I don’t typically plan my holiday’s around the “best” time to visit certain places. For example, I went to Morocco in August and Poland in February. But this last weekend in Paris I really lucked out and was there at the perfect time. Not only was there phenomenal spring weather (23 C and sunny), but I was able to wander into Easter services at Notre Dame.

The incense was spectacularly thick in the air, so it added more to the atmosphere than just the smell as the light was caught in the lingering smoke. I’ve never been to a large catholic mass, much less in the world’s most famous Gothic cathedral, and was enthralled with by the organ music and the prayers done in unison. The truly overwhelming moment came when during one of the prayers that everyone knew from memory, and while most people were saying it in French, I heard two people near me doing the same prayer at the same pace in German and English.

Of course there were crowds of tourists around Paris because it was Easter weekend, but the experience in Notre Dame alone was enough to convince me that I need to do much more traveling during culturally significant times.

In late summer the sun paints the Cote d’Azur every morning and evening with a mellow red light. It makes your eye linger over the landscape and wish that there were just a couple of clouds to catch that red light, but of course there rarely are.

I was nervous about putting this post up while I was on my ski trip, and still feel like it might jinx me for next year, but damn am I glad I’m in one piece after this ski trip. In le Plange, the group I was with was racked with injuries. In the end I think there were 2 broken wrists, a dislocated shoulder, concussion, torn ACL, and broken leg. Of course lots of these people were beginners, but it still made me mighty fearful of a bad fall. My second day in Grimentz that fear was only reinforced when I watched this mid-mountain medi-vac. I really love skiing, but when I stop to think about the potential injuries, it seems really damn crazy.

Oh well, knock on wood. I’ll still be back on the slopes next year.

I took this one way back in August ’04. This ski trip took me to a totally different side of France from the one I saw on my first trip there. Good deal more of France to see too, I reckon I’ll be back.

If you have a picture that you think would make a good background, send it to me at weldon [at] questingforadventure.com with the story and I’ll put it in rotation.

I have to admit that in retrospect, I came on this trip ill-prepared for the big holidays that I’m celebrating on it. Thankfully, for Christmas, there were Gareth and Ross, two gents who were exceptionally well prepared to celebrate in style, as you might guess from their costumes in the picture above. But they didn’t just mark the holidays with outlandish outfits. On Christmas day they cruised around the slopes handing out presents from porno magazines to Christmas crackers, which you can see them doing in the picture below.

Everyone who travels during a holiday comments on how they are celebrating on the road. But for my part I think Gareth and Ross have the formula just right: live it up. Dress up and live the spirit of the season since your travels already mean that you won’t be following the traditions. With that in mind, I’ve got a couple of days to plot New Years.