My husband and I will be in Colmar, France for a couple of days in mid August 2024 (and then doing a Rick Steves tour of Switzerland for the last 2 weeks of August). If you’re in that area at that time, would LOVE to do a meet up!
How cool! We've actually been tiptoeing into 2024/2025 travel planning this week, but we're trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves. We don't have anything set yet, but we'd absolutely love to connect if it can work out! Stay in touch! -Judy
Happy Birthday Kevin! Hopefully you can exhale psychologically in the post 61 years. What a lovely town and those southern France light and colours-divine. The restaurant times are indeed so very French- smaller towns even moreso. (Screens and AC are so very American ;)). Thanks for the cost breakdown. Great discoveries.
Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! I believe I have let go of the weight of my dad's passing. We're in Torino now and there are many more food options at all times of the day. But the Italians do like to eat dinners late. We lived in San Francisco for 9 years and had no A/C or screens on our windows. Thankfully, there were also very few insects flying around and almost no mosquitos. We were spoiled by the temperate climate of our Bay Area city. Our apartment stayed at 22ºC almost all the time and when it got cold, we'd open a valve on one of our radiators. Too hot? Just open a window. If it wasn't so expensive to live there, we might have kept it as a home base. Cheers! - Kevin
@@FindingGinaMarie It does give us pause that taking mosquito netting for the bed might be something lightweight to pack.... ?Those mozzies! Or some small tabletop scent tin that may dissuade the flies. True, the AC comment maybe a generalization but since living in 4 of the states and visiting many, from north to south- it seemed like alot of AC ;) San Fran is lovely with those ocean breezes. The italians seem to just hang out in the restaurants at all hours- very social ;).
@@Jmcivor777 We are looking at getting something in the way of netting for when we are in Southeast Asia, but we're still researching it. Some people are saying to buy it when you're local, so we may see what our accommodations offer as well, since you need to either ensure there are hooks above the bed or buying a bulkier version that is self-supporting. Someone also recommended this which sounds interesting, for when you're not in bed: BITE HEALER: amzn.to/46qof0V. The biggest difference regarding food/drink availability we found between France and Italy is that in Italy even if lunch is no longer being served, restaurants have sandwiches available, apperitivi come with snacks, and gelato will definitely be available to tide you over until your next meal. In France, you were pretty much out of luck! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie good tipsJudy! We have walking poles so may be we could set them up at the corners somehow. I'll def take a good bite healer recommendation. In smaller French towns, the restaurants may not even be open for a drink between 2-5;) Although that may have changed over the years. Its a bit to get used to 4 sure. Its great you share your personal experiences- good and bad/minor and not so minor!
The trekking poles may work if you don't toss and turn while you are sleeping! Even this town made getting a drink was hard/odd after 2pm or 2:30pm. When we'd go to a place, they'd say they weren't serving anymore even though people were there. We really wanted to get a meal and a drink on the water one day, but they wouldn't even serve drinks after 4pm. I definitely got the impression that people had their priorities shifted from what they are in the US. It's not a bad thing, but you do have to make adjustments! And we try to look on the bright side as much as we can while still keeping it real. We would never want someone to go somewhere based in any part on our recommendations/videos and then have a completely different experience than what we portray. -Judy
We were a bit put off by the prices, as well, Gavin, but it is considered the French Riviera, which isn't really a budget destination. If you stay somewhere that has a kitchen and can cook for a few of your meals, you can save yourself a lot of money while still enjoying the rich culture and beauty of Antibes and Nice and then cherry pick the dinners you want. Below is a link to our visit to Nice and Antibes if you are more focused on those cities. -Judy 🎥 Travel Guide to the French Riviera: Antibes, Nice, and Cagnes Sur Mer: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rY3-fHrzqa8.html
Love this! Looks like a great place to stay and from what you posted very affordable. Was along the coast there many years ago, I think based in Nimes for a couple nights. So beautiful and glad that you had the time to stay for a full month. That's the way to do it , for sure! Thanks for sharing and am looking forward to your next adventure!
