We rode the train from Paris to Reims on a cold winter Monday, found a taxi easily and dashed from the train station on a speedy cab to Les Crayeres to make up for the 20 minute delay in the train schedule. This delay caused us to arrive later than we had planned at the restaurant (1:45 p.m.). In spite of our late entrance, the staff were awaiting our arrival and welcomed us warmly.
In spite of the snowy weather we found the entrance to Ledoyen easily. The restaurant faces the Petit Palais and sits back a short distance from the famed Champs Elysees. Although in the absence of a doorman or host, we were a bit reluctant to pass through the vacant hall; our courage was rewarded when we discovered a polite hostess sitting at a table under an imposing grand staircase. After confirming we had reservations and turning away would be diners without any, she led us upstairs.
We now travel with so many gadgets, especially for long flights, we were hesitant to carry one more. The number of times we sat near screaming babies or obnoxious neighbors convinced us this was one item worth carrying if it reduced the intensity of the surrounding noises. It did.
The comfortable headset with an adjustable padded head band and padded over-the-ear cups, reduced the amount and sharpness of airplane engine and other sounds. It also improved the sound of the airplane audio so it was easier to hear and to distinguish words and sounds. An unexpected bonus was the ability to connect the Plane Quiet headset to our iPod player. The sound was excellent. The on and off button was easy to use and the volume control provided a broad range of sounds audible even with the airplane and surrounding noises.
A friend asked recently, after hearing our complaints about the cold weather in Paris, why we were there in winter. Summer, he reasoned, was warm and we wouldn’t need heating or cold weather clothes. Right he was. And yet, we enjoy the holiday spirit and seasonal foods available in Paris at the end of the year. People seem to be in good spirits and we make time to take advantage of the countless choices the City of Lights has to offer or just relax and enjoy being there. The 700 square-foot apartment on Rue des Ecoles enhanced our stay, providing a centrally located, pleasant, clean and comfortable corner to call our own for our month long sojourn.
Although every trip and every lodge and camp we have visited in the past had qualities that distinguished it among its peers, some stand out for their sheer excellence. Our stay at Kings Pool, named for a Scandinavian monarch who visited the area before the camp was built, was one of the most rewarding overall visits to a game viewing tented camp in two dozen experiences to date. Fronting an oxbow of the Linyati River, Kings Pool had a rare combination of a superb location, extraordinary game viewing possibilities, a well designed, spacious and comfortable room, superior “home cooked” food and an outstanding, experienced and knowledgeable guide.
It required a day of travel and three flights, the last one on a small bush plane, from Cape Town to reach Kwetsani Camp. We left the comfort of our waterfront hotel at 7 a.m and reached our new honeymoon suite at Kwetsani at 7 p.m. Although we were tired and hungry, we were also thrilled from a close viewing with a female leopard on our way from the airstrip to the Camp. Kwetsani could house up to 10 guests on its one kilometre site which was raised on stilts beneath a shady canopy overlooking the plains. It was one of several properties on the Jao Reserve, a 15-year 60,000 hectare concession with maximum guest occupancy of 48. The large elongated island was heavily wooded with palm mangosteen and fig trees and was one of the most remote camps in the expansive Okavango Delta. That night we enjoyed a fireside buffet dinner on the sandy boma enclosure. Prior to dinner, we watched with pleasure as local staff members sang and danced around the roaring fire with enthusiasm and laughter.