts pour 450 Euros. Elles ont réussi à débaucher leur guide favorite qui au début n’était pas intéressée par les dates de visite que je demandais.
450 Euros, c’est une somme pour la Russie ; mais un guide me semblait indispensable, et la suite des évènements montrera que c’était indispensable au delà de ce que je pensais. Les déplacements sont assez pénibles du fait de signalisation manquante ; même la guide se perdra quelquefois. J’avais déjà visité le Musée de la Victoire à Moscou, et j’avais vu une succession de vitrines et d’objets exposés et je n’avais pas compris la moitié de la signification de ce que je voyais et de ce que cela aurait du éveiller en moi.
L’Arc de triomphe
Je demande mon chemin, une fois sur deux les gens détournent la tête. On s’y fait vite. Je tombe enfin sur une Dame très obligeante qui me remets sur le bon chemin et même fait un bout de chemin avec moi. Elle commence à me dire qu’il faut que je revienne la voir ? Arrivés au bon arrêt de bus pour aller vers l’Arc, elle me demande de l’emmener avec moi ! C’est de la drague expresse ! Ces femmes russes ont faim : J’avais déjà été dragué par une guide de l’Ermitage, par la Mère de ma professeur de russe et sur Conversation Exchange…Enfin qui ne tente rien, n’a rien.
Avant d’arriver à l’Arc je remarque un monument entouré de tombes. Je regarde les dates de décès, beaucoup tombent dans les années d’Afghanistan. Cette guerre est un drame national qui a dégagé beaucoup de ressentiment envers les dirigeants d’alors.
D’autres dates appartiennent à l’année 2004.. Tchétchénie ? Certaines tombes comportent les portraits des défunts. Ils n’avaient pas l’air commodes de leur vivant ! Des vieilles femmes en fichu restent là résignée, leurs vies fichues.
Puis le site commémoratif de l’Arc est atteint. Les concepteurs ont associés les envahisseurs récents de la Russie : D’abord les Français puis les Allemands. Devant l’Arc Il y a exposition de plusieurs canons antichars, de plusieurs chars et de l’inévitable T34, avec l’inscription « Za Pobieda ». Sous l’Arc une quarantaine de jeunes gens sont en uniformes de je ne sais quel mouvement. Une sono diffuse des airs martiaux. Les jeunes viennent un à un, au pas de l’oie, prendre un diplôme. Ce détournement de la signification du lieu est pathétique. Je pense à Brassens chantant que de la musique qui marche au pas ne l’intéresse pas. Qu’aurait il dit du pas de l’oie ?
Ma guide, que j’interrogeais le lendemain m’a dit que cette petite manifestation devait être le fait d’un parti politique.
Demain nous partons pour le front nord, à Poniry, le petit Stalingrad, qui a changé de mains 7 fois dans une journée. Les choses sérieuses commencent.
3ème jour : Le front nord avec Rokossovski contre Model
Svetlana, la guide envoyée par Lera Tours me prend à l’hôtel et nous rentrons dans le taxi de Victor, une KIA confortable. Ces Russes sont un peuple aimable et chaleureux, instantanément la sympathie s’installe entre nous. Je constaterai rapidement qu’ils se dévoueront pour que je sois tout à fait satisfait de ma visite. Svetlana m’explique en Anglais qu’elle est une activiste locale pour une association promouvant la Paix. Elle déploie ses activités sur toute l’Europe par le biais de rencontres de gens de bonne volonté. Je réalise vite que c’est une pointure dans la société de Koursk.
Nous nous arrêtons sur un site, avant poste d’observation de l’armée soviétique. La bataille du front nord a trouvé son préambule ici. L’unité soviétique ne se replie qu’après de sévères combats.
Tout au long de nos deux jours de visites, Svetlana ne parlera pratiquement pas des « Allemands » mais des « Facistes ». Cette dénomination m’a fait sourire dans un premier temps, comme elle rappelait le langage de l’Union soviétique. Dans un deuxième temps, j’ai trouvé cette appellation très juste. Car chez nous, lorsque nous disons « Les Allemands ont fait ceci, ou cela », nous mettons tous les Allemands dans le même sac. Et pourtant la Résistance allemande au Nazisme, ou les Eglises protestantes pour lesquelles j’ai le plus grand de respect, et même le peuple allemand en général ne méritent pas d’être amalgamés à ces voyous de « Facistes ».
J’ignore le programme de visite du front nord. J’ai de toutes façons une très grande envie de visiter le QG du Maréchal Rokossovski à Svoboda. Quand j'en fais la demande, je jette un froid, car la visite n’était pas prévue. Nous allons juste à Poniry, le petit Stalingrad de la bataille de Koursk. Qu’à cela ne tienne, Svetlana prend immédiatement son portable et passe une dizaine de coups de téléphone pendant tout le trajet et entre deux bouchées au restaurant. J’entends plusieurs fois les mots « Drug franzouski », eh bien c’est moi ! Je me réjouis d'avoir été si vite adopté!
Entre la poire et le fromage, Svetlana me dit que le Musée et le QG de Rakassovski sont fermés. Cependant en mon honneur il sera rouvert et la directrice attend notre visite. L’affaire a été compliquée à mener car les musées se protègent mutuellement en terme de sécurité elle a du téléphoner au directeur régional pour débloquer la situation et semble t’il faire ouvrir en cascade les musées? Merci chère Svetlana, amie dont j’ignorais l’amitié il y a trois heures. Nous allons de ce pas au Musée de Poniry.
Ma bibliographie
J’ai lu deux livres principalement : D’abord l’étude de Roman Töppel« Koursk 1943 ». Cet historien a le mérite de remettre en cause la geste soviétique et les arrangements avec la vérité des officiers supérieurs allemands dans leurs mémoires. En effet ces Mémoires sont un moyen de s’exonérer de ses responsabilités et de réécrire l’histoire. Pour cela, Il s’appuie principalement sur les journaux de campagne des unités allemandes.
La première partie est un peu longue. Il s’attarde sur les reports successifs de l’opération « Citadelle ». Cela n’est pas très passionnant. Quant à la description de la bataille, Je dirai un peu schématiquement que Töppel a écrit un livre typiquement allemand, en ce sens que l’Allemand est invariablement supérieur, suivant les situations que j'ai rencontrées avec des Allemands:
"C’est nous les meilleurs : Premiers pour la valeur de notre Etat major, premiers en aviation, premiers en tanks….. Les avions soviétiques tombent comme des mouches, les tanks soviétiques explosent comme à la parade, les panzers percent le front comme s’ils rentraient dans du beurre" . Il concède que l’artillerie soviétique est redoutable. Mais il ne parle à peine de l’Etat major russe, de Rokossovski ou de Vatoutine.
Alors Roman, pourquoi avez vous perdu puisque vous étiez si bons ?
Par contre il démonte la fable du succès du long pilonnage exercé par l’artillerie soviétique aux premières heures de la bataille. Ce pilonnage aurait écrasé les unités allemandes prêtes au départ. Il n’en est rien, ce fut un échec presque complet, Töppel est convaincant dans sa démonstration.
Ce qui me frappe dans cette opération « Citadelle » c’est qu’il n’y a aucun effet de surprise car les deux belligérants se font face depuis des mois. Les Soviétiques construisent des dispositifs antichars gigantesques pendant que les Allemands perfectionnent leurs dispositifs offensifs en accumulant dans leurs unités blindées la nouvelle merveille qui sort des usines : le « Panther ». Alors je me pose la question simple qui n’a pas effleuré l’esprit de Töppel : Pourquoi les armées allemandes vont elles attaquer ce dispositif russe si imposant de Koursk? Il me semble qu’un front de 2000km pouvait présenter d’autres points moins défendus. Le résultat de la bataille montre bien que mon interrogation était pertinente, sans être stratège, le résultat était attendu: Les Allemands, pardon les Facistes, se sont cassé le nez.
L’autre livre est de Jean Lopez, « Koursk, les quarante jours qui ont ruiné la Wehrmacht » Lopez est aussi le traducteur de Roman Töppel. Ce livre est plus mesuré et s’intéresse plus au coté soviétique. Mais il a des cartes pourries, c’est dommage.
La stratégie, ce que j’en ai retenu
Clémenceau a déclaré que: « La guerre est une chose trop sérieuse pour être confiée à des militaires ». Dans le cas présent on a à faire à deux civils qui se sont autoproclamés commandants en chef : Hitler et Staline. Ils n’ont pas montré de talents particuliers ou plutôt on causé des catastrophes. S’ils peuvent écouter leurs Etat Majors, ce sont eux qui ont le dernier mot.
Prenons Staline : Il a en face de lui une armée allemande de très haut niveau. Sa coordination au combat est parfaite à l’intérieur d’une unité, elle fonctionne aussi pour les unités entre elles, et de même avec le soutien de l’artillerie et le soutien aérien.
De plus un commandant d’unité remportant un succès local a un droit de suite immédiat , sans en référer a ses supérieurs pour exploiter son succès. Un homme comme le Maréchal Von Manstein, magicien du mouvement est responsable avec son armée 70 pour cent des pertes soviétiques dans la bataille de Koursk. Avant de se frotter à Von Manstein il vaut mieux prendre ses précautions.
Que fait Staline face à cette armée allemande si percutante. Il l’attaque de front en de multiples occasions et il se fait rosser à chaque fois ! Iriez vous attaquer dans la rue un super karatéka ou utiliseriez vous plutôt d’autres moyens détournés pour le neutraliser.
Heureusement Giorgy Joukov, chef d’état major, comme Mikhail Koutousov avant lui, ont pris la mesure de l’ennemi. C’est un professionnel et Staline l’écoute. Si l’ennemi est si percutant et si mobile, on va lui faire perdre cette énergie cinétique, son effet foudroyant, un peu à la manière d' un camion fou rompant ses freins, en l' arrêtant dans une voie de dégagement latérale remplie de sable et de cailloux. Joukov a réussi à convaincre Staline de laisser les Allemands attaquer le saillant de Koursk, super fortifié. Les fronts Nord et Sud de ce saillant étant fortifiés sur 3 lignes (Svetlana parle de 7 lignes???) Une fois l’armée allemande stoppée, une grande offensive au nord et au sud du saillant viendrait tenter d’encercler un ennemi qui aurait perdu sa fougue.
Si l’on prend le cas de Stalingrad, c’est en s’enfermant dans cette ville, et en transformant des troupes servant des blindés en fantassins que l’Armée de Paulus a perdu son caractère offensif et sa mobilité.
Koutousov a agi de même avec Napoléon en laissant le soin au Général Hiver de l'affaiblir. Les Allemands de 1943 par contre ont défié deux années de suite le Général Hiver. Ils ont quand même perdu un million d'homme avant Koursk, et ils sortent d'une défaite cinglante à Stalingrad, petit chef d'oeuvre de Georgy Joukov, mais ils restent une menace mortelle.
Nous arrivons à Poniry. Le livre de Jean Lopez parle d’un camp retranché où ont eu lieu des combats féroces. Que vois je ? Un village intemporel de la campagne profonde russe, avec ses troupeaux d’oies qui se baladent sur la route. Je m’attends à voir Tolstoï déboucher sur la route avec sa grande barbe et son cheval percheron, ou Tolstoï encore, occupé à courser une jeune paysanne. Ce village respire la paix, c’est la Russie profonde et elle m’envahit d’une sensation merveilleuse. Quel bonheur d’être là! Qui pourrait penser qu’il a été labouré il y a 75ans par les obus et les chenilles. Qu’un déferlement de violence inouï a eu lieu ici. Ce pays a été gorgé de sang et je ne m'en rend pas compte. L’image ne colle pas, c’est ça la surprise du voyage. Si ma raison me dit que la bataille a bien eu là, mon ressenti le nie catégoriquement.
Nous allons au Musée et à la Gare...
Très intéressant Carnet à lire sans modération. Les gens ont en effet oublié que la Russie à contribué à la libération de l'Europe et à subi de lourdes pertes. Et ce carnet à pour mérite de nous plonger dans cette période peu connue du grand public.
Nous sommes attendus comme si nous étions une tournée ministérielle. Pour nous mettre dans l’ambiance un haut parleur diffuse une voix martiale annonçant à toute la population de l’URSS l’agression des Fachistes. Nous commençons la visite avec une belle sculpture faite d’armes récupérées. Parmi celle ci se trouve le fusil anti char qui m’a toujours intrigué. Quel dommage peut infliger ce long fusil à un char ?
Le musée est organisé en journées ses collections sont riches, faites de dons d’anciens combattants. La guide du Musée explique à Svetlana les faits saillants de chaque journée. Il s’agit beaucoup d’actes d’héroïsme de servants de canons antichar. Et Svetlana me traduit. La guide du Musée me dévisage lorsque Svetlana me traduit et guette mes réactions. Je me sens troublé par ce beau regard. Ce ne sont pas des « Ochi tchorni » qui me sondent mais des« Goloubie Glasa » et particulièrement à l’évocation du Lieutenant dont ses soldats, servants d’une pièce antichar ont été tués lui a continué le tir tout seul et détruit plusieurs chars. Il a survécu et a été nommé Héros de l’Union soviétique. Plusieurs exemplaires de médailles et des certificats sont présents dans le Musée : Petit ruban rouge, au dessus d’une simple étoile. La bataille de Koursk aurait généré 36 Héros de l’Union Soviétique.
Je mets au défi quiconque de suivre un exposé sous le regard d’une Michèle Morgan ou d’une Ornella Muti. Franchement le Musée devrait mettre à disposition des guides mi belles ou bien mi moches, sinon il faudrait que Mlle« Krassivii Goloubie Glasa » porte des lunettes de soleil pour arrêter de semer le trouble sur les visiteurs. J’arrive à terminer l’exposé malgré tout en dépit de mon trouble certain, j’ai beaucoup aimé ses explications concernant les combattants soviétiques acharnés et patriotes. Mlle« Ochen Krassivii Goloubie Glasa » vit vraiment ce qu’elle explique et attend en retour de la conviction de la part de son auditeur je la remercie; toute l’équipe du Musée est bien impliquée pour offrir aux visiteurs une belle collection et faire vivre l’évènement. Par contre les petites tranchées dans le jardin du Musée apparaissent bien dérisoires.
Nous partons avec Svetlana et la Belle pour la gare de Poniry.
En chemin je pense que Bécaud aussi a été troublé par sa guide, sa chanson me revient :
Poniry était vide Devant moi marchait Xenia Il avait un joli nom mon guide Xenia
Poniry n’est pas monotone Elle ne comprenait pas mon charabia Je suivais cet automne Xenia
Elle parlait en phrases sobres Des Facistes méritant l’opprobre Je pensais déjà Qu’après la gare de Poniry On irait en Sibérie Prendre une Kacha ………….
C’est alors que Svetlana me tire par la manche : « Qu’est ce qu’il t’arrive François, la gare c’est par là». Nous pénétrons dans la salle d’attente. Incrédule je demande si on peut acheter un billet. « Bien sûr François, on peut aller à Belgorod ou à Koursk comme dans n’importe quelle gare ». Mais ce n’est pas n’importe quelle gare.
La gare de Ponity ! J’imagine des monceaux de cadavres, des grenades à main balancées de toute part, un déchainement de haine, des corps à corps, les coups de baïonnette, des obus de char qui soufflent tout………… Et bien, la gare a été reconstruite et rendue à sa destination première. Qu’aurait on fait chez nous, l’aurions nous sanctuarisée, sanctifiée pour le devoir de mémoire ? Chaque peuple réagit différemment les plus cyniques étant les Polonais qui ont laissé construire des HLM, avec cuisines ayant vue sur le camp d’Auschwitz. Xenia ouvre une salle de la gare, salle du souvenir où sont exposés les portraits des Héros de l’Union Soviétique qui se sont illustrés à Poniry.
La visite est finie, nous allons partir vers Svoboda, au QG de l’Armée du centre du Maréchal Rokossovski. Nous nous séparons et nous remercions chaleureusement Xénia. C’est alors que Svetlania me pousse dans les bras de Xénia, en me disant de nous serrer dans les bras « à la russe ». Je m’exécute, et je m’entends lui dire « Krassivaia Gentchina ». Moi qui suis si réservé avec les femmes, ayant toujours eu peur de prendre un râteau. Elle me répond gentiment un « Spaciba ». Après mes émois de collégien, nous partons pour Svoboda. Svetlana se joue de moi !
Le QG du chef du front nord
Connaissez vous Rokossovski (On dit Rakossovski, le premier « O » est toujours transformé en « A », comme Rossia se dit Rassie, la Russie), sinon je vous le présente : C’est la figure du noble chevalier, du héros, un grand Russe et un grand Polonais.
Staline décime les cadres de son armée par des purges incessantes Il aura commis des erreurs stratégiques importantes, on dit qu’il est affolé. Staline a besoin de cadres confirmés pour l’Armée Rouge. Rokossovski est en prison, il a été torturé, on lui cassé des dents et il du passer par plusieurs simulacres d’exécution.
On sort Rokossovski de prison et il reçoit un commandement. Ce patriote accepte de servir sans rancune. Il fonctionnera très bien avec Joukov, son ancien collègue et chef d’Etat major de l’Armée Rouge. Rokossovski est très bel homme et même mort, Svetlana n’est pas insensible pour ses yeux.
Nous sommes accueillis au Musée ouvert pour nous spécialement comme des ministres en mission. La directrice du musée baisse le ton en signe de respect elle a accueilli Vladimir Vladimirovitch en personne la semaine dernière! Elle l’a reçu dans la salle où nous sommes et ils ont été voir le bunker sous terrain, poste de commandement du Maréchal. Poutine est resté 1heure et demi et a dialogué avec le personnel qui cherche les dépouilles des soldats encore maintenant. Nous sommes très impressionnés de suivre ces traces prestigieuses.
