Tag: travel

Two Years Before the Mast

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Dana, Jr., Richard Henry. Two Years Before the Mast: a Personal Narrative of Life at Sea. Fearon Publishers, 1971.

Reason read: June is Celebrate Oceans Month. Maybe that is a made up reason to read about the ocean, but I’m going with it because it is a good time to sail.

Two Years Before the Mast is the true story of Richard Henry Dana’s two years spent at sea first, on the brig “Pilgrim,” bound for California via coastal South America. Using his journal to write Two Years Before the Mast, one has to remember this is August 14th, 1834. Time before canals and motorized vessels. California was not part of the United States. In 1934, California was part of Mexico. As a Harvard student, bound for a career in law, Dana had to take a hiatus from his studies when an illness affected his eyesight. Doctors recommended some time away from the books to allow his eyes to rest. The brig “Pilgrim” is in the business of transporting animal hides and furs. Once on the “Pilgrim,” Dana quickly learned about life on the ocean on the fly: getting over seasickness, learning to push through fatigue, finding his sea legs. Once settled into a life at sea, Dana then had to desensitize himself to a tyrannical captain who flogged sailors ruthlessly and without provocation, long days of continuous work, and making the most of shore leave.
This is a great account of life at sea as well as in ports. As an aside, I had to laugh when Dana’s vessel could not get over a sandbar at low tide due to the unusually heavy load they were carrying. They had to wait until low tide in order to be released from the channel.

Lines I liked: said of San Francisco – “If California ever becomes a prosperous country, this bay will be the centre of its prosperity” (p 194).

Confessional: I have spent most of my life on the ocean so when Dana described dolphins swimming just a few feet below the surface of the water I could picture every color.

Author fact: Dana was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Book trivia: Two Years Before the Mast was illustrated by Dennis Dierks and my copy provided a biographical sketch by Dana’s grandson, H.W.L. Dana.

Playlist: “O Pescator”, “Onda”, “All in the Downs”, “Poor Tom Bowline”, “The Bay of Biscay”, “List, Ye Landsmen”, “Heave, to the Girls”, “Nancy O!”, “Jack Crosstree”, “Cheerily Men”, “All in the Downs”, “Poor Tom Bowline”, “The Bay of Biscay”, and “List, Ye Landsmen”.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “See the Sea” (p 201).

Black as Hell, Strong as Death, and as Sweet as Love

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Unger, Steven. Black as Hell, Strong as Death, and as Sweet as Love: a Coffee Travel Book. Robert D. Reed Publishers, 2025.

Reason read: I am a member of the Early Review Program for LibraryThing and this is one of the coolest books I have had the pleasure of reviewing. I wish I knew someone who loved coffee enough to deserve this book as a gift.

First impression: for all that Unger promises in the introduction, the rest of the book seems way too brief. After all the introductions and foreword, it takes sixteen pages just to get to the first chapter and the entire book is only 166 pages long. Unger spent three years traveling specifically for this book; traveling to locations which traditionally (and obviously) have a strong relationship to coffee. He spent five years conducting additional research and probably drank countless cups of coffee in the process. Together, with the talented Ruth St. Steven as photographer, Unger has produced a stellar multi-genre (mostly travel and historical) book about one of the world’s most popular and symbolic drinks.
Beyond describing the best places to enjoy the brew, Unger outlines the correct customs for drinking coffee. The Arabic way is always with your right hand, for example. (As an aside, I am left handed like the author.) I appreciated his description of the way coffee is prepared in Ethiopia and the various ceremonies surrounding coffee. Unger also shared his opinion of where to get the best falafel in Paris, where to witness “relentless citrus-based combat” known as the Battle of the Oranges, how to swim with spinner dolphins, when to attend a voodoo festival in New Orleans, and how to hang out in the same places as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Unger delves into the importance of the traditional café as a place to socialize, argue, and create.
After finishing Black as Hell… readers might want to follow Unger on his coffee trail from Ethiopia to San Francisco, California (as a beer trail adjacent adventure?). Or. At the very least, make the recipes for dishes and drinks he generously supplies. All in all, Black as Hell… is one of the best books I’ve read all year.

