TDM
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Antwerp, the city of diamonds (Belgium) – 2023 travel journal
After the Netherlands, JB is still hoping to hear about our apartment in Nice so we decide to stay in Europe for a few more months. Not knowing where to go, I suggest Belgium, which I’d crossed in express mode with my friend M. and her son just before Covid. We choose Antwerp as our base because I loved (1) the fact that most diamonds pass through Antwerp (2) its printing museum. JB books us a nice Airbnb a 10-minute bike ride from the cathedral, and it’s only when we get there that we discover this Airbnb is inside a retirement home. We eye the dining hall longingly and ask…
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Discovering Kosovo: Pristina, Prizren, monasteries, and a ski resort
Despite the workload, we still aim to visit the highlights of Kosovo, while working, in two and a half weeks, and renting a car for 3 days. Our HQ is in Pristina, a capital without much charm, covered in snow in April 2023. Here, as elsewhere in the Balkans, the locals are super friendly and the heating is more than effective. We like the food in Kosovo a bit more than in Serbia, since most of the population is of Albanian origin and their cuisine is delicious (very Mediterranean). We hesitated a lot between North Macedonia and the Kosovo, but from Serbia, it’s more practical to take a direct bus…
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Road trip in Serbia: Danube, Novi Sad, Subotica
Despite my intense laziness, we still manage to go on a mini road trip in Serbia to get a rough idea of what the country looks like. Because my dream is to see the Danubeagain. When I was little, my grandfather’s favorite piece was “The Blue Danube” and he would ask me to play it over and over, so in my head, the Danube is definitely blue. It wasn’t blue in Vienna and I blame pollution, but here, it must be blue, right? I need to go see it ASAP. Smederevo Fortress The fortress of Smederevo is one of the most important and best-preserved medieval fortifications in Serbia. It is…
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First visit to Belgrade (Serbia)
We are in March 2023. Since Rome, we’re flying to Belgrade. It always feels good to get into a lounge and have something to snack on before the flight, especially when lounge access is free (included with JB’s Amex card). Belgrade is a magic word. It’s a city name that sounds so exotic to me that I can’t even imagine what it could look like. If I saw an elephant in Belgrade, I wouldn’t even be surprised, because that’s how exotic this name sounds to me! Like in “In Search of Lost Time,” sometimes the names of places paint a completely different picture in our minds. For JB, Belgrade brings…
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Naples, way too much going on (Italy)
We take the train from Pompeii to Naples. We decide not to spend the night in Naples because we find our hotel in Pompeii very nice and very quiet—it’s better to do the round trip Pompeii – Naples than to drag our suitcases all the way to Naples, and then from Naples to Rome. What a wise decision, because this city feels like pure chaos to me, a city swallowed by mass tourism and the incompetence of those in charge of keeping it clean. It’s crowded everywhere, absolutely everywhere, and the streets are disgustingly dirty, especially in tourist spots. I was shocked to see such a touristy city so poorly…
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Pompeii, a gigantic site (Italy)
After Sicily, we fly to Naples and Pompeii. An Italian friend who specializes in volcanoes told us that the present danger isn’t Vesuvius but Naples: the Naples region is itself inside a volcano. And from the plane, it does look like that, indeed. Specialists see danger everywhere, but I hope he’s just being overly cautious. We land in Naples first and immediately take a shuttle, which is 5 minutes from the airport, to Pompeii. The driver drops us right at a gate of the archaeological park. Unfortunately, our hotel isn’t near this gate but near the other gate. We walk along the park, can’t see what’s inside, and after 15…
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[Shopping Guide] My Favorite Brands & Artisans
Those who have been following me for a long time know that I love quality and handmade items. If I can treat myself to “the best in the world,” I do. Since I travel constantly, I’m forced to be minimalist and use high-quality products that last a long time. Plus, I really love craftsmanship and have taken many classes with artisans, so I know which artisan is truly skilled. Thanks to traveling, I’ve been able to visit suppliers, subcontractors… to ask questions and better appreciate materials or know-how. I’ll list my favorite brands and artisans here, in case you need them for your Christmas gifts… Clothing & Footwear I only…
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[Book Collecting] The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain from The Limited Editions Club
When I got interested in books for collectors, I discovered during my road trip in the United States a publishing house founded in the 1930s in the US: The Limited Editions Club. I treated myself to 3 books by this publisher. “The Innocents Abroad” is one of them because I found the illustrations exceptional. Each book came with a “Monthly Letter” from the publisher, telling the story of the book and how it was designed by The Limited Editions Club. Here is a French translation of that letter, along with the book’s 60+ illustrations, for those who aren’t lucky enough to own a copy. The illustrations are numerous, and on…
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Cefalù and Caccamo – Sicily Trip #5 (Italy)
We’re getting back in the car today to explore the other side. But Sicily is so vast that it takes a full road trip to see it all. From Palermo, and in just one day, we can only push as far as Cefalù and Caccamo. We struggle to find a parking spot. Construction on the main avenue cuts the available spaces in half, and the huge parking lot outside town is just that… outside town. We finally manage to squeeze into a small spot, pay for parking, and walk 15 minutes to the old town. This place must be 10 times busier in summer. That beautiful beach is sure to…
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Monreale Cathedral and Segesta Temple – Sicily Trip #4 (Italy)
There are so many things to see in Sicily that you have to make choices. Since I want to visit both Monreale , and Cefalù which are in two opposite directions from Palermo, we decide to visit Monreale one day (and go as far as the Temple of Segesta), come back to sleep in Palermo, then go to Cefalù the next day, then return to Palermo, to our Airbnb. We rent a car for two days from Dream Rent – Noleggio Auto e Scooter – Rent Car and Scooter https://maps.app.goo.gl/pBbsWLLWCBPmMmd78 for 70 euros (insurance still covered by Serenitrip). It’s a small local rental company with a tiny office, but the…
