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Award-winning travel writer, public speaker and international tour guide Dave Fox started travelling the world at age seven and has been writing about his experiences ever since. Recently, the second edition of his first book, Getting Lost: Mishaps of an Accidental Nomad, was published by Inkwater Press.
When we travel, things go wrong. And this Dave certainly proves in Getting Lost: Mishaps of An Accidental Nomad , a truly hilarious collection of unique travel stories. I read in curious anticipation and can’t stop smiling as I turn the pages.
The book covers 30 years of Dave’s mishaps and travel experiences abroad, from the strict British school lunch procedure, his acting debut as a gnome and how to look manly despite wearing tights, to somewhat wild exchange student days in Norway, finding peace in a volcano on Iceland, how to get off a bus in Turkey, and escaping machine-gun-toting cops in Greece.
“It’s often the things we didn’t realize we were looking for, because we didn’t even know that existed when we first set out our journey, that end up creating our best stories. Journeys end, but stories stay with us.”
Earlier in 2008, Inkwater Press also published Dave Fox’s second book, Globejotting: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals (and still have time to enjoy your trip!). In this informative and humorous book, Dave teaches you how to become a real travel journaling pro. He mixes clever exercises, his own diaries from around the world - including an hilarious account of a 90-minute sauna experience in Helsinki, Finland - and funny illustrations. A terrific read, whether you journal to remember your trips, for personal growth, to share your experiences with friends and family, or as a step toward getting a byline.
You will learn how to capture your travel experiences and bring destinations to life, break free from conventional journaling styles, how to journal efficiently, the concept of “speed journaling”, and why you shouldn’t write about everything that happens. Dave also talks about motivation, the “inner” versus the “outer” journey, themes to write about, and a super smart way to get away from your inner censor and find your true voice.
For more information, visit Dave’s humor website www.davethefox.com, or his travel journaling website, www.traveljournaling.com.
In 2001, Bruno Brunod from Italy ran up Kilimanjaro in 5 hours, 36 minutes and 35 seconds. Definitely nothing for the average trekker, I think, and continue reading the fully revised and expanded “Kilimanjaro: The trekking guide to Africa’s highest mountain” by Henry Stedman, a passionate trekker, author and travel writer. An informative and enjoyable read, this bestselling guide offers invaluable tips for complete beginners as well as experienced trekkers - giving you everything you need to know to reach Africa’s highest summit.
Providing detailed examples of costs, what to pack, when to go, recommended trekking agencies, up-to-date maps and descriptions of available routes, and much, much more, the guide helps you plan and complete your trip in the best way possible. You will learn the main reason for failing to reach the top, the meaning of the name Kilimanjaro, the history of Kili, useful expressions in Swahili, and interesting facts such as youngest versus oldest person to reach the top.
I especially liked the chapters on minimum impact trekking, how to keep Kili clean, the porters’ daily life, and ways to help porters whose lot is often not a happy one. The new updated version also includes Mount Meru and guides to Marangu, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
After reading this well-put together and brilliant guidebook I was curious to hear more about Henry Stedman’s passion for trekking and Kilimanjaro.
E.J: When did you first decide you wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro? Has it been a childhood dream or is your passion for Kili something you discovered later in life?
H.S: Visiting Africa was always my main dream. I remember being a small boy and watching one of David Attenborough’s wildlife programmes (‘Life on Earth’, I think it was) on television and wishing I could see all those wild animals for myself. I’m afraid I was a bit of a nerdy kid in that way; while my friends were all collecting football stickers, I collected a series of stickers on ‘Animals of Africa’ (I’ve still got the collection - and am still missing the mountain gorilla and the bushbaby, if anybody can help).
So Africa was always an obsession with me, and as I read more and more about the continent, so it didn’t take long, of course, before I stumbled across Kilimanjaro. And boy, the first time you see even a picture of Kilimanjaro is something you never forget - well, for me anyway.
So if you take my childhood love of Africa and combine it with my job as a travel writer that specialises in trekking, I suppose you could say it was inevitable that I would end up making a living (or trying to at least) on Africa’s highest mountain - and greatest trek: Kilimanjaro.
E.J: For how long have you been climbing?
One of the beauties of climbing Kilimanjaro is that there’s no actual climbing involved - just trekking. I’m no climber myself, and I wouldn’t know a belay.
Suppose my first serious trek would have been when I first went travelling after university at the age of 21. I went travelling with my mate Dave and, as part of our trip, visited Nepal where we completed the famous Annapurna Circuit - a three-week yomp around one of the most spectacular corners of the planet. Then, when I started travel writing about a dozen years ago, almost by accident I found a niche as a writer on trekking - and it’s what I’ve been doing ever since.