Confessional: I was nervous about Unger’s web-related recommendations and contact information. I wondered if a year from now if the information would still be accurate. It was smart of him to say check the internet. I also appreciated the recommended reading if one wants to learn more. Hopefully, books will still be a thing in the future.
As you all know, I am not a fan of repeating information more than once. There is a little repetition to Black as Hell…: the roasting of green coffee beans with frankincense and served with sugared popcorn came up more than a couple of times.

Second confession: there was a time when I was addicted to a show called Castle. The description of adding spices to a brewing pot of coffee reminded me of a scene when Castle’s ex-wife prepared Castle’s coffee just the way he liked it, with a touch of nutmeg.

As an aside, I know someone who cannot stand even the smell of coffee. He will walk out of a room if someone has brewed a fresh pot or poured a cup of coffee. Interestingly enough, even though I have been drinking coffee since I was a teenager, my sister didn’t start enjoying the beverage until just a few years ago. It took her almost 50 years to try it… and like it.

As another aside: I know there is such a thing as a coffee snob. This person cannot stand coffee that is brewed at the wrong temperature, served out of the incorrect vessel, or brewed with stale beans…but is there such a thing as a coffee whore? Someone who will drink coffee reheated five times in a microwave? Someone who doesn’t mind Folgers from a can (especially if they have flavor crystals)? Someone who actually likes a cup of coffee gone cold?

Book trivia: there are a bunch of photographs included in Black as Hell… They are stunning.

Music: “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by the Beatles, “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. Jim Morrison, Lenny Kravitz, Gloria Estafan, “Hey there” by Rosemary Clooney, “O Sole Mio”, John Lennon,

Beyond Belief

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Naipaul, N. S. Beyond Belief: Islamic Excursions Among the Converted Peoples. Random House, 1999.

Reason read: Beyond Belief is the sequel to Among the Believers. Read to finish the series.

In Beyond Belief Naipaul picks up the story of faith nineteen years after Among the Believers. He follows his own footsteps and traces over the memories with new and different observations. His connections to people are less interviews and more conversations, however just as probing. Naipaul meets with poets, publishers, lecturers, researchers, criminals, religious and political leaders, laborers, and Muslim intellectuals. The most common theme was in times of various regimes you had two choices – be revolutionary or reactionary. Naipaul met them both. My favorite part was when he addresses the sacredness of place; how the idea of what constitutes “sacred” can be different for each of us, depending on the connection we have to that place. Or think we have. I think of Monhegan and realize that there are only certain sections of the island I consider sacred even though I speak of the entire island in generalized terms. Those sacred spots are ones that I hardly visit, never talk about, and secretly dream about the most.
Afterthought: It must be difficult to appease something as intangible as a guardian spirit.

As an aside, I enjoyed meeting Imaduddin. Lecturer, electrical engineer, Islamic teacher, Indonesian, political prisoner (for fourteen months), once wealthy and famous. What a fascinating man.

Book trivia: there are no photographs at all in Beyond Belief. I would have liked to see the Indonesian landscapes, even if it was just pictures of the rice fields or Javanese puppetry.

Music: Beethoven

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Indicative of Indonesia” (p 103).

Among the Believers

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Naipaul, V.S. Among the Believers. Alfred A. Knopf, 1981.

Reason read: Indonesia has a day of silence. It is always following the new moon of March. Read in recognition of this fascinating 24 hours.

Naipaul takes a six month journey across Asia just after the Iranian revolution. During his travels through Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia he encounters Muslims who have returned to the founding scriptures of Islam. His conversations and interviews with them are thought-provoking and insightful. These people are the believers. In a nutshell, Among the Believers is in-depth and descriptive travel book that takes a look at exploring the Muslim faith.
As an aside, I have so any questions! Did the hanging judge ever find out that Naipaul called him a clown? Is Naipaul’s favorite descriptive color ochre? because he used the word a lot in Among the Believers. It is true I am an armchair traveler. It is too complicated to think about the rules and customs of a middle eastern country. The rules of the mosque, for example. Which foot enters the holy space first? How do worshippers wash their hands? Do they remove their shoes and if so, when and where?

