Tiptoe traveller

Supporting local and independent businesses this Christmas

2011-11-20T18:36:00.001+00:00

This year I will be spending Christmas in France which means lots of family gathering, plenty of food consumption and lots of presents to buy. Now I am not a great fan of shopping. In fact, I hate queues and busy shops. But I do love small independent shops offering unusual items that you cannot find on the high street. I like friendly service and the attention to detail you get in smaller outlets (gift wrapping is always a bonus). I also enjoy shopping online in the comfort of my own home.

I have made a commitment to purchase at least 50% of my Christmas gifts through independent shops. I will try my hardest not to purchase gifts from chain shops or supermarkets. Independent shop owners are struggling to make ends meet at the moment and it is very sad to see these cute little shops disappear. Our high street needs our support to stay alive and interesting.

Last July Skillsmart Retail organised a campaign called Independents' Day to support independent retailers.
A similar campaign has now just started to encourage the public to shop "indie" this Christmas. To find out more, visit their Facebook page or you can find them on Twitter.

Just in case you are wondering why we should all shop in independent shops this Christmas and all year around, here are 5 good reasons:

- They help build strong communities

- They help create jobs locally
- They offer you choice, diversity and personalised service to suit you
- Local business owners invest in community where they are based
- Environmental impact is reduced

If you wish to support independent retailers, join Skillsmart Retail's campaign, "Shop Indie This Christmas" and spread the word, tell your friends and family. We can all make a difference.

I have started my search for original gifts for my family. I will be sharing addresses of my favourite shops. Feel free to add your suggestions. We all need a little bit of inspiration at this time of the year, don't you agree?

Tiptoe Traveller in: Malissard, south east of France

2011-05-09T22:13:00.000+01:00

Train journeys from London to the south of France: convenient, relaxing and greener

La Drome

France is the country where I was born and brought up. Even though I now live in the UK, I will always have that special feeling of excitement when I set foot in France. A friend of mine asked me whether I feel more English now that I have spent many years in the UK. My answer was 'England is my home but I will always be French in my heart'. This post is about a quick trip by train to the south east of France, to a village called Malissard, close to Valence in the Drome region.

I travelled by Eurostar from London to Paris and then by TGV from Paris to Valence. My journey was very pleasant and took five and half hours. The check-in processing for the Eurostar only took a few minutes. Once you have shown your ticket, you go through security. Inside the terminal, it is worth noting that there is not much entertainment available but you are only there for 20 minutes or so. In the train, the journey is so quick that you probably just have time to read a newspaper and have a good nap.

Once in Paris, I took the RER to Gare de Lyon. If you can, it is worth buying your ticket in advance in the Eurostar. You will avoid the long queues at the ticket machines in Gare du Nord. The journey takes about 20 minutes. You will need to validate your TGV ticket (this is called 'compostage') at the yellow machines on the platform before boarding the train. Do make sure you have booked a seat on the TGV. The trains get very full (especially at the week-end and during school holidays) and there is little space to sit and stand once all seats have been taken. It is also quite tricky to travel with large suitcases as luggage space is limited. Some TGV trains have two floors and some luggage space is available upstairs. You should try to keep your luggage as close to you as possible as it has been know for bags to be stolen. Not nice I know, but it is better to be safe than sorry!

Chabeuil town hall - photo by Jean Drescher

I went to Malissard to visit some friends. Amongst other things, we went strawberry and cherry picking. The weather has been so warm that fruit are ripening earlier than usual this year. What a pleasure to be able to pick your own fruit. A few kilometres away, you will find Chabeuil, another pretty village worth a visit.

La Pangée: an edible piece of history

On Sunday, we went to a patisserie to buy a speciality from the region called la Pangée. Apparently, 240 million years ago, the village of Beaume Cornillane (close to Malissard), would have been the centre of the earth when there was only one continent. The cake looks like it has a piece missing to replicate the shape of the continent at that time. It is made from local ingredients including apricots, honey and almonds. Delicious!