E.J: I have to say, your guide is very extensive. How was it to carry out the research?
H.S: Actually, it was actually just about the easiest book I’ve ever written. There were some difficulties - in the book we include a chapter on Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, as many people fly into these places before making their way to Kili - and the Kenyan capital in particular can be a pretty dangerous place.
But overall, it was really straightforward. I’d already been writing guidebooks of about six years or so, and so I knew what I was doing. And because the book is about just one mountain (well, two if you include Kili’s neighbour Mount Meru, which we also write about), rather than an entire country, so as you can imagine the workload was as consequently less. Furthermore, the people in the region are also very helpful and willing to impart information, which made my job easier. And while the trekking itself can be a little hard, it’s also an incredible experience, which makes it is easier to write about.
But the main reason I found this book relatively easy to complete was because I just became obsessed with the mountain, so that even when I returned home I spent many hours poring over these dusty old books in the British Library reading everything I could about the place. When you have an infatuation like that, writing a book about it doesn’t seem like work at all.
E.J: You write in your book, “climb up Kili is to walk through four seasons in four days”. What is your favourite part and why?
H.S: My very favourite part of the walk is the moment when one leaves the forest and enters into an area of wild, flower-filled grasslands just before the heath and moorland zone properly begins. The forest itself is fascinating, with plenty of plants and animals to keep your mind off the fact that you’ve been walking uphill for the past few hours and your calf muscles are starting to scream. But then, after spending the entire first day marching in the shadow of these giant trees, you suddenly break out of the forest into these grasslands which glow orange in the early evening sun. On many of the routes this sudden break into the open is accompanied by one’s first view of the summit of Kilimanjaro itself - a suitable reward for all the efforts you’ve made during the day.
E.J: With so many agencies offering climbs to Kilimanjaro, why do you think people should opt for your tours?
H.S: To be honest I think there are many reasons. I’ve been writing about Kilimanjaro for over eight years now, and in that time I’ve climbed the mountain many times, with many different trekking agencies. So having been a client many times myself, I know what trekkers want - and what they don’t!
Perhaps the greatest advantage we have over other agencies is the new route that we are pioneering. When people think about climbing Kilimanjaro, they dream of several things: a true wilderness experience away from the crowds; the chance to see some of Africa’s famous native wildlife; and the cachet that comes with standing on the summit of Africa’s highest mountain.
With our new Unique Rongai Route, we’ve taken into account each of these dreams: because it is a unique route that other agencies don’t know about, so we manage to keep away from the crowds that swarm onto the Machame or Marangu trails. By avoiding the crowds and starting on the northern side of the mountain, which is bordered by Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, so our chances of spotting the local fauna is greater. And finally, by studying the topography of the mountain we have devised a route that we believe minimises one’s chances of contracting altitude sickness - and thus maximises people’s chances of reaching the summit.
Another advantage that we have is that I climb with every group. I know that just sounds like a boast, but I think it has important practical repercussions too. For if you book a climb in the States, UK or indeed anywhere outside of Tanzania, the tour operators you book with are actually just acting as middlemen. In other words, they take your money and sort out your trip, but when it comes to actually climbing the mountain you’re handed over to a local agency who sorts out the trek. As a result you’re placed in the hands of people whom you’ve probably never heard of, and have no idea if they are any good or not.
By insisting that I climb with every group, however, I can check that the standards of service, safety, food, etc. are maintained on the mountain and throughout the trek. I can also act as an extra pair of eyes and ears, spotting wildlife, checking on the health and fitness of the group, and can answer any questions people have about the mountain, its history, geology, flora and fauna etc.
Other advantages? Well, we have always taken the issue of porter welfare and safety very seriously, which is becoming an increasingly important concern amongst trekkers. In the book we write at great length about the work of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) and we continue to work closely with them and implement their recommendations.
Lastly, having climbed the mountain so many times I know who are the best guides, cooks, porters etc. - and I think I’ve gathered a great team together to accompany us on the trek.
Editor’s Note: For more information about Henry Stedman and how to join him on a trek to Kilimanjaro, visit Climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
© Scott Huler
NPR correspondent Scott Huler’s fifth book No Man’s Lands: One Man’s Odyssey Through The Odyssey hit the book stores in April and received rave reviews from the press. Following the author’s travel adventure as he aims to repeat Odysseus’s every step, No Man’s Lands teaches us that we can plan how our journey begins, but we can never know how it will end.