As another aside, I never thought about Islamic urban planning. Think about it. Toilet fixtures that had to be arranged so that a backside would not be directed towards the City of Mecca. Indeed.

Author fact: Naipaul was born in Trinidad.

Book trivia: Among the Believers is followed by Beyond Belief: Islamic Excursions Among the Converted People. I will be reading it next month. Other books by Naipaul on my list: Mystic Masseur and Loss of El Dorado.

Music: the Carpenters, Handel’s Messiah, and Bach.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Indicative of Indonesia” (p 103).

Shadow of the Sun

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Kapuscinski, Ryszard. Shadow of the Sun. Translated by Klara Glowczewska. Alfred A. Knopf, 2001.

Reason read: Kapuscinski celebrated a birthday on March 4th. Read in his honor.

The forty years of experiences of Ryszard Kapuscinski in Africa will excite and amaze readers. He shows a rare and profoundly deep respect for the cultures of the regions in which he traveled. As apparent in Shadow of the Sun, Kapuscinski writes in stunning clarity, whether it be describing trying to navigate a vehicle through a traffic jam of sleepy buffalo or watching mustached cockroaches the size of small turtles; killing a cobra sleeping in a roadside hut or holding his breath while an elephant meanders through camp. Even tackling more serious topics like Uganda’s decolonization and ultimate independence, the coup in Zanzibar, or the Tutsi/Hutu conflict is articulated with grace and respect.
Speaking of the Tutsi/Hutu conflict, a side note. I never thought about ideological training as a part of warfare. It is not widely discussed as a boot camp topic, but it makes sense. You need to indoctrinate your subordinates because it was clever to have every Rwandan Tutsi citizen guilty of murder; a crime committed by the masses.
They say the best artists suffer for their art. Kapuscinski has been jailed for his curiosity over forty times. He contracted cerebral malaria, which sounds pretty bad until you add tuberculosis to the mix.

As an aside, Francoise Huguier’s photograph for the cover of Shadow of the Sun is stunning.

Confessional: while reading Shadow of the Sun and Among the Believers I was getting myself confused with which book was which.

Quote that stopped me, “With each step I lose my confidence” (p 42). Been there. Here is another, there is nothing worse than this state of being neither at war nor at peace” (p 178).

Author fact: at the age of seventeen Kapuscinski wanted to be a poet. How does someone so young know they want to be a poet?

Book trivia: portions of Shadow of the Sun were previously published in the New Yorker.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust in the chapter called “Africa: Today and Yesterday” (p 9).

Ends of the Earth (Artic)

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Kolbert, Elizabeth (Ed.). Ends of the Earth: An Anthology of the Finest Writing on the Artic. Bloomsbury, 2007.

Reason read: Ernest Shackleton was born on February 15th, 1874. Read in his honor.

Straight away, as soon as you open this anthology, you know it is going to be different. The very first story is one of suspected murder. Was Charles Francis Hall murdered by Bessells? Hall’s biographer travels to the North Pole just to dig up his remains and perform an abbreviated autopsy. (As an aside, lethal amounts of arsenic were found in Hall’s body tissue…Food for thought.). Then there is the mystery of Robert Peary. Did he actually make it to the North Pole? We cannot forget that there are the humorous bits, as well. Rockwell Kent drew up a list of supplies for his time in the Arctic. It included a sketch of a young girl. Ask and you shall receive…[As an aside, Rockwell Kent was an artist who spent a great deal of time on Monhegan Island. I would have been his neighbor had I been born during his residence on the rock.]

Quote to quote, “Birds tug at the mind and heart with a strange intensity” (The Land Breathing by Barry Lopez, p 147).

Author Editor fact: Kolbert was a staff writer for the New Yorker at the time of publication.

Book trivia: Because there is a great deal of overlap with this book and others I am reading for the Challenge, I am opting to skip excerpts in Ends of the Earth.

