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Travel Tips: some more things to think about

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

My previous post focused on the packing list. But there are many other things to think about as departure day approaches. Here are some of them…

Inside the walled town of Kotor, with some of fortifications visible above the city.

Every ounce counts when you’re packing. So, if you’re bringing along items such as shampoo or toothpaste, take a container that is already half-empty (but will still last for your entire trip). 

My “hotel” in Kotor – my room is on the third floor (with open shutter)

Depending on where you’re travelling, you might want to consider registering with your home country’s foreign service. In Canada, that would be Global Affairs. You can tell them where you are going and when. This could come in handy if the local situation gets unstable while you’re there.

Lower part of the walls above Kotor, Montenegro

You can also let your credit card company know about your trip, so that any foreign purchases aren’t irrationally declined. However, some credit card companies are now refusing to record such information, as they claim that their algorithms will detect anything suspicious.

Overlooking the Tara River Canyon – northern Montenegro

Speaking of credit cards – consider paying off your balance (and then some) in advance. This might save you money if you should ever require a cash advance on your credit card, because interest gets charged on cash advances right away. But you should always have multiple strategies for dealing with any unexpected expenses.

Climbing the walls above Kotor

Consider getting a little of the local currency before departure. The rates charged at airport exchange booths are usually very unfavourable, and you may not see any other options when you first arrive. Don’t be fooled by boasts of “no commissions” or “no fees”. Those are already built into the exchange rates, even if they aren’t listed separately. If you see a gap of 10% (or more!) between the buy and sell rates, you know that the currency trader is doing very well indeed.

View from my lunch table, overlooking the Bay of Kotor (Dobrota, Montenegro)

Learn your duty/customs limits before you leave on your trip. These are different for every country, and are affected by how long you are away, so don’t rely on others to know which limits apply to you when you return home.

Black Lake, Durmitor National Park (Montenegro)

For overnight flights and/or flights longer than 7 hours, don’t forget to check your airline’s upgrading offers. You can sometimes successfully bid on (or outright buy) an upgrade at a far lower price than you would have paid at the original time of purchase. If your flight is not close to full, and it is not on a route favoured by business travelers, you may well succeed! Paying a little extra for a good night’s sleep can be a great investment, especially when you are going to be very active shortly after arrival.

Durmitor National Park, northern Montenegro

Today’s photos are from my 2014 travels in Montenegro. I have no real reason for that, other than the fact that I hadn’t seen them in a while! It’s a small but very beautiful country.

Posts from Base Camp

Travel Tips: don’t forget the packing list!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

As spontaneous as travel can be, it’s a lot easier to be spontaneous when you’ve done the proper planning. Once I’ve selected a destination, I usually have three stages of preparation. The first stage is booking flights and other long-haul travel. I did that several months ago for this trip, and you can read about it here.

Skiing the Matterhorn is pretty special! Zermatt, Switzerland (see also photo at top!)

The second stage is planning accommodation. It’s hard to do this too early. Rates generally don’t fall as the dates approach (and hopefully my own plans don’t change) but, just in case, I try to book only fully refundable accommodation. This takes some work. Sometimes the same hotel has very different rates (and availability) depending on whether you book directly, go through the local tourist office, or use booking sites like booking.com or hotels.com. Of course, booking early makes even more sense if you *must* stay in a particular place…as is usually the case on a skiing trip.

Madonna di Campiglio, Italy

The third stage, and the focus of this post, is my customized packing list. This is very important. And believe it or not, I take my packing list with me. It came in very handy on my 2014 trip to Champagne where some of my luggage was lost by the airline. It was very easy to prepare an itemized list of what was lost, since I already had it in my pocket!

Sestriere, Italy

I have separate packing lists for ski trips and non-skiing trips. My ski list has been evolving since the 1990s, as I figured out what worked and what didn’t. I keep each list and dig it out the next year as a starting point for the new list. A reliable list is essential because taking excess stuff is both expensive (through baggage fees) and exhausting (because you have to carry it everywhere). I generally bring my ski boots to Europe: it avoids dodgy/ill-fitting rental equipment, blisters, and a poor skiing experience. However, they are also bulky. This means I’m already at a packing disadvantage.

Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

When I’m making my list for a particular trip, I need to know two things: (1) what activities am I doing each day, and (2) will I have access to laundry? With that information, I can ensure that I will (1) have the right clothes for each day, and (2) run out of wearable clothes on the last day of the trip. OK, maybe one extra pair of socks and underwear, but that’s it. If I’m in a country with stores, I can always buy more clothes in an emergency.

Zurs, Austria

Outer layers (pants, sweaters) must be worn multiple times…if not, I can’t justify bringing them. Distinctive colours? No…if I need colour, I have blue jeans. Otherwise, I mostly stick to greys and blacks because they don’t clash with anything and it’s hard to damage them if I’m doing laundry. Also – they are less susceptible to stains. And I don’t take any expensive clothes – it’s not worth the risk of loss or damage.

Skiers on the Forcella Staunies piste, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

I must also know the electrical system of the place I’m visiting. The U.K. and Europe have different voltages than Canada…and from each other! But on top of that, Switzerland often has a extra prong that can thwart generic European adaptors. I have quite a collection of adaptors in my travel closet.

Scuol, Switzerland

The packing list ensures that I don’t forget anything if I run out of time before departure. I put even the most mundane things on the list (passports, the shoes I’ll wear when I leave) because you just never know if you will get distracted at the wrong time.

Between Champery, Switzerland, and Avoriaz, France

And I don’t leave the packing list itself to the last minute. I try to make it about two weeks before I leave. I’ll be thinking clearly, because I won’t be stressed out yet by all the other things I need to do. A well-written list means that packing itself can be done in less than an hour on the day before I leave.

Bracing myself against the fierce winds at the top of the Oukaimeden ski resort in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains

Today’s photos are just random ski photos from places I *won’t* be skiing at this year!

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Finally! An overseas trip!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

My last overseas trip seems like it was ages ago. In reality, it was less than four years ago (March 2020) that I went skiing in Les Diablerets, Switzerland, and Morzine, France. But so much has happened since then.

The fearsome Swiss Wall, on the Switzerland/France border in the massive Portes du Soleil ski region (March 2020).

A global pandemic would be the most obvious intervening factor. But there have also been changes in travel philosophies and a personal reconfiguring of priorities. I did manage to ski in Banff in 2022, but otherwise I haven’t been on the slopes. And other than a brief trip into northern New York, I haven’t been outside of Canada since March 2020 either.

Me and my friend, the skiing “Milka chocolate” cow – near Les Gets, France (March 2020)

This has been quite a change for me. I used to ski in Europe every winter and spend every other summer vacation in Europe too. And of course there was my travel sabbatical in 2014, which prompted the creation of this blog. That year, I tackled my travel bucket list and went to Europe no less than six times.

Our ski group passing through the rocks at Pomedes (Cortina d’Ampezzo – March 2014)

So when I made the decision to ski in Europe this winter, I had to ask myself a lot of questions. Which country (or countries) should I visit? Do I try to go somewhere new? Do I return to some old haunts? Am I travelling on a budget? Will I do anything besides skiing?

Skiing by torch light down to Grindelwald (March 13, 2000)

It didn’t take long for me to realize that much has changed since early 2020. Most notably: the dramatic price increases for flights and hotels. It dawned on me that I probably wouldn’t be resuming annual ski trips to Europe. And my choice of destination was likely going to be influenced by where airfares and accommodation prices were most competitive.

