TDM
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Visiting Malta by car: the island of Gozo – Travel diary 2/3
Let’s continue our series of travel diaries at Malta, where we stayed in December 2022 – January 2023. This time, we rent a car to go to the island of Gozo. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal The ferry Between the main island of Malta and the island of Gozo lies the small island of Comino. Comino doesn’t seem to have much tourist interest to me, so I’d rather go only to the island of Gozo. We hesitated between renting a car on Gozo or renting a car in St Julian’s, but once we realized it was very easy to put the car on the…
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Visiting Malta by car: Travel diary 1/3
In December 2022/January 2023, we spent over a month in Malta, and here’s the travel diary you’ve been waiting for. We were staying in St Julian’s and then we found another Airbnb in St Paul’s Bay. From time to time, we rent a car to explore the island. The buses are good and cover all the points of interest, but they’re not frequent enough, so we prefer having our own car. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Our Airbnb in St Paul’s Bay It’s a fairly spacious Airbnb with two bedrooms and a living room overlooking the harbor (for prices and link, go here). The…
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[review] Book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, a book by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind is a book by Yuval Noah Harari that explores the history of humanity from its origins to the present day. This book is a global phenomenon, thanks to which everyone is interested in human history. For once, an author explains the history of humanity very simply and in a multidisciplinary way. Following the success of the book, two graphic novels were also released, aimed at teenagers (and those who can’t handle big books). Personally, I started by reading the graphic novels, which cover half of the book, before finishing the rest by reading the original book. It took me over a year to read…
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St Julian’s & Portomaso Marina (Malta)
After France, we fly to Malta. JB’s grandfather is Maltese. Even though he never lived in Malta, he had a British passport and passed it on to his children, so JB’s mother also has a British passport. Thus, JB is 25% Maltese and according to his grandmother, he still has distant cousins in Gozo. JB has been there only once. For me, it’s the first time. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Paris – Malta Our luggage is a bit too heavy, but Air Malta doesn’t seem to mind. Our flight arrives too late (after sunset) for a nice view, but if you arrive during…
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[review] The Revolution of a Single Straw by Masanobu Fukuoka, a must-read
The book “The One-Straw Revolution” was written in 1975 by Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer and writer (€14.90, Amazon link, Fnac link) One day, Fukuoka decides to quit his job and takes over his father’s farm. Advocating natural farming, he lets the fruit trees fend for themselves and they die. What follows are 30 years of experiments where he finds THE method of do-nothing farming, intervening minimally while achieving yields very close to modern agriculture. This book tells his journey and his reflections. According to Fukuoka, we must let nature take its course without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and cultivate plants in a way that mimics the natural system…
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[review] The End of the World, energy miracle and climate drift by Jean-Marc Jancovici and Christophe Blain
With the energy crisis, the graphic essay The End of the World by Jean-Marc Jancovici and Christophe Blain (Amazon link, Fnac link) has been the number one bestseller in books this winter (Christmas 2022), even though the graphic novel was released in October 2021. The war in Ukraine and the explosion in energy prices have happened since then, and many people must have received it as a gift. I’m just an average reader, not a specialist at all. So my overall opinion will be about the format and how the content is presented, but I’m not an expert to tell you if the information or data is correct. All images…
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[Summary & Review] Netflix’s How to Change Your Mind + A Really Good Day on LSD Microdosing
Psychedelics are a topic that has interested me for a long time. Not because I’m a user (I don’t drink, smoke, or even drink coffee), but a friend I deeply respect told me about them. I had a lot of preconceptions, but I took the time to educate myself to understand why he needed them, and what was wrong with him. That led me to watch interviews and read articles by Stanislav Grof, a psychiatrist who conducted studies on the effects of LSD. Then, a few years ago, I took part in a holotropic breathwork session (drug-free), which produces minor effects, but comparable to LSD. I really enjoyed that session…
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Car rental abroad: credit card or debit card?
This is a nasty surprise many travelers renting a car abroad encounter. After booking (and often paying for) a car online, you go to the agency to pick it up. Since you took the mandatory minimum insurance, the rental company asks for a bank hold for the amount of the deductible (to be able to charge repair costs if you have a problem during your rental. Nothing unusual so far. The drama occurs when the rental agent explains that you absolutely must present a credit card while you have a debit card. In France, we don’t make much difference and we use a misnomer to refer to our payment cards…
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How can I tell if I have a credit card or a debit card?
If you need a credit card, I recommend the American Express Air France Gold card. It’s 100% free for the first year, and you’ll get rental car insurance and cashback on every purchase you make with the card. To learn more and get a referral link, read my dedicated article.. In France, the credit card is the most widely used payment method. However, this is a misuse of language, as you need to distinguish between credit card and debit card. Without going into too much detail, debit cards are those that directly deduct money from your account, while credit cards are those that charge you later (e.g., at the beginning…
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Prepaid SIM / eSIM in Malta: how to buy a 4G internet SIM card?
Roaming fees Roaming fees are the infamous charges that operators apply when you use your smartphone abroad. Good news: since Malta is a member of the European Union, there are no roaming fees. So you can use your French plan in Malta just like you would in France. This applies to internet, making and receiving calls, and SMS. Still, make sure to check the internet data allowance you can use, as it may be lower abroad than in France. If you don’t have a French plan, it would be worth buying a local SIM card. Buy a SIM card before you leave If you want to be sure to have…
