Buy experiences instead of things! Latest advice by the Journal of Consumer Psychology

Have a read at this extract from a Globe and Mail article further to some recent research published in The Journal of Consumer Psychology. The full article can be read at  www.theglobeandmail.com/.../money-can-buy-happiness-if-you-spend-it-right/article1787800/
 but in the meantime I cut an extract that offers a consistent message with what I hope to create for my clients: meaningful experiences that count on the happiness scale.
 

 

Here is the extract: "Buy experiences instead of things
Retail therapy is dealt a blow with this one. Studies show it’s better to buy something you can experience – a massage, a day on the ski hill, a trip to New York – rather than prop up your mood with a new dress.

Part of the reason is that experiences focus the mind and keep us rooted in the here and now. (“A wandering mind is an unhappy mind,” reads the paper.) A dress just doesn’t have the same power. If anything, it sends your mind off thinking about how it will transform you into someone better, which of course never happens.

Also, and more important, experiences give you sensory memories, even if it is just the strength of Sven’s hands on your sore glutes."

Perigord or Dordogne: The Frenchman's paradise in the Globe and Mail

I agree with this Globe and Mail article ( http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/explore-the-frenchmans-paradise/article1784589/ ) that Perigord feels like a Frenchman' paradise especially off season when the crowds of international tourists from the Summer have dwindled. The area is rich in history, the country side is lush with rolling hills and rivers, many quaint villages with medieval castles to explore, and of course the prehistoric caves to stay cool and travel back in time. Lots of accomodation options and great rich food. Spring and Fall are a great time to go as I do mind exploring little villages or Sarlat when the ratio of tourists to locals seems like 10 to 1. This is when we get into a France of the museums I do not like.  Last time I was in Dordogne was right after Christmas . If you are OK with colder (and rainy at times) weather  and more limited options of places to visit, you will experience a more authentic place, with markets catered to locals and long meals of rich food by the fireplace after some nice walks or explorations of chateaux.
The location of Dordogne/Périgord  makes it possible to enjoy a vacation of contrasts in the Southwest of France as you can easily hop to the Bordeaux wine region within 90 minutes and then head  south for 2 hours to the Basque coast for the beach, mountains, a touch of Spain and a life loving locals. You can arrive in Bordeaux and explore the area, tour Dordogne, and hop back on a train or plane from Biarritz or Pau after enjoying the Basque country. Yes the South West of France is a Frenchman's paradise of contrasts and good life.

Video podcast on Bordeaux wines and its region for armchair travel

I recommend the 32 minutes  of video podcast at http://podcast.lcbo.com/lcbo/learn/podcasts/discover/videos/12_wines_of_bordeaux.html developed by LCBO, the government-run organization overlooking the sale of wine in Ontario.

I found the video to give to a good overview of the various wine regions, the unique caracteristics of wine making  for each one. At the same time you catch some good glimpses of majestic Bordeaux, Médoc, Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers, St Emilion and the nearby Côtes, and Sauternes. You get a good sense of why the Bordeaux region holds the title of wine capital of the world  and what it does to retain the title. More importantly  one is left with a better understanding of the rich range of wine offerings. Bordeaux are wines of winemakers who value terroir.  A votre Santé!

Gastronomy on the Spanish side of the Basque country: Bilbao & Hondarribia

The New York Times over the last 2 months wrote two interesting articles about gastronomy on the Spanish side of the Basque country, 2 destinations easily reachable  for the evening or the day for travellers staying on the French side, in the St Jean de Luz/ Biarritz coastal stretch:

1)  in the little town of Hondarribia, located right on the Spanish/French border: A Dining Explosion in a Tiny Basque Town at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/travel/01Next.html?emc=eta1 Some good addresses for sure. Hondarribia is not as small as  what the article mentions. It has been very popular for many years among the habitants of Irun, as Hondarribia is like a fancy subburb by the beach of Irun, the busy commercial border town.  Hondarribia is rich in history ( ie the land of many battles) and its medieval architecture offers a treat to the eyes. While staying in France, on the French side of the Basque country, it is a very popular and easy to get to destination for a few drinks and pinxos ( basque word for tapas): you hop on a boat from the French town of Hendaye to cross the Bidasoa river that separates the two countries. Make sure you take a stroll up the hill all the way to the old town, la parte vieja,  after you warm up your senses with a couple of pinxos and a glass of txaculi  in the fisherman's village called la Marina

2) in the city of Bilbao well known for its Guggenheim: In Bilbao, it's not just the Museum  at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/travel/10Choice.html?emc=eta1 The renaissance of this city includes some amazing contributions in all price categories by various chefs. If coming from the French side on a full day outing to Bilbao, do spend the time to go to the Casco Viejo, the old quarter of town, reachable via a nice walk along the river from the Guggenheim.

No matter what, even if you are not a committed foodie, do take the time to enjoy  a few pinxos in the company of locals.

Galette des Rois or the King' cake: one for the North, one for the South

Have a look at the recipe published by the Globe & Mail for la Galette des Rois ( by clicking on the title of this post), a cake behind good moments at the table with family or friends throughout the month of January.  January 6 is the day of the kings, ie the day when  the wise men, following a special star in the sky, would have arrived to visit baby Jesus. In France,  a country with dwindling amount of practicing Catholics,  it is more of an excuse to keep the spirit of the holiday season alive and wish each other new year wishes over a good desert. The lucky charm hidden in the cake, la fève,  makes it a favourite of young  and old gourmets. In fact the tradition goes that whoever gets the lucky charm, aside from becoming the King or Queen of the day and wearing the paper crown,  gets to buy the next cake and a bottle of champagne. This cake sharing ritual can  therefore go on throughout the entire month of Janurary, a pleasant way to transition into a new year after the feasts of the holidays.

The North of France serves la galette parisienne, a cake with some almond paste in a puff pastry that is proposed in the Globe and Mail. It is not very different from a  traditional cake found year round in France called frangipane but  includes a lucky charm and gets sold with the paper crown.  You can easily find la galette parisienne in North American French pastry shops. I like to get ours at Ma Maison in the West end of Toronto.  In the South of France, la galette des rois is totally different: shaped like a large donut with crystals of iced sugar and fruit confits on top, no filling, just a light raised dough with similarities to a brioche, with of course the lucky charm hidden inside. You have to try both. The one from the South, only available at this time of the year, brings back good childhood memories so I am a bit biased. I have never seen it sold in North America yet. In my region, pastry shops can develop quite a reputation for whoever has the best one. We used to say Etchebaster in St Jean de Luz, and Mauriac in Bayonne when I was a kid. I am not completely up to speed on French Southwest galette des rois rankings any longer but the ones I had this year in various homes did hit the spot! Yes we had an early start, we started eating it right after Christmas as pastry shops have jumped on the marketing bandwagon. The wise men must be travelling by TGVs this day and get to destinations faster....

Interesting twist on Paris in NY Times article

A food-obsessed traveler uses the Zagat guide of the Napoleonic era ( 19th century!) to explore the culinary wonders of this city in the 21st century.