Me skiing on the lower slopes of the legendary Eiger (March 2002)

I made the decision to stick with places that had special meaning for me. And so, when I found a good hotel deal in Wengen, Switzerland, I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve skied in Wengen and the linked resort of Grindelwald many times before. Not only is the skiing excellent, but I think the surrounding scenery might be the very best in any ski area anywhere. If you’ve never seen the Eiger up close (or been skiing on it!)…it is beyond spectacular. And then there’s the Jungfrau, the Schilthorn (known for James Bond and “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”)…

Looking down on Wengen from the cable car – March 2005 (skating rink and curling hall at top left)

All of that is amazing. And then Wengen itself is a car-free village perched on a cliff overlooking the famous Lauterbrunnen valley…reachable only by a special cog-wheel train. For an overall skiing experience, I don’t think it can be beat. Zermatt is bigger, and it has the Matterhorn, but I feel most at home in Wengen.

Stretching above the clouds, high above Wengen and Grindelwald, in March 2005

Trying to book my flights was a very long bout of sticker shock. I had to summon all of my tricks to find a reasonably priced itinerary that also had direct flights from Canada. On a relatively short trip, I couldn’t afford to miss flight connections (or luggage).

Ho-hum, just a midway station on the way up to the Schilthorn…

Finally, after hours and hours of trial and error, I found something that worked at an acceptable price: I would fly outbound from Montreal direct to Lyon, France, and then return home by a direct flight from Zurich to Toronto. Unusual? Yes. But it’s out of necessity: my flight costs are always increased by the need for additional leg room…and the airlines are experts in extracting every conceivable additional charge.

This way to everything! On the France-Switzerland border, March 2020.

I am excited about starting my trip in Lyon. It’s the “second city” of France, and yet people rarely talk about it as a destination. It has a beautiful old town, a reputation for great food, and is less than an hour from the Alps. And I’ve never been there. What a great way to begin!

View from my hotel room in Geneva, Switzerland (March 2020) – I’ll pass through here again this winter after visiting Lyon

I had a few days to allocate between my stays in Lyon and Wengen. In the end, I went with another sentimental choice. The Swiss side of my family is from the Simmental (Simme Valley), so I happily booked a few nights in the town of Zweisimmen (literally, where two branches of the Simme River meet). This also allows me to ski for a couple of days in the Gstaad ski region, where I have been skiing a few times with friends and family.

Skiing above Zweisimmen at Parwengesattel (March 2018)

The skiing around Zweisimmen is not quite as dramatic as Wengen, but the region has the added bonus of being my ancestral home. And you can’t put a price on that. What better way to visit my roots than by doing something I love? And I have to say that skiing is my favourite way of experiencing the mountains…no matter which mountains I’m visiting! That’s why most of this trip will be spent skiing rather than “touristing”.

My grandfather’s chalet (straight ahead) in Weissenbach, Switzerland (August 2006), just a couple of kilometers from Zweisimmen

So, that’s the trip. It has some very meaningful skiing, and also some interesting new destinations before and after the skiing. I’ll keep the last stop a mystery for now. Besides – all my hotel bookings have free cancellations, so I still have time to change my mind!

Posts from Base Camp

Stepping out from behind the camera

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

One consequence of being the photographer for my travel blog is that I don’t appear in many of the pictures. However, the pandemic has led me to discover some stashes of photographs taken by others. Today’s blog features photos (and a video!) taken by my friend during a 2013 ski trip to Val Gardena, Italy.

Happy to be here!!

What strikes me most about these pictures is how happy I/we look. It is such a privilege to spend time in the beautiful Dolomite mountains of northern Italy. I see no worries in anybody’s face! (And while I feel some nostalgia for those recently-retired orange ski boots, I don’t miss that heavily-stickered white helmet.)

Group shots are always a challenge!

On trips like this, there is so much to discover. New mountains, new pistes, new food, new culture…even, in the case of Val Gardena, a language (Ladin). It may sound corny, but I hear the voice of Louis Armstrong as I type this: “…and I think to myself, what a wonderful world…”

My best photobomb ever. Sorry, Richard!

This trip (which also included a brief visit to Verona, Italy, as well as some skiing in Stuben, Austria) was my last European trip before I started this blog in early 2014. As I mentioned in an earlier post about Val Gardena, it really can be liberating to just live in the moment and not worry about capturing every aspect for publication.

Sometimes you just have to stop and look!

