WE ENTER UNCHARTED WATERS – 5-star cruising

Ever passed these luxury cruise ships and wondered who travels on them? This time it was us.

Regular readers of this blog understand that Mevrouw T and I are two to three star people, seldom treated to five star anything.

So although a chance to glide around the Black Sea in luxury French ship l’Austral and get paid for writing about it was an offer too good to refuse, we also feared we would feel uncomfortable among the smart set.

We need not have worried.

TOTALLY BAZAAR – Istanbul

We’d heard about this Grand Bazaar, one of the biggest and oldest markets in the world.

Keep your hands in your pocket, clutching your valuables. Feel the quality. Beware of imitations. Haggle and haggle hard! This place is a den of thieves and a pickpocket’s paradise – so the guidebooks say.

On the other hand, it can be fun.

TEN REASONS TO LOVE THE FRENCH ALPS

The scenery is a knockout.

I think I’ve now spent more time walking in the French Alps than any other place in the world, even including the hiking I’ve done in Australia and New Zealand.

This year’s leg was six days hiking the GR5 and its variants between St Paul sur l’Ubaye and St Martin de Vesubie.

It’s still an annual highlight of my life to spend a week in the mountains with my Dutch friends.

Here’s why I keep going back there:

OUT OF OFFICE – back soon

Maybe there’s wifi in the Alps, but I’m too busy to look for it.

The weather is supposed to be better in the south of France, so I will be working from my outdoor office for the rest of the week.

I’ll return with a full report shortly.