“Huler tells the story in a breezy, entertaining style, deftly mixing historical and literary backstory with what happens on the road, making us laugh while introducing us to places we’ve never seen and people we’ve never met (but with whom we somehow feel connected). Recommend this one highly to fans of adventure memoirists like Bill Bryson and Tim Cahill.”
-David Pitt, starred review in Booklist
To learn more about Scott Huler’s journey, the best moment on the trip, good things about traveling alone, his future project and what places he’d like to see, read on!
E.J: When did you get the idea to write No Man’s Lands?
S.H: I got the idea to make the trip after I fell in love with the Odyssey. Comparing the Odyssey with James Joyce’s Ulysses had by that point become almost a full-time obsession with me, and I suddenly realized that though every year people go to Dublin to retrace the steps of Bloom and Dedalus from Ulysses, you never heard of people doing the same with Odysseus. So it sounded suitably ridiculous, and I decided to do it. As for writing about it, I’m a writer, so whenever I get involved in something like this I usually end up writing about it in one way or another.
E.J: Why do you think people regularly retell the story of the Odyssey?
S.H: I think it turns out to be the fundamental human story: a guy is one place and he wants to be someplace else, and it takes everything he has — and help unlooked for — to get there. Isn’t that everybody’s story? He misses his wife, misses his kid, hates his boss, hates his job, has an awful commute (it takes him ten years to get home!). That sounds like the world I live in, right? So I think we return to this story over and over because time after time when we go there it has something new to tell us.
One of the things I loved most about the research, rather than the travel, portion of this project was seeing how many of the episodes in the Odyssey show up in culture after culture: the clever guy outwits the man-eating giant; the dreadful dilemma; the witch who holds the hero in sexual thrall; the helpful god in disguise. These stories are like dandelions: they grow wild, and wherever people are, versions of those stories show up. So the Odyssey pulls them together and gives them to us all on one riot of a bouquet. What’s not to retell?
E.J: What was the best part of your journey and why?
S.H: People always ask about the best moment on the trip, and I usually try to say something about the moment I kayaked out into the Strait of Messina, between Scylla and Charybdis, or tell the story of how on the isle of Aeolus (in my case Vulcano, in the Aeolian chain north of Sicily), like Odysseus I asked for help and got more than I bargained for (he got that bag full of wind; I got a bed and breakfast from two girls in bikini tops).
But the more I look back on the trip, a moment that for some reason stands out for me was really the first or second night of my travels. I had taken a little van to Troy and back, and I had an evening to kill in Canakkale, the little Turkish town right on the Dardanelles. There was some kind of celebration going on in town, so there were street vendors and lights, people milling this way and that, but I made my way out to the jetty and sat on the rocks, dangling my feet in the Dardanelles. People have been fighting over that channel since the dawn of time (the Trojan War and the battle of Gallipoli are only the most famous examples), and to be sitting there, watching the sun sink into the Mediterranean, my feet in the same waters that have hypnotized people for millennia … I don’t know. It just gave me chills. I can’t say I felt Odyssean, and my trip had barely started, but maybe with the thrill of seeing Troy earlier in the day I was just open to everything. My whole journey lay before me, and I just remember that happy moment.
Italian Coast © Scott Huler
E.J: How did it feel to travel such a long distance on your own? Did you ever doubt your decision?
S.H: I doubted my decision constantly. I had left my pregnant wife back home, and my self-conscious pilgrimage often felt ridiculous and preposterous — yet by committing to it I had made a decision, and I determined to stick with that commitment, which is I guess a variation of what we do with any commitment: marriage, a job, a softball team, a rock band. It’s always easier to give up — that’s why finishing something, anything, feels so remarkable.
As for traveling alone, I have loved traveling on my own since I started doing it in college. You can get a bit lonely, and you have to be so cautious about the sudden best friends you always seem to make when you’re obviously independent and far from home, but traveling alone is tremendously freeing. You walk all day, going wherever you like, eating what and when you like, visiting whatever you wish. You stay in town as long as you care to, and when you leave you go wherever you think you should go next. You can feel truly unanchored, which is both a good and a bad thing, though I think that feeling of absolute uncertainty of what would happen next is what I went out seeking. So I was glad to find it.
E.J: Was the trip like you imagined it would be?
S.H: Actually, given that once I had determined to take the trip my wife suddenly became pregnant, so I had to basically rush out the door like my hair was on fire, I never got a chance to imagine what the trip would be like.