Having people in the photos can also emphasize our insignificance. Time and time again, we stopped to look up in wonder at the hugeness of nature. The Alps don’t really care about the tiny structures and the artificial borders created by people!

We never get tired of skiing in Italy

Seeing myself in locations all over the Sella Ronda series of interconnected resorts reminds me of just how much movement is involved in an intense ski week. And I’m also reminded of how much I love to move! In a pandemic, it’s really hard to maintain that level of activity.

Hard at work on a future blog?

I’m not sure what prompted Richard to record the following video. Maybe it was just a beautiful sunny day? I remembered a “skiing in a blizzard” video that he gave me right after the trip (I loved that one, and you can see it here on YouTube), but I had completely forgotten about the one that appears below. Although they’re very short, they immediately bring me back to when they were created 8 years ago.

Sunny cruising on the lower slopes at Val Gardena

Every year since 2013, I have thought about returning to Val Gardena. Each time, my ski posse and I decided to try a new resort. But when I look at all the pictures (these are just a sample of the hundreds that exist), I still think it would be really nice to return. The world is too big to see and experience everything. Why not return to an acknowledged “happy place”? It’s going to be really hard to resist the pull of Val Gardena once international travel is possible again!

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The people you meet while backpacking

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I recently reviewed the photos from my 1991 backpacking trip through Europe. It was the same kind of extended post-university trip that new graduates have been doing for decades.

Downtown Trier, Germany (June 2, 1991)

While I have posted about a portion of this trip before, I was struck by some of the people in the pictures and how clearly I remembered them nearly 30 years later. And not just their names…although I will refrain from using their names here. Since personal connections are an important part of travel too, I thought I’d talk about some of the events that I shared with people I have never seen (or heard from) since.

The Roman Amphitheatre (circa 100 A.D.) in Trier, Germany (June 2, 1991)

Virtually every night was spent in a youth hostel, so it was natural that I would meet others doing the same thing. My first hostel night was in Trier, Germany, where a nice young German couple joined me for dinner and gave me some tips on the sights in the area. This set the stage for some memorable experiences later in the trip.

Benny, my uncle’s Dachshund – Riehen, Switzerland (June 3, 1991)

By the time I got to Zug, Switzerland, I was getting good at the whole hostel thing. There, I met a couple from Vancouver, as well as a teacher from Australia, and we decided to hike together the next day. We walked on the newly established “Swiss Path” around the Vierwaldstättersee: we saw where Switzerland was born exactly 700 years before (see photo at the very top of this post).

Leading the cattle through downtown Zuoz, Switzerland (June 11, 1991)

But the defining moment with my new friends was eating in an Italian place in Zug. It wasn’t a traditional restaurant, it was more of a club for the local Italian community. Anyway, the menu was mostly in Italian with a few (all too brief) German translations. I couldn’t quite figure out one of the pasta dishes, but my friends told me they thought the main ingredient was wild mushrooms. Well, it was a wonderfully spicy tomato sauce, and the “mushrooms” sure were chewier than any mushrooms I’d had before. About halfway through, after some worried whispering between the couple, I was told “Sorry, I think those are clams”. Still, I guess that’s how you overcome unfamiliar food: don’t find out what it is until it’s too late!

View above St. Moritz, Switzerland (June 11, 1991)

Another interesting adventure was in Zell am See, Austria. After getting off the train from Innsbruck, I dutifully headed to the local hostel. Imagine my surprise when nothing remained except a charred pile of bricks: it had burned down a few days before. Now I was in a bit of pickle! However, a group of 5 Swedes arrived at that very moment. They were on the very same train, and wanted to stay at the very same non-existent hostel. We decided to tackle our problem together.

Swedish picnic at Areitalm, above Zell am See, Austria (June 16, 1991)

We managed to find a place that would rent a “suite” to the three Swedish young ladies, and another “suite” to me and the two Swedish young men (who both had the same first name). They were all active people, so I joined them the next day for tennis and a picnic on the mountainside above town. It was fun being Swedish for a day, and foreshadowed other positive Swedish experiences in the future. When I finally made it to Sweden 21 years later, I found the vibe very comfortable. Stockholm was one of those places where I said “I think I could live here”.

