The French Open is in full swing at Roland Garros. It’s also the unofficial start of the Paris summer tourism crunch.  Get in the mood with this slideshow showcasing the city of lights’ major attractions.�

I follow soultravelers3 on Twitter. Given that they are limited to 140 words per posting, I had a hard time figuring out what they were up to. That is until they uploaded this video of their daughter, Mozart, playing the violin in all the countries — Italy, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, France, Croatia, Greece — the family has visited so far on a multi-year, open-ended journey. Part of their plan in seeing the world is to “unschool” their adorable and musically talented kidlet. (Given her name, I wonder how her parents would feel if she sucked at the violin.) Their website is a great travel resource, full of videos and tips. As I watch their family’s adventures, I’m reminded of my fantasy of what having children would be like. I imagined a life full of adventurous journeys with children who loved —  loved — seeing new places. Almost ten years later, here’s reality: My  three kids like to travel, but could never embark on this kind of experience. The constant transitions, lack of structure, new friends every few weeks would result in serious emotional chaos. What are your experiences of traveling with your kids?

Yes, Bulgaria. The country celebrates both St. George’s Day and the Day of the Bulgarian Army on May 6.  It’s a national holiday where the people who celebrate their patron saint take part in folk dancing and other traditions and the city folk in Sofia, the nation’s capitol, watch a military parade. Further afield, the resorts on the Black Sea exude a more Cancun-like vibe.�

Perhaps no country in the world is as well known for its flowers as Holland. The best place to see tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring bulbs is Keukenhof, a historic park in the bulb-growing region. With more than 7 million hand-planted flowers, the park is the largest bulb garden in the world.  The 58 bus takes you there directly from Schiphol Airport. If you don’t think a visit is possible before the end of May (that’s when the blooming season is over), check out this video.�

Much has been made in the past day about a New York Times story chronicling Swiss hikers taking to the trails in the nude. “There’s not much to discuss,” one hiker told the Times. “It’s freedom. First, freedom in your head; then, freedom of the body.”

The hikers were interviewed on the trails of the Appenzell region, an idyllic slice of the Alps near the Austrian border. I’ve written about the area in this story for the Star Tribune. There were lots of laughs and peculiar sights along the way, but, alas, no nakedness. What I experienced was more akin to this video of senior citizens lapping the youngsters who clogged the trails.

Q. A reader called about a trip she is hoping to take to Scotland. She was wondering if it would be cheaper to travel as a passenger on a cargo freighter than fly.

A. The short answer is no. Booking a passage on a cargo freighter averages just over $100 per night. Because the freighters are working ships, a trip to Europe from North America can take between 7 and 13 days each way. But freighter travel is usually cheaper than traditional cruises and often offers a more adventurous way to experience the sea. Travelers report that because there are so few passengers (many cargo ships have room for no more than 12 guests), they get to know the crew better.

If you like to have a lot of unstructured time to read, write and look at the stars, a freighter cruise could be for you. Again, because they are working ships, you also have to be open to the possibility that your end destination could change depending on weather or business conditions.

A few resources to get you started include freighter-travel.com and Freighter World Cruises.