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After two quiet months at house in Prague, whereas residing by means of one of many coldest winters we’ve had in years, it was time for one thing higher.
A little bit of sunshine. A bit of heat. And a little bit of time within the South of France.
Right here’s what I received as much as in March 2026!
Locations Visited
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Toulouse, Narbonne, Montpellier, and Marseille, France
Highlights
A enjoyable and foodie journey to southern France. Charlie and I take one another on journeys for our birthdays, and as quickly as we came upon that Les Grands Buffets existed, that’s what he needed to do for his!
And with three of our pals in tow, we flew to Toulouse, had a decadent night time on the buffet in Narbonne, spent a number of nice days in Montpellier, and completed up in Marseille.
Toulouse was a revelation — and it shortly grew to become considered one of my favourite cities in France! Toulouse is concerning the measurement of Prague, with simply over a million residents. Nevertheless it feels so chilled out by comparability.
Toulouse seems totally different from each different metropolis in France, due to the pinky-red bricks of the buildings within the metropolis. There are tons of cute little eating places and boutiques all over the place, and I’d genuinely come again right here simply to buy and eat. Town has an incredible vibe, too. I can see why individuals need to reside right here.
The buffet expertise at Les Grands Buffets in Narbonne was unbelievable — considered one of my prime foodie experiences, ever, and we already need to return sooner or later.
I’ve already written a full post about the buffet experience, so I gained’t repeat myself right here.
I’ll solely share that we ate SO a lot scrumptious meals, and for 65.90 euros per particular person, we received incredible worth, a minimum of double and even triple the worth of what we’d have paid for that a lot meals in a daily restaurant. In the event you’re a foodie traveler or a French meals fanatic — or particularly a cheese freak — you must make an effort to go as soon as in your life.
Subsequent up was Montpellier. Montpellier is a small college metropolis within the south, and it felt a bit like a child Paris on the Mediterranean, due to its Haussmann structure with a number of palm timber poking out right here and there.
We ate nice meals in Montpellier, particularly after hitting up the markets and bakeries. The eclairs at Maison Bonnaire have been particularly memorable. Total, I believe this is able to be an incredible metropolis to spend every week in when that you must recharge. Simply go for strolls, go to the seashore, eat good meals, and repeat.
And we completed our journey in Marseille…and I’ll put that within the “Challenges” part. You’ll quickly see why.
A pleasant and productive journey to Berlin. Charlie and I went to Berlin to attend ITB Berlin, the most important journey commerce present on this planet. Oddly, this was the primary 12 months we each went.
The present was profitable for us each, with a number of good conferences. And we received to spend time with a number of our blogger pals, together with some I hadn’t seen in a few years.
On our last night time in Berlin, we went to see Belle & Sebastian with our pals Daryl and Mindi. They performed their first album, Tigermilk, and sounded simply pretty much as good as they did 30 years in the past. The venue, Metropol, was actually cool — it type of felt like a freaky church.
I’m joyful so as to add that this was the primary live performance I’ve been to of an artist I found in my Rolling Stone 500 albums problem. How superior is that?
Charlie and I joined a trivia crew in Prague! I at all times really feel like I can’t be part of a crew or any type of common exercise due to my journey schedule, however our pal Jamie invited us to hitch, and that is the proper answer — you merely volunteer to hitch on the times you may make it. There’s no stress to indicate up each week.
Our crew performs the identical pub quiz every week on Monday nights — Prague’s hardest quiz, in truth. Among the questions will genuinely stump you, particularly the cryptic questions.
Nevertheless it’s been going properly. I’m loving working along with a crew of recent pals. And the primary week we joined, we truly gained!
And in case you’re questioning, Lewis the cat is STILL being very snuggly with me. Final month, Lewis began climbing into my lap nearly on daily basis. I’m joyful to report that he’s nonetheless doing it. Typically Charlie and I’ll sit on both aspect of the sofa and battle for Lewis’s affections.
Challenges
Marseille was a little bit of a bust. We knew we’d solely have a day and night there, and because it was a Sunday, we needed to take a 2.5-hour bus from Montpellier to Marseille, moderately than the practice that runs the opposite six days of the week.
And as soon as we received there, it was raining — a chilly, intense rain that got here down in sheets. And should you’ve been to the Mediterranean within the low season, you understand that they don’t have any clue how one can warmth something correctly. Individuals have been consuming outdoors in tents, shivering of their heavy coats.
However we made the perfect of it! We discovered a restaurant with the heater blasting subsequent to the open entrance door, then we grabbed a desk at Les Grandes Halles du Vieux-Port, an indoor meals corridor with numerous nice eating places. We spent the afternoon consuming seafood and ingesting rosé earlier than choosing up some Savon de Marseille (town’s well-known cleaning soap) and heading to our lodge.