On the Kohlmarkt in Vienna, Austria (June 20, 1991)

I eventually made it to Vienna, where I met a backpacker from Vancouver with energy to spare. We decided to tackle Vienna together: dinner at a very famous Schnitzelhaus, and then we managed to get cheap standing room tickets for a performance at Vienna’s State Opera House (Wiener Staatsoper). For those keeping track, the opera was “Elektra”, by Richard Strauss. This was the kind of unique experience that you might not try on your own, but seems much easier when you’ve got company. I made it back to Vienna, albeit briefly, in 2014.

Street market on Rakoczi Blvd. in Budapest, Hungary (June 24, 1991)

Meeting other people on the road can really enhance a trip. We’ll never forget the personal connection we had many years later in Estonia! It takes more work if you’re not staying in hostels, but it’s worth the effort.

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Trip Debrief…and revealing the next destination

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

From the natural landscapes to the 24-hour loss of heat and power, there certainly was no shortage of drama on my recent trip to Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

Antelope Canyon

Ultimately, however, the loss of power was just an inconvenience. We met people the day before who cannot connect to the electrical system at all, so that put our temporary loss into perspective.  It also reminded us how utterly dependent we have become on electricity.

Antelope Canyon

From a travel strategy perspective, I was thankful that I had journeyed to these relatively remote areas as part of a group. Having that additional level of support was quite helpful, even on the days when the power remained in force.  I will continue to use small group travel in situations where I don’t think I’m properly equipped to manage on my own if things go wrong.  Off-season travel to remote locations certainly falls into that category, even if there is no language barrier.

Antelope Canyon

Having said that, I am very much looking forward to my next independent adventure.  Later this winter, I will be skiing in countries that are very familiar, but in locations that are new to me. I’ll start by spending several days in and around Les Diablerets, Switzerland. This is in the French-speaking Canton of Vaud, just a few kilometres west of my 2018 ski adventure in Lenk.

Me, hiking determinedly in Zion National Park

From there, I will travel further west for a full week of skiing in Morzine, France. While I have been in France a few times recently (including a wonderful summer 2018 trip to Normandy and Brittany), I have never been skiing there. In fact, I have never been skiing in any French-speaking part of Europe…so far, my only French-speaking skiing has been in the province of Quebec.

Antelope Canyon

Morzine should be a great base. It is part of the vast (201 ski lifts!) Les Portes du Soleil ski region, linking thirteen resorts in both France and Switzerland. We’ll be able to ski back and forth between countries, not just villages!  Stay tuned for lots more on this exciting destination in the Haute-Savoie.

Antelope Canyon

I will end this post by mentioning one more benefit of travelling in a group: being able to get great photos! All of the photos in today’s post were taken by other travellers who graciously allowed me to use them in this blog. If you want to read more, you can check out these recent posts on Antelope Canyon (Arizona) and Zion National Park (Utah).

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Choosing Hotels and B&Bs

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’m sitting in my living room, listening to one of my recent vinyl acquisitions,  After staying in so many different hotels and B&Bs this year, I am definitely appreciating the comforts of home more.  However, I have learned quite a bit along the way about European accommodation; today’s post gathers a little bit of that acquired knowledge.

When travelling alone, I generally prefer B&Bs to hotels.  There is more of a personal touch in a B&B and that can be helpful when you don’t know anybody…especially if the local language is an unfamiliar one.  Most B&B owners will speak at least one other major European language in addition to their own.  Hostels are another good option when travelling solo, although one needs to do a bit more research on these.  Some hostels heavily favour a partying demographic, while others are much more inclusive.