Nous visitons le Musée consacré au Maréchal en particulier nous découvrons son manteau : L’homme était un géant. Puis nous allons au bunker du Maréchal. Le bunker en rondins a été reconstruit car les habitants des environs avaient besoin de bois après la guerre. Le Maréchal est revenu en visite et a été déçu de la disparition de son bunker. Il a donc été reconstruit à l’identique. C’est fascinant de voir un lieu de pouvoir pareil, tout dépouillé, d’où sont actionnés les mouvements de centaines de millier d’hommes dans un coin un téléphone noir permettait de converser directement avec Staline.
Nous quittons la Directrice et nous la remercions chaudement de nous avoir reçus malgré la fermeture officielle. Bizarrement Svetlana ne me demande pas de serrer la Directrice du Musée dans mes bras.
Merci pour ce carnet! Je vais le suivre discrètement
Jf
"Il faut toujours viser la lune, car même en cas d’échec, on atterrit dans les étoiles" Oscar Wilde
USA 2014 / ECOSSE 2015 / ESPAGNE 2017 / USA 2018 / Bientôt Madère2021&Lanzarote2025
Petit retour sur Poniry
J’ai oublié de mentionner que Xénia, dans son exposé avait parlé d’un programme d’instruction aux fantassins soviétiques pour leur apprendre à résister à la panique devant les blindés allemands, comme c’était le cas lors des campagnes de 4941 et 1942. Un canon automoteur de 60 tonnes dénommé « Ferdinand » était particulièrement effrayant. Ce canon automoteur a presque tout d’un char, mais il n’en est pas un, car il n’a pas de tourelle pivotante ? Il est beaucoup moins couteux à construire.
Xénia montre les affichettes imprimées pour l’instruction, où sur des schéma sont montrés les points faibles des blindés allemands.
J’ai une question délicate, puisque l’on m’a invité à poser toute question, je me lance : « Quel est le rôle du Commissaire politique, est il coercitif (Euphémisme) » (J’ai lu que le NKVD et les autorités militaires soviétiques avaient fait fusiller 15000 soldats à Stalingrad. Vérité, propagande ? Qu’en est il à Koursk ?)
Xénia me répond que les Commissaires politiques étaient des camarades, présents pour encourager la troupe à surmonter ses peurs.
Nous rentrons sur Koursk. Svetlana me dit son admiration pour Staline. Cela me surprend, elle qui baigne dans un milieu religieux et qui a un certain niveau d’éducation. Je suis répond catégoriquement que je ne partage pas son admiration et que c’est Joukov qui a gagné la guerre. Je me souviens de ma logeuse à SPB qui était prise de panique quand on évoquait Staline.
La conversation continue sur l’époque actuelle : Autant Svetlana sourit des sanctions économiques imposées à son pays, autant est elle choquée de ce que l’on ait pu accuser la Russie de meurtre dans l’Affaire Skipal.
Je lui répond que ces accusations sont ridicules pour deux raisons principales :
-L’exposition au neurotoxique supposé employé provoque une destruction du cerveau irréversible et la mort à court terme.
-C‘est faire insulte aux services secrets russes de faire un travail bâclé. Etre en ligne de mire de ces services, c’est la mort certaine.
Enfin je lui pose ma question dont je n’ai pas réponse : Pourquoi l’armée allemande a t’elle attaqué un secteur hyper fortifié. Pour elle, l’Etat Major allemand avait un sentiment de supériorité et une confiance dans son armée totale. Les Allemands avaient écrasé les Soviétiques pendant deux campagnes d’été, pourquoi il n’en serait pas de même à Koursk : Toute l’affaire a été planifiée sur 5 jours, elle a duré 40 jours, avec une armée allemande qui n’avait plus de jus. Elle s’est repliée en bon ordre, elle a perdu l’initiative et a paré les coups jusqu’à Berlin.
Elle me dit : « François ! En 40 jours au lieu de 5 prévus dans leurs plans, ils ont progressé de seulement 10 km sur les deux fronts ! »
Enfin elle me parle de la grande blessure du peuple russe : Ces envahisseurs allemands venus attaquer l’URSS pour prendre son territoire et réduire sa population en esclavage a tué 18 Millions de civils. A t’on le droit de massacrer 18 millions de civils ? Si l’armée soviétique a perdu 8 millions d’hommes, c’est le destin du soldat de pouvoir perdre sa vie, mais les civils !
Et puis elle me parle de Normandie Niemen, du courage de ces pilotes français, du désarroi de perdre leur chef, du soutien moral et de la camaraderie des pilotes soviétiques. Vraiment de Gaulle a fait un acte majeur en envoyant ces pilotes combattre aux cotés de l’Union Soviétique ; pourtant ce pays déjà était décrit comme l’antre du diable. On sent l’âme russe touchée au plus profond par ce geste chevaleresque.
En visite dans un restaurant oriental à Volgograd, je laisse mon manteau au vestiaire. Un géant portant un caftan asiatique prend mes affaires et me demande d’où je viens. C’est alors qu’il lance un immense « Normandie Niemen »
On se dit à demain.
4 ème jour : Prokhorovka
Le célèbre Von Manstein est a la manœuvre, en face de lui Vatoutine est moins inspiré mais quand même. Alors que son collègue Rokossovski avait deviné parfaitement les objectifs de son adversaire et concentré ses moyens sur Poniry, Vatoutine va étaler ses effectifs sur tout le front sud. Pourtant la poussée sur Oboian se fait difficile, alors elle est détournée vers Prokhorovka pour livrer la soit disant plus grande bataille de char de l’Histoire.
Nous nous arrêtons à un monument en l’honneur d’un aviateur aux multiples victoires et Héros de l’Union Soviétique.
Evidemment j’admire les faits et gestes et les sacrifices de ces jeunes hommes, mais je suis très mal à l’aise. D’un coté Töppel nous parle d’invincibilité du matériel et des soldats allemands, de l’autre l’URSS nomme 36 Héros à Koursk. Ces hommes ont accompli des actes au combat héroïques. Qui croire ? Je laisse mon interrogation pour moi, ne voulant pas être un mauvais hôte, surtout apes ma question sur les Commissaires politiques.
Et voilà Prokhorovka ! Je ne sais pas pourquoi faut il sacrifier à un rite initiatique : Nous entrons dans un restaurant dont une serveuse porte une tenue de l’Armée Rouge ; Svetlana commande une assiette de Kacha et deux cuillères ; elle m’intime l’ordre de la partager avec elle. Je délimite sur la Kacha un petit domaine que je mangerai et je dis à Svetlana que le reste était pour elle. Ce à quoi elle me répond que je veux qu’elle soit plus grosse. Evidemment notre dégustation de Kacha est symbolique, c’était la nourriture du combattant soviétique.
Devant le Musée de Prokhorovka, on a eu la bonne idée de laisser un hectare de terrain dans l’état où il était après la bataille : On a l’impression d’être chez un ferrailleur ; des bouts de chars trainent, des bandes de roulement. Ce n’est pas glamour.
Sur la place du Musée se trouve une sculpture monumentale représentant deux chars qui s’éperonnent. Svetlana me décrit l’image de 2 cerfs qui se tamponnent frontalement. Est ce la réalité, ou un canonnier a t’il pu allumer un char ennemi avant la collision ? En tout cas l’allégorie est belle, c’est vraiment l’image du combat à mort.
Devant le Musée aussi, une meute de tanks soviétiques veillent, peut être une quarantaine, pour donner l’idée de ce que pouvait être un groupe de tanks au combat. Je comprends que les fantassins aient pu avoir eu envie de détaler et se mettre à l’abri. Ils se sont repris :
« Za Rodina ! »
Nous sommes reçus toujours comme des ministres par une guide. Je ne me souviens pas de traits saillants dans l’exposé de cette guide ; je me souviens juste que ce Musée était moderne et magnifique. J’ai posé une question qui m’embarrassait, mais s’est révélée être embarrassante ; je trouve que tous mes interlocuteurs russes vivent dans un monde de Bisounours et que l’URSS était morale et vertueuse. Voilà la question : Jean Lopez affirme dans son livre que les SS faits prisonniers étaient fusillés du fait de leur appartenance à la SS. De ce fait ils se battaient avec l’énergie du désespoir. Réponse : Surprise, on en a jamais entendu parler. Alors donnez les références exactes de la citation ; le service historique du Musée enquêtera et vous répondra.
Dans un coin on peut empoigner des armes et se faire photographier ; mon coté enfantin m’a conduit à prendre une mitraillette à Camembert, celle qui a un chargeur tout rond posé sur le canon. Elle qui apparaît aussi dans Tintin en Amérique, à Chicago.
Puis un cortège s’avance : Des anciens combattants ! Evidemment Svetlana en connaît le Président et elle me présente. Il est beau et magnifique dans son uniforme. Il est très chaleureux avec moi, on se dirait potes depuis des années. Vraiment les « faux pas » (C’est un euphémisme) de la Diplomatie française et des Présidents français ne m’ont jamais été renvoyés, et je suis sûr que la France et la Russie se retrouveront un jour suivant la prédiction du Général de Gaulle. Je regarde respectueusement ces anciens combattants que bientôt je ne pourrai plus voir. Et dire que je vois la les représentants d’une armée d’une armée que l’on haïssait pour ses agissements à Berlin en 1949, à Budapest en 1956, à Prague en 1968. Ils ont quand même la victoire sur le Nazisme à leur actif.
Dehors nous allons à l’Eglise. Il y a toujours une église ou un petit oratoire qui jouxte les monuments commémoratifs. Une vieille dame en fichu en sort. Elle nous a entendus parler anglais et elle s’adresse à nous dans cette langue : « Je suis une ancienne professeur d’anglais et je sui ravie d’entendre parler cette langue à nouveau. Je suis réfugiée de Lugansk ». C’est ça le voyage ; d’un sujet qu’on observe à la télévision, on en a la représentation en venant à lui ; Svetlana me convie à accompagner la Dame dans l’Eglise et de discuter avec elle. Elle m’offre à elle comme une « sucrerie » pour lui faire plaisir par ma conversation d’anglophone et de Français. Sacré Svetlana ! Alors le sucre d’orge pénètre dans l’église.
Cette femme est vraiment cassée, ne lui reste t’il que le secours de la religion ? Alors je pense aux bonnes âmes qui sur VF vous font des procès d’intention en racisme, en antisémitisme ou en nazisme. Venez ici, je vous offre du Nazisme pur jus, on a cela en rayon en Europe : Le groupe s’appelle « Bandera » il vit en Ukraine, il est représenté au Parlement. Ce beau monde est choyé par la Nation Indispensable et par ses représentants : Le Soros, la folle Nicky Halley, l’inénarrable Victoria Nuland et son « Fuck the EU ».
Pendant la guerre un groupe Bandera a tué le Général Vatoutine, et cette engeance a survécu jusqu’à nous malgré la défaite de la maison mère. D’après Svetlana, le gouvernement ukrainien ferait de mauvaises actions autour de la sépulture du Général. Quel courage que de s’attaquer aux morts !
Que diriez vous si on vous interdisait de parler le Breton, le Basque, l’Alsacien, le Provençal ou l’Arabe ? Que diriez vous si on ne vous payait plus vos retraites, si l’on vous interdisait de porter le symbole des anciens combattants : par exemple le bleuet chez nous ; si l’on vous séparait de vos camarades de combat d’une autre nation, si l’on vous bombardait ou vous canonnait de temps à autre, vous et vos enfants, si on vous avait livré une guerre civile. Si vous avez de l’indignation à revendre, reportez là sur l'Ukraine.
La visite est finie, nous rentrons à Koursk, nous faisons des serments de nous revoir. Je quitte Svetlana ; je lui signifie qu’on se quitte « à la russe ». Alors on se serre dans les bras.
5ème jour Belgorod
Voilà, je suis seul, la convivialité, la chaleur russe me manquent. Je pars pour Belgorod, je verrai bien ce que je trouverai. En fait j’avais une petite idée : Un diorama. C’est une spécialité russe ; c’est fait d’une gigantesque fresque abritée dans un énorme bâtiment. Des objets sortent de la toile, par exemple un bout de canon un bout de tourelle de char, et devant la toile est aménagé un premier plan qui va rejoindre la toile : A Belgorod, ce sont des réseaux de tranchées, des munitions, des débris. Pour couronner le tout il y a une projection de fumée pour simuler les départs de coups. Enfin il y a émission d’un bruit infernal de Katioucha (Svetlana m’a chanté Katioucha dans la voiture, j’étais aux anges), de vrombissements d’avion, c’est cela le pire, et de coups de canons. Je plains la gardienne du Diorama qui va au travail tous les matins supporter ce bruit.
A mon gout les diorama vus jusqu’ici étaient moyens (Stalingrad, Borodino) mais ici c’est bluffant on est au cœur de la bataille.
Belgorod est une belle ville, a la reconstruction très soignée.
J’ai mal agencé mon voyage : L’élément directeur a été de trouver le meilleur prix pour Paris – Moscou sur Google flight et d’agencer le voyage autour des dates retenues. Fatale erreur : Je me retrouve en fin de semaine, les vols vers SPB où je voulais aller ne sont pas disponibles le W.E. Les Musées sont fermés le Lundi. Une meilleure organisation aurait été de voyager le Lundi, Samedi ou Dimanche et de disposer du reste de la semaine.
Je trouve quand même un vol a prix d’or pour Moscou dans un avion au format timbre poste. A Moscou je passe une journée merveilleuse dans une ville que je croyais avoir été détruite par les Soviétiques. Je n’avais pas été dans les bons quartiers, il reste tellement de beaux bâtiments. Je découvre aussi une magnifique passerelle au dessus de la Moscova, près de la Place Rouge, c’est nouveau.
J'ai fini; si vous avez des questions je serai heureux d'y répondre.
J'ai aussi été à Stalingrad, mais le voyage est un peu frustrant en terme d'adhésion à cette grande victoire.
Zorba, vos textes entre histoire et historiettes sont passionnants et inusités.
Nous avons aussi parlé avec des russes qui se sentaient désolés que nul ne parle jamais en France, des 25 millions de morts durant la deuxième guerre mondiale.
A Novossibirsk, nous avons passé la journée au gymnasium 14 dominante français. Les élèves s'exprimant dans notre langue de façon si parfaite que nous en étions épatés. Ils nous ont fait visiter leur musée -Normandie-Niemen- tout ce qu'ils collectent exposé en vitrine et chaque élève racontant à tour de rôle des bribes de 'histoire.
Nous avons déjeuné avec les enseignants à la cantine apprenant ainsi avec surprise que chaque élève peut venir se restaurer dès 9h30. Si certains le souhaitent ils peuvent aussi manger avec leur parents. Ca c'est une anecdote.
L'après midi nous avons eu la chance d'être convié à la bibliothèque nationale de la ville pour participer au groupe de conversation française. (Il existe des groupes de conversations en italien, espagnol, anglais). Nous avons rencontré des gens de tous horizons, enseignants, techniciens, scientifiques, amoureux de la langue française, de la France et tout en racontant notre voyage à leur demande, les questions fusaient sur notre pays et sur nos impressions du peuple russe.
Nous sommes partis tous ensemble visiter la ville et les lieux mythiques et une dame me raconte la déportation de son grand-père pour le vol d'une poignée de sarrasin. Toute la famille s'est construite en Sibérie car "si l'on survit, s'adapte, on l'aime et ne la quitte plus"
Une autre femme devant le monument bolchevique, un peu à l'écart dans le parc, me raconte que, petite fille, un jour, en classe, on leur avait noué, à tous, un foulard rouge autour du coup et appris les chants qu'il fallait chanter aux débuts des cours et en fin de journée.
Elle me raconte aussi que les russes ont gardé le goût du secret sur leur vie familiale et privée à cause de la délation qu'ils subissaient chaque jour et de conclure en chuchotant mais, sérieusement, nul doute, que "nous étions d'ailleurs peut-être des espions"
Peu de jours plus tard, dans une autre ville, comme partout en Russie, le 9 mai, c'était la fête de la Victoire. Partout des estrades, des étals de vente de rubans commémoratifs orange et noir, de colombes de la paix en papier léger, tenues sur des tiges en plastique, des vendeurs d'eau, de glace, de barbe à papa, des musiciens, des vétérans de la guerre d’Afghanistan, et la foule et des rires, de la joie.
Des discours officiels, des chœurs aux voix amples et profondes, des danses, des enfants très jeunes, filles ou garçons en tenue de soldats, des parents, des jeunes, des vieux qui chantaient à plein poumons l'amour de leur pays.
Et puis, le défilé des disparus, émouvant, les enfants, petits-enfants tenant une grande pancarte avec la photo de leurs parents morts à la guerre. Une journée vibrante pour nous. Et assis, sur un banc du parc, des jeunes gens, adolescents encore, discutant avec nous par le biais de google trad. C'était rapide, drôle et d'autres nous ont rejoint pour connaître ses deux vieux motards qui riaient avec ces jeunes.
En fait, je raconte tout ça dans votre fil, parce que j'ai lu "Normandie-Niemen", et les souvenirs de ce mois de mai dernier ont afflué.
Merci encore, grâce à la lecture de votre post, j'ai appris.
Bonjour
Quel récit passionnant.
Et surtout, quelle plume !
Enfin un carnet qui nous change de la énième évocation des splendeurs de St Pet ou Moscou par des contributeurs-trices qui après un petit séjour s’autoproclament experts culturels de la Russie tout en avouant naïvement ne pas parler russe.
Leur insistance à promouvoir leur blog devient lassante.
Né en 1944, j’ai pendant ma jeunesse entendu évoquer les batailles que vous relatez avec talent.
