It's
summer in Europe and my Instagram feed is filled with photos of people eating
ice cream along the banks of the Seine, daffodils in the English countryside,
and waves crashing on pebbly Italian beaches. Oh how I wish I could be there!
Spring and summer in Europe are magical seasons where the sky is always blue,
the days go on forever, and a cold beer is the perfect way to end a day where
you have walked and walked and walked.
Unfortunately
work commitments and lack of funds mean that the closest I will get to Europe
this year will be a croissant at my local bakery, but in the meantime I am
travelling the world in my imagination and going back through my collection of
travel books.
If you've
never discovered the genre, you are in for a treat. Travel books let you
explore new places through the eyes of the author for much less than the cost
of a plane ticket - all while snuggled comfortably under your doona. You won't
loose your passport, get blisters, or suffer from jet lag (unless you stay up all night
reading). You can revisit favourite places, or discover locations you'd never
normally visit. So pack your bag, fasten your seatbelt and browse through
my top 10 travel books.
Do not
read this book on an empty stomach. This account of Englishman Peter Mayle's
first year living and renovating a house in Provence in the early 80's is full
of hearty country meals, young vino and good olive oil. Warm, quirky characters
and plenty of humorous moments - all set amidst the sublime Provincial
countryside - make for an entertaining stroll through the seasons. I have
always loved this book - but even more so after visiting the region a few years
ago and tasting the magic of Provence for myself. There really is nowhere else
like it.
This
account of an Aussie's experiences as a tour guide in a double-decker bus crossing
Europe is just gold. I started reading it on a flight from Barcaldine to
Brisbane, sitting in the very back row of the plane and laughing so much that
people down the aisle turned to see what was so funny. From hilarious
observations about Aussies abroad to crazy anecdotes about how to survive 35
days on the road as an impoverished tour guide, it's the easiest trip you'll
ever take.
This was
my book of 2015. Copywriter Janice MacLeod realised that she needed a major break from the corporate world, so she challenged herself to make changes to her life and save
enough money for a year's sabbatical. She set off on her trip, planning to
travel around the world - except that in Paris she fell in love and decided to
stay. But the story doesn't end there. The joy of discovering her new
home town and the love of a good man gave Janice the idea to create
painted story letters of Paris that became a worldwide hit.
A love
story. In Paris. With recipes. What's not to love? And then read Picnic in
Provence if you want to know what happened next.
Yes,
there is a French theme here.
Before
Julia Child, became Julia Child, she and her husband Paul moved to France where
he had a job at the American embassy. They fell in love with the
city, it's people, and the food; and Julia found her passion in food and
cooking. Yes, this is the story of what led to the creation of "Mastering
the art of French cooking" but it's also a beautiful account of France
from the 1940's to the 70's and a joyous tale of love, friendship, cooking and
eating.
In the
year that he turned 40, Peter Moore bought a Vespa made in the year off his
birth and drove it from Milan to Rome. 'Sophia' took him on a journey
of discovery around Italy, where he travelled the prettier back roads and
got to know the locals as they admired - and occasionally helped him
repair - his fabulous Vespa.
We always
imagine that the rich and famous don't experience travel the way that we do. But really, every tourist shares similar experiences. This collection of
travel tales from people like Alec Baldwin, Richard E Grant, and Sandra
Bernhard is really entertaining. My favourite tale is from Anthony Edwards, who
bought a plane with his wife and spent a year travelling the globe with their 4
children, two pilots and a school teacher. Amazing and heart warming.
My mum
bought me this when I was about 15, so it was probably the first travel book I
ever read. Gerald Durrell's tale of his time living in Corfu with his family
and a host of animals is a light and humorous read - a picture perfect
view into a simpler life.
Alexa
Thompson needed a change in her life, so she gave up her corporate job and
applied to be a cook in the coldest place on earth. This isn't always a
glamorous tale - and I don't think that I could have done it - but it
was a fascinating view into a world most of us won't ever see.
Bill
Bryson
There are
too many lovely Bill Bryson books out there to name just one and he is
certainly one of the most well known travel writers in the genre. A journalist
from Iowa, Bill set out for Europe after college and ended up in
London. I get the feeling he's probably a pretty quiet bloke,
but he doesn't miss much and his dry humour translates his experiences
beautifully wherever he goes. My most recent re-read has been 'A walk in the
woods' and I've just bought 'The road to little Dribbling'. If you haven't read
him before and don't know where to start - 'Notes from a small island' is
probably a good place.
If there
was a theme to the books I've chosen here, it's probably that they tell simple
tales of everyday life in un-everyday locations. Misadventures and extreme
activities are always entertaining, but travelling with all your possessions in
one bag, being in a place where you don't speak the language, and experiencing
different cultures and cuisines are things that every traveller can relate to -
and maybe that's why we like reading about them so much.
If only
you could get stamps in your passport for it.
So what
are your favourite travel books?
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