Music: “Oh, Susanna”, “Napoleon’s March Across the Alps”, “Boston Burglar”, “Handsome Cabin Boy”, “Mr. Tambourine Man”, Marilyn Monroe’s version of “Diamonds of a Girl’s Best Friend”,

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the obvious chapter called “To the Ends of the Earth: North and South Pole” (p 230).

Trekking in Shangri-la

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Seward, Daniel K. Trekking in Shangri-la: the Manaslu Circuit. Amazon, 2024.

Reason read: As a member of the Early Review Program for LibraryThing, I get to review interesting books. This is one such book.

A mere 90+ pages (including a few full-page color photographs), Trekking in Shangri-La is way too short. Seward could have gone on for a least a few more chapters about his adventures while trekking with his sister and brother in Nepal. Seward writes in such a humorous and honest way I was able to read the entire book in one sitting, but be forewarned – he does not delve too deeply into what he sees or hears along the trek. If you are looking for a serious travel book to learn more about Nepal culture, environment, or people this is definitely not the book for you. The photographs describe more than the narrative. Think of it as the private journal of a well off American experiencing the Himalayas for the first time with his siblings.
Confessional: I would like to know what beer Seward is drinking. 6% abv is nothing when it comes to craft beer! As an aside, I found Seward to be a bit immature. The feeling was strongest when he went looking to see if there would be a territorial squabble between the French and Germans over seats in the dining room, (and was disappointed when there wasn’t). The feeling grew when he was looking for people to bad mouth the French and bonding with them when they did. The entire group was like spoiled brats when they couldn’t get the ice cream that they wanted.

Author fact: Seward used to be a teacher.

Book trivia: Trekking in Shangri-La has some big, beautiful, colorful photographs. I would have liked to see more.

Setlist: Hank Williams’ “Hey, Good Lookin'”, Rihanna, and “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix (confessional: I cringed when I saw Seward’s spelling of the genius’s name: Jimmy Hendricks. Obviously not a fan.).

Hunters in High Heels

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Rodriguez-Lopez, Omar. Hunters in High Heels. Akashic, 2025.

Reason read: This is a very overdue Early Review from LibraryThing. I think I was supposed to receive it in December or January. Nevertheless, it is here and I am glad I got to review it.

When it comes to photography books without narrative, I try not to dwell on the mystery. I am not one for trying to figure out what each picture means. I like to study the photography briefly and gauge my acceptance of them without thinking too much about the message (if there even is one). I can’t read the photographer’s mind, but after enjoying Hunters in High Heels, I came away with an understanding that Rodriguez-Lopez, as well as his subject matter, is complicated. Contrasts abound everywhere. The photography is at once obscured and detailed. Intimate and anonymous. Violent and gentle. Gritty and polished. Visions of chaotic and exhausting travel interspersed with brief moments of stolen stillness and respite. Boredom amidst busywork. Hurry up and wait. Timeless yet specifically incapsulated. The life and relationships of a touring rock band.
My favorite pictures were the ones that revealed the creative process at work. The mixing board, guitar pedals, mixed tapes, tools of the trade strewn across the floor in utter organized chaos. Drums in the shower!

Author fact: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is a member of the band, Mars Volta.

Book trivia: Steph Celaya wrote the introduction.

Travels of Marco Polo

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Polo, Marco. Travels of Marco Polo. Edited by Morris Rossabi. Sterling Signature, 2012.

Reason read: Marco Polo died in the month of January. Read in his memory.

Travels of the World or The Description of the World as it is known in Europe, details Marco Polo’s 1271 journey from Venice to China and back again. through Jerusalem, Armenia, the Gobi Desert, around the Sumatran coast and India and the Black Sea and through Constantinople. The sad thing is that Polo’s original work did not survive time. His exact words are lost forever. These days, more than one hundred versions of Travels of Marco Polo exist. Each version altered the details of the original and like a game of telephone, it is hard to tell what is true to Polo’s narrative and what has been embellished or exaggerated beyond recognition. The details are fuzzy and key figures and geography are confused. Nevertheless, the world owes a debt of gratitude towards fellow prisoner Rusticello da Pisa for collaborating with Polo to document the traveler’s exploits in the first place. There is no debating its influence. It is rumored that Christopher Columbus and Samuel Taylor Coleridge both were inspired by the travels of Marco Polo.
If you are going to pick up any version of Travels of Marco Polo, make sure you consider the version translated by Henry Yule (1971) and revised by Henri Cordier (1903) with the Morris Rossabi introduction and afterword. The maps by Karl Ryavec and Tim Collins are beautiful. You just have to get passed the “you must know” refrain that is common throughout the text.