Beach restaurant on Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)
Beach restaurant on Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)

Often, however, it is necessary to stay in a hotel when travelling alone.  One of the fun things about solo European travel is the occasional great hotel deal you can find.  While North American hotels charge a solo traveller almost as much as two people sharing a room, a number of European hotels charge solo travellers little more than one-half the two person rate.  Some business-oriented hotels drop their rates even more on weekends.  Admittedly, the rooms can be on the small side and the bed is generally only a single bed, but otherwise you get all of the amenities of the hotel…including breakfast!  As a result, my bargain single room at the 4-star Hotel City Central in Vienna came with a huge and luxurious all-you can-eat buffet breakfast (including some very posh warm food) that I could only begin to sample.  It was a perfect way to begin a very long day of travel back to Kingston.

The village of Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)
The village of Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)

As the year progresses, I am paying a lot more attention to formerly inconsequential details when choosing a place to stay.  I am always trying to stay within my budget, of course, and I do check to see if a place has attracted a lot of bad reviews.  However, there are some things that warrant an extra Euro or two.   Here are the three main things I’ve been looking for:

1.  Reliable WiFi.  The blog obviously requires it, but for me it is even more important to stay in touch with my wife when I am on the road.  Skype (or FaceTime, in our case) is a godsend for solo travel.

A quiet moment at low tide on Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)
A quiet moment at low tide on Schiermonnikoog (Friesland, the Netherlands)

2.  Easily accessible from major rail stations.  Taxis are a budget killer and hauling luggage gets very old towards the end of a trip.  Local public transit can also play tricks on you when you’ve just arrived in a new city.  If the train station isn’t right downtown, I’d rather stay near the station…commuting downtown is a lot easier without the backpack.

3.  Early check-in, especially on the day of arrival overseas.  Most flights from North America to Europe arrive between 5:00 and 8:00 a.m. local time.  I generally don’t get enough sleep on overnight flights and the last thing I want to do upon arrival is to carry my luggage around for 8-10 hours until it is time to check in.  Most places will at least let you drop off your luggage if you arrive early…but that is only a partial solution to the exhaustion I usually feel by late morning on the day of arrival.

Damp Dutch dogs drinking by the desolate dunes (Schiermonnikoog, Friesland, the Netherlands)
Damp Dutch dogs drinking by the desolate dunes (Schiermonnikoog, Friesland, the Netherlands)

All of today’s photos are from the Frisian island of Schiermonnikoog.  Stay tuned – on Saturday I will be arriving in a brand new country that has very little in common with the Netherlands!

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Thoughts on Group Tourism

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

As you may recall from my pre-Peru posts, I had never taken a multi-day group tour before.  I was a little concerned with how it might turn out, given my long history of travelling independently.

I needn’t have worried.  Practically everyone in my group was in the same position:  none of us had ever been to South America, nobody was fluent in Spanish, we were all new to group tours, and we were all curious about this country with a legendary archaeological site.  We were all from either Canada or the U.S.A., as it turned out; this was neither good nor bad, but it probably helped to give us a few more things in common.

Hiking to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu
Hiking to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu

Although my major trip (almost 3 weeks) in August will be independent, I will not be as quick to dismiss group tours as a travel option in the future.  I doubt that I would ever embark on a group tour in Western Europe, as I have family there and I have been there many times, but that doesn’t mean that a first-time visitor should avoid a European group tour if that will make them more comfortable.

I'm not entirely sure what is happening here, but the police and various other people were quite interested (Cusco, Peru)
I’m not entirely sure what is happening here, but the police and various other people were quite interested (Cusco, Peru)

Of course, you have to do your research.  I chose to use G Adventures for my visit to Peru because they were a Canadian-based company with a long history in Latin America and a commitment to more sustainable and “authentic” travel experiences.  My voluntary visit to McDonald’s (the photo at the top of this post shows the location on Cusco’s Plaza de Armas) was the only international company I experienced while in Peru:  all of our hotels and restaurants were locally-owned.  We also had the freedom to do a fair bit of exploration on our own; on our full day in Cusco, for example, the only scheduled group activity was dinner.   I think the tour company’s approach meant that the others in my group were looking for more or less the same thing that I was.

