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Journeys, a Creative Travel Blog
What motivates us to travel? It is certainly the need to get away from our daily routine, but more than that, it is our unquenchable curiosity about the way other people live, think, and work. Come blog with us! Send your contribution to
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On Being a Travel Planner - 12 june 2008  | | Flying over Barcelona, Spain - Ph. by D. Santal |
This past month I helped clients from New Jersey prepare a six-week trip to Australia and New Zealand. During the same period, California clients planned a visit through the Loire Valley of France and a Colorado couple asked me to organize a trip to Italy and France. In the past, travelers from India and from France have used my travel planning service for their vacations. Many of my colleagues think that the Internet and greedy airlines have made our profession nearly obsolete… but I beg to differ!
Of course, it is possible to plan a trip using the Internet exclusively and those who have time to spare, who are willing to take chances, or who already know the country they intend to visit can do so pretty well. But, as in all professions, using the skills of an expert simply makes the job of planning much easier, it can save money and can often avoid costly mistakes. In addition, I am not at all convinced that it is cheaper to use the Internet; travel agencies have exclusive access to consolidators and tour operators not available to the general public.
Am I defending my profession? Yes, of course I am! When travelers pay me a compliment, it usually has to do with the issues mentioned earlier: “You saved us a lot of money because we were able to pay for hotels and excursions in US dollars before we left”, or “I would never have known about the little Provence village you encouraged us to stop in”, or “your restaurant (or hotel) recommendations were terrific”, or “you are really knowledgeable about details that make a trip unique”. Such comments are my rewards – let it be said that for a travel planner rewards are not monetary, as airlines don’t pay commissions, hotels too conveniently neglect to send the agreed on commissions, and many other organizations don’t offer commissions at all!
My profession enhances my own trips: not because I enjoy discounts (I don't very much), but because I travel for my own pleasure, and I am always on the lookout for friendly hotels that offer good value, for little known cities and museums which offer insight into a culture, for unique shops, theatres, and restaurants. Many such places have been pointed out to me by friends and also very often by clients: the ten-room hotel in Paris that overlooks the Seine and Notre-Dame, the twenty-room hotel in the heart of London’s South Kensington, the best Chinese restaurant in the world in the heart of Melbourne in Australia, the craft shop in Bangkok where only handmade Thai objects are sold… those are just a few, off the top of my head.
Not all travel planners are good, not any more than all surgeons, all plumbers, all teachers, and all seamstresses... Research is really important: I always recommend that my clients discover their destination on their own then consult me, or use me to help wade through the information they have gathered. This method saves from disappointments and it also builds excitement about a destination.
I can give advice to avoid pitfalls, or make recommendations to take full advantage of explorations. There are parts of the world I don’t yet know, in that case I only work on reservations and on timing; it is not unusual, while preparing such a trip, that I want to go to the same destination, and eventually I do go. That’s how I visited Laos, Jordan and Egypt, and how, next year I will travel to South Africa.
| Walking to get to know a new place - 2 june 2008  | | Istanbul Modern - Ph. by D. Santal |
My husband and I especially like independent tours because of what we like to see. We like cities best, we enjoy museums and historical places, we want to discover our own restaurants, go to performances we select and so on.
Most of all we walk at random, endlessly, whether we know a city of not, whether it’s raining or bright, hot or cold… Once we make up our minds to ignore the weather, we walk! Even in cities I know very well, Paris, Barcelona, London, New York, we walk!
I will never forget that first visit exploring Bangkok, under pouring rain; we came across a remarkable Thai craft store with exquisite handmade objects: the carved black wood elephant is still on my coffee table, looking his regal self; I also bought a lovely wrap-around skirt of Thai silk: I always have a little trouble putting it on, because I forget how to tie it! In London, I explored South Kensington; it is almost a village with its low buildings and row houses, its ethnic restaurants and its pretty shops, not forgetting the Victoria and Albert Museum around the corner. And Paris: that’s where, while walking, I found the oldest house in the city on Rue Saint-Honoré, built in the 13th century, it is still in use. One of the fun things to do is to look at street names, they can be so colorful: Rue des Mauvais Garçons, street of the bad boys, or Rue des Bons Enfants, street of the good children, Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche, street of the fishing cat! I also discovered several of my favorite restaurants, like Le Petit Mâchon, or La Castafiore, now closed, or Chez Jean. I have even gotten lost in Prague, and found one of their more renown jazz clubs, or in Havana, where a band of school children going through their calisthenics on a small square, surrounded me to wish me welcome and to have their picture taken in their smart school uniforms.