As an aside: the more things change, the more they stay the same. In 1271 Marco Polo was given “Golden Tablets of Authority” which secured passage through a king’s dominions – a passport of sorts.

Favorite line, “But why should I make a long story out of it?” (p 245).

Author fact: Marco Polo was a mere seventeen years old when his father and uncle decided to take him on their next adventure.

Book trivia: Travels of Marco Polo is also known as Description of the World.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “China: the Middle Kingdom” (p 60). Interestingly enough, Pearl indexes the British version while I read the American version.

Along the Ganges

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Trojanow, Ilija. Along the Ganges. Haus Publishing Limited, 2005.

Reason read: In India there is a kite festival that happens every January on Makar Sankranti. It is part of Hindu mythology.

Ilija Trojanow’s adventure along the Ganges unveils a mysterious culture of mythology and tradition in India. Traversing by boat, train, and on foot, Trojanow and his companion take in the sights, smells, sounds, and textures of the Ganges and surrounding landscape. Other reviewers are correct in saying Trojanow writes in such a way that you are right with him for every mile in India. There were times when reading Along the Ganges that I was reminded of Jeffrey Tayler’s journey down the Congo in Facing the Congo. Like Tayler on the Congo, Trojanow needed protection while navigating the Ganges. A startling difference was that Tayler seemed to have researched his journey more thoroughly than Trojanow. Whereas Tayler carefully plotted his course, Trojanow admitted that he let the current take his boat wherever it wanted (and that turned out to be a mistake).
Interspersed between Trojanow’s narrative about the Ganges, he tells the story of Shiva and Parvati, the legend of the dolphin, and the divide between castes. He meets a myriad of people from all walks of life.

Line that startled me the most, “Whenever the river branched we let the current decide our direction” (p 107). In theory, that sounds like a wonderful, lackadaisical way to travel but I was surprised by the lack of research.

Author fact: Trojanow also wrote Mumbai to Mecca which is on my Challenge list.

Book trivia: It would have been great to see some photographs in this short (127 page) book.

I did not think there would be any music mentioned in Along the Ganges. It is not like Trojanow and his companion traveled with a radio. But there was! Here are the reference to musicians: Britany Spears and Michael Jackson!

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Sojourns in South Asia” (p 212).

City of Gold

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Krane, Jim. City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism. St. Martin’s Press, 2009.

Reason read: the city of Dubai, along with other United Arab Emirates countries celebrate their independence on December 2nd every year.

Dubai: One of the seven United Arab Emirates. Also, one of the most sought-after destination of the 2000s. Where did this illustrious city come from? In a barren landscape with no national monuments of natural beauty, why do people flock to Dubai? The creators of this exclusive city got lucky, very lucky. Sharjah, a neighboring city was tracking to be larger with more shipping capabilities but Mother Nature stepped in and created a sand storm that completely sealed off Sharjah’s port for a decade. Further luck would have it, Dubai was open for business and, rather than go bankrupt, Sharjah’s wealthy business merchants moved their business to Dubai. And so begins the city’s illustrious beginnings.
Dubai is a city of miracles. When such a metropolis is built in a barren landscape, how does it sustain without natural resources? Every creature comfort had to be artificially produced – water, air conditioning, food. But is Dubai a city of smoke and mirrors? Was it built too fast to sustain its reputation?
Something to keep in mind is that City of Gold was written almost 15 years ago. I am sure a great deal has changed in the meantime. My burning question is Dubai still a city boasting of ethnic tolerance? Do they still have peaceful transitions of power that not even the United States could rival? At the time of writing Dubai citizenship was impossible to obtain, even if you were born and raised there. You need to be part of the male bloodline from Emirati men. It is all about the Arab heritage.

