Category: Travellers’ Tales

Touring with Servas Israel

Posted on by Chris Winter

Beth and Bob

On March 19 my husband Bob and I flew to Israel for just over two weeks…with no tours planned or booked. We did know that our first five nights would be with Servas hosts and trusted that all would be well. Our whole trip was wonderful!

Ruthie welcomed us to her home in Tel Aviv for three nights. She had stayed with us in 2015, and was happy to show off the seashore and drive us south to the ancient city of Jaffa for lunch. We explored Tel Aviv on our own, and a lovely park near her apartment. Our conversations ranged from her early life on the Kibbutz to present day politics. One afternoon we drove to a nearby Arab village to meet her friend Khitam, and have lunch at the burger restaurant opened recently by Khitam’s son. Ruthie was gracious enough to host us for another two nights before we flew out of Tel Aviv. Our last Israel day was a relaxing one at the beach.

A short train trip north brought us to Haifa and the warm hospitality of Tova and Israel who were attentive to us for the entire two night stay. Our personal interactions (over good food) are always a highlight of Servas, but also seeing places not on the typical tourist list. Our day trip to the ancient city of Akko was unique because it included the Tunisian Synagogue where every surface is covered with detailed mosaics. And next morning, before our bus to Nazareth, we visited another site I was not aware of in Haifa…the Baha’i World Centre and Gardens. Haifa is truly a city of many religions living peacefully together.

Bob and I continued our travels with hotels, rental cars, and taxi tours, plus a three day tour to Jordan and Petra. We met fascinating people and saw main sights – too many memories and learnings to report here; but our Servas experiences continued as Israel had connected us with two local Servas Day hosts.

Yafa picked us up at our hotel in Nazareth and drove us to the top of Mt. Tabor to visit the Church of the Transfiguration; the views were spectacular and we also enjoyed lunch in her village before our next bus south. We’ve learned that the sights are impressive but the sharing of life experiences and hopes are even more precious.

Days later we had a similar experience in Jerusalem when Lesley and Meir fetched us at our hotel for a short tour and a fine Shabbat meal at their home. They were surprised when we noticed the sign at this viewpoint – funded by Canadians! They also showed us this Tolerance Monument that so impressed me…a olive tree growing between two broken halves of a column…with a golden seed of tolerance in the middle! Will they eventually unite?

Thank you Servas Israel, from Beth and Bob

Sylvia relishes French culture

Posted on by Chris Winter

Sylvia MS speaks of her recent adventures in France –

Bonjour! In 2016 I spent a month in France to work on my French. As a Canadian Servas host since 1996, I knew one of the best ways to brush up one’s language skills and immerse oneself in France’s rich cultural offerings, through staying with the locals. Before leaving Canada, I reached out to seven families, all of whom proved friendly and kind.

In Bordeaux, I was hosted by Virginie who took me around to see all the sites: gates that previously entered the city, churches, and a wine museum complete with wine tasting. Half of this ancient city is a UNESCO site, so there is lots to see! I then travelled east to Carcassonne, a hilltop town famous for its medieval citadel that has been used as a defensive stronghold for almost 2,000 years. With my hosts, I went to a guitar concert in a small nearby village and watched a game of petanque. I also experienced wonderful culinary delights such as “soupe de champagne,” where a bottle of champagne is poured over and mixed with lemon sherbet!

My next visit with Servas hosts was in the university city of Aix-en-Provence, the birthplace of Paul Cézanne. With my hosts we visited the Bimont Dam at the St. Victoire mountains, as well as locations where Cézanne painted. I then toured along the Rhône river to Avignon, the seat of Catholic popes from 1309-1377. While staying with France and Bruno, I visited the massive Popes’ Palace and nearby medieval bridge, Pont d’Avignon built between 1177-1185. Remember the song “Sur le Pont d’Avignon, L’on y danse, l’on y danse, sur le Pont d’Avignon, L’on y danse tout en rond”?

Next stop was Arles, a city on the Rhône in Provence, where I was hosted by Fatya. Once a provincial capital of ancient Rome, Arles has many historic remains including the Théâtre Antique and the Amphithéâtre where slaves, criminals, and wild animals met their dramatic demise before a jubilant 20,000-strong crowd during Roman gladiatorial displays. My hosts had guests over one night, and so I had five intensive hours to work on my French. The next day saw a potluck with 32 people – lots more practice! Lunch was followed by a visit to an organic farm and a tour through beautiful small villages of Provence.