C’est donc tout naturellement que je me suis intéressé à cette période en consultant régulièrement un forum que vous devez connaitre puisque l’on y discute des auteurs que vous citez :
Je n’ai pas bien compris le sens de votre dernière remarque :
J’ai aussi été à Stalingrad, mais le voyage est un peu frustrant en terme d'adhésion à cette grande victoire
Est-ce à dire que l’expansion urbaine a fait disparaître les théâtres d’engagements ?
Cordialement
Jacques
J'ai bien remarqué que la personne que vous mentionnez vous marquait à la culotte lorsque vous postiez quelque chose sur SPB ou Moscou. C'est un peu enfantin certes, mais elle est aussi très serviable.
Remarquez la sociologie de VF: Vous avez les Maîtres de rubrique, c'est ce que veut devenir la personne concernée sur la Russie; la rubrique où la compétition est la plus féroce est l'aviation. Sur le Vietnam il y avait des bagarres homériques entre deux personnes. Sur Pensées... une personne répondait automatiquement à tout nouveau sujet et le jaugeait conforme ou non conforme à la bien pensance du matin. S'il y avait des soupçon de racisme ou d'extrême droite 2 autres personnes venaient à la rescousse.Heureusement ces personnes se sont fait plus discrètes.
Mon plaisir c'est de lire une belle expression, concise, lapidaire, je pense à une personne, un homme qui peut vous exécuter d'une phrase sans appel, et j'aime l'expression féminine et je pense à deux personne dont je guète les apparitions. L'expression féminine est déroutante et charmante.
Quant à moi je suis un scientifique, écrivain frustré de ne pas atteindre au niveau de ceux que j'admire. Alors pour ne pas être trop sec dans mon récit, j'invente des histoires de femmes.
Revenons à Stalingrad:
Vous serez d'accord avec moi, qu'un voyageur qui a passé 3 jours dans un endroit, Stalingrad en l'occurence ne peut en retirer que des impressions. Je ne suis donc pas une autorité sur Stalingrad.
J'ai eu l'impression que la bataille de Stalingrad, ce n'était pas le truc des habitants. Il y a des monuments commémoratifs de pacotille qui rouillent; la grande célébration est faite au Mamaev Kurgan; en fait de célébration, c'est la célébration de l'Union soviétique. Le complexe en béton armé se décatit.Le musée de Stalingrad est entouré d'avions de combat dont l'isolation thermique baille sur le dehors.
Crime magistral pour moi, c'est d'avoir détruit la maison bastion du Sergent Popov et de n'en avoir laissé qu'un pan de mur au profit de HLM. Si vous ajoutez à cela que la mythique Usine de Tracteurs a été coupée en deux pour accueillir un magasin Séphora, vous réalisez que ce n'est vraiment pas leur truc. Mais à Koursk, la bataille, la victoire, les Musées impeccables, c'est leur truc.
Stalingrad est à la limite de la Tartarie, et il y aurait moins de Russes: Ceci explique t'il celà? La visite de Stalingrad est un peu désolante.
Oui l'expansion urbaine a fait disparaître beaucoup de vestiges, d'ailleurs la ville nouvelle est construite sur un charnier.
A la lecture de votre message on remarque deux choses:
La première est que vous avez été pleinement accepté; on a cette sensation d'être de la famille ou d'être amis depuis toujours.
La deuxième est que vous décrivez une communauté dans cette ville, unie par un même élan, un même partage, allons y pour les gros mots: "une même patrie".
J'espère sincèrement que tu renouvelleras l'exercice du récit de voyage, le rôle de conteur te va comme un gant. J'ai beaucoup aimé. C'est original, instructif, sensible. Et trop court. 🙂
D'accord, ce sera prêt bientôt. En attendant je distille quelques photos de mon voyage; mais j'ai des difficultés avec mon Apple, il m'a fait disparaître quelques photos, je pars à la pêche à l'intérieur de la bête .
J'ai aussi écrit sur la Corée du Nord, c'est assez marrant, et sur Auschwitz c'est vraiment tragique.
En PJ une photo du tombeur du Maréchal Model et de Svetlana.
J'ai beaucoup aimé votre texte. Parfait, documenté et laissant voir vos interprétations (très justes) et interrogations. Je pense que j'irai à Koursk lors de mon prochain voyage. Concernant les réflexions sur Staline elles ne m'étonnent pas vraiment. Il y a un courant de pensée en Russie qui parle de plus en plus ouvertement de sa réhabilitation. Ceci est très choquant pour nous. Mais il faut se rappeler que lors du XX congres du pc en février 56 quand Khrouchtchev a dénoncé les exactions de Staline il a pris soin d'indiquer que cela était du au culte de la personnalité qu'avait développé Staline (ce n'est d'ailleurs que son surnom dérivé du mot stal, le métal) en exonérant le parti et les structures étatiques de toutes responsabilités. Aujourd'hui je crois que cet argument vaut toujours, d'autant plus que la célébration de la grande guerre patriotique est un ciment d'unité nationale et qu'il est difficile d'en dissocier Staline meme si ses qualités de tacticien restent critiquables...Concernant Volgograd je crois qu'il faut assister a une relève de la garde dans la grande crypte sous Mamaiev Kourgane pour comprendre la blessure russe.
Cordialement.
"Il faut toujours viser la lune, car même en cas d’échec, on atterrit dans les étoiles" Oscar Wilde
USA 2014 / ECOSSE 2015 / ESPAGNE 2017 / USA 2018 / Bientôt Madère2021&Lanzarote2025
Je suis étonné par ce que vous me dites d'une résurgence de l'image de Staline. Est ce le fait d'un petit parti? ou du Parti communiste? Staline n'est pas du genre de Vladimir Vladimirovich qui s'est soigneusement éloigné de son passé communiste et qui se met sous la protection de l'Eglise.
L'URSS a été totalement nettoyée de toute manifestation de Staline; la seule statue qui reste à ma connaissance est sur sa tombe. Il reste encore des vestiges de Dzerzinski, dont une place et une statue devant l'usine de tracteurs de Volgograd. Dans une ville de la région de Koursk il y avait aussi une place Dzerzinski, je m'en étonnais auprès de Svetlana. Elle m'a répondu que c'était comme cela, "on ne peut pas effacer tout le passé, et qu'il appartient à l'histoire de la Russie". Je n'ai pas voulu entrer dans une discussion et ne pas jouer au savant qui en saurait plus qu'une citoyenne locale, j'ai rompu là; de plus l'enjeu n'en valait pas la peine. Mais son argument ne tient pas, car Béria aussi appartient à l'Histoire, il n'y a plus une seule manifestation visible de cet homme.
Mon idée est que Svetlana, ayant environ 60 ans (J'espère qu'elle ne saura pas que je donne son âge publiquement, de toutes façons son vrai prénom n'est pas Svetlana); du temps de l'URSS, elle a du être une petite Pionnière, avec son petit foulard rouge et des pompons blancs sur ses nattes, et on a du lui bourrer le crâne avec les exploits de conduite de la Grande Guerre Patriotique par le Petit Père des Peuples.
Si Svetlana admire Staline, c'est qu'elle ignore nécessairement les millions de morts causés par cet odieux personnage, et accessoirement Lénine, par fait d'exécutions et de famines immenses. Car c'est une femme de coeur. Un lycéen de chez nous, attentif à son cours d'Histoire, sait tout cela.
J'ai vu sur une photo qu'il s'était attribué 4 fois la distinction de Héros de l'Union Soviétique, vues les 4 décorations accrochées sur sa vareuse, c'est beaucoup pour récompenser ses âneries militaires sanglantes, et ses meurtres.
Bonjour, un régal ce carnet de voyage et très intéressants tous ces renseignements on ignore tant de choses en France sur les batailles sanglantes au combien menées par l' URSS.
Lors de notre voyage en Slovaquie, aux alentours de Svidnik, partout des cimetières militaires? arrivés à Svidnik on est étonnés de voir une ville entièrement nouvelle et, à la sortie de la ville, un musée militaire à ciel ouvert où l'on peut voir un Dakota US avec l'étoile rouge cotoyant divers matériel militaire( camion, chars, remorque armée... ) Un panneau indique sobrement qu'il s'agit de matériel ayant participé à la bataille du col de Dukla.
Il a fallu qu'on attende d'être revenus en France pour que renseignements pris, nous apprenions que cette bataille avait engagé 300.000 Russe d'un coté et 300.000 allemands de l'autre; que cette bataille était décisive aussi bien pour un camp que pour l'autre puisqu'elle allait ouvrir à l'URSS la route vers le sud et qu'elle avait "t" immensément meurtrière aussi bien pour les uns que pour les autres ainsi que pour les populations locales les deux bourgs qui composaient entièrement Svidnik ayant été totalement détruit d'où l'aspect "ville nouvelle" .
Notre prochain "long voyage", environ 6 mois sera en Russie Montpellier-Moscou-Lac Baïkal et rentrer par sans doute la Mongolie et les "Stan" le tout avec notre fourgon ! Va falloir qu'on lise beaucoup 😉
Catherine
" La lucidité est la blessure la plus proche du soleil" René Char
Je viens de relire votre texte avec le meme plaisir. En ce qui concerne Normandie Niemen, cette escadrille a été envoyée en Russie par De Gaulle qui voulait que la france soit présente sur tous les fronts. Il s'agissait de pilotes Français stationnés en Syrie et dépourvus de moyens. Le souvenir est toujours vivace en Russie (http://mongolie.routesetcultures.fr/2011/06/mariage-ishim.html) où j'ai été invité de façon impromptue à un mariage par le père de la mariée qui connaissait très bien l'histoire de cette escadrille. Le dernier pilote est décédé en 2012.(http://mongolie.routesetcultures.fr/2011/12/souvenirsnormandie-niemen.html).
Bonjour, je viens d'ajouter votre blog à ma "doc Russie" je pense qu'il nous sera très utile de le lire. Sinon, c'est un joli souvenir que vous racontez. Une de ces rencontres si réjouissantes qu'on peut faire en voyage.
Catherine
" La lucidité est la blessure la plus proche du soleil" René Char
Je n'imaginais pas ces combats soviéto-allemands, et puis réflexion faite, c'est logique puisque les Soviétiques ont communisé toutes leurs conquêtes, dont la Yougoslavie.
Bon courage pour un magnifique voyage à venir; mon taxi français à Moscou m'avait dit que les poids lourds russes étaient assez rudes. Je pense que cela ne doit pas vous faire peur.
J'ai bien aimé Iasnaïa Poliana près de Tula pour Tolstoï et Velikhie Novgorod; cette dernière ville est au programme de tout visiteur je pense. Et puis la Carélie; il y a de bons carnets de voyage sur ce sujet sur VF en ce moment; j'aime beaucoup Valaam et Solovski, et Kiji. Kazan me tente bien, mais cela commence à être loin.
"Pilotes stationnés en Syrie" je vois Romain Gary à Palmyre, mais il n'a pas combattu en Syrie, de toutes façons il a du apprécier de s'échapper de la Lituanie et de l'influence russe et n'aurait pas aimé y retourner.
J'ai aimé le mariage et votre récit, on est immédiatement adopté! Je vais dérouler votre voyage ce soir, je retournerai au pays comme cela (Mon 2ème pays quand même). Cette Russie hors de Moscou ou SPB, offre un petit parfum d'aventure, les choses ne se trouvent pas où on les attend, il faut se renseigner, il faut s'adapter...Ce n'est plus un long fleuve tranquille.
J'ai lu rapidement le lien sur Normandie Niemen et j'ai fait des calculs rapides: Avec le même matériel le "Yak" les Français abattent 10 Allemands pour un Français, et à Koursk d'après ma littérature, les Allemands abattent 10 Soviétiques pour un Allemand.
Les Russes ne sont pas plus bêtes ou moins courageux que les Français. Je vois dans cet énorme différentiel entre Russes et les Français un énorme décalage d'entrainement. Ces malheureux pilotes russes ont été instruits à la va-vite.
Et je lis encore qu'à l'époque actuelle seul un pilote très entrainé donne le meilleur des avions modernes et tellement plus complexes qu'à la WW2. (Dont les fulgurants chasseurs russes, rois du ciel pour le moment).
Voici une petite galerie de photos de la Russie militaire: Pour la couronne devant le Musée de la Victoire à Moscou le doute demeure, car la Chancelière d"Allemagne était bien le 10 Mai 2015 à Moscou.
Avec plaisir !! Paulus vs Tchouikov/Joukov, où le destin du Caucase s'est joué.
JF
"Il faut toujours viser la lune, car même en cas d’échec, on atterrit dans les étoiles" Oscar Wilde
USA 2014 / ECOSSE 2015 / ESPAGNE 2017 / USA 2018 / Bientôt Madère2021&Lanzarote2025
C'est bientôt prêt. Je ne ferai pas revivre la bataille, mais je montrerai les quelques traces que le voyageur peut trouver et ma désillusion. Le récit de la bataille se vit dans "Vie et Destin", particulièrement l'épisode de l'attaque du QG soviétique dans le grand ravin, avec Tchouikov justement. Pauvre ravin, site d'actions héroïques, aujourd'hui terrain vague, submergé par les herbes folles. Il y a des endroits sur Terre, où on ne respecte rien.
😊, Ben si.... un peu .... mais c'est souvent comme ça lorsqu'on attaque un voyage dans les conditions où nous aimons voyager.
Là on prépare le départ ne sera que pour avril 2020, on a tout notre temps !
Catherine
" La lucidité est la blessure la plus proche du soleil" René Char
J'ai roulé avec le taxi français, de Moscou à Tula, c'était chargé, mais dans la région de Koursk c'était calme et les routes magnifiques. Peut être pourriez vous contacter Bruno le chauffeur français pour vous rassurer?
C'est le champion de Moscou: il a deux GPS différents et il se joue des embouteillages.
Sinon, il y a bien des personnes de VF qui ont conduit en Russie.
🙂 C'est plus l'état des routes qui nous interroge. Notre fourgon est à traction avant et on en a pas mal "bavé" sur les pistes boueuses en Amérique du sud mais bon, on verra bien !
😇 Bon ? et ce carnet sur Stalingrad ?
Catherine
" La lucidité est la blessure la plus proche du soleil" René Char
Les grands axes sont bons, surtout dans la région de Moscou. Les routes "secondaires" sont parfois simplement damées. Entre mon premier voyage et celui de cette année j'ai constaté une nette amélioration.( http://mongolie.routesetcultures.fr/2011/08/conduire-en-russie-ukraine-mongolie-27.html) Pas de soucis surtout si tu as déjà parcouru l’Amérique du sud.
Je connais au moins une statue du "petit père des peuples" au mémorial de Dolina Slavy entre Mourmansk et Spoutnik.
J'ai souvent été surpris de voir des voitures arborant un auto-collant le remerciant pour "l'ensemble de son oeuvre"... 😕
Le patriotisme reste visiblement un ressort très puissant de la société russe, plus fort que le souvenir des millions de sacrifiés du goulag et de la "grande guerre patriotique".
L'apanage de la dernière société "blanche" de la planète ?
Je ne connais qu'une statue de Staline, c'est celle qui est au dessus de sa tombe près du mur du Kremlin.
Bravo, belle découverte.
Je parle avec les Russes, comme si je marchais sur des oeufs; c'est à dire que je ne vais pas faire leur éducation et leur en remontrer. En particulier comment leur dire que la Grande Guerre Patriotique à ses débuts a été menée de façon totalement stupide, et que des millions de soldats sont morts pour rien au combat ou prisonniers. Il a fallu l'arrivée de Joukov qui a pris la mesure de l'ennemi, pour lui couper les griffes et le détruire.
Cette amnésie au sujet des crimes de Staline, est bien surprenante.
Vous êtes allé jusqu'à Mourmansk! J'ai bien aimé la ville et sa joie de vivre dans les parcs. Les habitants profitaient sans doute à fond des mois avec du jour.
Dans la nuit j'ai observé le soleil descendre, tangenter l'horizon et remonter. La page de l'éphéméride fourni par l'hôtel mentionnait bien une absence de temps de nuit ce jour là.
S'agissant du saillant de Koursk, j'arrête là: Model a été arrêté au Nord, et Von Manstein n'a pu effectuer ses prodiges habituels; ils se sont tous les deux retirés en bon ordre, et moi aussi.
C'est sans compter sur Svetlana qui m'a proposé de visiter les champs de bataille de la suite de Koursk avec mon fils: La contre-attaque de l'excellent Joukov contre les "facistes" partait d'Orel et de Belgorod (ou de Kharkov, je ne sais plus). Si je la laisse faire, Svetlana me conduira sur les pas de son Armée victorieuse, jusqu'à Berlin!
Je pourrai alors écrire à nouveau un petit récit. Et puis pourquoi négliger le siège de Léningrad, et la bataille de Moscou où les Allemands ont perdu la guerre car ils ont arrêté la Blitzkrieg, si dévastatrice à cet endroit?
A vrai dire je ne suis pas un grand passionné par les batailles mais depuis que j'habite en Australie, il y a une exception. En effet, ici en plus de Gallipoli en Turquie il existe un autre exploit héroïque des troupes australiennes, celui-ci en Papouasie Nouvelle Guinée appelé "Kokoda Track Campaign" Le lien est en anglais mais je suis sur qu'il existe en francais ou au moins un résumé.
Régulièrement des voyages commémoratifs sont organisès par différentes agences mais ce voyage demandent beacoup d'efforts physiques et une bourse déjà bien remplie...
Mais j'avoue de ce truc est sur ma bucket list depuis des années...
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"So, my little wanderers, back at the decks? What’s this mystery destination you’ve got in store for us at the start of the year?"