As an aside, I think I would love to eat at the Burj Al Arab restaurant with its aquariums. It sounds interesting. Also, it is a misconception that you cannot drink alcohol in Dubai. They have very specific rules regarding alcohol consumption but it is legal!

Another aside. Was the character of Aldous Snow based on DJ Ravan?
One last aside, I want to ask Krane what American high school has bubbling fountains and strutting peacocks on their grounds? I went to a private boarding school and we didn’t have either.

Author fact: Ten years after publishing City of Gold Krane wrote Energy Kingdoms. I am not reading it for the Challenge, but I have to wonder if Pearl would put it on her list if she were to write a new list today?

Book trivia: there is an interesting section of black and white photographs: Dubai in the 1950s, several key historical figures, Burj Dubai, an auto show, a curious 250-car pileup, and of course, Burj Al-Arab.

Playlist: Mick Jagger, Bo Diddley, Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man”, “Georgia on My Mind”, Kylie Minogue, La Toya Jackson, DJ Ravan, and Mary McGregor’s “Torn Between Two Lovers”.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “A Mention of the Middle East” (p 142).

To Live Or to Perish Forever

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Schmidle, Nicholas. To Live Or to Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan. Henry Holt and Company, 2010.

Reason read: Pakistan’s first female prime minister was assassinated in December 2007. Read in her memory. Interestingly enough, at the end of To Live or To Perish Forever, Schmidle gives a play by play of the events leading up to Benazir Bhutto’s death.

Schmidle was a mere twenty-nine years old when he and his wife, Rikki, fled Pakistan. His story, To Live or to Perish Forever opens with their rushed evacuation out of the country.
There is a stereotype surrounding reporters. Everyone knows reporters are brazen. Reporters are hungry to scoop the competition. Reporters will stop at nothing to get a good story. Schmidle alludes to this when describing interviews with outlawed Islamic militant groups or his relationship with pro-Taliban leaders. Schmidle implies this when he writes about Daniel Pearl, a reporter murdered just four year prior to Schmidle’s own story. He hints of it when he is allowed back into Pakistan just eight short months after his exile from the country.
I cannot imagine why anyone would want to put themselves willingly in an area dangerous enough to require a guard; especially an Islamabad town where you know the phones are being tapped and people are being kidnapped and murdered almost every single day. The idea that if you do not like you current political leader, you can just oust him by taking to the streets in violent protest. Schmidle’s courage to tell a terroristic story is to be commended.

Line I liked, “Stay in Pakistan long enough and you immediately become paranoid” (p 138). This sentence makes me paranoid because I do not know when “long enough” becomes “immediate.” Sounds like a trick to me.

Book trivia: the title of the book comes from a 1933 pamphlet written by Rahmat Ali.

Author fact: Schmidle has a website but it is not kept up to date. If you are curious, you can visit it here.

Book trivia: To Live Or to Perish Forever has a small smattering of black and white photographs throughout the text.

Playlist: Ravi Shankar, George Harrison, and “Que Sera, Sera”.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Sojourns in South Asia – Pakistan” (p 215).

Massachusetts Bucket List Adventure Guide

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Briggs, Erin. Massachusetts Bucket List Adventure Guide. Canyon Press, 2022.

Reason read: For fun, I decided to read an adventure book about places to see in Massachusetts. Here are a few of my favorite selections:

  • The Tiny Museum
  • the Forest Park rose Garden
  • Gunn Brook Falls
  • Purgatory Chasm
  • the EcoTarium
  • Chesterfield Gorge Reservation
  • Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
  • Hancock Shaker Village (Natalie connection: she performed there!)
  • Pontoosuc Lake (the book doesn’t mention swimming, but fishing is popular)
  • Myles Standish Burial Ground
  • the Museum of Bad Art
  • New England Aquarium (a word to the wise: be mindful of price information. Even though — was published in 2022, the price listed is $10. It’s actually $44 unless you are a member, child, or senior citizen.)
  • Warren Anatomical Museum (gets my vote for the strangest place)
  • Boston Gardens where the Make Way for Ducklings statue is located (I did not know that the Mallard family all have names. The ducklings have J-Q names rhyming with “ack” and mama is just Mrs. Mallard.)