After a weekend packed full of activities, eating and chatting, it was time to head home. The trip back to the UK was pretty easy. I travelled from Valence to Lille by TGV and from Lille to London by Eurostar. The journey took six and half hours.

My thoughts on train travel

I would definitely recommend Eurostar and TGV travels. The return ticket was more expensive than a flight but the environmental benefits and the convenience make it really worthwhile. Overall, I find travelling by train far more relaxing than flying.

Do you enjoy travelling by train? Whereabouts have you been recently? What is your favourite journey?

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in Ireland

2011-04-13T22:17:00.000+01:00

West coast, near Westport

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in Antalya, Turkey

2011-04-05T20:26:00.000+01:00

Turkish spices beautifully displayed

New Zealand - A stunning country with inspirational people

2011-03-21T23:38:00.000+00:00

Blog4NZ, running March 21-23, is a social media initiative organised to bring awareness to New Zealand tourism in the wake of the recent Christchurch earthquake. Travel bloggers will be sharing memories, photos and stories from New Zealand during these 3 days in order to encourage travellers from around the world to visit this amazing country.

I had the chance to visit New Zealand in January 2011. This was the country of my dreams and this memorable trip exceeded all my expectations. There is so much to see and experience. You will come back feeling amazing and wishing you could stay longer. If you love the countryside and natural beauty, you will be spoilt for choice from the beginning to the end of your journey. This country has so much to offer. Don't wait to see it for yourself. It is so worth it.

Lake Wanaka

Lake Rotoroa

Blue Lake near Rotorua

As you can tell by the pictures above, I love lakes. New Zealand has so many in both the south and north islands and there are all stunning. New Zealanders are very proud of their country and they look after its countryside very well. Ecotourism is a way of life and we should follow their lead.

Have you travelled to New Zealand? What was your favourite area?

Carbon offsetting - is it really worth it?

2011-02-27T14:23:00.001+00:00

As keen travellers, we are encouraged to find solutions to reduce our impact on the planet and to travel responsibly. That is very well but if you can't give up flying because there are no alternative transport to a particular destination, then what do you do? Do you choose airlines that offer offsetting schemes? Do you know where the money goes? Do you buy a flight and then find a scheme where you can select a carbon offsetting project? Do these schemes really work?

Elisabeth at Go Green Travel Green wrote a great post about this topic: 12 Things You Need to Know About Carbon Offsets.

Another good source of information is DirectGov website.

Personally, I am confused. We are told that flying is bad for the environment but airlines come up with such cheap flights that you can't refuse these offers to discover the world. Shouldn't airlines be the ones responsible for offsetting in the first place? Shouldn't the price of the ticket include offsetting?

I would be interested to hear your views on this topic. Do you care? If so, what do you do to offset your carbon consumption?

6 things you should know before visiting New Zealand

2011-02-21T23:16:00.000+00:00

New Zealand is a fabulous destination if you enjoy outdoor activities and nature. The best way to discover this country is in a campervan. Having the freedom to drive from one place to another at your own pace is ideal. Being able to spend time up a mountain, by a lake or simply admiring wildlife is indeed magical.

Before you set off, there are a few things you should know, which hopefully will make your stay even more enjoyable.

1. Cashpoint machines: when you visit the South Island, it can be tricky to find a bank. Make sure you have enough cash to last you at least a week.

2. Fuel: if you hire a car or a campervan, make sure you fill up with petrol regularly. Distances can be deceiving on the map and when the petrol is low, it can be pretty stressful to find the next petrol station.

3. Groceries: again, in the South Island, towns are very small. Grocery stores have a limited choice to the point that it can be difficult to find enough ingredients to prepare a meal. When you come across a supermarket, get enough reserves just in case. Tins can be pretty handy at times.

4. Nightlife: If you stay in campsites, nightlife after 10pm is very limited. People tend to go to bed early and get up early. It is worth knowing this as it can be surprising if you are not use to this way of life.

