Tweaking Tours...

Things have been running a bit slow on one of our tours...I was wondering why and someone kindly clued me in this morning- thanks :)
We try to run our tours as fairly as possible, we cost everything in, pay any workshops etc as a fair rate negotiated with the workshop, then add a fixed percentage as our profit [ this over time covers research trips, office, taxes, and our wages]....same for private trips, group tours etc...it does not go up and down depending on what we think we can get.
This works well for us so far- in the developing world we always use 3 to 4 star accommodation [OK some places it might be what ever they have and stars are not mentioned but we do agonize over where to stay] In Europe that becomes quite expensive.
Praveen and I stayed in a great place- probably only 1 star and tiny!! but clean and friendly and more  expensive than most places we regularly use in India. I was not thinking that budget but we could easily improve cost looking at hotels again.
France; the Mirrabelle Trail so I am asking around for feedback....any it will be very much appreciated.

Hello all,

I wonder if I might take a moment of your time to ask for some feedback re price.
One person very interested in the tour has kindly said that it is more than her budget likes. Thank you for the feedback.
Personally I was a bit surprised when I added up all the costs- transport in Europe is a shocker and hotels not far behind, I put it down to being used to travelling in the developing world.
We chose nice quality hotels in the right area for what we are doing…they are all on the upper 3 to 4 star rating. What you get is a bit of space in the rooms- I can find nice hotels in the same areas that are cheaper but rooms are small.
How important is the accommodation to you? We always find pleasant places that are clean and comfortable…but we can certainly improve on price there.
We usually include quite a few meals in our tours, and in the developing world that makes life much easier.
In France it really adds up again.
I know Dijanne is a big fan of shopping locally and picnics…and a few nice restaurants along the way. Praveen and I did the same thing when we were there….what about you?
Transport is the biggest expense- I have had a lot of trouble finding bus companies [ Europe as a whole has yet to embrace the internet like much of the rest of the world] but I am poking around still on that front.
I hope you don’t mind my asking- my apologies if I offend you.
We always feel like we are travelling with friends by the end of a trip and we do ask for and listen to feedback.

Doing a tour in the developed world is a first time for us and we are finding our way into what might suit our guests.

Our very best wishes

Fiona and Praveen

Feed back gratefully appreciated 

Buzzing along like usual

Hiya,
I have been going along quite happily, enjoyed the long week end we had over Diwali, managed to run away from the workshop for a few hours the other day with Praveen to buy new jooti shoes at the camel fair, AND have afternoon tea at a local café!!
Yippee a whole few hours off.

 Had time to be silly and take selfies with my mate Dawn as we whiled away the hours on the train to Delhi for her to head back to Oz....

 admire my Baba with his new nose ring...

and learnt how to make silly pictures of Praveen with some gizmo on my phone...

Yesterday I went home tired but pleased, we have got the tour "France- the Mirrabelle Trail" all sorted and bookings open and ideas for "Indian Inspiration Creative Camp" bubbling along nicely.

So busy but things looking fine....madly sorting block printing for new samples for trade show, making stitching samples and etc.

Today I woke up feeling majorly stressed out...been making a joke of it but really I was ready to bite Praveen's head off before I realised I am probably having another hormone surge!! Menopause can be nasty....it actually takes the edge off it being able to identify the source of the tension but it is only 9.00am and my shoulders are aching....I just want to go and bite someone. Horrible isn't it??

 

Ohh well onto a day of trying to manage my behaviour and get more stitching happening...surely the pleasure of that will dilute the hormone induced ggggrrrrrrrrr.

I think I am a tart...

Always in love with something new [Praveen is a permanent fixture] this is just the chase of an idea,
an inspiration, textiles....
it has been going on for a while out of the corner of my eye.
Toie de Jouy prints has caused a glimmer....
but it is growing...I just succumbed to Abebooks - again and bought a big luscious book on it...I am lining up to go back to the Printed Textile Museum in Mulhouse and the Museum of Toie de Jouy near Paris..itinerary for France tour now listed...excited!!

We are working on new samples for the garment fair in January and thinking block prints- what do we want to use?

I love this look- thinking a block with an Indian image rather than 18th century rural scene...a bit of fun?