The only complaint I had about the book is that the book is organized in alphabetical order of town rather than adventure. You have to know where you are going before you can chose the event. The “did You Know?” section is a little goofy, but I did learn a few things.

Neither Here Nor There

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Bryson, Bill. Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe. Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio, 2009.

Reason read: Bryson celebrates a birthday in December. Read in his honor.

Unlike other travelogues that are bogged down by dry and didactic narratives and mind-numbing historical perspectives, Bryson’s Neither Here Nor There none of those things. Instead it is conversational and as funny as a drunk standup comedienne. Bryson is more concerned with where to find a beer than he is about regurgitating stale facts and figures about an ancient city. It is if Bryson has stuffed you into his backpack and all you can do is eavesdrop on his hilarious monologue as he traipses across the Continent. This isn’t his first rodeo. Bryson first went to Europe in 1972. He went again in 1992. Both times, he was capable of traveling around Europe without planned transportation or hotel reservations or even a clear itinerary. As an aside, I asked myself what it must have been like to backpack across Europe in the 1970s. Did Bryson and his longtime friend, Stephen Katz, find what they were looking for? Were they even looking for something in the first place? But, I digress.
Bryson went back, twenty years later, this time on his own, retracing his journey across Europe. He makes a point to stop in every major city across the Continent; he’s a rock star on the Grand Tour of humor.
My only complaint? No photographs!

As an aside, would Bryson still sell his mother to 45 in exchange for the Italian view?

Author fact: I have to wonder if Bryson still lives in New Hampshire?

Book trivia: Could they make a movie of this epic vacation? As an aside, there are other movies with the same name. Definitely not the same topic, though.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Explaining Europe: the Grand Tour” (p 82).

Roughing It

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Twain, Mark. Roughing It: a personal narrative. Harper and Row, 1913.

Reason read: to celebrate Twain’s birth month.

Originally published in 1872, Roughing It is most commonly presented as a two-volume travel adventure. Twain, ever the storyteller of exaggerated fact and humorous fiction, takes us on a epic journey across the country; an exercise that he called “variegated vagabondizing.” This would seem to be a nonfiction, but you really cannot trust Twain with his stories of Slade, the Rocky Mountain desperado and the outrageous shootouts Twain supposedly witnessed. My personal eye roll story was when Twain and a companion rowed 12-15 miles to an island…in the middle of a storm. I am from an island ten miles out to sea and I can tell you it takes 70-75 minutes to go that far with an engine-powered boat in flat calm weather. My favorite moment was a Winnie-the-Pooh situation when Twain and his companions were thinking they are being stalked by a growing group of men when really it was their own footprints multiplying as they wandered around in circles. Did Milne get the idea from Twain?
But. I digress. Back to Twain’s western adventure. Beyond California, Twain journeyed to Utah, Nevada and Hawaii. [As an aside, when Twain described the scorpions and the centipedes (with forty-two legs on each side), I found myself lifting my feet high off the floor.]

Quotes to quote, “Three months of camp life on Lake Tahoe would restore an Egyptian mummy to his pristine vigor, and give him an appetite like an alligator” (p 158). Does the tourism board of Lake Tahoe know that Twain said this? What a great endorsement! Here is another line that made me laugh. This one on the subject of polygamy: “Take my word for it, ten or eleven wives is all you need – never go over it” (p 109).

Author fact: We know Twain was born Samuel Clemens and that he worked as a steamboat captain. he also married Olivia Langdon and became filthy rich.

Book trivia: Twain spends an entire chapter discussing the Mormon bible.

Playlist: “Shining Shire”, “Coronation”, “Praise God From Whom All Blessings”,

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust in the chapter called “Western Memoirs” (p 241).