5. Sandflies: New Zealand is a very safe place but if you go sea-kayaking in the Milford Sound, make sure you take insect repellent with you. Sandflies are vicious there. If you get bitten, the spots can last up to two weeks and are very itchy.

6. Distances: New Zealand is a big country. Don't plan to do too much otherwise it becomes a race and no longer a holiday. Enjoy what you see. Make the most of the areas you come across. Follow the signs off the main roads as they are well worth the detour.

If you have visited New Zealand and wish to share some of your tips, please feel free to add a comment.

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in Wales, UK

2011-02-12T16:26:00.000+00:00

Lake Vyrnwy

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in New Zealand

2011-02-05T14:29:00.000+00:00

Top 10 favourite landscapes from the south and north islands of New Zealand

Lake Wanaka

Pass between Queenstown and Wanaka

Lake Rotoroa

Milford Sound

Queenstown and lake Wakatipu

Pass between Queenstown and lake Wanaka

Between Blenheim and Picton

Near Bleinhem

Pass outside Wellington

Blue lake near Rotorua

Do you have any pictures of New Zealand you would like to share. Feel free to post your link below.

New Zealand - A dream comes true (Part 2)

2011-02-05T00:44:00.000+00:00

North island - Maori culture, volcanic activities and sandy beaches

My previous post covers our itinerary in the South island of New Zealand where we sent 2 weeks. Unfortunately, we only had one week left to spend in the North island. And no need to say that choosing our itinerary was difficult. We were fortunate to have some friends in Wellington who recommended the east side of the north island and we were not disappointed. We did not have enough time to reach the top of the island where you can find the best beaches. We decided to slow down to explore the countryside and we happened to find the Karangahake gorges. This site used to be a gold mining site. It is in fact an outdoor museum set in a peaceful setting surrounding by natural beauty. Simply stunning!

The map below shows our main stop overs.

Photo diary

The pass just outside Wellington

Napier - The Art Deco town

Waimangu volcanic valley - can you spot the steam at the top of the mountain

Geyser in Rotorua

A Maori ceremony

Karangahake gorges: historic mining site

Once again, I am pleased to say that as far as ecotourism is concerned, New Zealand is such an inspiring country. All sites are extremely well looked after. The staff working in the tourism industry seem to be very proud of their country and keen to protect it. Educating the public is important. To give you an example, in the space of 3 weeks, we have only noticed 1 plastic bag in a river. Everywhere else was amazingly clean. Very inspiring indeed!

In my next post, I will be sharing our top 10 best photos of our trip. Enjoy!

New Zealand - A dream comes true (Part 1)

2011-01-28T00:20:00.002+00:00

New Zealand has always been a dream destination for me. "The land of the long white cloud", as it was called by the Maori when they first discovered it, offers amazing landscapes, beautiful mountains, forests, lakes and gorgeous beaches. Although tourism is an important income for the country, I felt that New Zealanders are very proud of their land and wish to protect it the best they can through ecotourism initiatives.

Some people might comment on the fact that this was far from being a green holiday. And I agree. My aim is to pursue my travels in the most environmentally friendly way possible when options are available. In this case, I will probably visit New Zealand once in my life and 2010 was the right time for me to fulfil that dream.

Our itinerary

We spent 18 days travelling across both south and north islands. Obviously, we had to select the areas to visit as several months would have been needed to visit the whole country.

Our method of transport and accommodation was a campervan. We did manage to get a good deal but we ended up with a pretty old vehicle. It did survive the trip (just!).

Although this method of transport involves a lot of driving, it is a fantastic way to discover a country which has so much to offer. Being able to park up and spend the night wherever we fancied was amazing.

View from our campervan, in a DOC campsite

The advantage of having a campervan is that you can stay in a campsite or freedom camp where allowed. Some areas are against freedom camping particularly around Wanaka and Queenstown. So you need to check the signs. We have stayed in both basic campsites which offer toilet facilities and fresh water only (no hot water and no showers) and modern campsites which offer a whole range of facilities.

We decided to spend 2 weeks in the South island and 1 week in the North island. Below is our itinerary.