Yes, the schoolyard bell’s ringing again! We’re hitting the road... or rather, the skies! At first glance, our destination might surprise more than a few. First off, simply because I was here exactly twenty years ago, and I don’t usually like retracing my own footsteps. Secondly, because the name of this place screams mass tourism—basically the opposite of what Flo and I look for.
Despite that, in this land of backsheesh, I’d promised myself I’d come back one day to experience it my way. And since Flo told me, during our wanderer chats, that this destination straddling Africa and the Middle East was in her top 2 travel dreams, the stars aligned for this roots-style trip to quickly make it onto our pharaonic festivities program! Unless you’re totally clueless in general knowledge, you’ve probably guessed by now—we’re off to Egypt! Of course, a few classics will be on our itinerary, but above all, we want to soak up a culture that can’t be appreciated in four-star resorts or on a Nile cruise boat. And let’s be clear, these next two weeks won’t be a walk in the park—neither for our two daughters who are joining us, nor for our bodies!
And that’s clear from the get-go: after our first flight, eight hours of trying (and failing) to sleep on Milan airport’s metal seats, our second flight, landing, passport stamps, our Uber ride, and our first Cairo kilometers, we finally drop our exhaustion at the little guesthouse we booked in Giza. Doesn’t all that energy deserve a little reward?
Oh, absolutely! And here it is: a full-on slap in the face for everyone! But just look at this view from our hotel terrace? For 20 € a night for four, even with this incredible view, I figured the room must be pretty shabby, right? Nope... Is the staff rude, then? Nope... Okay, so what’s the catch? You’re gonna tell me breakfast is included too? Well, yes! Honestly, this Egypt trip is off to a great start.
And the rest of the afternoon, spent rubbing shoulders with locals, only confirmed this vibe. After digesting our pyramid view, we dove into the hustle and bustle of our neighborhood with the goal of exchanging money, eating at street stalls, and testing the hospitality of the locals. Ten out of ten!
Eight little sun breads with baba ganoush and falafel? 80 pounds, or 1.5 €. A dozen Middle Eastern pastries? Same! 80 pounds! Two hawawshis, those little pita breads stuffed with meat and spices? 10 pounds each, or about twenty cents! Not to mention all those smiles and free "welcomes" left and right!!!
What a welcome! We end this first day with a sunset over the three sisters of Giza—where we’ll obviously be gawking tomorrow...
If I close my eyes and think of the Sultanate of Oman, I first smell a light scent of incense, feel the warmth of a sunbeam on my skin, before sand slips through my fingers. I taste the sweetness of a date, a real candy, then the flavor of coffee with a hint of cardamom and rosewater... I hear the desert wind whistling in my ears, the distant call of a muezzin, then the murmur of water. I open my eyes to see smiles, welcoming gestures, a turquoise sea, rocks ranging from ochre to purple, deep wadis where torrents burst forth, orange dunes, white sandy beaches where tiny crabs scurry at full speed. I see incredible oases emerging between arid mountains. I see abandoned villages that I’d dream were full of life, imposing fortresses overlooking valleys, and lively souks where offers are delicate and negotiation is a mutual courtesy.
All that, and so much more.
This is what I tried to capture in my illustrated travel journal, which I’ll fill in here and there with photos.
I drew this journal “cold,” after my return (actually, I made it this summer, while our trip was last winter). It’s a pretty special format—I bought it in Japan without really knowing what I’d do with it. Well, it found its purpose! Below is a photo of this accordion-style journal: here, it’s only partially open, because when fully unfolded, it’s 5 meters long!
For drawing enthusiasts: The accordion format is both a constraint (each sheet is 9 cm x 27 cm) and a freedom (you can create a fresco). The paper is also a bit special: it doesn’t allow for fine lines, but it takes ink well (liner pen). However, everything has to be done almost in one go (with a very light pencil sketch) because it erases poorly. It absorbs too much water for coloring with markers or watercolors (unless you avoid soaking it), but it works well with oil pastels and their use with a brush and solvent. Since it’s yellowish, it allowed me to create contrasts even with white pastel.
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Oman is one of the world’s largest producers of frankincense resin. Incense burners are everywhere, from the simplest clay ones to the most precious handcrafted silver ones...
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
The latest travel journal about Turkmenistan dates back to 2019. Here’s a quick update on this vast desert country, which is now a bit easier to visit than before.
This is my first travel journal. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. The country is slowly opening up, but it’s still possible to visit sites where you’ll be completely alone. In five days, I saw two Hongkongers, a few Germans, and a Chilean at the crater, ten Chinese people in a capital bazaar, and that’s it!
It’s possible to visit Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan. The easiest and most economical way is to take a taxi to the border from Bukhara. The trip takes a little over an hour.
Crossing the border takes quite a while because many Turkmen bring back items bought in Uzbekistan to resell in Turkmenistan. For example, diapers, baby products, or beauty products.
It took me over 2.5 hours to cross the border. To visit Turkmenistan, it’s mandatory to have a guide and go through a travel agency. British agencies often offer three-, five-, or seven-day trips for over 1,500 or 2,000 €.
But if your budget is more limited, you can contact a few Turkmen agencies directly by email, and they’ll make you an offer between 700 and 1,300 € for three to seven days. I took a five-day trip from Turkmenabat in the northeast of the country to Dashoguz in the north. The goal was to visit the main UNESCO-listed sites, including Merv, and archaeological sites like Nisa or Gonur Tepe.
Your guide will also be your driver. They’ll pick you up at the border. The formalities are very long because customs officers have to stamp multiple documents, and obtaining the visa you previously requested from your travel agency requires several checks. But the process goes relatively smoothly, even if each step takes a while.
Once on the other side, the first surprise is the brand-new highway all the way to Turkmenabat. A very long line of trucks stretches for several kilometers on the Turkmen side to cross the border into Uzbekistan. According to my guide, Turkmen trucks transport gas and cotton (though not this season, since the harvest is in September), but they mainly fill up their tanks because fuel is much cheaper in Turkmenistan. A full tank for a car costs about 3 €, which is unbeatable.
From the Farap border post, the goal is to reach the city of Mary, which is home to the UNESCO-listed site of Merv in its suburbs, about thirty kilometers away. This city is known as a foundation by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC under the name Alexandria of Margiana. Several fortresses are visible.
After more than three hours on the road, we have lunch at a Turkish restaurant called Aladdin. Several quotes from the president are visible along the highway, but the road is in good condition, and we move along easily. This will be by far the best road in the country—things will get much worse later.
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
Hi everyone, we're back from a DIY USA road trip we organized from July 31, 2026, to August 26, 2026.
The destination: The Southwest USA, including Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Roughly 7,000 kilometers covered.
The car: A Chevrolet Equinox for two, rented through BSP Auto and Avis. Inside, we had 2 suitcases, a travel bag, two carry-on bags, a Walmart cooler, photo gear, and water bottles (a 40-pack).
The route: Dallas DFW, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Alpine, El Paso, Tucson, Sedona, Albuquerque, Amarillo, and back to Dallas to finish with a departure from DFW.
The travelers: Two seniors well advanced in years (73 and 75) but still active (nothing too physically demanding—to stay alive and fund our trips), fully independent physically, though a bit less so mentally. Big USA fans, a country where anything is possible. More walkers than hikers, preferring 3-star hotels over roadside motels, Italian restaurants over US food, frequent stops for photos, museums over nothing, naps over forced marches. Not too whiny, just enough to stay French in the land of the "great Satan," as they say.
Not great with languages—street English (but handy), and my Spanish is non-existent except for: "Hola! Una cerveza por favor!" That’s about it. My wife understands everything but refuses to speak.
The cost of the road trip: Around 12,000 €, including AF flights, the car, gas, gifts, visits, and everything else. Well managed, since we’d budgeted 13,500 € initially.
The positive side: A delight, with those endless open roads. Museums to discover. The realization of the Hispanic presence and its important history in this part of America. Lovely locals. Tourists who were more or less friendly. A terrible Texan accent that was hard to understand. Gas stations that were like real stores, with prepared food, alcohol sold in Arizona and New Mexico, and employees who were always up for a laugh!
The negative side: The heat throughout the trip... 43°C in Dallas at the end. Impossible to walk the streets. Lots of homeless people in downtown Dallas. Hotel breakfasts that were always the same. You get used to it.
So, it was positive overall, but the concept is starting to wear us out. We might rethink the DIY road trip model for next time. If the man upstairs grants us more time.
Next up, we’ll wait for the first batch of sorted photos to go through the wringer.
My buddy Christian and I (Patrick) are off for 28 days in Argentina in March.
We’ve already shared several trips as a duo (Bolivia Peru, Namibia, Laos, Costa Rica).
Since we’re starting from the idea that at our age (65) we won’t be coming back here—there are just too many other corners of the world to discover—we did the "grand tour" of Argentina, with 6 domestic flights to make the most of our 28 days.
Here are our stops:
1) Departure from Brussels to Buenos Aires via Madrid
2) Arrival and first contact with Buenos Aires
3) Early morning flight to Ushuaia. Boat trip on the Beagle Channel
4) Ushuaia: hikes in Tierra del Fuego National Park
5) Ushuaia: last hike and flight to El Calafate
6) El Calafate to El Chaltén by bus. First hike
7) El Chaltén: hike
8) El Chaltén: hike
9) El Chaltén: hike and bus back to El Calafate
10) El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier
11) Flight to Bariloche. Car rental and surrounding areas
12) Seven Lakes Region
13) Nahuel Huapi National Park region
14) Flight to Salta. Car rental
15) To Tilcara
16) To Humahuaca
17) To Purmamarca
18) To Jujuy via the salt flats
19) To Cafayate
20) Around Cafayate
21) To Cachi
22) Back to Salta
23) Flight to Iguazu
24) Waterfalls on the Argentine side
25) Waterfalls on the Brazilian side and flight to Buenos Aires
26) Buenos Aires
27) Return flight
28) Morning arrival
Happy reading!..
After as many weeks as I have fingers on my right hand, we're hitting the road again, fully recovered from our pharaonic adventure. Back in France to drop off our daughters (sorry, girls!), this time it's just the two of us, ready to be welcomed by a new destination. They say it offers one of the richest cultural heritages in the world for those willing to put in the effort. It's the land of the ancient Silk Road, where we'll follow a journey steeped in history and discoveries straight out of *One Thousand and One Nights*. A former Soviet bloc region independent only since 1991, we'll be walking in the footsteps of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Alexander the Great, Marco Polo...
Another fun fact about this country: it's strictly forbidden to import porn on your phone. True story. The same goes for painkillers! Unless it's about sodomy—though the two don’t seem connected, that’s just how it is. Don’t ask me why! Anyway, I’m getting off track. Here’s the big question: Where do you think we’ve just landed?... To give you a hint, the locals are known for being incredibly welcoming. No sooner said than done—our first taxi driver, proud to transport French travelers, refused to let us pay for the ride. Great vibes for these two weeks ahead. So, any guesses?
Uzbekistan!!!
"How about a Christmas market this year, huh? A little romantic weekend getaway...
- Yes! That’d be cool! Strasbourg? Colmar?
- Feels a bit déjà vu, doesn’t it? Plus, slim chance of snow there... And I’d love something a bit more exotic with a touch of originality..."
"Okay, Google, give me the list of the five most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe.
- In fifth place, the Christmas market in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
- Save your breath! Lithuania, here we come!"
We wanted cold, and cold is exactly what we got the moment we set foot in this new, unknown land. As for landscapes, forests and lakes stretch as far as the eye can see across this vast plain, its vegetation scorched by the frost of a winter that’s clearly already well underway here.
Lakes, in fact, set the scene for our first visit to Trakai Castle, whose brick-red towers and walls rise proudly against the azure sky of our first day. Lakes, because this castle was built on an island and is only accessible on foot via a series of walkways spanning half-frozen lake offshoots. I couldn’t have picked a better spot to build my castle! Translation: We’re totally sold! Proof is we spend two hours hiking around the area, alternating between forests, reeds, and cozy houses tastefully decorated for Christmas.
I’m sharing a little recap of this new 4-week trip to China—nothing fancy, just my experience.
We’re taking advantage of the extended visa exemption to return to China for the 4th time. I loved last summer’s trip so much that I’m a bit worried about being disappointed this year. Plus, I’ve had a few hiccups before this departure: my WeChat account got blocked, and I couldn’t recover it (luckily, Alipay still works fine); I couldn’t verify my 12306 account for weeks; Trip.com failed to book our second train; and I’ve got an injury that’ll slow me down during the trip... Ugh, I hate starting a trip with these kinds of issues. Then, oh surprise! Just before leaving, my 12306 account got verified! Super easy to use from that point on—I could book a few train tickets without fees.
We’re sticking with Free’s e-SIMs, which work great in China.
August 2–3
Anyway, on the morning of August 2nd, we took the RER to CDG. As usual, we couldn’t check in online. It’s always a bit frustrating, especially since we didn’t have any checked luggage. We flew with Air China. We arrived at the check-in counter at 9:50 AM, 2 hours and 40 minutes before the flight. The line for our check-in stretched 300 meters across the airport in both directions. What a joke!! We spent 1 hour and 45 minutes in that line just to reach the counter and get our boarding passes. By then, it was 11:35 AM, and boarding had already started at 11:20 AM. The screens showed a 25-minute walk to our gate—on the other side of the airport, of course—plus we had to go through passport control and security... Long story short, the plane didn’t leave without us 🙂 We boarded among the last passengers, and we took off at 12:30 PM. We’d flown Air China four times before, but this time, it felt *really* low-cost. The check-in chaos, the cramped seats (12 seats per row), no music by artists known outside China, mediocre food, and a boarding area at Beijing Airport with only 10 seats—worthy of Ryanair or EasyJet. And yet, the price was sky-high. Again, D.’s vacation requests were denied outside of July and August, so we’re traveling from August 2nd to 30th. We couldn’t have picked a worse time for inflated prices, and with the situation in Iran, we got hit with a 390 € fuel surcharge. I’ve never paid so much for flights—I felt like I’d bought business class, but nope, far from it!!
We landed in Beijing around 4:15 AM. It was 28°C with thick fog. We drove and drove and drove for 20 minutes, as usual in Beijing. Then we went through a first check, a second check, a third check, and waited for our connecting flight at 6:40 AM. A small Airbus A320, but way more space than in the Boeing 777 from the first flight. We landed in Kunming, Yunnan, around 10:15 AM in the rain.
We headed to the subway. You can’t pay at the machines with Alipay here either, so we set up the transport QR code directly in Alipay to scan at the subway gates. The process is a bit long the first time if you haven’t entered your info before, but once it’s done, it’s *so* much easier! We took Line 6 to the terminus for 6 yuan each.
We’d booked a hotel nearby, on the 16th floor. It’s actually studios on different floors of a huge residential building. The view’s pretty nice from here. We settled in quickly—back to those wooden beds, or rather, mattresses as hard as wood, which we *hadn’t* missed...
Then we went out for our first bowl of noodles of the trip and wandered through the shopping streets of the old town.
It was crowded, and the weather was cool—around 19–20°C. We tried a local specialty: milk skin, thick, dried, then grilled with rose jam. Yeah... we won’t be having that again. The taste and texture of the milk skin... no thanks.
We saw a lot of wild mushroom hotpot too. It’s on our list for later. We also passed through the Jinma and Biji gates, where I played with reflections in puddles. I *love* doing that 🙂
At the end of the day, we headed to a temple advertised as open 24/7 on Amap. Of course, when we got there, it was closed. We’ll go back tomorrow. That was the first of many disappointments with Amap this trip—I hadn’t had that issue on previous visits.
We were exhausted after that sleepless flight. Night was falling, and we decided to grab a quick bite without much appetite. We shared a delicious vegetable fried rice for 12 yuan—we even left half of it. The portions are *huge*.
After a couple of small purchases, we headed back at 9 PM, wiped out, after walking 17 km between the airports and these first steps in Kunming. I expected to see quite a few Western travelers here, but we didn’t spot a single one. Instead, we met lots of curious Chinese people, many of them super friendly and helpful—almost *too* eager, like when they’d run to serve us as fast as possible. It’s a bit much, but it’s great to be back!
Hi everyone, I’m Patrick, 67 years old, a seasoned traveler (already 22 trips outside Europe).
In autumn 2025, I took my first 3-week trip to Japan, with stops in Tokyo, Kamakura, Matsumoto, Kamikochi, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Koyasan, Tokyo again, and Nikko.
I wanted to go back in May 2026 and explore some lesser-known places to complement my first trip.
Last year, there were four of us traveling together to discover Japan (a fairly classic itinerary). This time, I’ll be traveling solo for part of the trip and with a couple of French friends for the rest.
The weather was gorgeous in May, averaging around 25°C, with two very hot days in Kyoto and only two rainy days.
As usual, I organized everything myself, gathering plenty of information from various sites, including this one.
Transportation:
An ICOCA card is essential.
I got a 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima pass because I took the shinkansen between Hiroshima and Osaka three times, and it paid for itself quickly.
Accommodations:
Mostly through Booking. No issues at all. Average cost was 46 € per night.
Meals:
For breakfast, I alternated between buying food at a konbini to eat in my room or on the train and grabbing something at local cafés.
For lunch and dinner, I tried to vary my meals as much as possible—lots of sashimi, sushi, and ramen.
Okonomiyaki in Osaka and Hiroshima.
Oysters in every form (raw, grilled, fried) in Onomichi and Hiroshima.
A variety of seafood (shrimp, shellfish) in Hiroshima and Matsumoto.
Fish whose names often escaped me, but notably mackerel and eel (unagi).
Tempura and gyoza.
Chicken skewers (yakitori) and one teppanyaki meal.
One omakase meal (9 different dishes).
In the end, not much meat aside from a few yakitori skewers. No splurges on super expensive wagyu or Kobe beef.