Some of the best spots I remember were discovered because I had gotten lost someplace. For instance, in Istanbul, unable to find my way out of the harbor area, I came across, entirely by accident, the Istanbul Modern, a contemporary art museum devoted to Turkish art. I will never forget stumbling upon the Pushkin Museum in Moscow: he is a favorite poet of mine, and I was desperately lost when I saw the building where he lived for many years and went inside (by the way, the man at the desk helped me find my way back). When I get lost, I can usually say “Where is such and such?” in the local language, but the problem is that I cannot understand the answer! It’s an adventure well worth the frustration of being tired or discouraged at first: there is always a kind soul who can say a few words in a language I know. I also always carry a business card of the hotel where I am staying: I can show it to a taxi driver or a passer-by and find my way again: that was useful in Thailand where the written language is illegible to me! I cannot help but wonder about visiting China or Japan!
Although escorted or guided tours are great, especially for the lazy side of me, the unexpected is rare, except for the beauty of a city or a country. But that’s another story.
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| Visiting the Arab World and the Middle East -- 15 May 2008  | | The welcoming face of Jordan - Ph. by D. Santal |
In the past two years, we have traveled to the Arab world and the Middle East. Our motive was merely curiosity: it is a world we knew nothing about. When we mentioned our project to family and friends, they were horrified: aren’t you afraid, aren’t you taking dangerous risks, don’t you think you’ll be unwelcome? The answer was “Of course not, why"?
So off we went: Morocco in 2006, Turkey in 2007, Jordan and Egypt in 2008. And how interesting, gratifying and informative our excursions were! Each one was very different from the others; and all were very different from our trips in Europe of course, in Asia and in South America. They puzzled and enriched us culturally, historically, and of course linguistically; most of all, we will never forget the warm welcome we experienced everywhere.
We prepared these trips with the help of several different tour operators: Gate 1, Isram, Sunny Land Tours… Our guides were extraordinary: learned, intelligent, well-prepared, curious about us; most of all, it was obvious that they loved their respective country and were eager to share their history and their culture. They went out of their way to provide what we needed: in Egypt for instance, when we came back to Cairo for a couple of days at the end of our visit, Esslam, the man in charge, met us at the airport and announced that our hotel had been changed; surprised, we asked him why: “Your guide told me that you wished for a downtown hotel in order to explore our capital on your own.” So he had arranged a room at the Sofitel El Gezirah, a luxurious hotel overlooking the Nile, five minutes from the Egyptian Museum and next door to the Opera House. In Morocco also: we had decided to spend two extra days exploring on our own, so we were by ourselves at our downtown hotel: as we were enjoying a lazy breakfast, Nourédine, our guide for the previous week, showed up and told us he would take us to the two museums we had mentioned before but were not included in the itinerary! We were deeply touched by such thoughtfulness and generosity, and we will never forget.
On the practical side of our visits, it was obvious that Jordan and Egypt were prepared for foreign visitors; security is tight everywhere, and the Tourism Police is obvious and active. They are also very friendly and ready to help all the time; we enjoyed their presence not just because they made us feel better protected, but also because their ready smiles and friendliness made us forget that we live in a dangerous world.
In all frankness, it is probably as dangerous to visit London as it is the Middle East and the Arab world. Terrorists are everywhere, a hidden threat to everyone. But I want to enjoy the whole world, I want to see beautiful countries and know, if only very briefly, and very superficially, the people who live in it.