My next Servas visit was with Dominique and Simon who took her to Nyons where we toured a lavender distillery. Then it was off to the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct that was an inexpensive way to supply water to homes, private baths, artisan and industrial workshops, public baths, pools, and of course the fountains of Nîmes. Along with these facilities, the Romans built an amphitheatre, which is now the best-preserved one in France.
My last tour was in Toulouse where I was hosted by Dominique and Jean-Louis. Toulouse is called the “pink city” because buildings are made of pink terracotta bricks. I visited the market and walked through the old part of town. At the end of her visit, Dominique made sure I got on the correct subway to the airport to return home. Mission accomplished – lots of time to learn and practice my French. Merci Servas!

Did you appreciate Sylvia’s tale? If you have travelled with Servas Canada and would like to share some of your news and a couple of photographs as a Travellers’ Tale, please contact us.

Servasing the world

Posted on by Chris Winter

As a 50-year-old, Judith, from Saltspring Island, British Columbia, travelled the world in 1992. Her fondest memories of the trip are of the many hosts who welcomed her into their homes and hearts.

From October 1992 until November 1993 I backpacked around the world for over a year. I was 50 years old and on a budget of $15/day! You can imagine how Servas played an important role in my safety and well-being.

I met my first host, now living in Germany, in Thailand. Her response to my request for a stay was ͞”The key is under the mat. Stay as long as you like;” the best introduction to Servas one could imagine! We have remained friends ever since. I have visited her in Germany four times, she visited us at another friend’s home in Bavaria and she stayed a week with us last year in Italy.

In Thailand, I also had a wonderful stay with hosts who ran a kindergarten. My first hosts in Malaysia were a lovely couple, Sikh lawyers who told me sadly that even though they had high-level jobs, racism was such that they were still considered to be the bottom of the social ladder! I hope things have changed for the better now. My next hostess was in Kuala Lumpur – dear Harbans is a friend for life!

After Singapore, Bali, and Jakarta, I arrived in India. My next host was in Mumbai. He meditated with me, took me to interesting sites and a wonderful Carnatic voice concert. I had a spectacular sleeping place on the roof, from whence I could see the Parsi Towers. Another hostess in the same city was a lawyer who introduced me to her family and other highly educated female friends.

Off to Greece where my hostess and her husband were both lawyers. Then I flew to Rome where my Servas hostess was a full professor at the University of Rome, even though she was severely physically challenged. She let me stay for three days before I flew to Egypt and three other African countries. On my return to Rome, she was happy to receive me again! As I travelled north in Italy, I was hosted in Bologna, Padua, and Trieste. From there I went to Zagreb because, as a psychologist specializing in trauma, I and a colleague were asked to help educate social workers dealing with the many traumatized women coming out of the rape camps.

I left Zagreb and was hosted by a mother and son living in Budapest. She was a special education teacher – my prior profession. From there I went to Prague, where a day hostess showed me the John Lennon memorial wall, among other special sights. Then to Austria and Germany, where my very first host welcomed me again! In Spain, I stayed with a lovely hostess in Barcelona and two other hosts in central and northern Spain. I then travelled by train to Paris, France, to be hosted by a woman who was visually impaired, but took me to places tourists seldom see like the huge Asian vegetable and food market.

I left France and travelled to Denmark, where a female PhD. geologist working on the Greenland drilling project hosted me. She took me to Jutland to meet her parents and put me on the ferry to Norway, where my relatives live. I stayed with a lovely young university woman in Oslo, then to my relatives and the Lofoten Islands. I then journeyed to Sweden where my hosts were a wonderful couple, cultural workers who played music on traditional instruments, and at puppet shows. I stayed in touch with them for some time, and arranged for their two daughters to be pen pals with some girls their age from a school on Salt Spring Island where I live. On to Finland, where I stayed in subsidized housing with a single woman who showed me unusual sites, including a beautiful round underground church with an amazing copper ceiling/roof!

From there, I toured Russia, Poland, and back to Zagreb, where my colleague and I were able to be of some help again. After which I returned to Rome, and you guessed it, was hosted by the same university professor!

The last stage of this incredible journey was to South America, where I met a delightful day hostess in Argentina who introduced me to friends, artists and to great food! After travelling to Chile, I went to eastern Mexico where I hitched a ride on a plane to the US and took a bus home to Salt Spring Island. I may have forgotten a few hosts but this trip was wonderful because of the kind people who received me into their homes and their hearts!

 

Did you appreciate Judith’s tale? If you have travelled with Servas Canada and would like to share some of your news and a couple of photographs as a Travellers’ Tale, please contact us.