Our travel view

Some will say that you are not totally free, which is true. But is there an option where you really are? For example, we are often told that improvised travel's backpacker with his rucksack is a trip in total freedom. We are not completely in agreement with that. Of course, we respect that way of doing and thinking as any other. And we understand how such an adventure can be exhilarating. However, the constraint to lug the whole load most of the day is real. Totally free? Not with your moves, in any case. In some situations, your mobility is limited. Moreover, as soon as you get rid of that bulky luggage, for example on a riverside or on a beach to go swimming, you must keep an eye on it regularly so that nobody steals it from you, which would have serious consequences. To our minds, that is inconvenient as well.
Besides, looking for a place where you can sleep every night can certainly add a bit of spice to the adventure, but according to us it is also a waste of time: the long minutes spent searching could be used to visit, take a walk, take pictures or other activities that make a trip memorable.
We read an article a few months ago, where the writer let us know about his view of trip, and a phrase made us react : he stated that persons who opted for hotels, bed and breakfasts or others, rather than camping or sleeping under the stars, «preferred comfort to freedom». First, why one would preclude the other? And then, free to what? To wake up for some of us with a backache, a lack of form because of difficulty in sleeping? For those who know that kind of worries, among others, the comfort of a cozy bed is above all the guarantee of waking up the morning in better form and being more able to walk, visit, or practice any other exciting activity requiring a minimum amount of physical contribution.
Finally, the 100% free option does not really exist, the ideal is getting as close as possible to it. Fortunately, it does not preclude adventure, surprises, intense moments, memories... The part of unexpected and improvisation is always present, and that is the main thing.

You have noticed, we often opt for Eastern or Central Europe countries, and former Yugoslavia. We could also mention our brief incursions in such countries as Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland... We turn to the Amslav travel agency in Paris, specialized in those destinations, that we recommend you if you want to visit that part of Europe too. The staff is nice, welcoming, and very competent. Let us be honest: a few years ago, we would never have thought traveling in those countries, and above all to become addicted. Okay, we had not the usual prejudices that have far too many people. We had no received ideas, neither positive nor negative. It is curiosity that led us to Bulgaria, a whim that took us to the Czech Republic. And since, we can no longer do without. Of course, cities outskirts and their countless buildings erected during the Communist era are not very attractive. But you quickly forget them as you enter city centers with a dazzling architectural richness. And what about landscapes with a breathtaking beauty and a remarkable diversity? How to remain insensitive to the countless vestiges of unquestionable historic value, witnesses of the great variety of civilizations which crossed that part of the old continent through centuries? Those countries have a soul, a strong character, a very particular and entrancing atmosphere. They are the opposite of received ideas which they are subject. That is why they definitively conquered us, and we do not imagine a long period without returning there.
Indeed, we want at any price live again what we lived in June 2012 by returning two years after to Slovenia and specifically Ljubljana, our favorite city. It was the first time we returned to places we had already visited. And happiness was intense: we really had the feeling to recover a part of us that we had left behind two years earlier, as Tom said in excerpt N°2 from «Enjoy the ride». We will never forget those moments, and we greatly look forward to the idea of living again similar joys in future trips.
We are going to the U.S.A. in June 2013. It is a dream that we have been pursuing for years, and which will soon come true. We begin with Los Angeles, then San Diego, we go round the main national parks, Las Vegas, and finally Chicago. Indeed, in that city takes place much of the action of the novel «Enjoy the ride», including the Lincoln Park neighborhood. It will be like a pilgrimage to us!
But we know that as early as 2014, we will not resist the call of the East.

Published on December 18th 2012