Wander Shots: Charlotte Bauer
2012-07-25 13:16
Welcome to the first feature of our weekly travel Q&A - Wander Shots.
First up is Charlotte Bauer, News24 voices contributor who shares some useful tips and holiday destination insights. For more of her overseas musings and perspective on living abroad visit her News24 Voices profile. If there is a particular person you think we should feature, why not drop us a mail at info@gotravel24.com
Tell us about your most recent holiday?
Charlotte Bauer: "San Sebastian, in Spain.Enchanting seaside town with hotspot cuisine status, full of stylish people, mouth watering pintxos bars – that’s Basque country tapas - and cheap everything, including the best shoe shops ever. Topless sunbathing is free. Charlotte Bauer – GoTravel24 Q&A
Tell us about your most recent holiday?
"San Sebastian, in Spain.Enchanting seaside town with hotspot cuisine status, full of stylish people, mouth watering pintxos bars – that’s Basque country tapas - and cheap everything, including the best shoe shops ever. Topless sunbathing is free.
What’s your top five 5 travel bucket list? How close are you to realizing any of them?
1. Chicago – to visit my friend Julia
2. Berlin – for their modern memorials, playful and profound
3. Buenos Aires – to see the 23m high Steel Flower sculpture. The petals open in the day and close at night!
4. Namibia – right next door to SA, can’t believe I’ve never been.
5. Home – where the heart is - Home in October!
Who is your favourite travel companion and why?
"Hmmm, there have been a lot: Rolling mass house parties with family and friends; romantic road trips with my husband; girlfriend getaways, kiddie-kitsch destinations … who ever I’m with at the time always seems right, even when it ends in tears.
What’s been the most useful travel innovation for you?
"The Internet. Being able to book things online, find places to stay and minimise the risk of discovering that the “room with a view”offers uninterrupted vistas of the peeling office block next door.
Do you prefer to stay connected or switch off when on a break?
Connected, as long as I can “see” them and they can’t “see” me. I use Out of Office to squash Inbox expectations of a reply.
What’s your absolute worst travel nightmare?
Luggage. Damned if it’s lost, damned if it’s found. I’ve never been one of those people who could go off to India for 3 weeks with a backpack, two t-shirts and a tube of sun cream. I always set off huffing and puffing with maxed-out suitcases … and then I buy more stuff! Really, I’d like to be able to afford full time porters.
What is your greatest travel extravagance/indulgence?
"Luggage. See above.
Who would you most like to sit next to on a plane?
"Anyone in First Class
Who would you least like to sit next to on a plane
"Stephen Hawking. Unless we’re in First Class.
Are you adding a Mayan spin to your end-of-year break?
"Er, no, actually I’m off to my sister’s wedding in Cape Town to celebrate the continuation of life. If the earth moves, I hope it’s on their wedding night.
Complete the following...
"Travelling... is the thing I dislike most about travelling. I like being there, not getting there.
"Waking up ... with my husband this weekend ... would be awesome because... my “double life” in France means I live away from home six months of the year.
"The one place I’d really … not miss if I never saw it again would have to beDominica in the West Indies. We once lived there for three months on a house swap. It has black beaches and is so steamy it feels like living inside a kettle. Chilled people though.
About Charlotte Bauer...
Prize-winning features writer, columnist and senior editor who has
worked variously at the Sunday Times, ThisDay, M&G and City Press.
In 2010, at age 50, she quit facebook, friends and country and moved to
rural France to have a midlife crisis in peace. She lives in the kind of
village visitors imagine they would like to move to when they come here
on holiday and have drunk too much cheap wine. She spends her time
doing the household chores she once paid someone else to do, watching TV
and trying to fit into small French clothes. She remains happily
married to her husband, who lives and works in Johannesburg because
someone still has to pay the rent. She is a freelance writer and editor,
though trying to fit into small French clothes takes up a lot of her
time.