Before I was sure I would go I imagined it would take years of research and interview and then several trips of a few weeks each, so in that way the trip was nothing like my imagination: I had only a month or so to get ready, and then it was get busy, get moving, and get home. Just the same, I think that actually proved valuable. By being so uncertain and ill-prepared I had a trip much more like that of Odysseus, who was, after all, going from place to place with no clear sense of where he was going or what he was doing. That’s sure how I felt most of the time, waking up on some night train from some-damn-where to some-damn-where-else, and just thinking, “What on earth have you gotten yourself into now?” That felt very Odyssean.
E.J: What will you write about next?
S.H: My next book is about infrastructure — pipes and wires and roads and bridges and tubes and reservoirs and pipelines and so forth. I’ll start with my own yard and follow upstream to find out where my fresh water comes from, my electricity, gas, and so forth, and also look downstream to see what happens to wastewater, garbage, storm water, and so on. I’m after context for all these incredible systems that make our lives so absurdly convenient.
E.J: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
S.H: If I haven’t been there, I’d like to go there. I haven’t yet seen Australia or New Zealand. I’ve missed Eastern Europe. I haven’t seen Venice. St. Petersburg. Japan. Singapore. Jakarta. Most of Africa and South America. Plus, in the U.S.A., I still need to see Alaska and North Dakota, to say nothing of Utah (I was only in the Salt Lake City airport, so that one may not count). Odysseus felt done when he finished his travels. Not me. I still have a long way to go.
Editor’s Note: For more pictures and information of Scott Huler’s journey, visit www.scotthuler.com.
You can purchase your own copy of No Man’s Lands: One Man’s Odyssey Through The Odyssey through Amazon.
After enjoying number one non-fiction bestselling success in its first seven weeks of publication, Ruinair continues to sell strongly. The Dublin-born author Paul Kilduff finished novels such as Square Mile, The Dealer and The Headhunter before he decided to write this travel book about the cheap Irish airline.
“Kilduff travels to places he never knew he wanted to go that are probably not quite where he thinks they are and he is not sure what he will do once he gets there, including beautiful Beauvais, cosmopolitan Charleroi, electric Eindhoven, heavenly Haugesund and tropical Tampere… On his miserly pan-European exploration he reveals the secrets of the new travel phenomenon favoured by one hundred million plus passengers annually. And his advice to fellow travellers in the ultimate airport holiday book? - “Don’t get mad, get even - Get a one cent airline ticket.”
Today at Blissful Travel, Paul Kilduff talks about how he got the idea to Ruinair, managed the transition from fiction to non-fiction and have kept his writing career alive for 10 years. He also shares some travel writing tips, reveals his future projects and includes a terrific description of Spanish Seville.
E.J: When did you get the idea to write Ruinair? Had you travelled with low-budget airlines much before?
P.K: I got the idea to write Ruinair when I was marooned in Malaga airport in Spain a few years ago for 10 hours by Ryanair. At the time I was writing fiction so I thought I would write a stroppy letter to their customer service dept and then I later decided to go one better and write a book about travelling all over Europe on the same airline and other budget airlines (none of which I had not used previously), and all for the same total outlay as my fare to Spain which was €300, so not so low fare after all.
E.J: How did you manage the transition from fiction to non-fiction?
P.K: I had written four fiction thrillers for Hodder Headline and then all changed there when they were bought by a French company and my editor left and in all that change they declined my fifth book which in hindsight was a good thing. I still wanted to write and always loved travel so I decided to write non fiction in the travel genre. I was originally thinking about writing a travel book about Germany (everyone else does Spain, Italy and France) but then Malaga airport happened. People say that fiction writers write the best travel books because they can tell a story, can write about characters they meet, can create suspense and can set a scene. The most important thing when moving from fiction to non-fiction is to have a good idea for a commercial book on a topic you like - everything else follows easily.
E.J: What are your tips for aspiring travel writers?
P.K: My tips would be travel as much as you can, observe everything, get off the beaten track, avoid the usual sights and attractions, look for a theme in your writing. Don’t just go see the top 10 attractions and write about them. If you are writing amusing travel stories then pray that something goes wrong because as John Cleese once said of his TV show Fawlty Towers; ‘It’s only funny when something goes wrong.’
E.J: You have kept your writing career alive for ten years, how do you do it?
P.K: It’s easy to do something for 10 years if you enjoy it. I do not see writing as a chore but as a creative outlet, an interest and almost like a hobby although it has its rewards. I think every genuine writer wants, and needs, to write. It’s true that I tired a little of writing financial thrillers so then I changed genres to travel writing.