Average dinner cost: 4,800 yen, drinks included.
The Itinerary:
Day 1: Departure from Brussels
Day 2: Arrival in Osaka
Day 3: To Himeji, then Kurashiki
Day 4: To Fukuyama, then Tomo no Ura, then Onomichi
Day 5: Cycling the Shimanami Kaido
Day 6: To Takahara, then Hiroshima
Day 7: To Kyoto to attend the Aoi Matsuri parade
Day 8: To Miyajima
Day 9: Hiroshima, then Kyoto
Day 10: Southern Kyoto
Day 11: Northern Kyoto
Day 12: Final day in Kyoto, then to Nagatsugawa
Day 13: Start of the Nakasendo Trail (Magome to Tsumago)
Day 14: Second day of the trail (Kiso Fukushima)
Day 15: Third day of the trail (Narai), then Matsumoto
Day 16: To Mt. Fuji (Kawaguchiko)
Day 17: To Tokyo
Day 18: Excursion to Enoshima and Kamakura
Day 19: Flight home, with a 10-hour layover in Hong Kong
Day 20: Arrival in Brussels
This time, I landed in Monastir on a direct flight from Nice, again with Tunisair. We left about ten minutes late, and the flight lasted around 1 hour 30 minutes. A meal was served on board (cucumber salad with Edam-like cheese, carrots, and two small portions of dishes I couldn’t identify—semolina with peppers, olives, and parsley, two small rolls, a square of processed cheese, and a chocolate cake). It’s worth noting because it’s not common on flights this short.
In February, France and Tunisia were in the same time zone, but now Tunisia is one hour behind. This time difference and the flight duration work perfectly for a short 15-day trip since it takes me a few days to adjust to jet lag.
Luckily, I’d asked my hotel about the taxi fare from the airport because the drivers (there were several around me) didn’t hesitate to quote outrageous prices. The actual fare is 20 dinars, but one asked for 120 dinars. I refused, and another offered 60 dinars. I replied, "That’s too expensive—I’ll take the metro!" (Having tried the Tunis metro, I had no desire to repeat the experience in Monastir with a suitcase!). I started walking toward the metro, and one of the drivers caught up with me, saying, "20 dinars is fine!" I’ll skip the details, but the negotiation took a little while.
When I arrived at the hotel, I told the receptionist someone had asked for 120 dinars. He put his hands to his head and said, "They’re awful!" He remembered our phone call two days earlier when I’d booked (he’s the one who told me I could take the metro).
The Mezri Hotel isn’t expensive. I got a sea-view room for 75 dinars (22 €). (I’d booked a balcony room for 90 dinars but wouldn’t have had time to enjoy it.) It’s well-located but noisy because there’s no double glazing.
The receptionist is a very kind older gentleman. He called a friend whose wife is from Tozeur to find out if I should take a bus or a *louage* tomorrow and what time.
I arrived at the hotel around 7:00 PM and had time to stroll along the corniche to the ribat. Despite some run-down buildings, the seaside seemed livelier and cheerier than Sousse’s.
Monastir is the hometown of former president Bourguiba. I passed his mausoleum by taxi. There are Tunisian flags along the avenue by the sea because every year on April 6—the anniversary of Habib Bourguiba’s death—the president of the Republic visits the Bourguiba Mausoleum in Monastir to pay respects.
The taxi driver mentioned other Tunisian presidents. He complained about rising prices and insecurity, blaming President Kaïs Saïed (I’d already heard that security was better under Ben Ali).
At the end of my stay, I’ll take time to explore Monastir, but tomorrow morning, I’m off to Tozeur—a long bus ride awaits me.
With my girlfriend Christelle, we’ve chosen South Africa for our first trip to Southern Africa, focusing on safaris—after a long debate with a Cape Town/Kruger combo.
But that would’ve meant cutting out St Lucia, which would’ve been harder to fit into another trip.
And St Lucia—thanks to Michel and all those travel journals—we really wanted to go there.
So our 11-night itinerary ended up like this, mostly shaped by school holidays:
- 3 nights in St Lucia
- 1 night in Hluhluwe
- 1 night at Mkhaya Game Reserve (Eswatini)
- 1 night at Hlane Royal National Park (Eswatini)
- 3 nights in Kruger (Berg en Dal / Satara / Tamboti)
- 1 night at Shindzela Tented Camp in the Timbavati private reserve
- 1 final night in Kruger at Lower Sabie
All of this in the off-season and rainy season, just a month after catastrophic floods that killed over 150 people and seriously damaged Kruger’s infrastructure.
I’ll jump straight to St Lucia and skip the loooong journey to get there (with a layover in Frankfurt, landing in Johannesburg, a domestic flight to Durban, and the rest by rental SUV—First Car Rental, perfect, no complaints).
To motivate readers—especially some familiar faces here—I’ll drop in a first photo.
Here we go!!!
I left home at 4 AM on October 31st and headed to Barcelona. Driving through Barcelona on the ring road stresses me out a bit, but at 6 AM the traffic is smooth, and I arrive at the airport without any issues. I call the valet, who quickly comes to pick up my car. He takes photos of it from all angles before letting me go.
Baggage check-in hasn’t started yet, and there are already several of us waiting.
Once free, everything happens very quickly. The flight to Abu Dhabi is on time and goes smoothly. I’ve never had any problems with this airline, which I’ve been using for several years.
The flight to Bangkok arrives at 7 AM as scheduled. This is my first time in Thailand and Bangkok. I’m used to traveling in India, and I notice that everything here is well organized—the customs process is quick, and the luggage is already on the carousel.
I booked a taxi on Booking. All I have to do is find the right exit and door based on the agency’s instructions. A large sign with the names of people who booked is posted on a wall. A hostess greets me and calls the taxi, which arrives 5 minutes later. I booked one night at the Lost Inn BKK hotel in the Phra Nakhon district, and we arrive at 9 AM. The welcome isn’t warm, and I have to wait until noon, sitting on a chair, before I can check into my room. I’m exhausted, and sleeping sitting up isn’t ideal. Noon finally arrives—the room is small but clean, which is fine for one night. I quickly take a shower to wake up because I plan to spend the afternoon visiting the Grand Palace. First, I need to exchange some money, and the banks are all close together on the same street, which is very convenient. When I enter one, a hostess gives me a ticket and invites me to sit down. There are about twenty counters, and I wait quietly until my number is called. The exchange is quick, so I can head out to find the Royal Palace. It’s actually very easy, and the walk is pleasant.
Entry to the Royal Palace (500 baht).
It’s magnificent and grand, and there are quite a few of us visiting. The sky is gray, it’s very humid, and a shower interrupts the visit. It’s a vast complex of temples and palaces. The buildings are colorful and sparkling, with a great sense of serenity (without the tourists, of course). I quietly enjoy the place and try to take photos without tourists, which isn’t easy.
Very close to the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the capital.
It’s very famous for its 46-meter-long reclining Buddha statue.
Walking around the temple, you can see different representations of Buddha, all covered in gold leaf.
Inside the temple, on one side, monks recite their prayers, while the other side is reserved for tourists who come to meditate in silence.
Before returning to the hotel, I have dinner at an Indian restaurant. I go to bed early because tomorrow’s wake-up call will be very early again.
Saturday, November 2nd
Wake-up at 4 AM, departure from the hotel at 4:30 AM. The taxi I booked via Booking is waiting for me and takes me to the airport. The trip is fairly quick—he takes small roads, and at this hour, there’s no traffic.
The flight to Phnom Penh is on time. Before boarding, I realize I left my fleece jacket on the carousel, but it’s too late to go back for it.
The flight goes well, and customs is quick.
At the exit, I take a tuk-tuk to Julieka’s GH near the museum. The welcome is friendly. I won’t be able to check into my room until noon, so I take the opportunity to exchange some euros on the market street. The street is lined with restaurants, and I’ll have my first meal there.
The museum is right across the street, so I don’t waste any time visiting it.
The representations of Hindu deities are very different from those in India, and I don’t recognize them. Many beautiful Buddhas are on display.
The museum is very pleasant, and there aren’t too many people, which is a plus.
At the exit, I return to the GH, settle into my room—which is decent and clean.
The Royal Palace is 1 km away. I walk along a garden, and at the end of the street is the Tonlé Sap, but I turn right. I arrive at a large esplanade and see the buildings with tiered roofs and glazed tiles. The entrance to the palace is a little further away.
At the entrance, I notice there isn’t the same crowd as at the one in BKK.
Khmer architecture is magnificent. The complex consists of gardens, palaces, pagodas with golden roofs, and slender spires.
The Silver Pagoda houses the small Emerald Buddha, which is actually made of jade. The silver flooring is covered with carpets. Photos are not allowed.
The walls surrounding the pagoda are covered with frescoes depicting scenes from the Ramayana.
My partner and I traveled from Sunday, July 5, 2026, to Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
We spent a long time debating whether to rent a car or use public transportation. In the end, after reading so many posts about travelers getting scammed by police or rental companies—even those recommended by blogs and reviews—we decided to stick with public transport. It worked out really well. Sure, we had a little less freedom to go where we wanted, but it was way less stressful for us.
Sunday, July 5:
Arrived at Cancun Airport. Withdrew cash from the ATM in the terminal just before exiting. The ADO bus counter (they pronounce it "A-Jee-O") is right behind you when you're facing the ATM. Bus to downtown Cancun cost 145 pesos per person.
Stayed at "Rose 5," booked on Booking. The studio was super clean and perfect for one night. The owner’s instructions for accessing the place were very precise, with photos included. Check-in was self-service with a code. The ADO bus terminal isn’t far, and there are shops and restaurants nearby. We really appreciated that the AC was already on when we arrived. By the way, I’d recommend always booking places with AC—it’s *really* hot in Mexico.
Monday, July 6:
Bought a SIM card with data from a TELCEL store. My partner, who’s on Free Mobile, was able to use her regular plan. Just so you know, I found the network pretty unstable. As soon as we left the cities, neither of us—me with TELCEL or her with Free—had any signal.
Another thing to watch out for: roaming charges. I had to turn my SIM back on for less than 30 seconds to get a bank SMS code, and my phone apparently connected to the internet—resulting in an 8-euro roaming fee.
Left on an ADO bus to Chiquila for 278 pesos per person. During our trip, ADO buses were always on time, comfortable, and clean. The AC is *cranked* though, so bring something to cover up with—it gets cold. Some routes were fully booked even in the low season, so try to reserve 1 or 2 days in advance either via the app (when it works) or at the counter.
When we arrived at the ADO terminal in Chiquila, the ferry company counters were right next to it. Ferries leave every 30 minutes, alternating between companies, so no need to book ahead. Just take whichever one is leaving next (330 pesos per person).
When we got to Holbox (pronounced "Hol-bosh"), we’d booked a place via Booking called "Casa de Nana." It was a huge studio with a fridge, cooking plate, and utensils. The best part? The *location*. It was 100 meters from the beach and 200 meters from a Chedraui supermarket. They provided bath towels and beach towels, and the AC worked perfectly. There’s a key box so you can leave your keys inside when you go out. The only downside was that no one was there to let us in when we arrived, so we had to wait a while. The Wi-Fi was good, which was lucky because during our 4-day stay in Holbox, the phone network *never* worked. According to locals, that’s pretty common in Holbox, along with water outages.
Luckily, I’d had the good idea to download an offline map, which helped us find our way back to the place more easily. You can walk there from the dock.
The restaurant next to our place (La Barracuda) was great if you like seafood—I’d recommend their octopus dishes.
Tuesday, July 7:
We did a kayak tour in Holbox’s mangroves at 6 AM. We were looking for a sunrise kayak tour with a French-speaking guide. That’s exactly what we got with "Kayaking Holbox," where Diego, the owner, speaks English and French. He was joined by Gustavo, another guide.
We’d booked for a group tour, but we were the only ones. Diego still went ahead with it instead of canceling due to lack of participants, so we got a private tour at the group rate—really professional of him. They showed us this amazing ecosystem for over 3 hours. We saw all kinds of birds: pink flamingos, pelicans, egrets, frigatebirds... rays, a horseshoe crab, and a little crocodile that was *so* well hidden. Diego and Gustavo have a real eye for spotting animals—I could’ve passed by the crocodile 100 times and never seen it, it blended in so well. Their explanations about the flora and fauna were super interesting. We also got a little break where we tasted mangoes and bananas that taste *nothing* like the ones in France. A real treat—those little Mexican yellow mangoes! I’d definitely recommend Diego and his agency for a French-language kayak tour (1000 pesos per person).
In the evening, we walked to Punta Coco to see the bioluminescence. No need for a guided tour—if you really don’t want to walk, you can take a taxi. At Punta Coco, you have to pass the beach bar/restaurant and then go left into a kind of inlet that forms a lagoon. You have to wiggle your feet or move your hands in the water to create movement, which makes the light appear. Just don’t expect the kind of photos you’ve seen online—they’re all edited! It’s fun to see, but you won’t be dazzled by the light...
Wednesday, July 8:
Whale shark tour with "My Holbox Tours." Why recommend this agency over others for swimming with whale sharks? Simply because Valérie surrounds herself with top professionals to make your experience unforgettable. We were with Captain Fernando, who does everything to position the boat perfectly and make your swim easier. In the water, we were with Humberto, who also goes above and beyond to make sure you have an incredible time. He doesn’t just "supervise" like some guides from other companies who leave you on your own. No, Humberto reads the whale shark’s trajectory and guides you—all you have to do is follow him. He really puts in the effort, even holding your hand to guide you through this quick but intense encounter. Humberto also films the moment and will offer to show you the videos and sell them to you. His footage is really high quality.
Fernando and Humberto also prepared food for us. Special mention for their guacamole! Valérie is there to make sure everything goes smoothly on the boat and to answer your questions in French, English, or Spanish about these animals. If you choose My Holbox Tours, you can be sure you’ll get a top-notch experience.
About the tour itself: before you go, you should know that the sharks can be *really* far away. The day we went, it took 3.5 hours by boat to reach them. The boats are small, and let me tell you—on the way there, when we weren’t going with the waves, it was *rough*. Out of 9 passengers, 4 got seasick. But once you’re face-to-face with the shark, you forget all about that. Even if swimming with a whale shark isn’t exactly a walk in the park—they swim pretty fast, so you need some endurance to keep up. You’ll usually get 2 turns. Our first swim lasted a little over 4 minutes, and the second about 2 minutes because the shark was moving fast and we were still tired from the first swim. It might seem short, but when you’re swimming, it feels *long*. Either way, it’s an experience you *have* to do—but choose your company wisely. On the way back, there’s a stop at Cabo Catoche. Honestly, the snorkeling is pretty disappointing if you’ve done it elsewhere in the world. But the lunch stop at Cabo Catoche is really nice for relaxing (white sand and hammocks).
Thursday, July 9:
Short morning walk to Punta Mosquito at 6 AM. Really nice.
Ferry to Chiquila (330 pesos per person) + ADO bus to Valladolid (300 pesos per person).
In Valladolid, we booked "Casa Lucia" via Booking. The hotel is gorgeous, with a colonial style, and very close to the ADO bus terminal and downtown. It’s super quiet and clean. There’s a shared kitchen you can use with a fridge, microwave, and water dispenser, plus a big table by the pool and a nice indoor terrace. Breakfast was simple but included. The only small downsides were the tiny room and bathroom, no mirror in the room, and a noisy fan.
Friday, July 10:
Not far from the ADO bus terminal is the colectivo station for Chichen Itza. They offer a round-trip to Chichen Itza with an option to stop at Ik Kil cenote on the way back and then drop you off in Valladolid for 370 pesos per person (Ik Kil entrance included).
For the Chichen Itza visit, we’d booked a tour with a guide often mentioned in groups—his name is Juan Pat. He’s a Maya who lives near the site and speaks excellent French. He reserves spots in advance for you and queues up to be the first on-site. It cost 500 pesos per person + entrance fees. His tour lasts 2 hours and focuses mainly on the main pyramid and the ball court. He’s passionate and fascinating, even if some of his claims, as a Maya, might be a little biased. I think it’s *really* important to have a guide—otherwise, you’ll miss so much. You can contact Juan Pat on WhatsApp at +52 985 121 2381.
Afterward, we went to Ik Kil cenote (showers and life jackets mandatory, lockers available). It’s *very* crowded, but still really beautiful with its lush vegetation.
Saturday, July 11:
Since we didn’t have a car but still wanted to visit other cenotes that seemed hard to reach by public transport, we decided to book a taxi for the day. We agreed on 1200 pesos to take us to 3 different cenotes and wait for us at each one. (To find taxis, just look where they park near the ADO bus station.)
He picked us up at Zaci cenote, which we’d walked to. We got there at opening time and were the first ones there—had the place to ourselves for a while! 150 pesos per person. A pretty cenote in the city center with lush vegetation. It’s a bit like Ik Kil but without the deep cylindrical effect.
Cenote Xcanahaltun: the most beautiful cenote we visited. Entry 250 pesos per person. It’s a closed cenote with a hole that lets light in—a cave-like setting. You can kayak inside. There are little fish at the edge that nibble dead skin off your feet. Since it’s closed, the water is *freezing*!
Cenote Palomitas: entry 250 pesos per person. Another stunning closed cenote, even more enclosed than Xcanahaltun. The hole in the ceiling is smaller, so it was pretty dark when we arrived—kind of an eerie vibe. But when the staff turned on the lights, it looked like a "Gothic cathedral" full of bright stalactites.
Cenote Sac Aua: entry 290 pesos per person. The ticket includes a guided cave tour (tip-based). This cenote is really unique with its central island and way less crowded than Suytun. Just so you know, the water is *really* cold in cenotes. In these three, in July, we had the place to ourselves for a while and never saw more than 2 families at once—so peaceful!
