travel diaries

"The idea of travelling began for me as a child. My parents realised that I loved nature, and every summer we went to visit Europe and its botanical gardens. It fascinated me to discover the exotic garden in Monaco with all those cacti growing on a rock, the cold greenhouse in Lisbon with...

"I've almost travelled around the world to see collections and exhibitions, and to meet the museum's top decision-makers. What's more, the Jacquemart-André museum, which is part of the Institut de France and generously manages the bequests and foundations it holds, often responds positively to curators' requests for loans...

My career has been international, so I've never stopped travelling... Even today, I pack my suitcase every other day, an ultra-compact piece of luggage consisting of a wheeled cabin suitcase, an attaché case and a suit carrier. With the express dry cleaners in some hotels, this is all you need, and your wardrobe is clean in two hours. Never...

"The great fantasy of travel is exile. Of course, most of the time, we leave knowing full well that we'll be coming back. But every time we travel, we still revive the fantasy of transplantation. "Would I be able to start my life again somewhere else? Do I have enough psychological, moral and physical flexibility?

"A feeling of familiarity... yes, most of the time that's what I feel when I arrive in a place to work. In my profession, you travel a lot to meet people who share the same passion: the theatre... So even in extremely remote contexts, like Japan, very quickly and with a...

"Since you write for a travel magazine, I'm going to be straightforward and tell you how I feel... Travelling has become almost unbearable... whereas it used to be a great pleasure. Because of my work, I have to fly sometimes every week. Of course, I have the advantage of often travelling first class. But I also...

They went to the centre of India, to the heart of an arid, poor, forgotten region, where a rocky outcrop stood. At its foot, a village. At its summit, a mysterious palace, half-built and carved into the rock. At the invitation of the maharani, they discovered a world that was a little like Indiana Jones...

San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Boston, New York... that was in 1995, a long trip I was making for our brand. I criss-crossed the United States for two months; in a way, a fifteen-stop tour... And, in the end, an incredible discovery of the different facets of the country. The hospitality of the Americans, for example, which...

Such terrible anxiety! I've tried everything since, from psychoanalysis to flight simulator sessions. For the moment, all I can say is: "Since I've been taking the flight simulator, I've never been scared again... in a flight simulator! At Air France, the day it cures me, they'll be able to claim victory...

"I'm a contextualist architect, or at least I try to be. Building somewhere is always an adventure: finding the genius, the spirit of the place, the connections with history or geography. In this adventure, it is of course very useful to surround yourself with people who have known the place for a long time. Nevertheless, I would argue that on...

"After thirty years of travelling, the destination that has made the biggest impression on me is New Zealand. I discovered it in 2000, I was there for the turn of the century... to photograph the America's Cup too! I spent a month there and discovered that this place was nothing like the Australia I already knew. And when...

"Walking through a city, like its inhabitants, stopping in front of stalls, shops, shop windows... It's my way of visiting, a rhythm that I like. And what a pleasure it is when, after five or six hours wandering around, I come back to the hotel, exhausted, only to fall asleep and wake up at dinnertime... In Siem...

"No "short trips" for me. No big ones either. I make no distinction between the two. So whether it's Australia, China or Egypt... it's a bit like Saint-Martin, on the Ile de Ré. I'm not mentioning the Ile de Ré at random: I've been there a lot recently...

"My space travels actually began with a trip to Russia in 1985. It was to discover the world of Star City! And to discover the world in general. Before that, I hadn't had the opportunity to travel much. The first time I went to Russia was in winter...

"A lot of people hate very long plane journeys. But I love them! They're a break from normal life. It's like time is suspended, you're almost back in time. With the musée du quai Branly, I'm lucky enough to be able to go often to places like the South Pacific, which require a good...

In fact, I think I get bored when I travel... at least when I'm not away on business! I don't know how to stand still and do nothing, it's not my habit. So I never travel as a tourist. And never without knowing someone on the spot: if you don't understand anything...

My business trips? Generally, as soon as I arrive, I'm welcomed around a table by important people; officials wearing jackets and ties... Very quickly, I untie mine and slip away into the kitchens! That's where I meet real people, simple people, people who work... So, me too,...

When I travel for the humanitarian association Athletes of the World*, I see extraordinary exchanges between French sportsmen and women and underprivileged children, improbable exchanges... I remember in Morocco, for example, we played football together. At first, we were all a bit reserved... but after half an hour, there was nothing...

My favourite destination will seem very strange to you: it's Paris... After all, what could be more divine than to be on holiday in this city? You realise that you know little or nothing about the capital. Doing nothing is absolutely delicious! Deep down, I don't like travelling; even if...

President of the European Commission for Transport and Tourism, Paolo Costa travels the world by car, train and plane... and never quenches his thirst for discovery! My fondest travel memories go back to my very first experiences of transport... When I was five, by train, a Venice-Milan vaporiere. Then by...