South island - A chance to re-connect with nature

Photo diary

Lake Wanaka

Lake Wakatipu

Milford Sound

Climbing Fox Glacier

A scenic route between Queenstown and Wanaka

Blenheim - The wine region

Whales watching in Kaikoura - Magical!

In my next post, I will share our itinerary for the north island. Feel free to ask me any questions if you are planning a trip yourself. It really is a beautiful country, just like I had imagined it (and much more!).

Through the lens: Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2011-01-16T20:54:00.001+00:00

A magical place which can be visited on foot (beware it is a huge area), with a bike or by hiring a tuk-tuk driver.

Waiting for that beautiful sunset...

Through the lens - Sisteron, South East of France

2010-12-11T14:32:00.000+00:00

Sisteron, South East of France - Stunning place to go swimming!

10 tips to survive a long haul flight

2010-12-10T15:07:00.002+00:00

Should we learn from nature? Does he complain?

I have started a list of items which I think will help us get through our next long flight. We are flying to New Zealand and the duration of the flight is going to be 24 hours (touching down for 1 hour only after 12 hours).

We are going to take off in the evening which is probably good since it will give us a chance (hopefully) to get some sleep during the first few hours of the trip. But after that, how do you keep yourself occupied?

Our list so far:

1. Books: I am planning to take a variety of books (Serious one for the beginning of the flight when the concentration level is still high and not so serious one for the end). I will also have a guidebook for New Zealand. This time will be perfect to plan our itinerary.

2. Games: Still wondering what to bring with us. Booklets of games like Sudoku are really good and do not take much room.

3. Music / short films: The IPod will be charged but will not last for the whole flight. We will probably have to save it for the end when the journey feels never ending.

4. Snacks: I found that we tend to eat a lot of unhealthy food while travelling. A mixture of healthy and not so healthy snacks should keep us going.

5. Work tasks: It is not good to take work with you on holiday but I am tempted just this once.

6. Exercises: We must remember to get up on a regular basis to get our legs moving. Apart from walking up and down the aisles, the options are limited.

7. Sleep: I have purchased ear plugs, eye mask and a neck pillow. I am hoping to get a bit of sleep but it depends which seats we will be allocated. We will aim to arrive early at the airport to get a chance to choose our seats. The seats near the emergency exists are always a good option particularly for tall people, as long as they are not close to the toilet.

8. Writing: This is going to be a test for me. I have launched my blog this year and I need to start writing more regularly. So I am hoping I will get some inspiration once in the air.

9. Getting to know fellow travellers: You can meet really interesting people while travelling. And when you can't sleep, you can chat to people gathered around the drinks trolley.

10. Relaxation: When do you get the chance to do nothing at all. I am the type of person that finds it hard to stay still. So, I am hoping I will be able to relax and enjoy doing nothing for a little while.

What do you do on a long haul flight to make your journey enjoyable? I would love to hear your ideas and recommendations.

Christmas traditions from the Provence, South of France

2010-12-05T21:25:00.000+00:00

13 Christmas desserts, no less!

French people do have a bit of a sweet tooth. For Christmas, the main meal is serve on the evening of 24th before going to midnight mass. And in the South East of France, in a region called La Provence, an old tradition exists whereby 13 desserts are served on Christmas eve in reference to Jesus and the 12 apostles sitting at the last supper.

They are not 13 individual desserts as such. The list includes dried fruit, frest fruit, sweets etc...

So, here is a list:

Les 4 mendiants (the 4 beggars):

- Hazelnuts or walnuts

- Dry figs
- Almonds

- Raisins

La pompe a huile (the olive oil pump): Flat yeast bread made with olive oil such fougasse.
les 2 nougats: White and Black nougats
Dattes (sometimes stuffed with marzipan)
Calisson d'Aix en Provence ( a sweet made with marzipan)
Quince fruit paste
Fresh white grapes
Christmas melon
Fresh oranges

This list may vary slightly from one region to another.