I undoubtedly need to return to Marseille and expertise town correctly. There are direct flights from Prague, so perhaps an extended weekend in late spring or early fall someday…
After which I received meals poisoning. It hit as soon as I used to be house, about 24 hours after we had our seafood extravaganza in Marseille. (Charlie and Nick have been superb, so I’m pondering it might need been a nasty oyster.) Fortunately it wasn’t a violent type of meals poisoning — simply nausea and abdomen cramps for 3 days.
Lastly, Les Grands Buffets is NOT a simple place to make content material. I type of had that feeling entering into, so I caught to only doing fast cellphone pictures and movies moderately than bringing out the nice digicam or video digicam.
However if you wish to make Truly Respectable Content material at Les Grands Buffets, I like to recommend you e-book a number of seatings, as a result of the night time goes by FAST and also you in all probability can’t eat what you need to eat *AND* make content material about it.
On prime of that, the lighting is dim, and it’s loud and crowded. So simply know that. I assumed I’d share that as a head’s up for different content material creators.
Weblog Posts of the Month
What’s It Really Like to Travel to Madagascar? — An enormous, detailed recap about why this nation, whereas so difficult at instances, is completely value it.
Les Grands Buffets — Worth It or Not? A Detailed Review — Les Grands Buffets in Narbonne, France, is an epic French buffet and considered one of my favourite meals experiences I’ve ever had. However wouldn’t it be value it for you?
Most Standard Put up on Instagram
Madagascar is just not for everybody. My first video from Madagascar! I posted this video on Instagram and on TikTok.
Whereas Madagascar is an unbelievable vacation spot and I liked my time there, it’s completely not a vacation spot for everybody. And even most vacationers. You could ask your self a variety of questions.
What I Watched This Month
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model on Netflix. This documentary examines the legacy and hurt of America’s Subsequent High Mannequin, and interviews most of the individuals concerned.
I solely watched High Mannequin often again within the day, however I did see among the extra memorable episodes (just like the one the place they made them as much as be totally different races!). And thru a 2026 lens, WOW. This present was MESSED UP and so they did some actually horrific issues.
The worst was getting the fashions and a bunch of native males extraordinarily drunk, then one lady who was blackout drunk ended up hooking up with one of many males. She has no reminiscence of it. This was all filmed. And the subsequent day, and for years after (!), the present shamed her for dishonest on her boyfriend — when she was a sufferer of sexual assault who couldn’t presumably consent!
It additionally made me consider Beneath Deck: Down Beneath Season One, when one member of the crew tried to sexually assault one other crew member, a lady who was blackout drunk, and 1) the movie crew stopped it and a pair of) the assaulter was kicked off the boat instantly and fired the subsequent morning. I’m glad instances have modified and we’re capable of see an assault for what it’s.
I additionally watched numerous Season 2 of Paradise this month. I completely liked Season One in all Paradise, however I’m unsure I’m loving it as a lot this season. I believe it is likely to be the affect of The Pitt — I like the hyper-realism of that present.
And Paradise, as with the present runner’s final present That is Us, there are numerous overwritten monologues, unusual coincidences, and manipulative emotional moments. Unsure I’m into that anymore. Make extra reveals like The Pitt!
Lastly, I noticed Mission Hail Mary in IMAX, and it is likely to be my favourite IMAX expertise I’ve ever had. The film is incredible and flies by, and it’s superbly filmed and so devoted to the e-book. An absolute pleasure, and so uplifting. One which could be very a lot value seeing within the theater.
What I Listened To This Month
I’m listening to all 500 of Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, which I’m having fun with immensely. I’m loving discovering new artists and listening to albums I’ve in some way missed my complete life till now!
In March, I listened to albums quantity 112-93. Not an enormous month for listening.
Favourite Discovery: Supa Dupa Fly by Missy Elliott. WHAT A GREAT HIP-HOP ALBUM. What I like about Missy’s music is that it feels so timeless. She at all times makes futuristic-sounding music with none of the cheesiness that weighs down different rappers. You can have made this album right this moment and it wouldn’t have sounded dated in any respect.
That is an unbelievable album for dancing, grooving, driving, and simply vibing. Every thing on the album has a selected viewpoint, however the songs are various and every have a special sound.
Missy and Timbaland have been a match made in heaven (and nonetheless are) — however I believe she deserves extra respect on her personal, each as a rapper, a singer, and a producer.
Different Favourite Discoveries: When the Pawn… by Fiona Apple, Goodbye Yellow Brick Highway by Elton John, Automated For the Individuals by R.E.M., Take Care by Drake, Management by Janet Jackson, Court docket and Spark by Joni Mitchell.
Favourite Revisited Album: Nothing revisited! Every thing was new to me this month. I believe I listened to When the Pawn… a few times as a young person.
