Bordeaux

/ Gironde, France/
Bordeaux

May had rolled around and in 2014, this resulted in three public holidays falling on a Thursday. In France, this is equivalent to a four day weekend – it is a given that the Friday is also a day off, even though it is not an official holiday; on doit faire le pont. The first holiday was the first day of the month, and the Labour Day weekend was as good a candidate as any for a trip to Bordeaux. East-west train travel is somewhat problematic, so from Geneva, Mia would fly to Bordeaux and I would catch the first train of the day from Paris. This would provide sufficient time to see Bordeaux and the surrounding sights of Saint-Émilion and le dune du Pilat.

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Arctic Norway

/ Tromsø, Norway/
Arctic Norway

Being raised in Australia seems to instil a fascination with snow and all things cold, stemming from a complete lack of exposure to sub-zero temperatures. Winters are by no means warm, but snow simply does not fall at low altitude, nor does the temperature remain below zero should it happen to drop there, so something that is “naturally” frozen is very novel. Possessing the near-polar opposite climate is Norway, and in particular, northern Norway. The Norwegian landscape, characterised by spectacular fjords and soaring mountains, has always been one of the places that I dreamed of visiting. With the winter break offering an opportunity to travel and my desire to experience “a real winter”, Norway seemed like a great option. More than this, the frozen landscapes of Arctic Norway offer many experiences which simply cannot be found anywhere else. This trip was always going to be cool.

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Croatia

/ Croatia/
Croatia

A country with a turbulent history, both ancient and modern, has become a top destination for summer tourism. Nestled on the Adriatic sea, with thousands of beaches and an uncountable number of islands, it has made a niche for itself in the same way many tropical islands make themselves holiday destinations. My knowledge of Croatia prior to going was not great; I knew it was Romanic, I knew that Austria had caused a lot of damage in the 1st world war and more recently, I remember watching the Bosnian war unfold on the TV; wreaking the kind of havoc that only a civil war can. But as an adult, I know countless people that have gone there to enjoy the sun, sights and culture. From the 26th of July until the 4th of August, Mia and I went to experience Hrvatska for ourselves.

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Les Calanques and Marseille

/ Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France/
Les Calanques and Marseille

I had experienced the Parisian festivities of the 14th of July last year, and whilst spectacular, seeing them once is enough. So this year, la fête nationale was a perfect opportunity to get out of Paris. With the summer starting to get into full swing, a trip to the south to get in some hiking and visit Marseille seemed appropriate. 

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Normandy and Brittany

/ Normandy & Brittany, France/
Normandy and Brittany

The savage coastline of France. When I think of Normandy, the first things that come to my head are castles, cathedrals, the Norman invasion of the British Isles (all courtesy of my mother) and the more recent events of world war two. When I think Brittany, had it been a year ago, I would have said “the place in France that is close to Briton, I think they have some funny hats?”. Having lived in France for a while know, when I think Brittany, I think a fiercely proud people that are a little akin to the Corse, in the sense of having their own language and wanting to be an independent state, as well as a place where one eats crêpes and drinks cider. Oh, and they also have funny hats.

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