My Personal Host a Sister Success Stories!
LONDON
Photo credit: Libby Crozier
London!
Vivien Leigh's Academy Award for "A Streetcar Named Desire" (on left, Victoria and Albert Museum) and Shakespeare's Globe (top and right)
Photo credit: Facebook
Samantha
Photo credit: Libby Crozier
Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace (top left), Shakespeare street art (top right),
war memorials (bottom)
Samantha M.
I was on my way to study for a semester at The University of Leeds in 2019 (I didn't end up doing it as I received a job offer in Paris later on).
So I flew into London before embarking on my voyage to Yorkshire (a place of my childhood- and adult- dreams). Think "Wuthering Heights," "Jane Eyre", and 1993's "The Secret Garden".
I had posted on the Host a Sister group and Samantha reached out saying that she would be happy to host me in the Angel Islington area of London.
We went to Soho and had dinner followed by cocktails. We went for walks together, watched the ducks and swans in the lake whilst enjoying a spritz!
I went to Shakespeare's Globe to see a play and walked along the banks of the river Thames in the moonlight.
Samantha was not just a wonderful host but we were able to go out and discover things together (we came across an interesting war statue on a walk that Sam had never seen before, so we went around it and read the inscriptions).
FRANCE
When I decided to travel solo after the first confinement, I posted my rough travel plans of where I was going to pass through on the group site. I received many replies for hosts and meet-ups along the way.
TOULOUSE
Photo: Provided by Maud
I spent a couple of nights with Maud at her lovely apartment in Toulouse. She was so kind and picked me up from the train station on arrival from Paris.
I tried my first cassoulet. The waitress at the restaurant was very friendly and when I mentioned that I was heading off to Montpellier, she made a face and exclaimed:
"Why do you want to go there for? We are much nicer here. You take Toulouse and Paris and shake it up... add a little sunshine and POOOF you have Montpellier!"
I found this waitress hilarious and very warm.
I was blown away by the decor at Chez Maud. Her aunt has a very popular business based in Brittany in the North-West of France. They depict very traditional coiffes or high headgear specific to Brittany.
This is her website:
Photo credits: Libby Crozier
Maud's aunt's fantastic work!
Maud was born and raised in Chambery, Savoie. She graduated from an engineering school with an electrotechnical qualification in Toulouse then completed a master's degree in management. Maud worked in the construction industry for five years before she realised she wasn't doing work that she loved. In fact, she really did not enjoy it at all... So she took a plunge!
When she was younger, Maud had thought a lot about aeronautics. So... Maud now gets to work on fighter jets!
Maud loves travelling, learning foreign languages (I taught Maud how to spell her name in Korean hangul while I was there), later travelling to Korea where we messaged each other tips, etc.
Maud has also thought about perhaps becoming a translator and travel the world!
Instagram: @travelsfeedmysoul
Photo credit: Libby Crozier
I acquired a real love of "violette" flavoured ice cream!
One night, we went for tapas in the Old Town. Another day, we walked around Toulouse and went to the Japanese Garden.
Photo credit: Libby Crozier
The Japanese GardenPhoto credits: Libby Crozier
"Le Petit Prince"
Photo credits: Libby Crozier
I took a day trip from Toulouse to Carcassonne.
Photo credits: Libby Crozier
Maud taught me a lot about history when we went anywhere or passed anything.
I spent time by myself whilst Maud worked- she had given me plenty of information about how to get around.
Photo credits: Libby Crozier
There is a story about this church. Notre Dame du Taur explained Maud, that the first bishop of Toulouse was chained to a bull and the church was built upon this very spot where he became detached from it.
Photo credit: Libby Crozier
My first cassoulet. Maud took me to this specific restaurant to try it.
MONTPELLIER
Photo: Facebook
I went to Montpellier rather early in my post-lockdown trip to the south of France. I had been wondering about potentially moving there as I had heard very nice things about the city and it looked beautiful.
Again, I had posted on Host A Sister my itinerary for hosts and/or meet-ups with anyone along the way. I had received a message from Laurence Thébault but our timing had not worked out.
The first time, I stayed in a hotel and my friend from Paris, Jean-Baptiste was visiting his family so I got a bit of a quick tour from him.
...........
I ended up loving Montpellier so much this time, I made it to my final destination stopping along the way to Menton, near the border to Italy.
I then made it my duty to go all the way back (it is definitely not on the way back to Paris) to Montpellier to meet and stay with Laurence.
Photo credit: Libby Crozier
Montpellier
Top left: typical street art, bottom left: beach at Lattes, right is a tomb at a cemetery that Laurence recommended that I see because it is beautiful. I am glad I took her up on this recommendation.
My stay was wonderful with Laurence. Like Maud, Laurence picked me up from the train station, which she did not need to do. On another occasion, she dropped me down to the beach, where there was a little summer fair/festival.
Laurence is a very kind and special person who has obviously touched many people from what I can see on Facebook. She enjoys meeting new people and is much involved with Russian culture, which I find fascinating. She is quite modest but she has spent time living and working in the U.S at Princeston.
Laurence also has a small apartment in Paris and she is welcome to stay with me anytime and anywhere I may be in the world. I cannot thank her enough for her hospitality.
Photo credit: Libby Crozier
Laurence put on an amazing spread for Sara and I!
Photo credit: Libby Crozier
Top left and bottom are the dinner Laurence prepared for Sara and I, top right is breakfast that Laurence prepared for me, that she did not have to do!
Photo credits: Libby Crozier
Photo credit: Libby Crozier
Some guy playing the guitar and singing to his girlfriend. Normal couple stuff...
Photo credit: Libby CrozierMontpellier Botanic Gardens
PARIS
I received a message that Sara, who I met through Laurence was going to be moving to Paris from Montpellier. I was extremely excited and I loved the fact that we could meet someone somewhere and then re-connect in a completely different place later on!
Sara is both Swedish and American. Her sister lives in Paris and they both organised a Swedish picnic in Parc Monceau one afternoon where they provided an array of Swedish food and snacks.
Photo credit: Libby Crozier Picnic in Parc Monceau