Favourite Songs: “Limp” by Fiona Apple, “You Don’t Wanna Fuck With Me” by Missy Elliott, “Once I Consider You” by Janet Jackson, “Me Myself and I” by De La Soul, “The Ballad of Danny Boyle” by Elton John, “Automotive on a Hill” by Joni Mitchell, “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones, “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” by R.E.M., “Asking For It” by Gap.
Get the playlist: I’m making a playlist of my favourite songs from the five hundred albums — most one per album — on Spotify. You can listen to it here.
Random Music Ideas: Because the checklist ticks down, there are fewer and fewer artists launched for the primary time. The one newcomers this month have been Tv, Gap, The Allman Brothers Band, Drake, and Missy Elliott.
*Disclaimer: QUITE A LOT of the musicians featured on this checklist are problematic in varied methods — there’s even a assassin within the combine. I’m taking a look at their music solely from an influential perspective.
What I Learn This Month
Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane by Lindy West (2026) — Lindy West’s husband Aham informed her he was going to be polygamous and she or he needed to both settle for it or finish their relationship. She didn’t need it. Aham had not one however two secret girlfriends. So she determined to go on a solo journey throughout the US to see if she might deal with being alone. On the finish of the e-book, she determined to begin courting Aham’s girlfriend. And now they’ve been in a triad for years.
I’m an enormous Lindy fan, and the e-book itself is de facto good in numerous methods. I like her voice and her humor, and the components about journey have been the strongest components of all, even when I didn’t essentially agree together with her on numerous issues. I liked how she wrote about Florida, of all locations, particularly the Forgotten Coast and that complete lesser-known area of Florida.
However there are numerous alarming issues about her relationships in each this e-book, and its aftermath.
I wrote rather a lot about this in my e-newsletter final week, and I’m not going to repeat myself. However I’ll say this: since this e-book got here out, it’s clear to me that Aham has been publicly humiliating Lindy for a very long time now, and has been emotionally abusive not solely to her, however random girls (together with author Scaachi Koul, who wrote a bit on the e-book).
I would like her to get away from Aham, as a result of she deserves a lot, a lot better. However I’ve the sensation that each one this discourse goes to make Lindy double down.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2021) — Center faculty science trainer Ryland Grace wakes up from a coma on an area shuttle and might’t bear in mind why he’s there. Quickly, he remembers that the solar is dying, and that scientists on Earth have despatched him there to discover a answer. However quickly after arrival, he discovers one other ship, an uncommon ship the likes of which he’s by no means seen — and realizes that he’s not alone.
It was my prime precedence to learn Mission Hail Mary earlier than seeing the film, partly as a result of I assumed Weir’s first novel, The Martian, was a a lot better e-book than a film. I devoured it in 48 hours! I adored this story and the way it was a buddy comedy. It nearly follows the plot of a typical romantic comedy, solely it’s platonic. Extra uplifting sci-fi!
I’ve heard the audiobook is nice, too, however I selected to learn it as a result of I figured I’d zone out on the extra science-y components. You couldn’t go unsuitable with both.
Coming Up in April 2026
This month I’ve an enormous journey deliberate — I’m touring solo to Central Asia! This can be a new area for me and one I’ve needed to cowl from the attitude of a solo feminine traveler.
I’ll be visiting Kazakhstan first, principally basing in Almaty, with an in a single day journey to Charyn Canyon, Black Canyon, Moon Canyon, Lake Kaindy, and Kolsai Lake. Subsequent I’ll fly to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and journey by practice to Samarkand, then Bukhara, then Khiva, earlier than flying again to Tashkent. Whereas in Samarkand, I’ll be doing a day journey to the Seven Lakes of Tajikistan.
If all goes based on plan, these will probably be international locations quantity 97, 98, and 99 for me.
In Uzbekistan, I’ll be attempting out a number of artful actions and diving into their textiles. They’ve among the finest silks on this planet, and lovely traditions with regards to embroidery, pottery, and wooden carving. I even have a photograph shoot deliberate in Samarkand.
I do know lots of people are apprehensive about touring for the time being, so I need to share why I’m snug touring right here right now. First off, these international locations in Central Asia are extraordinarily secure for vacationers usually, and solo feminine vacationers particularly. I’ve completed a number of analysis and talked to pals who journey right here usually.
Secondly, these international locations are by no means concerned every time violence or struggle kicks off within the Center East. Life has been persevering with as ordinary in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
And eventually, I’m not flying by means of the Gulf. I’m flying Prague-Frankfurt-Almaty on the best way there and Tashkent-Istanbul-Prague on the best way again, which is an itinerary that enables me to keep away from flight disruptions.
I’m actually excited to share Central Asia with you.
Any plans for April? Share away!
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