I will still look both ways when I cross the street, in my home town, in Paris, in Bangkok or Cusco, but I will go there unafraid. So there !
| A Parisian Walk: Le Marais - 25 March 2008  | | Place des Vosges - Ph. by Doug Morrill |
I grew up and was educated in Paris. I always took it for granted. Fortunately, my parents did not, and every Sunday we had to go for a family walk. I did not appreciate it at all! I just wanted to take the metro and get to our destination, whatever it was, a museum, my aunt and uncle’s apartment, a monument. I have not so fond memories of climbing all the way to the top of the Arc de Triomphe using the stairs: it would have been so much simpler, so much less tiring, to take the elevator!
Today, I can hardly wait to walk around my native city, rain or shine, in any season; my Parisian nephew amusedly pointed out that he got to know his city because I make him walk everywhere, fortunately he is grateful for that.
I don’t have favorite walks, not exactly… but I love Le Marais best of all, in the 3rd and 4th districts, on the Right Bank (marais means “swamp”, as that's what it used to be). It developed in the 17th century, under King Henri IV, just northeast of the heart of Paris (Ile de la Cité): many of its buildings are in the classical style typical of that period. I love Le Marais because it is elegant, yet informal, the streets are somewhat narrow, very busy with merchants and 20th century traffic; it has many ethnic restaurants, cheerful cafés, a youngish, yuppish crowd, there are more museums per square kilometer than in any other part of Paris.
A walking tour could start at the Saint-Paul metro station, where Rue de Rivoli becomes Rue Saint Antoine. It would be a good idea to take Rue de Turenne, walk north, and turn right onto the Rue des Francs-Bourgeois which leads to a spectacular square, Place des Vosges. Occupying most of the Place, there is a lovely park (Square Louis XIII), and all around it the typical classical brick buildings of that period; also typical of the 17th century are the sidewalks, protected from the elements under arches; there are many superb street performers who are hired by the city of Paris: they sing opera, or play jazz, or turn magic tricks… it’s all dazzling. Victor Hugo's house, a charming museum about the Romantic poet, playwright and novelist, is in the southeast corner building: I was surprised to discover that he was also a fine artist, and many of his drawings are on display.
From there, I like to wander randomly, taking any street off of the Place. Such a walk affords all kinds of delightful surprises. There is the Museum of the City of Paris, the Museum of Hunting and Nature, the Picasso Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Musée Cognaq-Jay (18th century furniture and decoration), the Doll Museum, and so on.
As to eateries, the best known is L’As du Falafel; it is extremely crowded, noisy, informal, fun, friendly, and especially delicious: Jewish food, with a North African twist, is served there. Don’t let the crowds discourage you, just arrive before you are hungry, the wait will not seem so endless: it is worth every minute! Another gem is L’Arganier: the fixed price bufffet, for Sunday brunch, is especially scrumptious and abundant.
As to the shops, they are on the trendy side, especially on the Place des Vosges, but try Rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie, Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, Rue des Blancs Manteaux… You might end up at the Place de la Bastille… From there (you are now in the 12th district), follow the Avenue Daumesnil, the wide street on the right side of Opera-Bastille, and enjoy a walk along another park known as the Viaduc des Arts, up above the street.
For more information, great addresses and terrific ideas, go to:
| On Selecting the next 'place to see before I die' - 22 march 2008  | | The Alhambre, Cordoba - Ph. by D. Santal |
We are about to embark on what promises to be yet another fascinating trip into a world we know very little: this time we will explore Jordan and also Egypt. Comments by friends and acquaintances triggered our interest, and both countries and cultures quickly found their spot on our list of “places to see before we die”.
After visiting Turkey, especially the Cappadocia area, I became fascinated by men’s ability to create a life for themselves and to establish a comfortable home in the prevailing physical environment. Sometimes there was imminent danger to be escaped, as did Christians in the 4th century, sometimes the climate was inauspicious, such as what the Hittites encountered in the 19th century BC. What I most enjoyed and admired, were the decorations of the houses and churches: settlers needed beauty, and they often created it out of nothing. When we heard about the city of Petra in Jordan, we knew we had to go and explore it as well. I have seen photographs of its buildings dating back to the settlement of the area by the Nabataeans in the 6th century BC: they are elegant, spectacular (i.e. the Treasury), and very sophisticated.
