Tag: UNESCO

A taste of ancient Mexico

Having followed an excellent online course titled “Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed,” we were interested in seeing the cradle of these ancient civilizations in Mexico for ourselves. The easiest way was to join an organized tour where we could benefit from the insights of local guides.

During the tour, we travelled more than 2,300 kilometres, by bus, from Mexico City to Cancun. The country is vast, with the most fascinating range of landscapes and topographies: mountains, arid lands, regions covered with lush vegetation and fertile agricultural plains. Fortunately, the country has an excellent road system.

We visited only six archeological sites, but Mexico is peppered with ancient monuments in various stages of preservation or excavation, many of which are recognized by UNESCO as world heritage sites. We hope to share a glimpse of the treasures that we saw in this fascinating country endowed with a rich and complex past.

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Slowing down in Bordeaux

When we heard that Bordeaux prides itself on being a “slow tourism” destination, we just knew that we would like the city. Guidebooks say that you can visit Bordeaux in three days, but to allow us time to linger, we booked an apartment-hotel for eight nights. That was not even enough time to fully appreciate the city.

Bordeaux is beautiful, friendly, interesting to explore, and historically rich. It has an excellent, reasonably priced, public transit system comprised of sleek trams, modern electric buses, river boats (Le Bato) and rental bicycles. As a result, the city is not noisy and the tranquility contributes to its relaxed atmosphere.

We got the impression that the city’s heart beats on the street, in public squares and gardens and in cafes along the Garonne river. On beautiful summer evenings, people were dining outdoors on patios. We saw many young families in the parks, playing in the water of the reflecting pool (Miroir d’eau) and attending free outdoor events.

We came back home thinking that, in Bordeaux, living in “slow” mode is more than a motto.

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