MaxGlobetrotter - Page 14 of 21 - Unusual places, curious people and travel itself.

Winnipeg to Omalo, Tusheti – an unusual journey

Winnipeg to Omalo, the primary own in Tusheti, is long but well worth it! I like journeys; I like the feeling of movement, the unfolding landscapes and the frisson of excitement that comes with each corner turned. I do, however, have limits, and the forty-hour odyssey that took me from suburban Winnipeg, anodyne and comfortable to Omalo, raw and isolated, was an epic. A cheery farewell at the Winnipeg airport, a normal flight to Chicago and ample time there to head into town and enjoy lunch and a gawk at the city’s ever-fascinating skyline started the journey well. I rather […]

The Southwest of France. The gorgeous Montagnes Noires in the Languedoc

France is a wonderland for tourist with surprise after surprise. The Montagnes Noires in the Languedoc are no exception One of the wonders of the world is surely the amount of world-class tourist sites that France hides away in the country. A short drive in almost any direction will lead to UNESCO protected caves, small galleries housing a world-class collection, truffle museums, discreet museums of ancient religious art in a small and little-visited abbeys. The Languedoc is blessed with gorgeous scenery, delightful villages, festivals and events, a dramatic coast and a fabulous climate. One would be hard pressed to explore […]

Llivia – A fascinating Spanish Exclave in France

Llivia is one of Europe’s more unusual places: A Spanish exclave in France The first thing that one notices on the rather short drive to Llivia is that there is a fork in the road; to the right lies the French town of Bourg Madame, a menacing although now inactive border control post and the road into France. The fork to the left aims one at “Llivia”, a small sign, and the road, almost parallel to the other leads into a vast acreage of poppies. Not, I suspect, of the recreational Afghan type, but extremely beautiful, and deeply surprising. The […]

Andorra, Llivia and the captivating Pyrenees. Catalonia calls.

Catalonia is a unique region. From Andorra to Llivia, the Pyrenees dominate a fantastic landscape, and one that is well worth exploring. What a phenomenal day; ten and a half hours, three hundred and fifty kilometres, three and a half countries and absolutely terrific company. Touring in the Pyrenees is a wonderful pastime. In a fine indication of the extraordinary amount there is to do in the South West of France, notably the Languedoc; we decided to drive a circuit that took us high into the Pyrenees before dropping into the Andorran capital of Andorra la Vella, and then returning […]

The Astonishing Georgian Supra

The Georgian Supra is an experience; a unique and wonderful experience. I am a survivor of a Georgian Supra, ; only just, I will admit, but tomorrow I will be able to stumble onto an aeroplane and leave the extraordinary Georgian hospitality behind. Let me explain. Georgia is all about hospitality; now I realise that may countries make this announcement, but in Georgia it is true. The ordinary, average Georgian is delighted that one is visiting, and will spare no effort to display this. The differently-enhanced Georgian simply goes all out, and not in a Russian manner to simply impress, […]

Qvevris – The ancient heartbeat of Georgian Wines

Qvevris, Georgian Wine and other new and useful knowledge Qvevris are old, practical, magical and contemporary. They are the ancient vessels used for 10,000 years or more in the making of wine; pure, Natural Wine. I am part of the Second International Qvevri Wine Symposium, and travelling through Georgia with a terrifically engineered group of wine makers, wine writers and one tourism-type, trying to figure out how to design some tourism programs that will incorporate the rather extraordinary Georgian industry. Firstly, however, a few words about Georgia. I am not talking about Atlanta; I refer to the Republic of Georgia, […]

Home in Tbilisi

There are cities one wants to revisit, cities one wants spend time in, cities that one would never want to set foot in again and then there is Tbilisi. I have visited hundreds of places over the years, and feel comfortable in many places around the world. I am often asked which my favourite country is, and that is a difficult one to answer. Answering which my favourite city is is far easier, it is Tbilisi. My definition of urban comfort is being able to step on public transport without question, to remember a short cut and to have a […]

Travelling with a Bunion

Travelling with a bunion is not as easy as one might think. Now I don’t want to whine, but bunions are deeply evil afflictions. For weeks, even months, one’s disfigured toe joint will cause merriment (in the right circles), but cause little or no irritation. Suddenly, however, the malevolent digit will spring into action and cause the sufferer intense anguish. Travelling with a bunion is not fun. I think that bunions have both personalities and foresight. They rarely hurt at bedtime, for example, but the day before one dons one’s boots and heads out for a 9,000 km journey to […]

Georgian wine – a study in red.

Georgian Wines: Suitable for every occasion The Republic of Georgia is truly one of my favourite countries. It is quirky, not well-known, reasonably distant and interesting; it is a country of deep spiritual and cultural roots, and a country that offers visitors surprise, comfort and a truly warm welcome. I am heading to Tbilisi again on this next weekend, this for my fifth visit. I have arrived there in a few different manners. Once on a rather squalid overnight train from Yerevan in Armenia, being hounded by a pair of rather dubious pomegranate salesmen; once on a fascinating ship that […]

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