Sunday, July 12:
ADO bus to Bacalar (536 pesos per person).
In Bacalar, we stayed via Airbnb with a host named Luli, who offers several rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen.
The room is nicely decorated in a pleasant setting. It’s ideally located near the lagoon and downtown. The shared kitchen is handy. The mosquito net over the bed is useful because there are *a lot* of mosquitoes in Bacalar. Luli provides a water jug, which is really nice. The only big downside is the lack of water pressure in the shower—we had to rinse off by filling a bucket. Also, there’s no real door separating the room from the bathroom. We never met Luli in person, but she was very responsive via messages. The terrace in the middle of the vegetation is lovely.
From the ADO terminal to the place, we took a taxi for 40 pesos. Since this driver was honest about the price (we’d checked beforehand), we decided to use him every time we needed a taxi in Bacalar. Here’s his WhatsApp: +52 983 184 3585.
Monday, July 13:
We did a boat tour on the lagoon with "Bacalar Francophone Activities." Since we were just the two of us, it cost 3500 pesos. If we’d managed to be 4 people, it would’ve been 1000 pesos per person.
We had a private 4-hour tour on the lagoon with Steeve and his very comfortable boat. He’s from Quebec, so his French is perfect. During those 4 hours, Steeve showed us the lagoon’s iconic spots *and* places other boats don’t go. He told us about the lagoon’s history and gave great tips on where to go and where to eat. As a little bonus, he gave us a video taken with his drone during our swimming break.
Tuesday, July 14:
We went to Los Rapidos by taxi (400 pesos round trip) and entry was 225 pesos per person. It’s *very* touristy but really beautiful. You can eat there (expensive), relax, and go down the "rapids" as many times as you want. It’s worth it if you spend a few hours there. You can’t bring in food or drinks—you leave them at the entrance and pick them up on the way out.
Wednesday, July 15:
On Wednesdays, navigation is banned on Bacalar Lagoon, so we’d planned another excursion.
Visit to Calakmul from Bacalar with ABCtours (WhatsApp +52 983 319 8359).
This agency organized a trip from Bacalar to Calakmul with a French-speaking guide. Communication beforehand via WhatsApp was smooth. Mr. Checo, the driver, and Fernando, the guide (who spoke great French), picked us up on the day. Mr. Checo drove very carefully on the long road and always made sure we were comfortable. Fernando is passionate about flora and fauna—he’s a biologist with a degree in ornithology, so he knows *everything* about animals. The slightest sound or song, and he knows what it is. He’s got an eye for spotting them, from the biggest to the smallest.
During the trip, we stopped at km 27 for a short forest walk, then went to see the two main pyramids on the site. On the way back, we stopped at the bat cave for the magical spectacle of millions of bats flying out at dusk. In the end, we saw or glimpsed (some briefly) spider monkeys, howler monkeys, a toucan, 2 tapirs, turkeys, 2 deer, and lots of birds. If, like us, you’re more into flora and fauna than archaeology, I’d *highly* recommend this agency and tour with Fernando.
It’s not cheap, but the road between Bacalar and the site is *long* (3.5 hours). Price: 3900 pesos per person for 2 (3500 for 3, 3200 for 4).
Thursday, July 16:
ADO bus to Playa del Carmen (614 pesos per person).
In Playa del Carmen, we stayed in an Airbnb. The building is on the town hall square, next to the casino.
The best thing about this place is the *location*—super close to Fifth Avenue (La Quinta). The kitchen is pretty basic, but the fridge works well. There are supermarkets nearby. The rooftop pool is really nice. The two big downsides, though, are the soundproofing (you can *hear* the neighbor’s alarm and all the events on the square) and the *total* lack of water pressure in the shower. We had to fill a trash can with water to pour over ourselves. When we told the owner, he said it wasn’t normal and someone would come fix it, but we never heard back. Based on previous reviews, this seems to be a known issue that never gets resolved.
Playa del Carmen is *very* touristy on Fifth Avenue, but in a fun, musical vibe—we never felt unsafe. There are *tons* of little souvenir shops for tourists on this street. There’s a beautiful monumental sculpture on the beach (the two figures meeting in the air), next to which you can see the Voladores show (men climbing a pole, tying themselves with ropes, and descending headfirst while "flying" around the pole). The show is tip-based and happens several times a day. In our opinion, Calle 38 is prettier than Fifth Avenue—it’s lush, green, and quieter, with the sea at the end. Great for an early evening stroll. We had really good meals at great prices at "El Tio Noy" tacos, just a few meters from Fifth Avenue in a side street.
For souvenirs, we’d recommend going to Walmart instead of Fifth Avenue—you’ll find skulls, tequila, mezcal, keychains, mugs, glasses... at good, fixed prices.
Friday, July 17:
We did the excursion to Isla Contoy. Isla Contoy is an uninhabited, highly protected island. Only 200 people are allowed to land per day on a rotating basis, so only a few companies have permission to dock there. Most agencies subcontract the day to a third-party company.
We booked through VRM (Viviendo Riviera Maya), but it was Ocean Tours Mexico that handled the tour. Contoy is a little paradise. We were accompanied by multilingual guides, including French speakers, throughout the day. Steffy gave us info about the island during a short walk on the marked trails, and Leño Tlatemoa kept the mood up on the boat rides with music and dancing. Isla Contoy is *truly* stunning, and the lunch was delicious: grilled fish and chicken, guacamole and tortilla chips, rice, fruit, drinks (everything is brought and taken back by the guides). The snorkeling part was pretty disappointing if you’ve done it in Cozumel, though. The stop at Isla Mujeres isn’t very interesting either—it’s too short to explore, and the island is *extremely* touristy. Still, the excursion was very well organized, and we had a great day (2970 pesos per person).
Saturday, July 18:
We wanted to go snorkeling in Cozumel but thought the prices from French-speaking agencies were too high. Plus, for snorkeling, we figured we didn’t *need* a French-speaking guide.
So we found a much cheaper solution by taking the ferry from Playa del Carmen ourselves and choosing an agency in Playa. The round-trip ferry cost 663.50 pesos per person. Then we took a taxi to the snorkeling boat (100 pesos). The agency we chose is called Mystic Snorkel—they don’t have a physical office. The tour cost 1400 pesos per person. It was a small boat, but that day we were the only ones, so we got a private tour at the group rate. We stopped at 4 different sites, all very different and beautiful. We saw all kinds of fish, corals, a nurse shark, and turtles. El Cielo, with its huge starfish, is *exceptional*. If you’re going snorkeling in the Yucatan Peninsula, this is *the* tour to do—the other sites are pretty "poor" in comparison.
Sunday, July 19:
Morning dive with Triton Diving. I chose the Cozumel dive option. Great experience.
Booking via WhatsApp was easy. On the day of the dive, Selene, who speaks French, was our guide. She’s *very* attentive to the group’s safety. The briefings are clear and precise. In Cozumel, we did 2 very different sites: the first was a drift dive with lots of life—beautiful corals and fish. The second was a wreck, the C53, a 56-meter boat you can enter. Not much marine life, but a beautiful wreck intentionally sunk for divers—still in great condition. An unforgettable moment. Selene even took videos during the dive, which the club sends you for free afterward. I’d *highly* recommend this club.
Just so you know, in Playa del Carmen, the beaches were full of sargassum during our stay, despite barriers and daily cleanup. Locals told us the problem is getting worse and the sargassum is arriving earlier in the season. Tourism has taken a *big* hit this summer, and they’re wondering if tourism can even survive the sargassum season anymore. A lot of tourists are heading to the islands—Isla Mujeres and Cozumel—to enjoy the beaches, as the west side of those islands is sargassum-free.
Monday, July 20:
Colectivo to Puerto Morelos. First, a colectivo toward Cancun that drops you off between Puerto Morelos town and Puerto Morelos beach (40 pesos per person), then another from that junction to the beach (10 pesos per person).
In Puerto Morelos, we’d booked a room via Airbnb at "Piedra del Caribe." *Best* place we stayed in Mexico. It’s an aparthotel. Our room was ready before check-in, so they let us in early. The place matched the description—spacious, with a comfortable king-size bed. The shower had *great* pressure, which isn’t a given in Mexico. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. They let us use the pool, restrooms, and rooftop shower after check-out while we waited for our ride to Cancun Airport. They even kept our luggage. I *highly* recommend this place.
In Puerto Morelos, there was *way* less sargassum than in Playa del Carmen—it was actually swimmable.
We did the snorkeling tour with the fishermen’s cooperative for 450 pesos per person for 2 hours. The reef is close to the beach (you’re not allowed to swim there), so the boat ride is short. It’s not as pretty as Cozumel, but it’s nice and affordable. On Puerto Morelos’s page, you can also access a small, not-very-well-preserved reef. There’s also a cenote in the sea where fresh water mixes with saltwater—the water is murky there. We had a great dinner and excellent cocktails at "La Choza del Puerto."
Tuesday, July 21:
Wandered around Puerto Morelos (check out the church and read everything—it’s entertaining!), relaxed by the hotel pool, and left for Cancun Airport by taxi (400 pesos) booked via InDrive to head back to France.
Our highlights:
- Holbox
- The whale shark tour
- The cenotes
- The local flora and fauna (so present!)
- Isla Contoy
- Cabo Catoche (except for the snorkeling)
What we liked least:
- The bioluminescence (barely visible despite good conditions)
- The food—we found it not very diverse in taquerias
- The constant tipping
- The lack of water pressure in showers (fixed, wall-mounted, no hose or showerhead)
Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions while it’s still fresh in our minds.
Traveling with just one spare pair of underwear, considering a hot shower a miracle, never staying in the same place too long by sleeping wherever night catches us, taking whatever local, improbable, and rickety transport we can find—this is the DNA of us wanderers. Except this time, the script for our movie is going to be a whole different genre. On paper, the destination doesn’t exactly scream epic adventure: Réunion! And what’s more... we won’t be two, or four, or even ten. We’ll be a solid thirty. All from the same family. Yes, thirty. At this point, it’s not just a trip—it’s a summer camp on the move! Why inflict this on such a peaceful island? Because my brother decided to get married there with his lovely bride. A great idea, you might say... especially when it involves relocating the equivalent of a small Ardennes village 10,000 kilometers from home for three weeks! So who’s stepping up to be the guide and wave the little flag?
So, for an exceptional trip, exceptional stories! Don’t worry, the debates at the supermarket over whether to choose plain chips or roast chicken chips, the beach picnics washed down with ti’ punch, and other rougail sausages to digest by the pool will only make it into the family archives. Here, I’ll stick to the tales of our beautiful escapes, the ones where we explore the wild corners of this little volcanic rock planted in the middle of the Indian Ocean. So where exactly are we headed?
For the first week—the subject of this first installment—we’re taking it easy. We’ll start by rediscovering the coastline, from the Souffleur in Saint-Leu to the Hermitage lagoon, before a little trip to the Cirque de Cilaos and its legendary road with 400 turns, just to get our legs warmed up.
This travel journal is therefore intended solely for my photos, to present a consistent style.
All the shots were taken with a simple Samsung Galaxy smartphone and with whatever was at hand.
All stays combined, I’ve spent the equivalent of three years at most in Thailand, and I’m not a big expert on the country.
However, after many trips, lots of reading on VoyageForum and other sites, and conversations with many locals as well as expats, my view of the country is becoming clearer, though it’s constantly evolving. You never stop discovering and learning.
I guess I wanted to piece together a puzzle, mainly for those who want to get an idea of the country here and for those who miss it.
I don’t know if this minimalist sharing will interest anyone, but it’ll do me good to put it together. After so many months without traveling and then these other long months with VF closed, there’s plenty of material available.
There’ll be a mix of places, periods, and subjects, but it might well be intentional.
I suspect many Thais have dogs because they make excellent guards for the home. Nothing better to deter burglars or to signal the presence of a snake. You’ll often see Thais tapping the top of their dog’s head, but don’t be fooled: it’s a sign of affection from them. Judging by the dogs’ reactions, they’re used to it.
Thailand is one of the countries on the planet where rabies is still present, so keep that in mind. It’s not just bites that can be dangerous, so don’t let just any dog lick you. Especially on a wound, of course.
Even though dogs often fear humans—this dangerous and unpredictable predator—we still need to stay cautious.
Be careful when walking into alleys because the dog will defend its master’s big property, be careful at night, and be careful when they’re in packs.
It sometimes crosses our minds that Thailand isn’t really made for walking around, and dogs are one of the reasons.
That said, it’s not uncommon to see them chasing bikes or scooters. Cars, though, are much rarer—they’re too big.
It seems Thais prefer to give their dogs freedom by not locking them behind gates. Though sometimes the gate is closed, the little side door is wide open. Oh, and sometimes there’s no gate in front of the property, or it’s been broken for years.
You’ll often see dogs sleeping on the side of the road, sometimes right on the road. When you arrive, they move aside nonchalantly—or not at all. It’s less funny when they suddenly appear from thick vegetation, which reminds visitors not to drive too fast. As a result, you’ll notice that dogs with injuries or missing legs aren’t that rare.
Since they believe in reincarnation and respect for all forms of life, they don’t chase dog packs away too much, and they don’t sterilize them enough. Seeing a small pack roaming freely in the countryside, you might think it’s best not to cross paths with them at the edge of a field.
A darker side of this is that euthanasia isn’t often practiced. Twice, we saw dogs at temples on the brink of death, enduring terrible suffering. No one did anything about it. The image (and the smell) of one of them, dying and emitting the stench of death, still comes back to me sometimes.
Some of you may have seen the YouTube vlog of a French woman living in Phuket who was given a little pig by her Thai friends. The well-fed animal quickly became a happy, enormous beast with its own garden. Yet, it didn’t take long for it to fall seriously ill and become incurable. In her video, the French woman described how difficult it was to find a vet willing to perform euthanasia.
You’ll often see bowls by the side of the road. Thais leave food and water in them for stray cats and dogs. Overall, they have a big heart for animals.
If you ever pop into a shopping mall, you might see people pushing their small dogs in strollers. It’s not a gimmick—it’s just that these strollers are provided for customers to put their pets in, otherwise you can’t bring them inside. It looks a bit odd when you expect to see a baby.
It was winter, a winter with beautiful weather,
A season that only exists in the southwest of America,
I remember very well what I told you that morning
A month ago... A century ago, an eternity ago...
We’ll go... wherever you want, whenever you want...
Well, yeah, back from our adventure in our enchanting American West just a month ago, we’re already taking a bite out of one of its lesser-known competitors. "Flo, if you had to pick just one reason to justify your love for the U.S., what would it be?" The greasy, dripping burgers? No, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying it’d be the wide-open spaces... And that’s exactly what our new quest is taking us to—a land on the other side of the globe where the horizon also seems endless, where silence tastes like salty wind and sand, where freedom is measured in kilometers of desert tracks, where the GPS is mostly there to confirm you’re lost in the middle of nowhere... Add to that magic formula the fact that you’ll see more zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and elephants than people per square kilometer, and you can imagine us setting foot in Southern Africa for the first time, more precisely at the small airport in Windhoek, capital of... of...? Brush up on your geography, damn it! We’re landing in Namibia!!!
To be honest, Namibian landscapes have been flirting with me for ages. So how did I resist this island of temptation for so long? First, the budget. Let’s just say that for the same amount of effort (and kidneys), the bank lets you choose two other adventures almost anywhere else on the planet. Then there were my girls. Yeah, back then, they were too little to dose up on Malarone, the only malaria remedy at the time... Long story short, ten years later, all the planets have aligned. First, I won the Euromillions! Well, almost... Let’s just say my girls are now old enough... not to take Malarone, but to stop following me on all my adventures! Jackpot! "Flo, how about a little two-person caprice, just the two of us, tackling the Namibian tracks?"
As we landed on the runway, first wow effect: The horizon is immense. It’s flat as can be, incredibly flat... So much flat space! Did I mention it was flat?... Looking into the distance, it feels like your gaze could circle the Earth without hitting a single obstacle—until you end up staring at your own backside. "Oh, what a nice view!" Well, it’s the first time I’ve seen my butt from this angle! Touching moment... Sorry, I’m rambling—must be the exhaustion from the three-flight marathon we just powered through via Ethiopia and South Africa... And yet, no time to philosophize about my anatomy. As usual, we want to rack up our first kilometers to be front and center at dawn tomorrow. After wrapping up the tedious Namibian immigration formalities and meeting the 4x4 that’ll be our companion day and night for the next fifteen days, we’re off! We’re not exactly fresh, but we’re ready to tackle the next five hundred kilometers in night mode, cruise control set due south! Just outside Windhoek, the local wildlife—a jackal—welcomes us with a smile: "Welcome to Namibia!" That’s what it said! Honest... Okay, first endless straight road, first flaming sunset, first corrugated dirt track, first Milky Way with zero light pollution... You get it—it’s definitely the day of firsts... First night camping, too, in the big trunk of our Toyota Fortuner parked by the side of the track... The real adventure, the kind that smells under the arms, can finally begin...
Here we go—finally, the big day has arrived! A trip the whole family (my two kids, my husband, and me) had been looking forward to for so long.
To keep it short, we left from Nice, arrived in Namibia on June 25, 2025, and left again on the 21st—four weeks later.
We used an agency for all the camping reservations, activities, and the car rental. At least that side of things was taken care of. Michaël was our contact throughout the planning and the trip itself.
We spent our first night at Londiningi BB. A bit out of the city center but very quiet. The rooms were spacious and clean, and we could eat on-site that evening. Perfect for recovering from the flight.
This travel journal is our second on VoyageForum, following last year’s where we recounted our four weeks in Vietnam.
The goal remains the same: since some members on this site share tips, experiences, and great deals that help us prepare for our trips, we do the same after returning—both to give back a little and in the hope that our experiences might be useful to others in some way.