Llama at Machu Picchu
Llama at Machu Picchu

The big question now:  will I travel with  a group again later this year?  The answer is “yes”!  In fact, two of my remaining trips could be considered group trips, although only one of them is a “conventional” group tour.

Typical street in the San Blas district of Cusco, Peru
Typical street in the San Blas district of Cusco, Peru

Here’s why I chose the “conventional” group tour for my late October trip:  this year is a special opportunity for me to see places that would normally be too remote for a 1-2 week vacation.  There is one destination that I have often thought about but never seriously considered because of its utter isolation, my lack of experience in that part of the world, the language barrier, and a host of other excuses that (especially after successfully visiting Peru) I don’t think should stand in my way any longer.  This destination is ideal for what I’ll call adventure-oriented group travel and I’ve found some tour dates that appear to work.   While I haven’t booked it yet, it is in my internal travel calendar and I expect to complete the formal arrangements within the next few weeks.

Still more from Machu Picchu!
Still more from Machu Picchu!

As for the “unconventional” group trip I have planned for early September, it does not focus on the acknowledged tourist highlights of a particular region.  Instead, it focuses almost entirely on a special interest of mine.  However, I should also have lots of free time to explore on my own because this special interest is not a day-long activity.  Not all of my fellow travellers will be complete strangers, either.   Perplexed?  It will all be clear in about 6 weeks!

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Travel Style Q&A

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Thanks to everyone who has been checking out the blog so far.  If you like, there is now a place in the margin of this blog where you can sign up to receive e-mail notifications of any new posts.

Only a few days until departure!  In the meantime, Ian B. has posted some interesting questions on my “About Me” page….and here are my responses.

• Do you think you will be staying in more hotels or hostels?

The Orient Hotel in Victoria, Prince Edward Island, Canada (2009)
The Orient Hotel in Victoria, Prince Edward Island, Canada (2009)

I hope to stay mostly in locally-owned accommodations that have some character.  This translates to a lot of simple hotels, B&Bs and “pensions”.  Hostels are always an option, especially in remote areas, although I’m not keen on large dormitories.

• Once you are in a country, how do you like to travel around most? Trains? Buses? Walking? Hitch-hiking and depending on the kindness of strangers?

For travel between places, I prefer trains because it is a lot easier to walk around during long trips (and to keep track of luggage). However, for short distances, I like to walk as much as possible.  You see so much more of your surroundings when you walk.

• Do you stick closely to your itinerary or give yourself leeway to get taken off course as you are exploring?

There are certain “can’t miss” sights and experiences that I want to make sure I see .   However, I try to stay in most places long enough to have some free time to explore and see what happens.  The weather often plays a role in this, but I also make decisions based on what I think has been missing from the trip so far.  This leads to your next question…

• What do you think you will visit more: cathedrals or soccer stadia? 

Soccer
Brazil v. Sweden (Stockholm, 2012)

It will probably be about equal in the end!   I think the key is to have balance.  Too much of a good thing can lessen the magic.

I will say that going to a soccer game is a great way to truly experience a local culture (and be entertained at the same time).  I’ll try to see as many games as I can, although most teams play only once a week and it can be hard to coordinate that with my travel schedule.

• Do you like to try out new tastes in each stop or hunt down familiar flavours?

I definitely prefer to try out new tastes that are specific to the region I’m in.  However, there are certain limits:  mayonnaise and tripe (together or alone), for example, are out of the question.

• When you need to ask a local a question, are you the kind of traveller who would rather risk offence by asking (perhaps poorly) in the country’s native language or risk offence by asking in a lingua franca? (English, French etc.)

If the local language is French or German, I will try my best to ask in that language.  If it is another language,  I will learn about 10 key phrases in that language before I arrive…including “Do you speak English?”  I think it’s important to at least try to speak the local language, however poorly, when you first approach someone in another country.

• Do you think you will go into a McDonald’s just once to try one of the unusual items they have on the menu in other countries?

It is a possibility, although it’s more likely that I would go to a restaurant chain that we don’t have in Canada.   Going to a local chain might also prove to be helpful later in that trip!