The Savannah of the Petrifications
It looks like it’s going to be a hot, cloudless day for a hike through the petrified rocks. We’re heading from Sainte-Anne toward Les Salines, in the far south of the island, for a short hike estimated to take about…
Case Pilote, the Authentic Village
His father-in-law drops us off at Pointe du Bout—the spot where we spend our mornings at the beach—so we can catch the shuttle that will take us to Fort-de-France, where we’ll transfer to a bus bound for Case Pilote. We…
The Idyllic Schœlcher
Sandra's parents dropped us off in Schoelcher so we could visit the family. We ran right into a traffic jam when we arrived in the capital, Fort-de-France, so it took us a long time to get there.This former fishing village…
l’Anse à l’âne
Nous passons la matinée a se prélasser dans la mer, avant de rentrer déjeuner. Plus tard dans la journée, nous décidons d’aller à l’Anse à l’âne. Sandra avait entendu qu’il était possible d’y accéder par un chemin en bordure de…
Christmas in the Sun
Ce n’est vraiment pas évident de faire ses bagages quand il fait -5 degrés dehors, surtout quand on est occupé à chercher ses shorts, t-shirts et maillots par ce temps… A maintes reprises, j’ai eu tendance à me dire que…
A short walk away from the city
The vibrant colors of the chairs, along with the sounds and the view, make me want to settle in there. It’s starting to drizzle, so I look for the tree with the thickest canopy to shelter from the rain...
Lokrum, off the coast of the old city.
After spending a lovely day walking, relaxing, and swimming, the next day my curiosity led me to Lokrum Island. On the way to the old harbor—the route I’ve taken every day since I’ve been here—I came across an open gate…
The Elaphiti Islands, north of Dubrovnik
It’s a bit damp this morning, and the sky is still gray. I get ready pretty quickly, downing my coffee while I get ready to leave. At 9:25 a.m., the bus picks me up at a rather quirky spot.Yesterday, I…
A Walk in the Rain
All in all, coming from Belgium, it never stops raining here. Of course, we all want to travel in gorgeous weather with a constantly blue sky—maybe with a few pretty little clouds to get the best photos—but I also like…
High above, the ramparts of the old city
I headed toward the Old Town, but when I reached the Pile Gate, I started reading some information about *Game of Thrones* in the *Petit Futé* guidebook, so I veered off course to walk along the coast toward Gračac Park.…
An ancient maritime city-state: Dubrovnik.
Since returning from Peru in October, I’ve been—and still am—working remotely. I’ve increased my workouts to four sessions—five hours a week—of cross-training and HIIT. And the rest of the week, I go for walks. Despite warnings from my doctors and…
Reflections and Final Days in Lima
While waiting for our flight to Lima, we took one last stroll through Arequipa’s historic district to soak up the dry, warm climate before returning to Lima, where the weather would be less pleasant. When evening came, a friend of…
The Cotahuasi Canyon
We left Arequipa at 9 a.m. We passed through El Pedregal and Majes, which we had already visited, as well as Chuquibamba, known for its avocados and cheese. We drove through the 400 km of desert for nearly 8–9 hours,…
The Sillar Route and the White City
A Bit of History Few cities in the world have the privilege of offering an architectural landscape as unique as Arequipa’s. If we focus primarily on the historic center and the buildings surrounding it, we see that they are constructed…
Mollendo: The Return
After returning to Arequipa to take care of some family matters, we headed back toward the coast, to Mollendo, for Howard’s niece’s special 15th birthday.Mollendo—remember, we were there in 2019. But this time, the weather was a bit chilly and…
Aplao, the Fertile Valley
We hit the road for about an hour south toward Aplao to visit Howard’s family and see the dinosaur site. We arrived around 3:30 p.m. at the Parque De Dinosaurios – Querulpa, much too late since it takes a good…
Risks and Health in Peru
Sometimes we don’t realize how the little things in everyday life make us happy. Last night, I got to take my first hot shower since I arrived a week ago. And a little bag of banana chips after being sick…
Erika and Howard: Wedding Day
As I write this, I’m completely exhausted. I just can’t seem to shake the jet lag. It’s always like this when I travel back in time to Peru. It’s 7 hours behind Europe, but I’m still living on Belgian time.…
Flights to Arequipa
A 13-hour flight from Amsterdam to Lima, with the cabin lights dimmed the whole time since we were traveling back in time. That allowed me to enjoy the view, even though much of the flight was over the Atlantic Ocean.…
From Peru in Love
Once again, flying away from Belgium at the last minute. Away from its traffic, its isolation linked to the work at home. Validation made this Monday! With one week to go, I think it’s the first time I’m going so…