E.J: We would love to hear about your future projects. What are your plans? Any new book in progress?
P.K: I am presently working on the sequel to Ruinair, which is a book about visiting all 12 new countries of the EU, mostly in Eastern Europe. The book is about 75% complete. So far I have been to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Malta. I have plans made to visit the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Cyprus in the coming months. The book will be called Ruinairski and will be published in Feb 2009.
I am also completing a short book featuring the best quotations from Michael O’Leary, the Chief Executive of Ryanair, called The Little Book of Mick O’Leary’ to be published in late 2008, for example: ‘‘I’m an Irish peasant at heart. I grew up on a farm in the Irish countryside, and now I live on a farm in the Irish countryside. You would impress fucking nobody if you drove to the paper shop on a Sunday morning in your Ferrari. They’d think you were a gobshite. And you probably would be. A big tractor, now, they might be impressed. But it doesn’t get to the shop fast enough for me.’
E.J: I’m curious to know, of all the places you flew with Ryanair, which was your favourite?
P.K: There were many great places I flew to where I expected to have a great time, such as Barcelona, Berlin, Venice and the like, and I did.
However the best surprise for me was Seville in southern Spain which in my book I described reasonably succinctly as follows; ‘Civil Seville represents Europe’s optimal summertime city break destination; a small, efficient and navigable airport with zero delays, a 15 minute public bus ride to the city centre for 2 euros, shopping in Zara Home at Nervion Plaza at a fraction of any Dublin prices, the 4-star Novotel next door with a roof top pool to savour guaranteed blue skies and thirty degrees plus, open-air dining and mazes of tapas bars, a La Liga topping and UEFA Cup winning Sevilla soccer team, new 2-bed townhouses for only 150,000 euros, an open top bus tour which fortunately speeds through the barren remnants of the Sevilla 1992 Expo but lingers amongst the fine international residences of the 1929 Ibero-American Expo, a street tram system so new that it glistens, the inspiration for a hundred operas (Don Juan and Carmen attend the Marriage of Figaro?), tourists from Spain rather than from Essex, the heady aroma of orange blossom, the biggest Gothic Cathedral on Gods earth with a landmark Giralda minaret tower, a mesh of Islam, Jew, Gypsy and Christianity, horse and carriage rides through the religious grandeur, a river cruise from the Torre del Oro down the Gaudalquiver river made famous by that Chris de Burgh song and a two hour walking tour of the achingly photogenic Barrio Santa Cruz old town where the only information imparted by the guide which I dispute is that Seville is most famous for sending all its oranges to the UK to made into marmalade.’
E.J: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
P.K: I was fortunate that I did a day job for several years which allowed me to travel on business within Europe, North America and Asia. However one place I never got to on expenses was Australia and that’s where I would like to go. I have two very good friends from college who live in Sydney and I am sure that they would be amazed/ delighted/ horrified if I turned up on their doorsteps to stay for a few weeks. The one reservation I have is enduring the 24 hours in a plane to get there, but at least the trip will not be made on Ryanair.
Editor’s Note: Ruinair was published in February 2008 by Gill & Macmillan, Ireland, and entered the Irish non-fiction bestseller list at no 1. For more information or to purchase your own copy of Ruinair, visit publishers Gill & Macmillan.
What the press has to say about Ruinair:
”Ruinair is an entertaining travel book based around the destinations you can visit on this much-used but maligned airline. This is a razor sharp travel guide. VERY funny, sure, but be warned, if the book fails to please, there is no refund.” - Sunday Tribune
“This is a thoroughly humorous, witty and evocative book. Kilduff has produced a travelogue every bit as good as McCarthy’s Bar, and one that promises to be a must-read in airports and on airplanes for many years to come.” - Evening Echo.
“It’s chocks ways for a breathless tour of the low-fares revolution. Kilduff has done his homework and displays a keen eye for bizarre detail, settling on the quirks of our European neighbours with touching exuberance. His no-holds-barred style echoes O’Leary himself, which should be a compliment. It’s not half bad. There are worse ways you could while away the wait for your next Ryanair flight.” - Irish Mail on Sunday.