Our route was as follows: Bangkok, Siem Reap, Krabi, Suratthani, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Chumphon, Bang Saphan, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Sam Roi Yod, Hua Hin, Phetchaburi, Bangkok.
Beyond rediscovering Bangkok, our objectives were the long-held dream of seeing Angkor and exploring southern Thailand, much of which isn’t overly touristy.
A quick big thank-you to Barbot, who took the time to answer several of our questions.
12/07/2013
The cheapest flight we found earlier this year was a Paris-Bangkok route with a layover in Moscow for 1440 €, total for two people.
So, this time we tried Aeroflot. Airbus A318 for the first leg, A330 for the second. Nothing particularly annoying to report—the passengers were very calm, the cabin temperature was comfortable, and we had enough legroom.
That said, the quality of the meal trays was pretty mediocre, and the flight attendants weren’t exactly comedians.
We’d like to remind everyone that it’s best to exchange as little money as possible at the airport upon arrival, since the rate is about 5% worse than at city banks.
Of course, we made sure to take the airport exit where you can catch official taxis to avoid getting scammed. So, we queued up, a little lady gave us the ticket, and off we went with the driver.
Generally, this system works well because these drivers are registered, know their duties, and the risks they face if they break the rules. Except that day, right off the bat, we got the scammer of the day. His first move was to snatch the ticket from my wife’s hands—the one you’re supposed to keep in case of a complaint. My husband saw it, but after a full day of travel, we were a bit out of it, and honestly, there was no reason to be suspicious. But once we started driving, the guy refused to turn on the meter. We insisted more and more firmly, but nothing. So, I used the famous method of opening the door and starting to step out of the car. At 40 km/h, that scares the driver more than the passenger. He finally turned on the meter, but that didn’t calm him down—quite the opposite. For the next half-hour, he ruined the ride by demanding extra fees here and there. Having dealt with several scam attempts last year in Vietnam, this wasn’t exactly new, and we were proud of ourselves for staying pretty zen. Still, this guy was a little scary—he was completely wired and aggressive. Honestly, it was hard not to think he was on something. He’d be perfect for a *Scarface* remake. When we finally arrived at the hotel, he followed us to the entrance. We paid the two tolls (25 and 45 baht), gave him the usual 100 baht extra for the ride, and stayed polite but firm. So, meter: 245 baht + 100 baht + 25 and 45 baht for tolls—we paid the exact amount, no way we were tipping this guy. He left furious, but he was already like that before picking us up... Anyway, avoid Mr. Chartree Chidchen, number 089 826 7308, car E2663!
We were so relieved to finally settle in at Feung Nakorn Balcony hotel in the temple district. 42 € per night, great reception, all the staff is friendly. The AC works fine, the bed seemed hard at first but turned out to be comfortable. The hotel is quiet, away from the nightlife, but at this time of year, many places are less crowded than in high season. Even with a nice fish pond and outdoor breakfast area, it’s a decent hotel, though we felt we could’ve found something better.
After a night on the plane, the first afternoon is always a bit of a slog. We napped for a few hours, and when we woke up—guess what—we were starving. We visited a temple across from the hotel (nothing special) and then decided to take the Chao Phraya Express, the river shuttle that serves many piers along the river. It was a really enjoyable experience. The steel gangway wobbles when you board and disembark, the boat sits low in the water, and sometimes you get splashed. During peak times, you’re packed in like sardines, but most of all, there’s that exotic urban landscape passing by, especially the temple rooftops.
At that exact moment, the boat was packed. We didn’t see a ticket booth at the pier, and we tried in vain to pay the few baht for the ride. The cashier on the boat was too busy, and another employee we called didn’t have time to help us. Oh well, we weren’t going to force the issue. Still, this mode of transport is super practical for avoiding traffic, and at the piers, the lines with station names are clearly marked, with colors matching the flags on the boats. Combined with a map like the *Routard* guide, it’s easy to navigate.
We easily made it to the restaurant *Harmonique*, located near one of these piers. It’s a unanimous favorite on this forum, and let us tell you—it’s well-deserved. What a wonderful experience that evening! We only saw the outdoor gazebo because there was no way we were dining inside. It’s not flashy, so those looking for a luxurious setting should look elsewhere.
That night, the staff was a bit slow, and we had to track them down several times to move things along. But oh, my friends—what a feast on the plate! Start with the appetizer platter for two at 250 baht, featuring four specialties, each more tempting than the last, followed by their famous crab curry for 200 baht. There’s *so much* crab in there! The dish is so delicious and rich that when you finish, you feel—how to put it—like it was almost *too* good, to the point where you’re almost put off eating for days. And also, oh yes, we *will* be back. Their satay chicken is just as amazing, and it would be a crime not to mention their generous dessert with ice cream, warm banana, and chocolate, plus their *excellent* almond milkshake.
Later, we took a taxi to Kao San Road, mainly to book a Ko Tao-Chumphon trip for 600 baht per person at the Lomprayah counter. In hindsight, we should’ve booked all three of our trips there right away.
Kao San Road is *ultra*-touristy—better for younger crowds, but it’s still worth seeing. There’s rock ‘n’ roll, hippies, and crowds everywhere.
We walked back to the hotel, and when we got a little lost near a canal, a really nice older Thai man spontaneously appeared out of the night to kindly point us in the right direction.
Finally, a real long night of sleep ahead—we cranked up the AC. Sweet, the vacation has begun!
Hi there,
I just got back from a trip to Sri Lanka from December 18th to January 1st with 2 adults and 2 kids (12 years old).
If it helps, here’s my itinerary.
We left on December 18th from Madrid with Qatar Airways. No complaints. I booked my tickets back in March for 800 € per person. (I flew from Madrid because I live near the Spanish border and was too worried about strikes in France.)
We arrived on December 19th at 4 PM (local time). Before leaving France, I’d booked a taxi through MyTransfer for 59 € to Sigiriya. A van was waiting for us at the airport exit.
A never-ending 3-hour drive to Sigiriya. We stayed at Samana Guesthouse—very simple, clean, with a pool and an excellent Sri Lankan breakfast. Shower and straight to bed.
Friday, December 20th: Beautiful weather, but very humid and hot. We visited Lion Rock (36 € for adults) and then Pidurangala.
I loved both sites—they’re a must-do in my opinion.
Spent the late afternoon by the pool.
Saturday, December 21st: Another gorgeous day. The guesthouse manager offered us a free 2-hour tuk-tuk tour. We first visited a lake, rice fields, the temple, and the Sigiriya market, plus the usual tourist trap—the botanical garden (no pressure to buy anything at the end).
Then we took a tuk-tuk to Dambulla Temple, the Golden Buddha, and the wholesale market.
Sunday, December 22nd: Still beautiful weather. I’d booked a taxi for 8 AM. We did all the long trips by taxi to save time. I’d ask for prices from 2 or 3 WhatsApp taxi agencies 2 days or the day before—super responsive, always got replies within 5 minutes. We headed to Ella (4-hour drive) for 22,000 LKR.
Arrived in the afternoon at Rest Full Homestay—a small, family-run guesthouse. Clean, cozy, and an amazing Sri Lankan breakfast.
In the afternoon, we went to Nine Arches Bridge. It was a Sunday, a Sri Lankan holiday, so it was *packed*—mostly locals and very few white tourists! Even though it was crowded, it was cool because it was all Sri Lankans. We waited an hour for the train. It’s worth seeing, but honestly, I didn’t think it was that amazing.
Then we headed to the station to check if we needed to book tickets for the train to Haputale—turns out, no.
Monday, December 23rd: Beautiful weather. We hiked Ella Rock—a gorgeous trek. The final stretch is steep but shaded, so it wasn’t as tough as I’d read. The whole hike is stunning from start to finish. We saw the train pass twice (one blue, one red) and lots of women picking tea.
After that, we did Little Adam’s Peak. It’s not hard, but it was *packed* with tourists—meh. Luckily, at the top, you can walk a bit farther (down one side and back up) to get some space to yourself.
What I *didn’t* like was the commercial vibe at the big café/restaurant with a pool at the entrance of Little Adam’s Peak. Loud music, all that money being made right next to little souvenir stands run by Sri Lankans or tea-picking women. Felt off.
Ended the day buying souvenirs at one of the few shops we found during the trip.
Tuesday, December 24th: Beautiful weather. Took the train to Haputale. We got to the station 30 minutes before the 9:30 AM train. We could’ve taken 2nd or 3rd class—I went with 2nd (160 LKR per person).
It was crowded, but we managed to get seats—first 2, then 3. Only a 1-hour ride, but I *loved* it—windows and doors open the whole time.
Arrived in Haputale around 11 AM, and the mist was already rolling in.
We walked to our guesthouse, The Mist Holiday Bungalow. Simple but clean, with a great view of the tea plantations. The owner’s wife is Vietnamese and used to work for French tour operators, so her French is still pretty good—helpful for us since our English is terrible. They booked us a tuk-tuk for 4:45 AM the next day (2,000 LKR) to Lipton’s Seat.
Spent the afternoon wandering around Haputale. Not much charm, but there’s a nice fruit and veggie market and a short walk through the tea plantations.
Wednesday, December 25th: Beautiful weather. The tuk-tuk was on time to take us to Lipton’s Seat. We were the first ones there—the sky was just starting to turn pink. In the end, only about ten of us watched the sunrise. The guesthouse had packed us breakfast, and we walked back down (half on the road, half through the plantations). Didn’t see any tea picking since it was Christmas, but the walk was still incredible. We took detours through villages full of kids.
After that, we visited the tea factory. The tour was really interesting, and we took the bus back down to Haputale. Such a great moment—whole families were heading to mass, dressed up and made up. All so beautiful.
At noon, we left for Udawalawe National Park. Taxi for 14,000 LKR. Stayed at River Inn Safari Cottage. *Warning*: It’s the same place as Eagle Safari Cottage. I don’t recommend it. We’d always stayed with families before, but here it was just staff—totally different vibe. The pool was nice but not very clean (water was murky). The bungalow was big and fine, but it was brand new—so new the asphalt floor wasn’t fully dry. It’s in the middle of nowhere, so we had to eat on-site. Couldn’t leave a review on Booking because they never confirmed we’d stayed, and they canceled our reservation the next day.
Thursday, December 26th: Beautiful weather. I’d booked a safari through the hotel for 5:30–10 AM for 54 USD. Honestly, yes, there are a lot of jeeps, but it was great. The kids loved it—we saw everything there was to see.
Left by taxi at 11:30 AM for Welligama (12,000 LKR).
We didn’t stay in Welligama city but at Coconut Beach, between Welligama and Midigama. *Total crush* on the guesthouse: Sky Mountain Café with View. Such a lovely family. The mom makes amazing meals at reasonable prices. The view from the hill over the sea is unreal.
Spent the afternoon walking along the beach.
Friday, December 27th: Beautiful weather. My kids are surfers. Unfortunately, there weren’t any boards their size to rent at Coconut, so we took a tuk-tuk to Welligama Bay (1,000 LKR). They surfed from 8 AM to 5 PM—rental was 5,000 LKR for the day. Meanwhile, we walked the beach and swam. Water was 29°C.
Saturday, December 28th: Beautiful weather, rain from 4 PM until midnight. Same surf day. They were so well-behaved the whole trip, so this was their reward.
Sunday, December 29th: Beautiful weather. Beach day at Coconut. *Warning*: It’s a reef break. For surfers, there are three spots (Coconut Left, Middle, and Right). The boys bodysurfed (with fins) all morning, and at 1 PM, we took the bus to Hikkaduwa.
Stayed at Hotel Universal Beach. Nothing special—right on the water, but the rooms were dark even though they were clean. The manager was super nice, but the rest was meh, and breakfast was mediocre compared to what we’d had before (2 eggs and 3 slices of toast). Plus, it was late—8 AM.
First impression of Hikkaduwa wasn’t great—way too many Russians for our taste.
Monday, December 30th: Beautiful weather. Spent the whole day exploring. Turtle Beach, then the other side of the beach (toward Galle) near the fishing port. The beach there is much wider, with scattered hotels and super quiet. It’s beautiful—I should’ve booked somewhere in that area. Ended up having a great day away from the crowds.
Tuesday, December 31st: Overcast, then beautiful, rain at 4 PM. Had to end the year (and the trip) with some surf. Rented boards for the kids (3,000 LKR per board for the day). Bad luck—the waves were on a reef break but small. Not great for them, but no big deal. They still got out of the water by 2 PM. Walked the beach (which is gorgeous), had a juice, and went for a swim. Then back to surfing in the rain at 4 PM.
Wednesday, January 1st: Left by taxi at 5 AM (18,000 LKR). Flight at 10 AM. Arrived in Madrid at 8 PM.
I could have titled my travel journal like Carmen: "Some trips are born twice." Indeed, we had considered this destination back in February 2020. However, an honest tour operator advised us against traveling at that time due to the climate. So, we gave up and opted for Guatemala instead (see "On the Mayan Lands" on this site).
So, why this title? When I was in primary school, over 65 years ago, the illustrations in my history books (Machu Picchu) and geography books (Lake Titicaca) made me dream, and those images stayed in my mind. It took until 2026 to finally make this dream come true!
We prepared our trip with Tout Pérou, a French-speaking "agency." Everything was handled via email and WhatsApp exchanges with our contact: Laurent, who was both competent, friendly, and full of good advice.
For 200 €, Tout Pérou provided us with drivers and guides whenever we wanted, helped us buy our domestic flights (cheaper when purchased in Peru), booked shuttles between airports and hotels, and got us a discount on the train ride to Aguas Calientes, as well as on the buses between Chivay and Puno and between Puno and Cusco. In short, Laurent took care of all the logistics and the Machu Picchu tickets. It was up to us to book our hotels. Tout Pérou provided a list, but we weren’t obliged to follow it. Another advantage of the package: we didn’t have to pay in advance; we paid the service providers directly day by day.
We didn’t meet Laurent in person because he was on vacation in Europe. Before his departure, he gave us a briefing, provided a summary table with the entire program, the service providers, their phone numbers, their fees, the schedules, and gave us plenty of advice (money, exchange, safety, etc.). After returning at the end of our stay, he kept checking in on us.
Lastly, we had also gathered information from Arnaud Lagadec, who runs a hotel in Cusco and offers tours of the region. He gave us a lot of useful information. Another contact: Thomas Montaigne, very friendly, who runs an agency in Arequipa (Agence Pérou Exclusif).
Day 1 – Paris to Lima
Foreword
I’ll share our trip without any pretension—I don’t have the talent of some contributors on this forum—and I’ll illustrate it with a few photos (taken with an ordinary smartphone). My comments are personal and only reflect my own views. So, please be kind! Feel free to comment on my story as you like, but let’s avoid pointless debates.
Even though we live in the south of the Paris region, true to our habits when the flight is in the morning, we chose to spend the night before our departure in a hotel near CDG and parked our car in a parking lot in Garches. This way, we avoid the stress that often comes with traveling around Paris (accidents, roadworks, traffic jams, etc.).
Check-in and border control went smoothly on that Sunday morning. Our Air France flight was uneventful. In Lima, border control took a particularly long time, and for the first time, we didn’t get an entry visa stamped in our passports.
As planned, a driver took us to the Miraflores district, where our hotel was located. We were surprised by the numerous signs about possible tsunamis, having forgotten that Peru is prone to such events and regularly experiences earthquakes. We’d see the consequences of these during our journey.
Exhausted from the early wake-up, the 13-hour flight, and the 7-hour time difference, we had dinner at the hotel before a restful night.
Note that this day was Peru’s presidential election day. As a result, we weren’t served beer—the sale of alcohol was banned that Sunday.
We did the Langtang trek (hike) from September 10th to 17th, with the first and last days being the trip from Kathmandu and back—so 6 days of actual walking. It’s a fairly well-known trek but certainly not as famous or crowded as those in the Annapurna or Everest regions, which is why we chose it.
In theory, it’s mandatory to have a guide for this trek. In reality, it seems there are ways to bypass the regulations: we met at least two people hiking without a guide—a South Korean, a New Zealander, and possibly also a couple of English women and an American couple, though we’re not sure if they had a guide.
The agency we booked with had told us it was an affordable trek for relatively older people in good shape—which is our case (I’m 72 myself). I have to say upfront that we found it quite challenging, maybe because we didn’t have good weather—it was the end of the monsoon season. To be clear, no matter your fitness level, I’d say doing this trek in the middle of the monsoon season would be suicidal.
Day 1 – Journey from Kathmandu to Syapru Besi
On Monday, September 8th, there had been violent protests in Kathmandu against the government, which had, among other things, blocked access to social media and been accused of nepotism and corruption. There were 19 deaths. The situation was very tense on the day of our departure, Wednesday the 10th. The agency warned us that public transport was very unreliable. So, we decided to take a jeep, at an additional cost of $100 ($160 minus what was already budgeted for the bus).
We left a little before 7 a.m. and it took us a good hour just to reach the outskirts of Kathmandu. Along the way, we saw several houses and vehicles set on fire by protesters.
The road to Syapru Besi is only 120 km, but it’s frankly awful. It’s always narrow, winds through endless mountains, and the shoulders range from bad to confusing to nonexistent. Several sections are just dirt tracks. We didn’t regret opting for the jeep, as we could stop several times at our convenience—if only to let Y (my Thai partner) throw up everything she had. She’d taken her usual motion sickness medication, but the constant turns, accelerations, and braking eventually made her terribly carsick.
In Nuwakot, we stopped for breakfast at a nice little restaurant, Jimbu. It was around 8:30 a.m., and we’d barely covered 60 km. The restaurant has a lovely garden overlooking the Trishuli Ganga, the river flowing down from Syapru Besi. First photo: the river in the bottom right corner, mist and clouds over the mountain on the other side.