Hi Dan, yes, except for the wi-fi speeds and the mosquitoes! staying a month in France was fantastic. Lucky you for spending time in Nimes. There's a lot of France still for us to explore! Even though a week in two cities in Italy didn't sound ideal, we actually are grateful that we squeezed them in. We are very excited to share our experiences of these places and will definitely visit again for a longer period of time! Thank you for watching!-Judy
Very nice photography, video was so good the chemistry between you two is amazing. Kevin happy belated birthday and welcome to Club 61..Wow Wow we were in Cannes May31st to June 6th. Flew into Nice, enjoyed the week driving all along the French Rivera. Yes the Mosquitos well get you the wife left the bedroom window open got bite badly had to get some stuff from the Pharmacy. If I had known would have asked, no begged you two to meet us for Lunch. Antibes blew us away.. U mentioned in the comments that Torino is now your local, after leaving France that's where we stayed for a few days. If yall get tired of Italian food(doubtful) there is an amazing Greek restaurant near Porto Nuova station we discovered called Greek Food Lab, prices were pretty inexpensive. .
Thank you so much for watching and for your sweet comment. Kevin says thank you for the birthday wishes! It's amazing how much younger at 61 Kevin is than his father was at 60. We are grateful to be experiencing all that we are! What a small world! I wish we would have known you were there-we would have loved to have met up! Darn it! What did you end up getting at the pharmacy? We had a similar experience in Genoa with mosquitos, and we want to be better prepared when we head to Southeast Asia! We have an episode coming out soon on Antibes, Nice, and a couple of sites we didn't get to include. Unfortunately, we didn't have nearly enough time to explore these side cities-we spent too much time seeking out sufficient wifi!-but what we saw was lovely! How ironic that you also were in Torino. Not sure how you felt about it, but we absolutely have been blown away. We leave here tomorrow, but it's good to know about this Greek restaurant if we can squeeze it in! Not sure if you're still on the road, but safe travels if you are! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie We got Reactine 10 mg for the bites she took one tablet a day, also calming care a reliving creme by Baush & Lomb because she got bit on her eyelid.. also some Rubbing Alcohol other there +90 % is so easy to find vs here in the States. We liked Torino the Neighborhood near the Station was a melting pot of different cultures & "Activities" during the day.. Think the Tenderloins district without the tents! But at night it became Walnut Creek with all the bars & restaurants. We visted the Cinema museum besides the aerial view from the roof & the gift shop found it somewhat underwhelming, how can u be a Cinema Museum in Italy with no dedicated section for Sophia Loren the countries most famous Actress. Yes we are finally back in the states. one whole month gone WHEW!.. you two are amazing STAY SAFE.. PS we found Parma VERY NICE quiet really inexpensive. Stayed there 4 days before heading to Bologna.
@@hilamadventures4060 Thank you for the mosquito relief suggestions. We are going to keep them handy! We just left Torino. We didn't see very seedy areas, but overall, we were mostly impressed by what we did see and do. We were only there a week and had to add our RU-vid work into that time, so we didn't have time to visit the Cinema Museum. We were impressed by the Egyptian Museum, though! We didn't love Parma, but we did have a few lovely experiences there anyway! We rushed through a bunch of Italian cities and documented them here if you haven't seen this video yet. Our purpose was to see if they'd be livable cities for us, so we didn't do a bunch of touristy-type things for the most part. We opted to travel full-time instead of putting down roots anywhere for now. Forgive me if I've already mentioned it to you! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! We know that everyone has different tastes and looks for different things when they explore the world, so it's always interesting to hear what those are. Sometimes I think our mental state, what we're looking for in a place, and whether we are relaxed or rushed all can make a difference, so it's great if you can experience someplace more than once. -Judy Video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1_8cUSnvwiA.html
Unfortunately, our sons don't enjoy traveling, so we'll meet up with them when we visit the US. We'll connect with our daughter at some point, soon, we hope. She's making plans to be in Southeast Asia before us, but her plans aren't quite set yet. We do have different interests and styles of traveling, but that's becoming a little more similar as she gets older. -Judy
Interesting! That’s even farther south than Cannes. I would imagine it gets hotter in summer, but it sounds lovely. How touristy does it get? Thanks for sharing and for watching! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie it does get busy during the summer, that whole coast road can sometimes have slow traffic in summer. Enjoy your videos, keep them coming. 😎👍🇫🇷
We prefer to travel by train versus car, so hopefully that will help. Maybe early or mid September when it’s not so crowded but before things close down. We’ve been to a few places that are desolate after August, but hopefully this town can hold its own in the off season. Thank you for the kind words. Rest assured we have no plans to stop! 😍-Judy
Enjoying following you around the world, and the challenges you face! I like everywhere that I travel... currently in the Mascarene Islands... Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues. All three islands are places where you could hang out for a while. Reunion is French prices but dramatic scenery, Mauritius and Rodrigues are reasonable (if you don't stay five star). Rodrigues is really quiet and non-touristy. Interestingly, restaurant hours in this part of the world are similar to what you describe in the video - a couple of hours for lunch, then open again at 6 pm for dinner (the same restaurants here). And just randomly, Armenia is also really great. Happy travels! Happy birthday!