“Kilduff has a neat sense of irony when balancing his own and other people’s discomfort, with the motivation that brings us all back to Ryanair: it’s cheap. He can be a droll and perceptive writer. His dispatches from the hot-spots of Liechtenstein or San Marino are witty and engaging. A quirky study of a modern phenomenon, Ruinair is the ultimate airport book. You may even see it sold on Ryanair flights, if Michael O’Leary can find some way to make a buck from it.” - Sunday Business Post
“Kilduff brings considerable and stylish descriptive powers to the stampede boarding and bussing experience we all know so well. His strength is the variety of destinations he visits including non-Ryanair ones amongst them. This is a 2008 Homer’s odyssey.” - Travel Extra Magazine
© Angela K. Nickerson, 2008
Based in Sacramento, California, teacher and art lover Angela K. Nickerson can now add author to her CV. Her book “A Journey Into Michelangelo’s Rome” hit the book stores in April and will without doubt inspire readers to visit the Italian capital.
Published by Roaring Forties Press in April 2008, A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome follows Michelangelo from his arrival in Rome in 1496 to his death in the city almost seventy years later. Each chapter focuses on a particular work and gives a fascinating study of Roman culture, art, and politics. The book includes 14 black-and-white photographs, nearly 90 colour shots and 8 street maps allowing readers to discover Rome as Michelangelo knew it.
Angela K. Nickerson regularly leads tours to Rome and other European cities.
E.J: What do you think about the response to A Journey Into Michelangelo’s Rome so far?
A.N: It has been lovely! The book has been featured in several publications including the Sacramento Bee, the Houston Chronicle, and ForeWord Magazine. And so far the response has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Additionally, travel blogs have picked it up as well. I had great fun on Nerd’s Eye View where I ran a Micro Travel Writing Workshop. And blogs all over the world - like Blissful Travel — have picked up on the book. That’s a very exciting phenomenon and one that was a bit unexpected.
E.J: What was your thought when entering the Sistine Chapel for the first time?
A.N: Deep and utter humility. Goethe wrote, “Until you have seen the Sistine Chapel you have no adequate conception of what man is capable of accomplishing.” He was right. The colors are amazing. The figures absolutely took my breath away. And they are so huge. I don’t think I was prepared for that. I wept. Openly wept.
There’s a tiny piece of me that wishes I’d seen it before the restoration so that I could truly appreciate the brilliance of the colors now. And my fantasy: to have 30 minutes alone in the chapel so that I could lie on the floor and just look up. Some day!
E.J: When did you decide to write A Journey Into Michelangelo’s Rome? And did you write the book from Rome or from the U.S.?
A.N: Well, I came to this project by luck, chance, divine intervention, and happenstance. I used to teach literature, and I developed a course called “The Bible as Literature.” To hook my students I used Michelangelo’s work as illustrations for the Biblical stories we studied. Roaring Forties Press put out a call for proposals, and I knew that this was meant to be. A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome is truly a fusion of my great passions: writing, travel, and art.
I worked on the book primarily in the US, but I made several research trips. I’d been to Rome many times, and it is one of my favorite places in the world. So going back to take photographs and to do interviews… well, that was part of the pleasure in writing the book.
© Angela K. Nickerson, 2008
E.J: For someone who has never been to the Sistine Chapel, when would you say is the best time to visit? What season, time of the day etc.?
A.N: Personally, I avoid Italy in the summer unless my goal is to just lie on the beach. That’s not to say that it isn’t lovely year round. It is! But, the rest of the world descends on Italy in the summer - particularly on Rome. I don’t like crowds or lines or paying high prices. And if I don’t have to travel during high season, I don’t.
The best time to travel: late October, November, January, and February. There aren’t any lines. The weather is cool, but comfortable. The tourists have all gone home, and you can walk through a museum at leisure.
Now, going to see the Sistine Chapel… to see the Chapel, you must go to the Vatican Museums. In July the line to enter the Museums can be up to a mile long. It is quite incredible. If you do go in the summer, get up early and be in line before 7 am. Bring some snacks and a book to read (might I suggest A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome) while you wait. Truly, I have met some great people in line for the museum, too. Be friendly! People are generally convivial, and there’s a “we’re all in this together” spirit.
If you are not traveling during high season, it isn’t as important to get in line that early. And at some times of the year you can walk in to the museums without much of a wait at all.
Here’s what you should know: the Museums have two doors - one for groups and one for individuals. The ticket brokers who promise that you won’t have to wait in line for the Museums aren’t entirely truthful. Some send other people to stand in line for you - or to cut the line, which really makes people behind you angry. Others are selling tickets to join a larger group for a tour. The groups generally skip most of the museum and make their way straight to the Sistine Chapel. And, buyer beware: there are a few who take your money and run.
For my money I suggest standing in line for a while and entering as an individual. Go in November with a good friend, and take a book along to read while you wait. Trust me: it is worth it!
E.J: I recently heard about your upcoming trip to Italy. Would you like to tell us a bit more about it? Is the trip for anyone?