As for Egypt, I have memories of the pictures of ancient monuments in my school books when we read about the ancient world, especially Egypt and Greece. Many museums around the world have vestiges from that era: there is the Obelisk on Place de la Concorde in Paris, and all the many treasures the Louvre Museum holds; years ago, I visited the National Gallery in Washington when the Tutankhamen exhibit was there… I still remember a famous quote by Napoleon talking to his armies as he was conquering Egypt in the 18th century: “From the top of those pyramids, forty centuries are looking down upon you”. There is so much to see around the world. My personal urge to go to a particular country is often triggered by a friend’s casual remark, or a historical figure I admire, a documentary on television or a newspaper or magazine article, sometimes it’s a visit to a museum or an intriguing lecture…
Several years ago, at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, there was an exhibit on the role of the Moors in Spain: it was so well curated that I immediately sought an opportunity to go there, especially to Andalusia. We took such a trip, focusing on Andalusia, in 2005 (Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada): what an amazing world of art and faith we discovered, it took my breath away.
| Researching a destination - 29 February 2008  | | Etruscan Horses - Ph. by Lee Schwartz |
My clients always teach me a great deal. Before contacting me, they often do their own research about their destination to make sure they use their travel time effectively; then I give advice, make suggestions and eventually put the arrangements together. When I became a travel planner, I assumed that people who relied on my experience as a traveler did not know how to plan their own travels. I was absolutely wrong!
Correcting that assumption is one of my wonderful professional discoveries. I have travelled all over the world and I have set foot on every continent. Although I definitely do not know everything about every destination, I have numerous experiences I can share and that’s my delight in planning travels, I dearly love what I do.
My bonus was discovering aspects of a country I did not know before. For instance, when clients called me to help them prepare a trip to Italy, specifically to Tuscany, I was delighted: I know Italy almost as well as France, my native country. My imagination was already reeling at the thought of leading them through Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca to name only the most famous cities… Then they added: “We want to look at all the Etruscan vestiges of the region”. I was almost speechless, I had never thought about the Etruscan legacy, and I had never looked into it for myself! My clients had done their research – she is a former history teacher! They guided me as to what they wanted to see, I made recommendations on where to stay and eat. In the middle of this process, the History Channel happened to show a documentary on the role of the Etruscans in shaping culture in Italy – they were there from 1200 to 100 B.C. It was fascinating: just like today, cultures mingle, influence and enrich each other; of course there were a few not so pleasant encounters between Etruscans and local residents… Hmm, things have not changed much in some 3200 years!
Many travelers get their ideas from television programs, some of the best are Steve Reeves’s or Patricia Schultz’s: I certainly get tempted when I watch them. It’s also great fun when they go to places where I have already been and when I can recognize my own favorite discoveries. Arthur Frommer used to have a show, and now his website and newsletter are among the most interesting and informative. Television advertizing should not be ignored: I remember when Qantas advertized some fabulous rates to and within Australia, including hotels – I made reservations for myself and my husband the next morning: I enjoyed our trip so much that upon returning home I took a course offered by the Australia Office of Tourism and received their diploma as an "Aussie Specialist"!
I understand that there have been disappointing encounters with travel agents because sometimes they do little more than issue airline tickets and hotel reservations. Is it a wonder that so many travelers resort to the web? Too often they think that cheaper fares and better hotel rates are available there. Sometimes it is true, but more and more frequently, especially when the dollar is weak against foreign currencies, a savvy travel consultant can do better than the web.
How can that be? Tour operators and consolidators who work exclusively with travel agencies negotiate their own rates, they guarantee prices in U.S. dollars, and they guarantee that those prices will not change, no matter what. The image of the travel agency has changed positively: that is wonderful, and I hope the web will become an information instrument rather than a travel planning tool.
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