One Night in Paris, A New Friend & An Old Friend
Pietro opens his front door with a smile, and I collapse onto his couch. The hitch from London to Paris went very well, but I have only slept about 2 hours in the last 24…
Across The Channel
The first thing I observe about Calais is that it is raining hard.
The second thing I notice is the miserable looking refugee camps that stretch for miles along the shore, surrounded by barbed wire fences…
Public Transport
…We know, straight, this is not ordinary taxi. He has some loud music on the stereo, like, gangster rap, and he wear very special clothes, some american cap, gold chains, some things like this… ‘Where will you like to go?’ he asks us. We tell him the place. ‘OK’ he say. Get in… I met…
Turning Forty
…As we ease ourselves into Paris, we are somehow infused with the romantic atmosphere. It’s really true, that sexy reputation Paris has. There is an atmosphere of repressed passion, especially after dark, when couples stroll together in leather jackets, embracing tightly and kissing long and deep… Flash back: July 2013. My wife and I are…
How do I Travel France for $11 a Day?
…If you want to travel REALLY cheap, food is the only thing you ever spend money on… Put your wallet in the bottom of your bag, and only get it out at mealtimes. Once in a while you will need to fork out for a museum, art gallery or the like, but even…
France: budget report
The numbers are in. Daily expenditure touring France, including Paris, Strasbourg, Mont-St-Michel, and Normandy… US$10.85 / day Man! I got to stop living the high life and reign in my expenses ! “How can I travel France for eleven bucks a day?” I hear you ask. Well, click the link, and I’ll tell you! Many, many…
¡ Hola España ! – Manresa, Spain
…We settle down on the riverbank in the shade, to eat, and are mobbed by a herd of goats… Juan, a Spanish travelling salesman, picks us up from a servo in France, just north of the border. He is shy at first, but after chatting for a while, we win him over. When he…
Pope-Ville – Avignon, France
The city of Avignon was home to the Pope for a period in the middle ages. The Papal Palace is built on an island between two large rivers. Tip for trampers: there are excellent opportunities for camping discreetly on the small island west of the old city, only a few minutes walk from the…
The Roof of Europe – Monte Bianco, Italy
…Italian people consider hitching old fashioned, associate it with the hippy era and rarely give rides. Italians do not hitchhike themselves and consider hitchhikers to be dangerous… The further south we go in France the slower we move. The cars get more expensive and the rides sparser. A guy stops for us and he is…
Borderland – Obernai, France
We’re eastward-bound. After a very restful night at Gilles apartment in Strasbourg, he drops us off at the side of the highway. Our objective is Frankfurt, but Gilles is dubious. “I don’t think you can get a ride here to Germany. Here in Strasbourg everyone going to Germany just buys cigarettes and comes straight…
Monster Workshop – Strasbourg, France
In the old part of Strasbourg the enclosed bridge is under renovation. There are a whole lot of ceramic gargoyles sitting in groups, in various states of repair.
Strasbourg, France
Walking to Strasbourg’s centre is a short stroll in morning sunshine. The city is compact, but not crowded. The people look handsome and relaxed. The old part of the city is superbly preserved, in contrast to the towns of northern France that were so devastated by the second world war. The cathedral is awesome. …