A.N: Yes! It is a trip for anyone. I have been taking these trips for a few years now, and my groups have included veteran travelers, people who have never been to Europe, older travelers, younger travelers… people of all kinds. I take a maximum of 10 people at one time, so I can tailor the trip to the group’s pace and needs.
We start in Florence, Michelangelo’s hometown. Our hotel is one block from the Duomo. We go to see the big attractions in Florence - the David, the Uffizi Gallery, the Duomo - as well as the lesser-known works including Michelangelo’s Florentine Pieta. We spend 5 nights in Florence exploring the charming city. Then we take the train to Rome where we spend 7 nights in a converted monastery. We visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, Michelangleo’s Moses… and so much more.
We walk both cities - no buses on these trips except for city buses. I have created an itinerary that is flexible, but it is built around Michelangelo’s life. In essence we DO A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome. And we have a great time!
Gregory Favre wrote a lovely travelogue after traveling with me in January. You can read his article from the Sacramento Bee on my website (www.aknickerson.net), and you can also get more information about the trip. The next one leaves in late October. I am also available as a travel escort for families or small groups.
My goal whether writing or traveling with a group is to create a framework for travelers. So often I see tourists wandering through Rome looking totally overwhelmed clinging to a huge guidebook and clearly not sure what to make of the city. I understand that. Rome’s history is so rich, and there is something of significance around every corner. A Journey into Michelangelo’s Rome filters all of that information. It provides a theme for a trip through Rome and illustrates the connections between the ages.
© Angela K. Nickerson, 2008
Editor’s Note: For more information about Angela K. Nickerson, visit http://aknickerson.blogspot.com or drop by her website at http://www.aknickerson.net.
Paul Kilduff is excited to bring his first nonfiction work, entitled Ruinair, on a virtual book tour. Paul’s book is a witty travelogue which sees him get his own back on the airline that overcharged him and significantly delayed him on a flight from Malaga to Dublin:
‘Stung by a ten hour delay and a E300 fare to Spain on his native “low-fares” airline, Dubliner Paul Kilduff plots revenge - to fly to every country in Europe for the same total outlay, suffering every low-fares airline indignity. Armed with no more than 10kg of carry-on baggage, he endures 6.00am departures, Six Nations-style boarding scrums, lengthy bus excursions, terminal anxiety and cabin crew who deliver famed customer service.’
This book will have you laughing out loud at Kilduff’s sharp wit and the hilarious accounts of his misadventures. Anyone who has ever flown with a low-budget airline and has lived to tell the tale will identify with Paul’s experiences.
Ruinair has enjoyed the position of bestselling nonfiction title in Ireland during its first seven weeks of publication and has received wide critical acclaim. Paul is also the author of four fiction novels, the most recent of which is The Headhunter. Paul’s interview on Blissful Travel will be on May 24th. Not to be missed.
For the newest update on New York City’s nightlife at its most infamous stages, make sure to join the book signing of the second printing of Bob Collacelo’s OUT. The event takes place tomorrow, May 3rd, at the ADAM boutique / 678 Hudson Street in NYC. Book subjects include Jack Nicholson, Cher, Raquel Welch, Yves Saint Laurent, Andy Warhol, Diana Vreeland, among hundreds more.
Hoover Dam © Jim Epler
Barron’s Books recently published 1001 Historic Sites You Must See Before You Die, a visitor’s guide that appeals to dedicated history buffs as well as the general traveler. Packed with detailed information and more than 800 brilliant photos, the book takes its readers to prehistoric and ancient sites, battlefields, buildings and monuments, and homes of famous artists like Mozart, Shakespeare and Cézanne.
One of my personal favourites, the Hoover Dam, can be seen in the Griswold’s Vegas Vacation from ‘97. Other historic sites include the Lescaux Cave Paintings in France, the Pyramids in Egypt, Pearl Harbor Memorial on Hawaii, the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, and many more.
To read sample chapters from the Hoover Dam, Eiffel Tower, Sistine Chapel, and Taj Mahal, visit 1001 Historic Sites (a look inside).
1001 Historic Sites You Must See Before You Die includes a preface by UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura and is edited by Richard Cavendish who is a regular contributor for the British Magazine History Today.
If you love coffee-table books and can’t get enough of reading about traveling, Lonely Planet’s The Cities Book from 2006 including their 200 favourite cities will make your day. Another book worth checking out is The Travel Book. When living in London about two years ago, I went to Waterstone’s across the street and couldn’t help but notice this huge book near the entrance. It was The Travel Book. I think I spent almost an hour reading the profiles of each country and admiring the striking photography.
