Travel Journal
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Journal of a trek to Everest Base Camp (Nepal)
I’ve always dreamed of going to Everest Base Camp. The opportunity came up this year and I went with my brother Vincent. Anh stayed in Europe. D-1 – Wednesday, October 4, 2023: departure tomorrow! After 3 weeks of preparation in the Massif Central, a few days of sightseeing in transit in Abu Dhabi, 3 days in Kathmandu to meet our agency (which lends us some gear), perfect our equipment, and do some sightseeing, we’re ready! Yesterday and today, we’ve packed and repacked our two personal bags: one that will be checked in on the plane and given to the porter, 10kg max, and one for us as carry-on, 5kg max.…
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Page and Antelope Canyon – Road trip in the American West #4
We reluctantly leave the Grand Canyon, heading to Page. It’s in Page that we’ll be able to visit Antelope Canyon, run by the Navajo. This article is part of our series of articles on the American West road trip. If you haven’t read the previous travel diaries, here they are: #1, #2, #3 Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 4 of the road trip Route from Grand Canyon to Page Right after leaving Grand Canyon National Park, we’re on Navajo land. I’ve seen maps where they mark “Navajo Nation,” which spans three states: Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. There are huge private areas, and…
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Two nights at the Grand Canyon: Road trip in the American West #3
After seeing the Grand Canyon from above thanks to our helicopter tour, we finally visit the park “from below,” by car. We booked two nights inside the park to make the most of it. This article is part of our series of articles on the American West road trip. If you haven’t read the previous travel diaries, here they are: #1, #2 Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 2 of the road trip (continued) From the helicopter agency, you just keep going straight. With no real choice, we fill up at the park entrance ($5.59 a gallon instead of $3.80). We don’t have an…
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[mixed review] Helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon South Rim with Maverick: Road trip in the American West #2
This article is part of our series on road trips in the American West. If you haven’t read the first travel diary yet, here’s the link. For our road trip in the American West, we asked several friends for advice. One of them highly recommended a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon, especially the one where the helicopter descends into the canyon and lands by the river. After doing some research, we realized that this tour departs from the North Rim (not on our route) and it’s very expensive. So we opted for a cheaper tour, but still a hefty budget: Canyon Spirit by Maverick which departs from the south…
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Arrival in Las Vegas & Optometrist: Road Trip in the American West #1
After two weeks on a cruise where our brains were completely switched off, we return to normal life with great difficulty. JB also has health issues (dental and visual) as we start our road trip in the American West. Fortunately, we booked very little and have the car for 36 days, enough to take long breaks to rest (and work). The cruise ship drops us off at Fort Lauderdale. We spend one night in Hollywood before taking a flight (almost 6 hours) to Las Vegas. Day 1 Upon arrival, we see several casino machines right in the airport, along with ads for the various shows. Las Vegas airport is close…
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Transatlantic Cruise aboard Symphony of the Seas – Royal Caribbean (2023)
In late 2022, knowing I was going to drastically reduce my workload in 2023 and have more free time for travel, I asked JB to aim for a more flexible schedule so we could travel (even) more. We thought a real break could help him in this regard, do him good as JB can’t help but work even on weekends. We thought of: These three projects required planning several months in advance and were an excellent way to be forced to adapt the professional pace accordingly. After our cruise in the Norwegian fjords with MSC over 10 years ago, cruises have held an important place on our wish list. We…
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Back to Barcelona (Spain): Travel Diary
Back when we didn’t travel much, we spent 2 weeks in Barcelona with friends and enjoyed it so much that it never crossed our minds to go back. Since our transatlantic cruise departs from Barcelona and we’re very afraid of something going wrong and making us miss the departure, we arrive 5 days early and have plenty of time to visit this lovely city once again. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal I had forgotten how expensive Barcelona is. Paying almost €100/night, we only get a room with a shared bathroom. It’s not a budget motel, but it’s clearly not as comfortable as a standard…
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Nice (France): a little taste of vacation
After Prague, I had to go to Nice for personal reasons that I’ll reveal soon. I was still drained of energy, so I didn’t explore the city as I should have, but I did the bare minimum, which is to enjoy its little streets, shops, restaurants, and bookstores. I booked an Airbnb and to pick up the key, I had to go to a bike/metro parking spot on the street and there were several small lockers with codes. Apparently, that’s how Airbnbs give keys to their guests in Nice. Funny thing is, two days later, it’s mentioned in “Nice Matin” that the city is going to remove these lockers for…
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Prague (Czech Republic): Jewish Quarter, Alchemists & National Museum
After Gdansk, I went to Prague, still all alone because JB was still in Nepal conquering the Everest Base Camp. We had spent a month in Prague a few years ago but I don’t know why this city didn’t leave me with many memories. Apart from the pretty bridge and the pretty castle, the rest has been erased from my memory, and when I found myself in front of Prague’s main square, I got a shock because I didn’t remember being there!!! aahhahha I got a private room in an Airbnb with an automatic code, and when I tried to lock my bedroom door from the inside, the key wouldn’t…
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Gdansk (Poland): a really pretty city
I realize I’ve never written about Gdansk. Right after my stained glass internship in Chartres, I flew to Gdansk in Poland. JB and I had planned to spend a winter month there, but we changed our plans (for better weather in Malta!). I took advantage of his absence (he was in Nepal in October 2023) to do a little solo trip around Europe. I wanted a much busier itinerary, but for various reasons, I only ended up doing Gdansk, Prague, and Nice. Gdansk is right next to the sea, so I thought it was a beach town, but it wasn’t. From the plane, you could see that the seaside was…
