Travel Journal
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One Day in Bruges / Brugge: canals, cobbled streets & medieval buildings – Road trip in Belgium 2/5
After 3 days of rest and chit chat in Mons with my best friend M., we are getting ready to spend 4 days together, travelling around Belgium by train. There will be 3 of us: M., his 5 years old son and me. It’s the first time that we travel together somewhere else than Paris and the little boy is very excited to sleep for the first time in a hotel. Our first destination will be Bruges. Note : this article is part of the series of blog articles “Road Trip in Belgium”, to read the 1st part, click here Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1:…
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One Day in Mons, city of the 3 UNESCO heritages: Road trip in Belgium 1/5
I don’t know if you knew it but we came back to Europe because of the cancellation of our plane ticket to Vietnam. As the tickets to Asia are too expensive, we decided to come back to Europe and spend some time with family and friends. My best friend lives in Belgium, in Mons to be precise. And I take the opportunity to come and visit her, to visit Belgium with her, to visit Germany on my own. During these 3 weeks, JB will travel all over France to see his family again and participate in two events (which will themselves be cancelled because of the coronavirus…). That’s how I…
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7h stopover in Las Vegas (United States): a Giant Amusement Park
To make Mexico City – Paris, JB found an atypical but economical and interesting route: Mexico City – Las Vegas – Paris with a 7h stopover in Las Vegas. At the beginning, I just wanted to rest quietly in one of the lounges at the airport (because we have the Priority Pass with the American Express), but JB encouraged me and convinced me to go out and visit the city a bit. I admit that I had a rather negative preconception of Las Vegas, but after a few hours of stopover there, I changed my mind. Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary The arrival…
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Pyramids of the Sun and Moon in Teotihuacán (Mexico)
Here is a great short travel notebook to quickly show you the pyramids we saw in Teotihuacán. Along with Palenque, Calakmul and Uxmal, these pyramids are among my favorites in Mexico. Once one ofthe largest cities in Mesoamerica, Teotihuacán is only an hour from Mexico City. The Pirámide del Sol (Pyramid of the Sun) and the Pirámide de la Luna (Pyramid of the Moon) dominate the remains of the ancient metropolis, which, even after its fall in the 8th century, remained for a long time a place of pilgrimage for the Aztec royalty. Today, it attracts a crowd eager to soak up the mystical energies that are supposed to converge…
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Visit of two former mining towns: Tlalpujahua and El Oro (Mexico): Travel Diary #2
In the previous travel diary, we were in Sierra Chincua to see monarch butterflies. We then took a truck to go to Tlalpujahua, a magico pueblo next door. It’s an old mining town, also known for its handicrafts: blown glass balls make it the town where it’s Christmas all year round. Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Workshop: Fabrica De Esferas Fimave Despite the late arrival, we arrived in time to visit a workshop for the production of blown glass balls – with a live demo. The tools are simplistic, there is no protection (for eyes or hands) but the craftsman’s dexterity is undeniable.…
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We visited a Monarch Butterfly Reserve in Mexico – Sierra Chincua #1
We have all seen on television or on social networks, a video or a photo of thousands of monarch butterflies resting on tree branches. I didn’t think I would ever be able to admire this spectacle one day, thinking it was deep in an inaccessible forest. But the dream came true because we were able to see them in Mexico, where we are present at the right season. Excellent timing. To explain the phenomenon: every year, around November, the winter migration of monarch butterflies begins: they come from Canada and the United States and land quietly in Mexico, between the state of Michoacan and the state of Mexico. These small…
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Mexico City or Ciudad de México (Mexico): Travel diary
I know it’s totally unfair to summarize Mexico City in a few lines, but I don’t have much time to give you a long post. We met N., a French expat who spent +20 years at CDMX. So we were able to visit with her MERCADO SAN JUAN Here you can find all kinds of insects – edible: spiders, worms, ants… there’s even lion meat! The locals go there especially to taste the ceviche (there is a very famous restaurant there), the tourists go there especially to take pictures. They also sell edible flowers <3 <3 MERCADO LA CIUDADELA This craft market is the best place to admire the works…
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Attend a soccer match at the mythical Estadio Azteca in Mexico City (Mexico)
After Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Argentina, Colombia and Canada, Mexico is the 9th country where I will attend a soccer match. Mexico City being a huge city, there are no less than 3 clubs playing in the Mexican first division: Club America Cruz Azul Pumas of the UNAM The 3 clubs of the capital are part of the big four of the championship completed by Chivas, the club of Guadalajara With only 2 weeks left in Mexico City and already having a busy schedule for next weekend, this Saturday is the only day I will have the opportunity to attend a game. That day, Cruz Azul and Pumas are…
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Temazcal Purification Ceremony in Oaxaca (Mexico): Our Impressions
When I asked about Oaxaca, several people told me about the Temazcal ceremony before concluding: visiting Oaxaca without participating in a Temazcal ceremony is like not having been there. It’s like going to Japan without going to the onsen. It’s a ceremony that is well known to the indigenous people, and since we are in the state of Oaxaca, where many indigenous people still live, the probability of finding one is higher. So we contacted ASAP one of the best places on the outskirts of Oaxaca: CEVIAREM TEMAZCAL OAXACA to book a private session for two. The session lasts more or less an hour and costs 1700MXN for two (I…
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Monte Alban, Alebrijes de madera, Cuilapam de Guerrero, Barro negro de Coyotepec – Surroundings of Oaxaca #2 (Mexico)
We continue exploring the surroundings of Oaxaca today with a guided tour. On the program: the archaeological ruins of Monte Alban, the famous colored wooden sculptures (Alebrijes de madera), an old convent and the black pottery of Coyotepec. We will take you with us, as usual. Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary This itinerary is one of the 2 most popular routes to explore the surroundings of Oaxaca. The 1st itinerary (towards Hierve el Agua and all the villages on the road) was done via bus and colectivo and we enjoyed our 3 days on the road too much. This time, as transportation is…
