Around the world in 120 days

You're probably wondering how I got invited to this wedding at the ends of the earth. It's a long story. In 1980, during my last bohemian youth trip before returning to my studies, I had the opportunity to work at the Aquitaine Cooperative Association, where we were using traditional timber framing. I was Raoul's apprentice, a '68er who was putting into practice the utopia of that wave that swept away the dust of old France. We spent all day together and evenings going from b

My first impression upon arriving on the island was that I was in France. The vehicles, the public transport, the roads, the roundabouts that follow one another, the heavy traffic, the beauty of the facilities, the difficulty of parking, everything, except the tropical vegetation. More modern and richer than Mauritius and even French Polynesia, but the population is predominantly Creole and proud of it, which creates a continuity. Like Mauritius, but unlike Polynesia, the isl

Reunion Island is renowned as a hiker's paradise, and I was able to confirm. The Piton de la Fournaise, this still-active volcano with its evocative name, is well known, but less the three volcanic cirques that complete the Reunion National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are three cirques, all spectacular and geologically unique. They are deep depressions in the heart of this volcanic massif. Some pockets have resisted and rise up amidst this vertiginous landscape:

“Dying, what a great deal” But growing old, oh, growing old” Brel didn't have the chance to grow old; tobacco abuse took its toll. I smoked, reasonably I would say, and I'm in good shape at 70, unlike my relatives who were once heavy smokers and who, like their smoke, have sadly vanished forever. My view of old age is heavily influenced by that of my parents—which is to be expected, you might say, as genetics plays a dominant role in aging, and I've witnessed this long pr

Penang is one of those industrial cities in Asia where microprocessors and other components are assembled, providing its residents with a standard of living similar to our own. The high-rise apartment buildings and modern vehicles attest to this. I would have loved to see these much-talked-about factories up close, but despite my efforts, no opportunity arose. In contrast, Georgetown, the old Penang, is well-preserved, vibrant, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Malaysians, Ch

I have a clear memory of my father pointing out, during Expo 67, that while passing by the small Mauritius pavilion, that the island was like Quebec, first colonized by the French and then the English, and that its inhabitants still spoke our language. When it came time to plan my trip, visiting Mauritius was a must. After six weeks in an English-speaking environment, as soon as I step onto the plane I'm greeted by a series of "bonjours," without "hi,". A "I love your accen

Since my departure, a phenomenon has amazed me daily, and explaining it is not simple because it might seem like a personal bias. A brief digression to explain. Back when I was the director of a CPE (early childhood centre), one of my pleasures was attending the annual conference of the American NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). And yes, our Quebec system is much more inspired by the American approach than the French one, except, of course, w

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La ville est étouffante, chaude, bruyante. Son jardin botanique est un oasis où j’ai passé une journée

By chance, I arrived in Penang at the end of the cultural festival celebrating the recognition of its historic district as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Several establishments are open to the public for the occasion. The local Urban Skechers took advantage of it, and so did I. It's worth noting that a similar group exists in Montreal.

The day had started badly. An email informed me that a scheduled transaction with my credit card had been declined. I'd had problems the day before, issues I had to resolve without delay. Then, I struggle with the heat, and here it's a heatwave 365 days a year, and then all the negative aspects of my day started piling up to the point where I considered making a chart about it. In short, a blue that was turning black. The credit card issue was resolved quickly, a suspicious t

While many women in Kuala Lumpur wear headscarves, in the provinces they practically all do, often a light veil, but a veil nonetheless. So I wasn't surprised to find a woman wearing a headscarf working at the glamping site where I'd booked my accommodation for the week. But imagine my surprise when I heard her speaking impeccable French. Glad to be using my language, which I'd neglected these past few weeks, we struck up a long conversation. I. arrived in France from Morocco

Going around the world isn't great for my carbon footprint, I admit. While things are pretty good at home thanks to our hydroelectric power and my electric car, here I'm happily contributing to global warming, even though several of my flights are offset. Should I have stayed away? I asked myself the question, but not for very long. Here's my reasoning: I love to travel, and should I deprive myself of that when many countries, Americans first and Canadians second, are draggin

Martha & Dora They are two sisters with the somewhat crazy project of traveling from England, their native country, to Australia without flying, by land and sea. I contributed to their journey in Crete in April 2025. We met again in Istanbul, and I've been following their adventures since. I must admit I was a little skeptical, even a little worried; the countries they would have to cross aren't the easiest, especially for young women. They are two bright sisters who share

