{"id":17361,"date":"2011-01-18T03:08:58","date_gmt":"2011-01-18T02:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/bernard-fornas-rever-de-bout-du-monde-20110118.html"},"modified":"2016-12-15T12:59:07","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T11:59:07","slug":"bernard-fornas-dreaming-of-the-end-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/bernard-fornas-dreaming-of-the-end-of-the-world","title":{"rendered":"Bernard Fornas: Dreaming of the end of the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 attach\u00e9 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 check in, never hand over your belongings, even in a twelve-star hotel: that's the best way I've found to save time, waste and stress. On the plane, I sleep straight away, that's the secret; with two hours of sport every day when I wake up.<\/p>\n

My parents were based in Casablanca, so my first trips were when I took my first steps and went to visit my family in France. A little later, it was boarding school with my brothers and sisters... It had been concluded - quite rightly, I must admit - that the seaside atmosphere of our Moroccan life was not conducive to our studies. So we flew every holiday period. Breguet Deux-Ponts, Douglas DC 6 Lookheed Constellations: these machines flew low and we weathered every storm. But the seats were spacious, the service impeccable and the hostesses incredibly glamorous. We were so happy to be back home! Then came the language holidays abroad and the first Paris-New York flight, at the age of 11.<\/p>\n

Travelling thus became more and more natural. As a student, I tried to choose the right work placements. Working for a Norwegian paper manufacturer enabled me to do the Lyon-North Cape leg alone in my 4L. At the age of 22, with two friends, we convinced a Dijon producer to entrust us with marketing his cr\u00e8me de cassis in the United States. We toured importers and distilleries in a big American car, the boot stuffed with samples. The orders came in so thick and fast that after eighteen States, the company asked us to stop or they wouldn't be able to supply any more. Nevertheless, they covered our expenses until the end of the planned mission. So we continued our journey and ended up in forty-seven states!<\/p>\n

Being on the ground, measuring economic developments, experiencing changes in lifestyles in South Africa, the former USSR, China and elsewhere is a fantastic observation post. In this respect, I'm far from jaded when it comes to travelling. Of course, when it comes to pleasure trips, the ideal would be to settle down and have a boiled egg for dinner! But the family doesn't always agree, so we make our own arrangements. We were at the Beijing Olympics for the extraordinary opening night; and taking the train from Beijing to Lhasa to discover the foothills of Mount Everest, then Bhutan, is a dream from the other side of the world to be programmed... So travel. Over and over again, because waking up without the prospect of leaving, adopting a sedentary lifestyle: I don't envisage that at all!<\/p>\n

Seven dates<\/h2>\n