Thank you so much for watching, Andrew. I was unfamiliar with these islands before you mentioned them. Since you are there now, do you see any of the concerns I am hearing about them being overpopulated? And interesting to hear that the weird food hours are similar there as well. I didn't notice that practice in Paris and even though Italy has a similar break, they always want to ensure people never go hungry! We also will look into Armenia. It was not on our radar, but perhaps it should be. Thank you for all the great suggestions! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie Hi Judy. Well yes, they are overpopulated I think, along with much of the world! I guess it doesn't feel any more overpopulated than much of Europe, and less than many parts of Asia. In peak hours there can be some traffic, especially in the towns on Reunion. But here at least, surrounded by sea, the air is noticeably fresher than in much of Europe. Still, in Mauritius and Reunion it's mostly urban environments in terms of places to stay. But there is also some hiking to be had. I did two nice hikes in Mauritius already (if you like hiking) and the mountains in Mauritius are beautiful shapes. People hike in Reunion too, but those mountains are huge and steep. A more relaxing alternative is to visit the mountain villages there. There is one village (I didn't get there unfortunately) without roads. The cultures on the islands are interesting, with Reunion being French and mixed, and Mauritius being an Indian majority in terms of ancestry. When the British banned slavery, they re-invented it kind of, as indentured labour. Mauritius was the trial run for this new system. Labourers mostly came from India, but also from Africa and other places. The population is really diverse (as is the food). Anyway, I think I saw your video recently about the pace of travel and wondering about speeding up or slowing down. It would be possible in these three islands to base yourself in one spot and over time, visit the whole island. Nothing can be more than a couple of hours drive away (less in Rodrigues). I think that's one reason why I thought to mention it. Of course, having been in mainland France, Reunion might be culturally a little similar, but could be nice when you feel ready for your next dose of all things French. Mauritius cost-wise is very reasonable - check internet speed - I have no problem with it but I'm not uploading videos. Rodrigues is really off the beaten path. There you would want to check about internet speeds twice, and you would be wanting somewhere without much activity beyond nature, swimming, snorkelling, beaches. Rodrigues has an African heritage majority who are mostly Christian, with unique 'sega tambour' music and dance (that I would have loved to have seen if I had been able to stay longer there - weekend activity). Rodrigues is a 'time out' kind of place, population 40,000. Armenia is also off the beaten track - lots to see, short distances, small country (good for basing yourself), visa free for 180 days I think (westerners) and rather cheap. Definitely recommended. I stayed there three months during Covid time and was mostly moving about... never ran out of new, interesting places to see. I believe Georgia next door might also be great, but didn't get there because the land border was shut during Covid time. Georgia has 365 day visa-free period! :)
@@AndrewJEagle Thanks for this information. When I first looked it up, I read something about tourism being a problem for the habitats and that you should avoid traveling there. But now I can't find that information. And you are right, most places have a population problem! This all sounds very lovely and peaceful! We don't typically ever rent vehicles, but I'm assuming it's a must in these islands. This may have to be the place we do it! Thank you for all this helpful detail. It also helps to hear your passion about these places, because that's what we look for! I think Armenia on its face is off-putting because of the part of the world it's in, but we're learning that some places aren't as scary as we think and would be a shame to skip. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie Yes, understandable about Armenia but it really isn't scary. It's actually very safe. Girls walk around alone at 3 a.m. in the capital Yerevan, if they want. It's supposed to be one of the world's safest cities. The only thing to check is the situation with Azerbaijan. There's constant tension between those two, unlikely to affect you though. About Mauritius and friends, yes car hire, at least on some days, might make things convenient. I don't have a licence and have been using buses which works for the most part, supplemented with the odd small group tour. The buses are cheap and go many places, especially in Mauritius... but a bit slow. :) Also thought to mention that it's winter here (southern hemisphere). The weather is great and tourist crowds are gone. Low season. It's maybe slightly cold to swim in the pool but the sea temperature is fine. Light jacket on some evenings. I'd come here again in winter. Armenia (northern hemisphere), meanwhile, has four seasons... I went in summer and it gets very hot. Winter is rather cold, I believe. Between the two might be best there.