Also, don’t miss SAS Crew Guide. Scandinavian Airline’s cabin crew and pilots give great tips on hotels, restaurants, shopping and sights around the world.
The winter is a great time to catch up on some reading. In case you’re looking for a couple of good suggestions, check out the travelogues and non-fiction books below.
Louise Purwin Zobel - The Travel Writer’s Handbook
Louisa Peat O’Neil - Travel Writing
Paul Theroux - The Great Railway Bazaar, Dark Star Safari
Tom Thumb - Hand to Mouth to India
Wilfred Thesiger - Arabian Sands
Tony Horwitz - In Baghdad without a Map and Other Misadventures in Arabia
The New York Public Library © Simona Dumitru
The most beautiful libraries in the world are historic and magical places where culture meets architecture. In The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World, the authors Guillaume de Laubier and Jacques Bosser, and photographer James H. Billington share their views of these architectural gems. Some of the libraries featured in the book are The New York Public Library, Library of the Institut de France, The Senate Library in Paris, Vatican Library in Rome, Boston Athenaeum and one of my favourites which is the National Library of Austria in Vienna.
One of the best ways to get to know the people and the culture in a country is through hitchhiking. The best book about hitchhiking I have ever read is Kinga Freespirit’s Led by Destiny. It’s full of inspiring diary style chapters and various pictures from around the globe.
Kinga and Chopin began with nearly $600, 2 backpacks, a one-way ticket, almost no plans and many dreams. Kinga’s book is an amazing story that starts in Poland with a one-way flight to New York City and continues to Toronto, Alaska, Mexico, Central America, South America, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Australia, Brunei, Taiwan, Japan, and through Asia and East Europe. Apart from interesting writing, Led by Destiny includes beautiful photographs from all over the world.
I admire their strenght to accomplish their goal of hitchhiking around the world and hope more people will set out to realize their travel dreams.
digihitch Tribute page to Kinga Freespirit
I can’t deny I love reading, especially travelogues. Below are some of my favourite reads:
A Fortune-teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani - Warned by a Hong Kong fortune-teller, the Asian correspondent Tiziano Terzani decides not to fly for a whole year. Traveling by foot, boat, car, bus and train, he consults shamans and fortune-tellers wherever the roads take him.
A Death in Brazil: A Book of Omissions by Peter Robb - Through art, history food and his own twenty years of encounters, Robb delivers a brilliant description of one of the strangest and greatest countries in the world.
Almost French by Sarah Turnbull - Backpacking around Europe, twenty-something Sarah Turnbull meets Frédéric and spontaneously accepts his invitation to visit him in Paris. Years later, they are married. Almost French is her exciting and entertaining story of dealing with Parisian life.
Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan - During four months, Marlo Morgan wander through the Australian outback with a tribe of Aborigines, realizing how meaningful they live and how rewarding it is to trust our intuition.
The Happy Isles of Oceania by Paul Theroux - A fascinating story from Theroux’s paddling journey from the Solomons to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, the Marquesas, and Easter Island.
Catfish & Mandala: A Vietnamese Odyssey by Andrew X. Pham
This month, author Beth Whitman tours the US west coast to promote her book Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo and inspire women to travel independently. She travels between the seven cities on her motorcycle and stays with fellow travellers from GlobalFreeloaders and Couchsurfing. Beth Whitmans’s Wanderlust and Lipstick, released in March 2007, has received great reviews in dozens of newspapers and magazines throughout North America.
I just found a book called The Diver’s World Atlas where you can read about the best diving in the world. The main editor is Jack Jackson, diver, climber, photographer and author.
The top diving destinations are:
1. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
2. Papua New Guinea
3. The Maldives
4. The Red Sea
5. Cocos Islands, Costa Rica
6. Solomon Islands
7. Chuuk, Truk Lagoon, Micronesia
8. Sulawesi, Indonesia
9. Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique
Divers, Malaysia - Michelle-Bernhardi Toner
Malaysia is also great for diving. The divers on the photo above prepare to explore the Sipidan area.
Rolf Potts has reported from more than fifty countries and often promotes the ethic of independent travel.
“Potts is arguably the best, and most consistent, individual travel writer and blogger on the web.”
—Frommers.com (Editor’s Choice)
Right now I’m reading his book Vagabonding - An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel. If you want to discover the world on your own terms or just have an interest in travel I really recommend you to read it.
Don’t miss the excerpt from Chapter 1.