Research crime before your trip
A house in France.
It was Cecily’s dream vacation: she and her family had rented an ancient stone farmhouse near St.-Paul-de-Vence on the French Riviera. Recently renovated to luxurious standards, it stood between an olive orchard and a lavender farm, strolling distance from the sea, and it came with a Renault.
For their first morning, coffee, baguette, and fresh farm butter had been delivered by the agent. Cecily feasted lightly on the terrace, then drove into Nice and shopped for groceries. So far, excellent. She loaded the Renault feeling spiffy, pleased with her success, and rather… je ne sais quois. Perhaps rather French.
Just as Cecily got into the car a nice-looking man approached and asked her something: where could he buy a newspaper? where was a petrol station? Cecily’s French had rusted since high school, but she struggled to understand.
“Don’t worry,” the man said in English. “I am not going to steal from you.”
What? Cecily swiveled in her seat just in time to see another man, a partner, dash off with her purse which, sadly, still contained her entire family’s passports and return air tickets. The nice-looking man at her window was gone.
A beach in the south of France.
Cecily had spent weeks researching French villa-rental companies and poring over their offerings. After deciding on the 400-year-old farmhouse, she read up on the nearby perfume factories, the Musée Picasso, and where to tour an olive oil processor. She compiled a list of every enticing restaurant she’d read about within a hundred-mile radius of the farmhouse, whether Michelin starred or a village secret. Crime reports were the furthest thing from Cecily’s mind. She’d focused on weather reports.
Excerpt from Travel Advisory: How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams
Chapter Two (part-a): Research Before You Go
How do you feast lightly???
15 Sep 2008 at 2:08 am
Ahhh, but the feast here is in the quality, taste and dream location–not necessarily in the stuffing.
15 Sep 2008 at 4:29 am
Yes, as windy said, feasting is not defined by quantity. Perhaps it’s a female thing… Imagine one perfect croissant, or a chunk of baguette with the ultimate crust-to-crumb ratio, sweet fresh butter, thick fruity preserves, café au lait, maybe a bit of just-picked fruit… Add the view (country or seaside), the air (fume-free), the company (loved and loving), and you’ve got a feast.
15 Sep 2008 at 9:23 am
You’ve got her focus just right, the same as most travelers. No wonder there are so many successful crooks.
17 Sep 2008 at 7:55 pm