An hour later, my second photo: the hills along the Trishuli Ganga. You can see the different crops—lush green rice paddies in the lower right and corn, already yellowed and likely harvested, in the foreground on the left. And of course, the mist and clouds through which you can glimpse the mountain on the other side of the river.
When we started looking for a summer destination a few months ago, our first criterion was to avoid extreme heat and heatwaves. We had already been to Norway two years ago and are considering going back in the future for other occasions. So, we had some fun asking ChatGPT which destinations enjoyed a mild climate during the summer without going too far. Among the list provided by the AI were the Canary Islands... The idea of a place we wouldn’t have thought of first, both not too far away and exotic enough, appealed to us: “Hmm, why not?”
This destination had never really attracted me, though Magali was a bit more interested. Five years earlier, COVID had caused a short break in my professional activity, and I had planned a trip because the flight price was attractive, and I was looking for a destination different from what usually appeals to me, more than out of deep interest. From a distance and with a social judgment I acknowledge (it’s not great, but it’s not completely wrong), I had the image of a destination for party-goers enjoying the sun without the slightest interest in local culture, with concrete coastlines and denatured landscapes—everything I detest the most. Still, I had done some quick research on the different islands and spotted Lanzarote for its beautiful volcanic landscapes, hiking trails, beaches, and the impression of a good balance between activity and fewer crowds than Tenerife or Gran Canaria. Then I dropped the idea of going, without ever reconsidering traveling to the Canaries...
Until now! Because we started researching the different islands of the archipelago to see which ones might appeal to us the most. It was La Gomera, the third smallest island of the archipelago, more praised for its hiking trails and preserved nature than for its beaches, away from mass tourism (fifty times fewer tourists than Tenerife) but still a bit more developed than its wild neighbor El Hierro, that caught our attention. Contrary to what might be suggested later, I’m not at all addicted to AI, but I use it from time to time to synthesize quick research or simply for experimentation. Since ChatGPT had started anticipating my tastes lately as if it had become my buddy (often successfully, sometimes off the mark), I asked which Canary Island would suit me best for a trip with my family. The tool answered first with... La Gomera. So, I tested it and teased it a bit to see if this suggestion was well-founded, as the method sometimes makes it contradict itself. But no luck: “You’d appreciate the wild nature of El Hierro, but with family, you’ll find little activity for the kids. You won’t like the touristy vibe of the big islands like Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. You could consider La Palma, but it’s really La Gomera that will suit you best, based on your interests and the criteria given.” So, we dug deeper into our research and were convinced without a shadow of a doubt that this island was the one waiting for us.
Without knowing it, we had Canarians in our circle who revealed their origins when they heard about our travel plans. One from Tenerife insisted we’d be better off choosing Tenerife (obviously...) because it also has preserved spots and that La Gomera, “you can explore it in two or three days, you’ll get bored quickly...” The other, a colleague from Gran Canaria who had never visited La Gomera, still recommended it without hesitation because it turned out her parents had just gone there on vacation: they loved it and had encountered few tourists. She also tended to think this destination was usually the subject of short stays, but according to what her parents told her, taking your time there was also a great idea. However, in our research, the idea that La Gomera is an island you can explore in three or four days max kept coming up. So, we considered combining its visit with La Palma or El Hierro, the other two that caught our eye. But hopping between islands by ferry represents a significant budget for non-Canarians, even more so for a family of four. Then, scrutinizing Google Maps, it seemed obvious that two weeks were too short to discover two islands as they deserve, and that there seemed to be plenty to see in La Gomera, given its very unique culture. After all, we read that some people spend several months a year there, others never even leave... Finally, these landscapes and this atmosphere, which seemed to us a mix of Europe, North Africa, and Latin America, tempted us. So, it would be two weeks in La Gomera, deal!
La Gomera is therefore the second... well, the third smallest island of the Canaries since La Graciosa was recently recognized as a fully inhabited island. It has the shape of a rough circle about 20 to 25 kilometers in diameter and has just over 20,000 inhabitants, half of them in its capital, San Sebastián de la Gomera, the only real town. Like its Canarian sisters, La Gomera is a volcanic formation that rose about 10 million years ago. The island is very mountainous and rugged, covered with red and black rocky landscapes. Geological activity has shaped, between the sprawling massifs that end in steep cliffs in the ocean, six coastal valleys with tropical vegetation that have favored human settlement. They divide the island like slices of a cake; from the north clockwise: the agricultural Vallehermoso, the rustic Agulo, the green, humid, and fertile Hermigua, the sunny capital San Sebastián de la Gomera, the southern and isolated Alajeró-Santiago, and the seaside Valle Gran Rey. They constitute the six municipalities (more like cantons to our French understanding) of the territory.
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
La Gomera was populated late. As with the rest of the Canaries, human presence is thought to have begun about 2,000 years ago. Groups of animist Berbers, probably fleeing persecution, gradually populated the archipelago, especially the western islands and La Gomera, becoming its small aboriginal population: the Guanches (or later Gomeros). The animist and pastoral civilization of the Guanches thrived until the Spanish takeover in the 15th century, which, after a short period of harmony and mixing with the indigenous people, suddenly ended in bloodshed... La Gomera later became the “Columbus Island” after Christopher Columbus’s stopover, increasing the blending of populations. In the 20th century, many Gomeros emigrated to Cuba and other Latin American countries in search of a better life, bringing back a mix of cultures and traits quite palpable in today’s Gomeran culture. It is, however, in La Gomera that the vestiges of Guanche culture seem to have left the most traces, in the language, gastronomy, social practices... Moreover, most Gomeros, especially in remote villages, have a particular identifiable type and proudly claim their ancestral roots, even making La Gomera a bit exotic in the eyes of other Canarians.
Perhaps that’s why it has never really wanted to develop its tourist infrastructure too much. If we set aside the tourists who visit for the day by bus or boat from Tenerife on a marked itinerary (and whom we ultimately rarely encounter), La Gomera has remained a hidden gem, a destination focused on nature discovery that attracts hikers, nature-loving divers, and scientists for its fauna and flora, and to a lesser extent, beachgoers who don’t seek overly developed coastlines. Tourist activity is therefore limited. Roughly speaking, you’ll find a majority of Spaniards, including a substantial number of residents from other Canary Islands, many Germans who have a particular fondness for La Gomera and spend long stays there or own second homes, to the point that the German cultural footprint is clearly noticeable in some places (it’s said to be Angela Merkel’s favorite holiday spot), and still quite a few French. The presence of other nationalities seemed negligible to us. Most travelers come mainly for hiking, but it’s also a prime spot for whale watching. Additionally, the seaside resorts of La Gomera—San Sebastián, Santiago, and especially Valle Gran Rey—are well-known destinations for hippies, especially German ones, ranging from chic boho hippies to old-school hippies who’ve been there for decades, quite similar to those you’d meet in India in Goa, Rishikesh, or Paharganj. Thus, practices like naturism, vegetarianism, and local organic production are quite well established in some areas.
Some practical info:
- The round-trip flight from Paris to Tenerife cost us 365 € per person (outbound with Transavia, return with EasyJet), including checked luggage and three seats reserved side by side.
- We chose two bases to explore the island: one week in Valle Gran Rey, reputed to be the most pleasant of the three seaside resorts, and one week in Hermigua, more mountainous and close to the natural park. We booked two houses with balconies and views: the first at 120 € per night, the second at 99 €.
- The round-trip ferry between Tenerife and La Gomera cost us 270 € with the company Baleària Canarias, including discounts for children aged 4 and 12, but I don’t have the exact details. It was a bit cheaper than with the other company, Fred Olsen.
- Finally, we rented a car through the agency Cicar for 360 € for 16 days, which comes to 22.50 € per day.
- Apart from that, we didn’t plan anything and decided the day before or even the morning of what we wanted to do. We didn’t invest in any paper guide on the Canaries, as information on La Gomera was scarce, but we used the very comprehensive site La Gomera Travel, a travel guide published by the Canary Islands Tourism Council, a real goldmine of almost exhaustive information on the island.
Alright, off we go for 16 days of adventure discovering La Gomera!
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
Our first stop was just a few kilometers from Marrakech, at a lovely house perfect for relaxing and recharging before continuing. It’s called Bleu House, a little paradise on the outskirts of Marrakech. The welcome was very warm, with a beautiful pool and a lovely garden.
Next, we headed toward the Tichka Pass. The road has really improved in recent years—it’s much easier to drive now. No more getting stuck behind trucks, and today, the construction is practically finished.
Morocco has turned green after the recent rains. It’s a joy for the herds and shepherds.
I hesitated about writing this travel journal...
This summer, we only did the classics (the 3 northern parks and Zanzibar) and let a local agency take care of everything from start to finish.
No craziness, no risks, no sleeping under the stars, no self-drive, no venturing off the beaten path, no incidents, and not even any delays in the pre-planned itinerary...
But don’t think we were disappointed!
The whole family (there were 6 of us) came back with smiles and memories of great moments spent together.
So, if you're looking for a "classic" way to discover Tanzania, this is the place to be.
Our 2-week itinerary:
- Arusha (1 night upon arrival)
- Tarangire (1 night)
- Ngorongoro (2 nights in Karatu then Irmisigiyo)
- Serengeti (3 nights in Robanda, Togoro Plains, and Seronera)
- Zanzibar Stone Town (1 night)
- Zanzibar Matemwe (3 nights)
- Zanzibar Jambiani (3 nights)
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
This trip was in 2023, but when I wanted to write my travel journal, VF was still closed to contributions...
So, now that I've just finished my Japan travel journal here, I figured it was high time to honor this destination we came back from so enchanted.
Disclaimer 1: This is a written travel journal. There’ll be text! Too much, for some!
Disclaimer 2: This is an illustrated travel journal. There’ll be photos! Too many, for some!
I have to say, every time I try to discipline myself, to keep it shorter, to include fewer photos... I end up adding more. It feels like my dear Aunt Nicole, who exhausted us with her slide-show evenings in the 70s/80s, decided to take her revenge. The upside for you, readers, is that you can slip away anytime without offending Aunt Nicole. I won’t even notice!
Anyway, since I love maps, here’s one to give you an idea of where I’m taking you. As you can see, we only saw a tiny part of Laos (the areas circled in red); we only had 3 weeks for ourselves (my husband’s newly retired, I still work), and we prefer taking our time over rushing around like crazy.
In broad strokes, it was very classic:
First, we “settled in” at Luang Prabang (8 days), because we wanted and needed to.
From there, we took three days to venture a little further north—not far in kilometers, but as we know, distances aren’t just about km!
Then we flew south to Paksé, letting ourselves drift down to the 4,000 Islands while stopping by the pre-Angkorian archaeological sites.
We wrapped up with the Bolaven Plateau.
A few practical notes: We arrived via Bangkok, then took a Bangkok-Luang Prabang flight, having picked up our luggage in Bangkok to check it in for Luang Prabang. No issues—the Bangkok airport, which many of you know, is very well organized.
We got our visas on arrival in Luang Prabang. Quick, but to be fair, we were on a “small” plane, and the big flights had arrived earlier, so we weren’t too crowded in line!
At the end of our trip, we didn’t fly out of Paksé but from the nearby airport in Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani (a 2.5-hour drive from Paksé), then Bangkok and Paris.
You’ll notice we skipped Vientiane to stay longer in Luang Prabang. That said, there’s now a high-speed train between Vientiane and Luang Prabang—good to know—and soon the (Chinese) train will go all the way to Bangkok and even Kuala Lumpur!
With that intro out of the way, let’s dive into the heart of the matter.
To be continued: Slowing down the pace... in Luang Prabang
It’s an ancient city that breathes, a living spring.
Here, no kitschy signs like “I miss you in Fengyu,” nor mass-produced fake antiques.
The century-old houses still bear the marks of wind and rain; in the morning, you hear roosters crowing, and at dusk, smoke gently rises from the kitchens.
This city doesn’t try to please anyone—like the spring water flowing through it, it simply keeps living at its own pace.
Located in Eryuan County, in the Dali Prefecture of Yunnan, the ancient town of Fengyu is a nationally designated historical and cultural city. It’s nicknamed the “land of scholars and ink”—during the Qing Dynasty, the Fengxiang Academy produced four *jinshi* and eleven *juren* in the imperial examinations. The Bai families made studying and farming a true legacy. Even on market days, you’ll find stalls of calligraphy and paintings, while lintels and screen walls are covered with family mottos.
Fengyu was also an important stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road. It preserves the second-largest Bai architectural complex in China, just after Xizhou. The famous traveler Xu Xiake spent seven days here and compared it to the “peach blossom paradise.”
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
Let’s start with the shotengai...
Our first "wow" moment came as we stepped out of the subway in Asakusa, the Tokyo neighborhood where we’d booked our hotel for our first five nights. Exhausted after our long flight, we finally arrived and took an exit that led straight into a shotengai—one of those covered shopping streets that pop up in city centers and flourished between the 1950s and 1980s.
It was an instant aesthetic shock, like a close encounter of the third kind between the modern city, a typical Asian market with its street stalls, the vintage vibe of the arcade, the sheer abundance of goods, and the bustling crowd—a mix of tourists, pilgrims (thanks to nearby Senso-ji Temple), and locals (it’s a very working-class area).
In the end, it set the tone for a feeling we’d experience throughout the trip. Wherever we went, shotengai turned out to be fantastic spots for finding little restaurants, shops, or even fresh produce. Some are like real mazes, like in Kyoto, where we spent ages trying to relocate a restaurant we’d loved ;-)
In Kanazawa, the Omicho Market:
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
Preamble:
Africa was calling to me, so a year ago, with our usual travel companions, we decided to return to the continent we love so much.
Where to go?
Uganda quickly caught our attention—wildlife we’re used to seeing, plus gorillas and the shoebill we missed in Zambia.
We got in touch with Paul, who’s been mentioned several times on the forum back in September, booked our flight tickets, secured the gorilla permits, and by early October, the most important things were done.
We still had plenty of time to hold our "prep meetings" for the final itinerary.
Three days before departure, I sprained my ankle (my weak spot, as you’ll recall from our Colombia trip).
I wasn’t in great spirits, but after a year of waiting, nothing was going to stop me.
We’d see how it goes!
Off we went for our new adventures
If you're looking for great tips and offbeat spots, if you love exploring uncharted parts of a country, if the exotic is your adrenaline, then move along!
Our 15 days in early May in this part of Turkey (a country I first discovered during a city trip to Istanbul in 2017) will only tread well-worn paths and revisit popular routes. Simply because I kept hoping until the very end that our flight to Jordan wouldn’t be canceled. Events in the Gulf proved me wrong, so we left with:
Zero preparation.
Not a single hotel booked (well, except the first one), no visits planned, just a flight ticket bought three weeks earlier. No guidebook, no app—just the desire to explore southern Turkey and Cappadocia, whose images and the chance to stretch our legs had caught my eye.
Oh, wait—I did bring along a new guide: Gemini! Yes, my friends, generative AI was my chief advisor throughout the trip for sites to visit, accommodations, routes, and even restaurants! An experiment I wanted to try to form my own opinion on using this new technology. And what better way to test it than a Turkish getaway?
The verdict? You’ll have to wait for the trip recap to find out!
The main idea of the trip is also relaxation.
So, the plan is Antalya for a few days, the Turkish Riviera for a few more, Cappadocia as the highlight, and a return via Antalya to wrap up the trip. And it was all planned by AI!
So, if you're ready, fasten your seatbelts—cabin crew, doors to automatic and cross check—boarding for Turkey now!
It often happens that we're asked what to visit in Belgium.
And the answers usually point to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels—and rightly so, as these cities are well worth visiting ;).
However, Belgium, though small, isn’t just limited to these four cities.
I live in one of them (Brussels), enjoy spending time in the other three, but I’d like to highlight some lesser-known spots that could add to the trip for those who want to see a bit more or something different.
Between trips, I like exploring one or two corners of the country where I live.
Hence the idea for a travel journal of walks.
Most of the places I’ll talk about can be visited as a day trip from Brussels, whether by public transport or car.
In chronological order of the topics covered:
- The Gileppe Dam (Liège province) - message 2, page 1
- The Domaine de La Hulpe (Walloon Brabant) - message 3, page 1
- Mechelen (Antwerp province) - message 4, page 1
- The coast - message 5, page 1
- The Westhoek, from De Panne - message 6, page 1
- The Zwin, from Knokke - message 7, page 1
- Lier (between Mechelen and Antwerp) - message 8, page 1
- Mons (Hainaut) - message 9, page 1
- The Florenville region - message 12, page 1
- The East Cantons - message 13, page 1
- Dinant - message 18, page 1
- The Japanese garden in Hasselt - message 24, page 2
- Leuven - message 29, page 2
- Louvain-la-Neuve - message 32, page 2
- Ostend - message 42 (page 3) and message 166 (page 9)
- The floralies of Groot-Bijgaarden - message 43, page 3
- Halle Forest - message 44, page 3
- Pralines - message 54, page 3
- Charleroi - message 68, page 4
- Namur - message 92, page 5
- Le Bois du Cazier (Marcinelle) - message 95, page 5
- Couques and gosettes - message 96, page 5
- Liège - message 99, page 5
- Tournai - message 115, page 6
- Oudenaarde - message 121, page 7
- Meise Botanical Garden - message 124, page 7
- Tongeren - message 125, page 7
- Beersel Castle (Flemish Brabant) - message 126, page 7
- Brussels in lockdown (messages 150 and 154, page 8)
- Notre-Dame à la Rose Hospital in Lessines (messages 161 and 162, page 9)
- Westende (message 167, page 9)
I’ll keep updating this list as the journal progresses...
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
A little sneak peek?