25 January 2020

This morning I finished reading the book "Waking up in Paris" by Sonia Choquette. It's one of many books that inspire me to travel, to dream of places I want to experience, and cities that are close to my heart. Europe by Train by Katie Wood & George McDonald This was the first travel guide that I bought when I was 20 and planning my backpacking adventures. I remember sitting at a table at Sheldon’s (what became Exclusive Books at Eastgate) with my travel companion, planning our travels through Europe to celebrate our 21st birthdays, dreaming big and not one bit scared of the adventures we were about to embark on. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert Of course, this one has to be on this list. It has everything a girl could dream of - Italy, India and Bali, with a little bit of New York sprinkled in. As I get older, the idea of living somewhere for a couple of months at a time, that is not my home country, becomes all the more appealing. The idea of not having to rush from place to place, one hotel to the next, makes sense if you want to experience and immerse yourself in a city, country, or culture. Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother and Daughter Journey to the Sacred Places of Greece, Turkey, and France by Sue Monk-Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor This mother and daughter story is set partly in South Carolina in the US, Greece, Turkey and France. It's the story of a woman reaching a mature age of 50, and a daughter who is just setting out in life, not knowing what her purpose is, and their need to connect on a deeper level with each other. The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho The Camino Francés is a pilgrimage I would love to walk – starting in St Jean Pied de Port at the foot of the Pyrenees and ending 800kms away in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I first read about this pilgrimage in Paulo Coelho’s book in the 90’s and have been intrigued ever since. Caravans: A Novel of Afghanistan by James A. Michener This is undoubtedly an out of date book, having been published in 1963, but the way Michener describes the country, the people and the way of life makes me wish I had been able to travel there at that time. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne For those who dream of traveling the world with limited time, if you follow in the character Phileas Fogg’s footsteps from London to Suez, Egypt to Bombay then Calcutta in India, on to Victoria, Hong Kong to Yokohama, Japan then San Francisco, and New York City in the US and concluding back in London, you could do it in 72 days (as Nellie Bly did in 1873) or 79 days and 7 hours (as Michael Palin did in 1988). If you have an abundance of time, take a couple of months off to see the world. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie What more romantic and old-world way to explore the route from Istanbul, Turkey to Calais, France. Train travel is one of my favorite ways to see the countries I've visited. The time it takes to arrive at your destination allows you to see landscapes that you wouldn't normally be able to get to, and to unwind along the way. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Paris, London and Edinburgh. I’ve seen city walking tours that last a couple of hours, as well as 10 day tours following in the steps of the main character, Prof Robert Langdon, from the time he receives the summons at the Ritz, and end as the book does in Roslin, Scotland. The Butcher’s Theatre by Jonathan Kellerman Not your typical travelogue, but I loved the setting of the story and the detail that the author goes into, bringing Jerusalem in Israel to life. My very early travels included a couple of days in Jerusalem. It’s a different way of reading a book when you’ve been to the places yourself, and a very exciting way of traveling when you're able to see what you could only imagine before. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling Experience the world of Harry Potter at the “Warner Bros. Studios Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter”, which is a public attraction in Leavesden in south-eastern England or journey to magical Orlando in the US and experience “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Orlando Resort)” theme parks. The next book on my reading list is “City of Girls” by Elizabeth Gilbert which is set in New York in the 1940’s. I’m so looking forward to exploring the city through they eyes of a young woman in that era. What are your favorite travel books? And where would you like to travel to next? If you dream of traveling based on books you love, let me know how I can help you to make these a reality and not just fiction.