Postcard from Sicily

Dear Britta,

How are you? I’m writing this postcard from Sicily. Here I am, on Mount Etna and I am literally freezing. I totally forgot that it is much colder when you’re high on a mountain than when you’re in a village at the bottom. I’m sitting here in a small restaurant to write this postcard and to warm myself up with a lovely cup of tea. If you want to climb mount Etna in shorts you really should reconsider your trip.

Etna is actually the largest active volcano in Europe with a circumference of 140 kilometres and it is 3329 meters high. Did you know that Mount Etna is in an almost constant state of eruption? It’s fascinating and it’s pretty scary if you’re standing here and see smoke coming out of one of it’s highest craters. The land on Sicily is very fertile, because of the volcanic eruptions and it supports the agriculture, vineyards and fruit cultivation.

These are very interesting facts of course, but that doesn’t stop me from freezing here. You must be laughing while reading this. Well, I have another funny story for you. A few days ago I went on a boat trip and the colours of the sea were so beautiful so it was very tempting to jump into the blue water. Heroic as I am I dove into the water and I yelled at my sister to do the same thing. I felt that somebody or something was touching my ass. I turned around but I didn’t see anything even though I felt there was something tickling my buttock. The tickling became worse and suddenly it started to hurt really badly. I realized there was a jellyfish attached to my butt and I started to scream and to knock it off. All people on the boat thought it was very amusing, but they have no idea how painful it is. So never jump into the water before you checked the safety of it.

Well, I am all warmed up now, so I will continue hiking on mount Etna. See you in a few days.

Love,
Julia

Postcard from Paris

Toute seule à Paris

Paris is not only a great destination for couples, but it is also the place to meet new people for solo travellers.

We all know Paris is “la ville d’amour” the city of love. But according to Karen Fawcett, an American travel journalist, it is a great destination for everyone. Paris is full of surprises and even worth visiting for solo travellers.

There are many ways to meet new people in Paris, like at a cybercafé or a regular café, in the park, etcetera. If you want a chat you shouldn’t be too shy to strike up a conversation. Go to a café, take a coffee and you would be surprised of the number of French singles who envy to speak English. You might even make new acquaintances.

Another way to meet new people is by popping into a wine bar. Sipping a lovely red wine and sharing the taste preferences are good ways to meet new singles.

Boat rides and strolling through parks are more structured ways of meeting people. There are many walking tours for Anglophone visitors. If you want to meet cultural people you should join up an English-language guided museum tour.

Are you a bookworm and do you want to meet someone who is just as fond of books as you are, you should go to The American Library or to Shakespeare and co. On Tuesday nights and Sunday afternoons there are readings which are attractive to all sorts of people. It is definitely worth checking out!

If you are too afraid to encounter people and you’re not the kind of type heading off to Paris “tout seul” alone, it is always possible to start by chatting on the internet. And if you don’t, there is no need to worry. Paris is also worth visiting on your own.

So “allons-y à Paris” let’s go to Paris and enjoy the various delights of this city.

Julia

(used article: http://journeywoman.com/gfc/paris_solo.html)

Postcard from Sweden

Dear Jane,

I’m writing this digital postcard from a country where they say: hej hej. No, I didn’t forget to use my spell checker, it is Swedish for ‘hello’. We took the night boat to Göteborg and we had a prosperous trip. It doesn’t stop raining here in Sweden and I don’t mean a bit of drizzle, but it is raining cats and dogs.

We slept in a teepee tent for one night which was a lovely experience, but I won’t do it very soon again, because it is quite uncomfortable. The canoe trip was a disaster, because it rained and it rained (again) and there were also many high waves and lots of wind which made it impossible to go back to the shore. A very kind family invited us to stay in their son’s house. We really appreciated the invitation after all those wet days on the campsite.

We went to an auction and I wanted to buy a moose’s head, but Steph didn’t agree, because we didn’t have any space left in the car. I’m sure the auctioneer was disappointed, because who wants to buy a hideous head besides a tourist like me.

Well, tomorrow we will finally go back to Holland. Please, don’t tell me it is raining there too. I know you prefer a holiday without rain, so even though it’s a lovely country I strongly recommend you not to go to Sweden, it rains too much!

See you soon!

Julia