All this and as well we have finally got our hands on a stash of handloom Silk Musru fabric all the way from the workshop of Sunil in Gujarat. This is a fabric I was starting to think was only to be found in antique textiles, there are very few workshops still weaving it.

Silk in a satin weave on the top surface and cotton below- lovely weight for a slip on simple jacket....

 You know I would be happy to drool over it for ever but we need to use it and sell it so we can order more and help keep Mr Sunil working away in his workshop

happy, happy and now back to pondering new block designs- we are off to see the carver next week....

what to do, what to do?

France dreams

Our mate Dijanne is dreaming France and prints and motifs and my son was looking at pictures of Praveen and I ...it is a France dreams day....not that I want to keep chasing bus quotes like I should....rather I want to day dream.
Actually I woke up this morning thinking Mont St Michel is the most remarkable place....
 a quick round up of our trip to Mont St Michel....hmm can't wait for next time....

 so excited and what to do on long train rides XX

 Views from train on the way...should say many trains it was a bit of luck to be actually to find enough connections to make it out there.... but we now understand French train passes a lot better and when we go with a group we will use our own bus.

 lovely hotel, great owners, lovely little family run restaurant down the road....friendly and yummy bread shop...

 early, early early start to get out there

 magical

 if you arrive with the sun the place is yours...

 ohh well a strike so we saved the Abbey for next time....

 many changes happening and it will be even better next year....

truly magical.
There is a bit of trick to the magic go early, early , early in the morning before the tourist buses arrive.
after 9.00 am it is much harder to appreciate....

France....

I am still trying to daydream our travels....remember the cruising, remember being away from it all, enjoy the cool air, the green and lovely, lovely France.
Amongst many things I have been most industrious in the office of Creative Arts Safaris this week- sent out a new newsletter- whew!

Sorted out the costings and wrote up the new Moroccan Tour....it won't be added to the website until next week...frankly because I am too lazy to do it at this moment....
I have just had a rejuvenating half hour sitting under the fan stitching....and thought I should get a bit industrious again...so working through more details and starting the write up for our French trip next September.... good time to dream over places.
Alencon was one place full of charm we visited, a delightful small town not far from Paris, in the centre of some truly amazing Fantasy story type forests...it is also home to a great Lace Museum.
Extremely welcoming and accommodating staff, interesting display and the best catalogue ever, detailing the history of lace in the region, economic importance over hundreds of years and details of the major players in this world.
The catalogue was obviously lovingly put together in French, well researched and then to be accommodating to the many tourists who come from far and wide, translated into English. Well if you have ever tried Google Translator the story becomes rather peculiar
Same for catalogues, not quite sure of all the details but I enjoyed the attempt.

 In the best traditions of our explorations we went the wrong way sort of and saw a lot more of the town than we were expecting....

 

 past many interesting little shops

 

 

The old Monastery that became the museum

 a yummy farmers market to grab supplies and have a picnic lunch

a lot of good fun...now back to writing and planning....almost there just got to finish up with some bus companies....

I am running away tomorrow with a mate to Jaipur...we are going out to some far away village, to meet some silver metal smiths, have a picnic and on the trail of some junk shops....

then Delhi for the day on Monday to see a garment trade show and home again quickly on Tuesday to finish some more samples....busy, busy.

hopefully it will rain tonight...I can see some big clouds coming....

 

babies....

 It has been an exciting few days...baby tortoises keep hatching...up to 7 this morning....really like giant lady birds...I can say that to you, {raven would not understand the reference.
Yesterday morning as we were working very early we drew level with the neighbours house as a motor bike stopped, off jumped the woman on the back and as she crossed the threshold to the property she started the most awful keening...then all the women in the house picked it.
Gut wrenching.
Someone had died.
The sound of it just suited my mood- few things here to worry about, bit of a catastrophe with the workshop to try and sort out....just seemed one of those weeks
As I walked further up the road, under the keening I could hear some cheerful music being played by a tractor as he ploughed a field. We had just had another reasonable shower, the crops planted before were just starting to get to the worry stage would they survive or burn off.
This was all so hopeful and optimistic seemed like a bit of a lesson....as I walked further the cheerful music over took the keening...which was for another aspect of life really.

Been really worrying over Karlu's Mum...I don't believe in charity. I do believe in helping others help themselves. You know teach someone to fish rather than give them a fish.

