Currently featured guidebooks:
Make Your Own Maps
Alastair Sawday's Green Europe
Travel with Kids
Memories of Times Past: Rome and Paris
Rome and Paris, Then and Now
Scotland and Its Whiskies
Burgundy and Its Wines
European Rail Timetable
Rosetta Stone - German
Switzerland without a Car
Tuscany
Globetrotter Map of Vienna
Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World
Footprint Croatia
Europe by Eurail 2010
French Vineyards
London's Bridges
Rick Steves Europe: Complete DVDs and
Europe through the Back Door
Pilgrimages of Europe
Journeys of the Sun King, Celtic Legends, Charles Dickens, and to the Gods
Larousse Pocket Dictionaries: Spanish and Italian
The Scotland Visitors Guide
MAKE YOUR OWN MAPS
Sterling Publishing www.sterliingpublishing.com
This multimedia book and DVD kit features 160 ready-made maps of every country and major geographical area, and it’s a great resource for remembering that special trip. The DVD contains PC and Mac-friendly Photoshop map files. Inside the book, there are simple instructions for adapting the maps to your own requirements, and then printing them out, distributing them, or publishing them online.
All the maps contain 15 different Photoshop layers, offering a wide choice of cartographic styles, and you can turn country borders, place names, and other elements on or off. Every map will print perfectly on a desktop printer, fits on letter-sized paper, and can easily accommodate added graphics, photos, or text.
TRAVEL WITH KIDS—ENGLAND
Janson Media, 88 Semmens Rd., Harrington Park, NJ 07640
So you have children, and you want to go to, say, England with them? Are you nuts?
This 56-minute-long all-color DVD says you are not nuts, and in fact, you could actually enjoy the trip. First, of course, the children should be at least about 4 or 5 years of age to ensure a better experience. Second, planning your trip, your hotels and your days will make the event much more pleasant, as will understanding that at any moment if the agenda is changed, you can go with the flow. The DVD calls this, building in time for “impromptu experiences”
The Roberts family explores Bath, England, the monumental ruins of Stonehenge and the Lake District, and they make it seem, well, seamless.
The Roberts take the trains to give the kids a chance to stretch their feet on board and provide a relaxing atmosphere. Unplanned stops the DVDs points out, are the best experiences. Seeing a hot air balloon, a cricket match, taking a boat ride and visiting parks are all part of the fun with kids. Oh yes, and bring plenty of snacks!
This DVD is fast-paced, enjoyable and funny. Even the precautionary words at the beginning of the DVD are entertaining: “Some program content of this trip may have been edited for television. This includes...whining, crying, tantrums, complaining, throwing things, breaking things, being cold, hot, tired, hungry, thirsty, can't find my favorite toys, general mischievousness and plotting against parents."
In addition to the main segment, there is a trip planner with valuable travel information, family travel tips and resources, language, crafts and recipes segment and a bloopers reel. A highly entertaining and valuable DVD for parents, and one the children will also enjoy.
ALASTAIR SAWDAY'S SPECIAL PLACES TO STAY: GREEN EUROPE
Edited by Kate Shepherd, distributed by Globe Pequot Press, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437. Price: $21.95
In today's travel environment, you have choices where you'll stay, and some will prefer a “green” spot over a “hot” spot. Perhaps a shepherd's hut in Wales tickles your fancy, or a chic eco-lodge in the beautiful Alps, maybe a 40-hecter farm in Southern Finland or a 500-year-old farmhouse where organic is the key word for life.
As a journalist, I'm not even sure I would have been able to ferret out such unusual places to stay, much less conjur up an idea for such a book as this.
In this all-color 224-page smallish (5” x 8 2/3”) book, Alastair Sawday has taken his commitment to being earth friendly a step closer to reality. Already his publishing company's offices were renovated to “go green” in 2005, and this jam-packed book invites other green-like citizens to find a cool place to spend overnight throughout Europe. Some of the countries included are Wales, Scotland, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, France, Britain and Germany, among others. Each accommodation was inspected before being written up for the book.
The book consists of a page per listing which includes a color photo, a long paragraph describing the accommodations, pricing, rooms available, meals, hours, directions and price range.
In Cornwall, England at The Hen House, “Sandy and Gary, truly welcoming, are passionately committed to sustainability and love guiding you to the best places to east, visit, cycle and walk,” says the book, and the couple has reduced emissions by 30% at The Hen House. And there's a sanctuary room for reiki and reflexology. Each lodging selected is described in specific “green” terms.