@@AndrewJEagle Your info regarding not driving is very encouraging for us. We're happy to use buses and group tours! And good point about the southern hemisphere. I don't think about that enough! And so good to hear about the safety. After reading a bit, I felt pretty confident that it would be. It's important to get word out that places are safer than we sometimes think, so I really appreciate the shoutout for Armenia. Thanks for taking the time to really walk us through these locations! -Judy
Great practical information. I hate mosquitoes and flies so knowing they were an issue certainly gives me pause. Thank you for sharing. Happy Belated Birthday to Kevin.
Hi Christina, Kevin says thank you! He's actually coming up on another one at the end of May, so you might actually be early versus late! It may have been the time of year, (mid May to mid June) but they weren't fun to deal with. Thank you for watching! -Judy
Very nicely done incl pros and cons, your videos are getting better and better each time ! Food prices seemed expensive - did you do much cooking at home during that one month ? Decent supermarkets readily available? When you booked the AirBNB, did you read the reviews? Did any of the reviews even mention mosquitoes and flies ? I am just wondering whether the mosquitoes and flies will still be around during the cool of winter, which is when I may plan to travel to the French Riviera, possibly incl Cagnes Sur Mer :). I know, I know, winter is not the best time to visit the area 😂. Btw, happy birthday, Kevin!
Hi Mike, Thank you so much for watching and for the kind comment. We are so glad to hear that we are improving! Food prices were expensive. We cooked a decent amount of the time, and probably should have done even more of it. We had been making sandwiches using the delicious bread, but that became a problem of its own (that bread is addictive! There were a couple of holidays where the supermarket was closed all day and we didn't realize it until we showed up. There was a supermarket very convenient to us that we included in the video, but the fruit and veg were only okay. The outdoor market was very nice, but like everything else there, the hours were so unpredictable! We ALWAYS read reviews, but no one mentioned mosquitos (and quite frankly, we didn't either, because we have a hard time dinging a place for something outside their control-it isn't customary for screens there). I'm guessing the mosquitos are seasonable, and I would hope you won't have to encounter them! So long as places are open, there is still a lot to do even if you don't spend time on the beach. We spent time in Antibes, Nice, and have a few activities in Cagnes-sur-Mer that we still want to share. And Kevin says thank you very much for the birthday wishes! -Judy
I stumbled upon Finding Gina Marie while planning a family trip to Egypt. Thank you for introducing off-the-beaten-path places. I also appreciate your honest feedback on restaurants.
Thank you so much for letting us know that our content is useful for you! We absolutely loved our time in Egypt and have an entire playlist if you missed it. ru-vid.com/group/PLNT98lWfwdF1WcH9GxfK4ngH49MXf5oOv We also have a second video about the French Riviera that we uploaded last week. We try to be as transparent as possible about our experiences, so we're glad to hear that our authenticity is coming through. Thank you for taking the time to comment. If you have any questions at all, please let us know (and have an amazing time in Egypt!). -Judy
What a great video!! I truly hope Kevin had a lovely month of celebration. I know this is late, but I’m still playing catch-up! During our stay in Nice we encountered the same problems with the restaurants! I know it wasn’t their problem but ours!!! Sometimes we forget (at least we do) that we’re the visitors and their cultures is ours to adopt or go somewhere else! Nice’s beaches were also pebbly (more like rocks!) and our granddaughter had the hardest time getting in the ocean.
Thank you so much, Maria! Kevin enjoyed himself immensely. We both are so happy living on the road, and being able to truly have an entire birthday month was pretty cool! It is our problem, you are right. We were ignorant and thought it would be similar to Italy, but it was a place unto itself, and we should have done more research. And yes, actual rocks! I don't know how people were laying on the beach, but they were. Some people had lounge chairs, but some people just had a beach blanket-ouch! We did see that Antibes had sandier beaches for people who need a little more comfort! We have an additional video coming from the French Riveria in a few more weeks, so stay tuned! -Judy
Thanks so much, Joanna! The more we travel, the more I’m learning to appreciate the differences in every place we stay. Today we’re boarding the Glacier Express in Zermatt. Cheers!
@@FindingGinaMarie We were on a cruise and it was a one day visit. The Petit Train up to Basilica of Notre-Dame of la Garde and a few waterfront cafes, watching the buskers. Fantastic 👍👍