Since we have been helping with the monthly groceries we have always talked about school and how important it is to give the young 2 this chance...a large part of the reason for the groceries. Definitely clearly tied the 2 things together.

I know she is not very bright- really generations of malnutrition can have that effect and she has had no exposure to education or modern ideas and she has had a very tough time BUT surely a chance to send your kids to school would be wanted?

Been leaving messages to try and catch her, school starts today...we want to know what is happening. Kabuta used to go to a charity girls school in Pushkar, who do an excellent job but they only take girls. Praveen was saying this morning village mentality is such that they don't like to send girls anywhere alone [50 other girls on the bus are not the same as a family member]

 Trying to catch up with her to talk....
Found this little scribble on FB...I hope that is where we are going.

I think it is the type od day something like these would be very good and comforting....all I can do is dream.
We have dates for Moorish Delights of Andalusia and Morocco 2014 now- 18 may until 6 June, 2014
and France : the Mirrabelle Trail 2014 will run 15-28 September[ the details will be up on the website soon ....just finishing writing up final itineraries....at least I know the next time I can line up for that type of comfort food.

off to sweat it out some more....see what happens :)
 

still ranting.... and Cluny Museum

Finally found the TAN...and rembered the same difficulty last year, only need it when I fill out the membership form for the Export council.
Even talked to the accountant and they were a bit vague as to its use.
Thought of more things we are registered for....I knew yesterday's list was not long enough!!
we are registered for and pay

• VAT [and of course depending on the item it varies for 5-17.5%]
• TDS- some tax we have to collect from some suppliers and pay the government
• Sales tax, we have to charge travel clients and quarterly pay to govt
• Business tax
• personal tax.

Only 10% of the Indian population of 1.2 + billion people are liable or at least pigeoned holed and so have to pay tax, most of those generally avoid a large part of what they should pay and the few who try to do everything by the book spend all their time filling out more and more paperwork to comply.

so to get onto something far more interesting some pictures from Paris...ohh I love so much in Paris.
The Cluny Museum
 Couldn't sleep so well last night and kept half waking up and going into obsessions over costing and itinerary fro new trip France: the Mirrabelle Trail where the them is basically medieval stuff-  and most things French as well....
So this morning started getting out some of the pictures of places I love to remind me what we are working on....

 There was a wonderful exhibition of ancient tapestries...this small one was one of the oldest dated 1480 and the best...such characterizations...really charming.

 And a selection of other images....a hint at the absolute splendour of this museum....all a bit blurry because no flash- so what to be there was wonderful

 What I was really looking forward to was the Lady and Unicorn Tapestries but she had gone to Japan and they were re-doing her room....will have to go back and see her when she returns- won't we?

Feel better now, Stitching Ladies arriving so am off to work.

Sometimes when you are ina grump you just have to change your focus don't you?

modern Adonis....

We hit town mid afternoon, due to such an early start from Casablanca and etc we were rather washed out....Summer time but ohh so cold....we could see Sacre Coeur from our window so decided to take a wander up the hill for a visit.

Paris is generally fairly flat but the little Mont it is situated on is quite steep....many, many steps later from the behind side we were there.

Steps in front, as always were full of people, some nice jazz playing and street performers.

 This young guy was mesmerising- standing on the balustrade with all of Paris spread out behind he giggled and juggled a football- first standing there...you would have thought it was on strings the way he made it dance, one time he did drop it though which proved it was all due to skill, no magic.

 Even climbing a nearby lamp post that ball was still completely in his orbit....

 mesmerizing...

 

In the park, newly arrived in Paris...so happy to finally make it with Praveen.

At home, the humid heat is still intense- too hot to even wear eye liner....water has to be left in the bucket for the day to take a shower when I get home otherwise I would be scalded from water from the cold tap!

Feeling rather virtuous though, all the initial requests to hotels etc are out for Morocco 2014.... we have re-arranged a few things, think we have squeezed in a stitching experience with a woman's group who make beautiful buttons for djellbha...

Starting to get serious with the itinerary for France now....so going through our pictures and reminiscing is good for  tantalising the taste buds all around...

 

back to office work...and sweltering.... please send a rain shower soon, our planted fields have seeds emerging....don't want them to fry off.