The Catherine the Great palace lies 1 hour outside of St. Petersburg and was truly stupendous. The original castle was completely destroyed during the second world war and the famous Amber room was stolen by the visiting Nazis. Over the past 60 years, 29 of 55 palace rooms have been restored to their former glory, [...]
In early January 2010, my girlfriend and I rented a fully-equipped igloo for two nights in the provincial Parc des Monts-Valins near Chicoutimi. For about 140$ per night you got two sleeping bags, two snowshoes, two mats and a candle to get rid of the moisture. The lady at the welcome centre warned us that [...]
The one man act entitled “Giacomo sur les planches”, playing in Paris is well worth the ticket price. The actor Giacomo plays out his childhood and first love affair with theatre. He jumps from one character to another, his friends, parents and neighbours bringing well over 20 unique personalities to life. Each character is unique [...]
Russia is big, really big. My brother, girlfriend and I recently to travelled from west to east on the Trans-Siberian railway. Our trip began in St. Petersburg, a very European city, built on the marshes of the North sea by slave labour. The city was once the capital or Russia and French was spoken at [...]
Just put up some photos from my trip – Russia and Mongolia, click here to see them. More to come.
This was by far, the hardest Visa I ever got. We got our Visas on French passports, though these requirments apply to all EU passports. Real embassy website here (beware of fakes). Items required: Forms from the embassy Proof on insurance (expatriation and 30 000$ coverage). I bought it for my brother from L’Europeene Assurance [...]
From the Misty Mountains of Simien, I continued North through the sleepy town of Shire, turning East to the heart of the fallen Aksumite Kingdom. The city of Aksum, littered with giant Obelisks, undiscovered tombs, and ancient Palaces; could easily be the backdrop of an Indiana Jones movie. The scale of the Aksumite projects rival [...]
After an amazing time in eastern and muslim ethiopia, I headed back West. I hitched a ride with a canadian aid worker into the Awash national park, home to the endemic Oryx and Kalishnikov toting tribes who, apparently, do not like having their picture taken. After the park, I headed to the historic north. Starting [...]
Got in some amazing diving in Zanzibar. The corals were very good, but the highlight was definitely the dive with sea turtles and dolphins near an atoll off the eastern coast of Zanzibar. Spent a day in a spice plantation, where they grow every imaginable spice. Very agronomically rich island. The beaches are pristine and [...]
As for me, I climbed that little volcano called Kilimanjaro, it was stunning. You traverse all the climate zones, have unbelievable views and are treated to amazing hospitality. Tanzania is a most amazing place. The climb was pretty challenging despite the help of porters; I got quite sick towards the top of the mountain (above [...]