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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…
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Palermo – Sicily Trip #3 (Italy)
After Catania, we take the train towards Palermo. There are two main pedestrian streets in the city center, and our Airbnb is on one of them. They’re always full of tourists, noisy, lively, but the apartment is over 100 square meters, so we feel way too comfortable and don’t visit anything for long weeks. We just go eat focaccias, Neapolitan pizzas, pistachio gelatos (the local specialty), cross several times a day a beautiful pedestrian intersection with sculptures on all four buildings, and stroll along the pedestrian streets for window shopping. If I had known that the churches in Palermo were so pretty, I would have forced myself to visit earlier.…
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Catania & Mount Etna – Sicily Trip #2 (Italy)
I’m catching up on travel journals left unwritten since 2022-2023, and here we are in January 2023, having just left Malta by boat to head to Sicily. While the first stop is the famous Syracuse, the second (very brief) stop is Catania to visit Mount Etna. We take the train from Syracuse to Catania and spot Etna from afar. You can’t tell from photos, but it’s massive, given how far away we can see it. As an active volcano, it regularly releases gases and smoke plumes, even without major eruptions. This smoke is mainly water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and other volcanic gases. From a distance, it just looks like clouds.…
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Visit of the Château de Monte-Cristo (France) – Alexandre Dumas’ residence and park
We take advantage of a rainy Wednesday to visit the Château de Monte-Cristo with JB, my sister, and my niece. Nestled in the heights of Port-Marly, just a stone’s throw from the Seine, the Château de Monte-Cristo is much more than a simple historic residence. It’s a true green haven, where Alexandre Dumas, the author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte-Cristo, created his refuge away from the Parisian hustle and bustle. In 1844, after his first literary successes, Dumas decided to settle in a more peaceful setting, away from the city’s turmoil. He fell in love with the landscapes along the Seine and chose a plot on…
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[Reflection] #15: Idiocracy, an inevitable future?
During my stay in France, I met several “bobos” and was stunned to see how political correctness had managed to completely brainwash them. I no longer recognize my friends, I no longer share their values. I don’t know why egalitarianism no longer bothered them, even though they now have children. I met a teenager, a genius, one of the smartest I’ve ever met, but his bobo dad (he self-identifies as one) gave a speech against elitism and claimed that the grandes écoles were no better than regular universities. With others, I cited a Japanese book that claimed everything was decided before age 3 (“Everything Happens Before Kindergarten” – by Masaru…
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Review of our (almost free) lunch at L’Oiseau Blanc – The Peninsula Paris
We had already tried the tea time at The Peninsula Paris (which I really enjoyed). This time, we head up a few floors to test their Michelin-starred restaurant (2 stars in the Michelin Guide) with a view of the Eiffel Tower. As every year, we get 200 euros per year with our American Express Platinum card (referral code here) to enjoy a gourmet restaurant. This year, to properly celebrate JB’s birthday, we chose L’Oiseau Blanc. The restaurant’s name pays tribute to the two French aviation pioneers, Charles Nungesser and François Coli, the first to attempt a non-stop transatlantic crossing in a biplane. They allegedly succeeded before disappearing forever in the…