Do you have any Christmas traditions in your country? Which one do you still follow?

Through the lens: La Drome, South of France

2010-12-04T16:50:00.000+00:00

Teyssieres, Drome region - this is where I grew up

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in Hue, Vietnam

2010-11-26T22:15:00.000+00:00

View from our hotel, La Residence

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in the Jura region, France

2010-11-21T19:31:00.000+00:00

What is the best view you have ever enjoyed from a hotel room? This is mine.

A stunning view from a hotel in the Jura region, South of France

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in the South of France

2010-11-18T18:23:00.000+00:00

Gorgeous pottery from Valensole, South of France - and a fab breakfast!

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in Cuba

2010-11-15T22:51:00.000+00:00

Parque Natural Topes de Collantes

5 reasons to go green on holiday

2010-11-15T18:06:00.000+00:00

Photo from ohsingapore.com

1. Recharge your batteries (no electricity involved here, promise!)

Most people go on holiday to relax, breathe some fresh air, forget about work and catch up with the family. Spending a few days in the countryside will give you a chance to clear your mind and enjoy the small things in life.

2. Connect with nature (without computers)

People are leading such busy lives that they forget what it's like to go for a walk in the park. For some, spending time in the countryside might seem a little bit alien and perhaps even a touch scary. Choose a destination which has a few things to do to start with. As you get used to enjoying nature, you will want to come back again and again.

3. Try something new

Have you ever tried rock climbing, caving, coasteering or zip lining? The BBC has just launched a new website called ThrillSeeker. All you need to do is visit the site, enter your postcode and you will find activities near you. Trying new activities is very rewarding. It can help you build confidence and it is so much fun!

4. Save some cash

Holidays close to home are usually cheaper than foreign holidays. You don't need to go very far to find a nice accommodation close to nature. Caravanning and camping are both great alternatives to hotels.

5. Feel good about yourself

Taking the time to think about what impact your holiday could have on the environment, is one step closer to being an ecotourist. So whether you are green for a day, a week or a lifetime, it all helps preserving our precious planet.

Personally, I grew up on a farm. I now live in London but I love going back to my home village to be surrounded by mountains. How about you? I would love to hear if you have recently discovered the pleasure nature has to offer or if you have loved nature since your childhood. Please share your stories, your favourite outdoor activities and your recommended nature spots.

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in Hanoi, Vietnam

2010-11-14T18:17:00.000+00:00

Hanoi, Vietnam - Can you spot that poor man at the top of the ladder?

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in Turkey

2010-11-14T14:27:00.000+00:00

Recycling in Turkey, with a touch of poetry

Through the lens - Tiptoe Traveller in Vietnam

2010-11-14T14:18:00.000+00:00

Stunning views in Halong Bay

Expats: what's in your suitcase?

2010-11-07T21:10:00.001+00:00

From childhood treats to favourite local produce: a little taste of home

I have been living in England for 16 years. All these years ago, I left my country to start a new life (although I didn't know it at the time) and found a new home: London. What an amazing city! I could not go back. Everything I had always wanted was there on my door step.

But even though you can find pretty much anything here, there are a few things I do miss from my native country. These little things we grow up with. They put a smile on our faces and make you feel all warm inside. Do you know what I mean?

I was born in the South East of France, famous for so many specialities: Côtes du Rhône wine, Nougat, chocolates, olives from Nyons, charcuteries, cheeses and much more. Unfortunately, I can't bring back all of these things so here are my favourites:

No 1 on my list: Olives from Nyons - With herbs, garlic or spicy - They are so tasty!

No 2 on my list: Nougat - made from honey and almonds - simply delicious - lovely treat for Christmas

No 3 on my list: Picodon: a regional goat cheese (only if I travel straight home as it can be a bit smelly)

No 4 on my list: Crème de marrons de l'Ardèche (chestnut jam) - It's delicious with pancakes.

Photo: my kitchen diaries

No 5 on my list: Lavender (when in season) for its relaxing properties

I would love to know what you miss most when you are away from home.