Les Saintes was one of those places I never thought I’d get to visit. Its rolling hills, cobbled streets and white-sand beaches make it a true tropical paradise; the ultimate island getaway. I found myself, bleary-eyed, on a 6am bus down to Trois Rivières, the port town of Guadeloupe. We had left plenty of time … Continue reading Biking around Les Saintes
La Grande Soufrière is Guadeloupe’s active volcano situated on the Basse Terre island, and is the highest mountain peak in the Lesser Antilles (1467m). Having stared up at the thing for two weeks, I decided I would very much like to climb it. And very recently I had the pleasure of meeting someone with the … Continue reading Climbing La Soufrière, Guadeloupe
Having spent four months in an alpine valley, a week in the good old UK and 24 hours in sub-zero New York City, I stepped off a plane into this paradisiacal land of sunshine, palm trees, reggae music and endless rum cocktails. It would be a gross understatement to say my body was somewhat confused … Continue reading Two weeks in Guadeloupe
Weekend trips become something of a normality when you work 9-5 on an industrial estate, and one of my favourites amongst the many was our trip to Lyon. Only an hour and a half from our beloved Chambéry, this bustling place was well worth the visit, especially on the opening weekend of the Christmas markets. … Continue reading A foodie goes to Lyon
December is upon us, would you look at that. While my commitment to regular posts may have slowed down somewhat, life in France certainly has not. The last two months working in a call centre have given me a plethora of rather amusing anecdotes (which I will most certainly touch upon later), but most of … Continue reading Things I’ve Learned After 3 Months Abroad
I have now completed five weeks as a stagiare at Madame Vacances. Regretfully, I still don't understand what on earth is going on most of the time, but I am somehow winging my way through it. It occurred to me last week that I must be doing something right, because my somewhat unfriendly supervisor (henceforth referred to … Continue reading Discovering La Féclaz and Chateau de Candie
Can I really call it that? Who knows. Moving from a bustling city on the west coast to a small alpine town seems to have affected me more than I thought it would. I woke up on my first day here and peered out of the skylight at the industrial estate where my new home … Continue reading Culture Shock
Bordeaux, hub of the famed wine-growing region, is a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. It’s known for its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, 18th- to 19th-century mansions and notable art museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. It's also a city I've absolutely fallen in love with. Below is a list … Continue reading Bordeaux Highlights
Leaving Bordeaux was never going to be easy. I overfilled my poor suitcase once more, managed to get it closed (losing only one zip in the process) and then said goodbye to my lovely little hostel family. An eight-hour coach would then take me to Paris for a couple of days' sightseeing and friend-meeting. Despite … Continue reading A Weekend in Paris
My last week in Bordeaux zoomed up out of nowhere, and I suddenly realised I had 101 things left that I still wanted to do and see. Amongst this lengthy list was the Dune du Pilat, the largest sand dune in Europe, which is a short train journey from Bordeaux. You would not believe how … Continue reading La Dune du Pilat