There are two trails that allow you to do a sort of loop around the island where I am. The distances are short, thankfully, because this circuit proved to be exhausting. The heat and humidity (humidity factor 35°C) add to the already challenging terrain. The trail is rudimentary but stands out well from the lush jungle once you find the access point. Luckily, AllTrails exists because signage isn't Malaysians' strong suit; you can even get lost in airports. I ventured out alon

A light shower interrupts my stroll through the vast botanical garden. Luckily, a gazebo appears; I walk towards it, and there's a man inside. We strike up a conversation. He's a slender Chinese man, dressed casually or perhaps sportily, who knows? He lives in Beijing and turns out to be very talkative and expressive. His English has a strong accent that I have trouble following. After each comment, he bursts out laughing. He's here for the julienne fruit season; I have no id

I was taking a rehydration break, a bit longer than the ones I saw during the World Cup, comfortably seated on a promontory in the modern sculpture section of the Kuala Lumpur Botanical Garden. A welcome break after walking in the sweltering, humid heat. Lower down in the shade, comfortably seated on a backless bench, a young woman from the Middle East was, unusually, reading a book. She was settled in, her bag on one side, a water bottle on the other, book in hand, head bent

Traveling is also about meeting other travelers, connecting with people from faraway places who bring us closer to the inaccessible. In the small group visiting the Maori village, there was an asian woman with her two teenagers who were not particularly exotic, uninterested in the guided tour, they retreated to their car, glued to their phones. Sound familiar. So I found myself alone with their mother, not being part of any subgroup. We exchanged a few glances, and gradually

Some have it, others don't, but this gift is a welcome one. I arrived a little too early to catch my bus, as is my slow traveler habit, but this time I'd gone too far, arriving 90 minutes before departure with a small convenience store. as the only place to grab a bite and offering only pre-packaged sandwiches, but an espresso machine and very ordinary chairs and tables to enjoy it all. The tenant is Malaysian, I'll learn later, invites me to sit down while she prepares my mo

I took part in a guided tour of the village with the incredible name: Tewwakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao. In my group, an Indigenous man from British Columbia was proudly displaying his Canucks colors. At the end, I asked him to do a video interview where he opened up and even thanked me for listening. I was thrilled; I thought it would be one of the highlights of my trip. When I went to watch it again later, I realized I hadn't recorded it. I always try to be quick and di

While Brel inspired my first destination on this world tour, the film *Were Once Warriors* inspired my second stop. This New Zealand film made a deep impression on me when it was released and has remained etched in my memory like few others. I rewatched it, and its power moved me deeply once again—a real Hoka moment. It illustrates, with a wide range of emotions, the downfall of an Indigenous people, the Maori, following the loss of their territory, their ancestral homes, and

I love to travel. I have a long history of travel interspersed with studies, a career managing social organizations, and shared custody of my son, who is now also on his own. I have to say, I'm a child of the traveling world. My parents got married in Paris after a long motorcycle trip from Paris to Morocco. Their happiness is evident in the photos from those moments. They decided to get married in Paris, and I was born in Montreal eight months later. That's where things go

No matter what anyone says, Uber is incredibly convenient when it's available, especially when arriving in a new country. Which was my case yesterday: no worries about the price, being ripped off, safety, or waiting—it's like being at home. Whether by taxi or Uber, one of the joys of this mode of transport is finding a chatty and interesting driver. I was particularly lucky yesterday. A gentleman with a beard and a thick, white, but neatly trimmed head of hair, handsome, dr

This was undoubtedly the most moving moment of my stay in Polynesia. It's difficult to capture in a video the atmosphere of this magnificent place, so full of color, with people in reverence singing melodies… I'm speechless. Listen for yourself, trying to get good sound and picture quality; perhaps the magic will work.

Reflecting on and researching the plight of young Tahitian women also means discovering, through this journey around the world, new variations on the ways in which men dominate women. Everywhere, men have effectively capitalized on their physical dominance to subjugate women and girls into a state of economic, psychological, and sexual subjugation. A kaleidoscope of horrors that is slowly killing the beauty of the world. And for once I will contradict Brel: "And I'm not sur

I thought I'd find myself in a faraway France in the South Pacific, but no, this is Polynesia, French Polynesia certainly, but first and foremost Polynesia with its indigenous population from Asia who still speak their language, part of a large family spread across the Pacific. They have their own president and their own laws. While everyone, except for a few elderly people, speaks French, they don't have a Parisian or Radio-Canada accent. More so than in Quebec, the informal

It's not like in the Gaspé Peninsula