Meet the Nomads: Mr G and Ms Gourmantic

Mr G and Ms gourmantic are the authors of the travel blog that I try to avoid because it makes me feel really hungry. Kidding aside. Mr and Ms G features awesome food delights from different parts of the world. Once you start reading an article, you can’t help but drool over the delectable cuisines that they feature. I suggest you keep a snack at bay.

Learn more about Mr G and Ms Gourmantic, visit them at www.gourmantic.com… and now I’m heading back to the kitchen.

Here’s Flip’s short interview with Mr G and Ms Gourmantic.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

Mr G:

“It was instilled as a child. My father was with the airlines and we lived in New York for a time with frequent trips to Europe. He always ensured those trips were about people more than places. Be it family or those we met on the road.”

Ms Gourmantic:

“Through the imagination of a young girl who studied languages and liked to read French literature. It inspired me to dream of places and made me fall in love with France. Then I wanted to experience the world.”

What’s the most horrible experience that you’ve had on the road?

Mr G:

“Nothing horrible has ever happened to me, touch wood. I have seen cripples begging in a place that our government aspires to for its broadband policy. I have seen coloured-only benches or drinking fountains, now mercifully confined to history. I only have to see this for the time I am there. They live like this day by day.”

Ms Gourmantic:

“Getting sick while travelling. When there’s a lot to see and do (and eat!), there’s no time to rest. I pushed myself to the limits and got worse so it spoiled the enjoyment of the trip. Unfortunately, it also left a bitter taste in the mouth once I was back home and started lamenting the things I didn’t get to do.”

What’s the best travel experience that you’ve ever had?

Mr G:

“We had a Tahitian wedding ceremony in Moorea and expected it to be a bit set up for tourists. It was so far from that. The local men instructed me on the meaning of the ceremony as they tattooed me. The party afterwards had singers and dancers and we both left being made as part of the Tahitian people.”

Ms Gourmantic:

“Undoubtedly, it was the trip where my family from different continents organised a surprise reunion to coincide with our European holiday. They all turned up at La Rochelle on the west coast of France then we spent a week together in Paris. We had an unforgettable time catching up and meeting new members of the family.”

What’s the biggest realization that you’ve got out of travelling?

Mr G:

“So many journeys, so little time.”

Ms Gourmantic:

“That you travel to distant lands to learn something new about yourself. With every trip, I have come home with a renewed outlook on life. I need to find a way to make it last in between trips or travel more often!”

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

Mr G:

“For the sublime moment when you become one with where you are – you are no longer the traveller, you are at home.”

Ms Gourmantic:

“For the desire to experience something new and to meet people who leave a mark on you. As a foodie, there’s the enjoyment of food and drink, particularly regional specialties. Also, for the inspiration to write. I often find my writing muse while travelling.”

This is a silly and hypothetical one. If you would be given a chance to travel with a popular person or a celebrity, who would it be and why?

Mr G:

“Captain Kirk – he can beam you anywhere without the hassle of plane travel. Captain Picard – ditto. Dr Who – same, plus you get to meet exotic aliens or yourself in a time paradox. Being sensible, (why?), it would be Douglas Adams. A person who loved this planet for all of its greatness and absurdities. Why? Because, he would regale you with all the greatness and absurdities.”

Ms Gourmantic:

“I could have sworn Mr G would have picked George Clooney! I don’t care much for celebrities but if I had to choose from Kirk and Picard (so I can be with Mr G), I’d pick Picard. He has a holodeck where I could program my fantasy holiday and travel back and forth in time. Failing that, a culinary trip with Chef Rick Stein on his famous food odyssey tours would indulge my passions for travel and food.”

Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?

Mr G:

“Firenze. This is where I would love to live. It is the combination of the local food and wine and its art, history and architecture.”

Ms Gourmantic:

“Paris. It’s my adopted home, and the one place in the world that makes me feel complete. Tahiti is a close second, whether I’m lazing in front of the lagoon in Moorea or swimming with the turtles in Bora Bora.”

Best advice for new travellers?

Mr G:

“Keep an open mind and be prepared to go outside of your comfort zone.”

Ms Gourmantic:

“There’s a lot of advice out there telling people what to do and what not do which can be constrictive and contradictory. Of course, you need common sense and you need to be aware of safety and cultural sensibilities. My best advice is to forget the guide books and all the travel advice out there. Explore the world with an open mind and you’ll discover yourself in the process.”

What do you think about yourself?

Ms Gourmantic: (to Flip): How about we swap the question? I’ll tell you something about Mr G and he’ll tell you something about me.

Ms Gourmantic:

“Mr G is the most amazing person I know. He’s kind, warm-hearted, easy going and people are naturally drawn to him. But give him a plane ticket, and he turns into a control freak when it comes to packing. Every item has to be folded and packed in a particular way and put precisely in a certain spot or else! Yes, he’s a true Gemini.”

Mr G:

“Ms Gourmantic always says she won’t remember how to talk in foreign tongues. Five minutes after landing she is back to talking like a local and beguiling them with her smile.”

Dedicated to the romance of travel and the enjoyment of food, Gourmantic is a magazine-style website that takes the reader on a global voyage, combining travel tales with culinary pleasures and photographic journeys. We feature experience-based travel, gourmet delights, international and local restaurant reviews and articles catering for independent travellers and discerning foodies. – Mr G and Ms Gourmantic

Next on Meet the Nomads: Akila and Patrick of The Road Forks