The book is thought-provoking, interesting, colorful and well-written. And it serves a useful purpose: celebrating and encouraging those who are helping to “go green” in Europe.
MEMORIES OF TIMES PAST: PARIS, ROME
PARIS AND ROME, THEN AND NOW. Thunder Bay Press, 5880 Oberlin Dr., San Diego, CA 92121-4794.
These four large format hardbound books, all published by Thunder Bay, bring excitement to history. Together, they capture the past and bring it into the present for the reader to hold and behold. It's an interesting concept and done well.
In Paris, Memories of Times Past by Solnage Hando, we're presented with 176 wide-screen pages of color, inspired by the pioneering 1909 color book entitled Paris. Each painting from Mortimer Menpes's original book has been reproduced and enlarged and each is placed with contemporary verbage with additional period maps, postcards and newspapers, and even railroad tickets. There's also informative narrative about Paris in the 20th century.
Menpes, born in Australia in 1856, was influenced by James McNeill Whistler, and his impressionist paintings present interesting studies of people and places. A man of many talents, Menpes was an artist, engraver, printer, traveler, raconteur and even a farmer.
In this work, some of his paintings include A Kiosk on the Boulevard, one of our favorite; Curiosity, showing a crowd gathering to see a rare “something” at a sidewalk stall; and Peeling Potatoes, a street scene of women preparing potatoes which they would sell to wealthier people.
This is a wonderful book; it will keep the reader looking and reading for quite a while. An introduction of Paris and a biographical sketch of Menpes begins the work.
Richard Bosworth in Rome: Memories of Times Past, follows the outline of Hando's Paris book, with works of Alberto Pisa's collection, a painter who exhibited in Venice, Bologna, Rome, Florence and Paris.
Pisa's style was of the Macchiaioli movement, sort of a forerunner of the French Impressionists. Pisa painted the outdoors to capture the natural light, shade and color. As in the Rome volume, there are dozens and dozens of fine paintings reproduced here, along with a wide variety of literature such as postcards, pictures, colorful maps, drawing that accompany the paintings.
Some of the paintings include St. Peter's, called by Mark Twain the “Monster Church,”; the Theater of Marcellus, which is still there today and has a good story to tell if it could talk; and the Arch of Constantine, originally built in 315.
In all, this is a well-conceived volume with wonderful graphics and text.
In Paris Then and Now, by Peter and Oriel Gaine, the reader is shown a number of vintage Parisian scenes, some of them very early (not all early photos are identified by year), and on the following page is a recent color photo of the same building, bridge, monument or area. It's a clever idea and well-executed: a 1898 photo of Place Saint Medard is shown with its present-day counterpart, and the accompanying text aptly describes the current “useage” of the same area. It's done well and is just the kind of comparison that will grab the reader.
This 144-page 11 x 10” hortizontal format will keep you captivated for hours.
In Rome Then and Now by Federica D'Orazio, we go on another journey—this time to ancient Rome—comparing old photos to present-day photography. I especially liked the Tiber Island photo, the 1865 photo of the square of Bocca dell Verita, the markets of Trajan and the Arch of Constantine, now complete with paving bricks instead of grass.
Good photography, interesting captions and good enameled paper which makes the photos “pop,” are a hallmark of this book. The reader realizes the slow transitions that change a city over time, but with this volume, they are magnified and explained. Sit back and relax as you see Rome's history in the making.
SCOTLAND AND ITS WHISKIES, BURGUNDY AND ITS WINES
By Michael Jackson, photography by Harry Cory Wright; and Nicholas Faith, photography by Andy Katz. Both books published by Duncan Baird Publishers, distributed in the U.S. by Sterling Publishing Co., 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810. www.sterlingpublishing.com
Here are two wonderful 9 1/2” x 8 3/4” softbound all-color books that together form a penetrating duo in your liquor library.
Scotland and Its Whiskies is 144 pages of delightful prose, punctuated with colorful scenes largely of rural Scotland that instill in the reader this thought: “what you taste when you raise the glass is the extraordinary landscape of that nation,” says Jackson.
Thus, when you're drinking a Scotch, you may not know that it's actually a type of whisky, but of course the Scots themselves know. This land has more distilleries than any other country, and the spirit's flavors are shaped by the landscape, says the author.
A first-class color map illustration locates Scottish distilleries and a brief but interesting half page of the book is devoted to a treatise entitled “How to Make Fine Malt Whisky.” The chapters describe the various Scottish landscapes, the people who live in them, and offer bits of “whisky heritage” such as “each distillation of a malt, and each cask, is slightly different in aroma and palate. Their proportions must be adjusted to ensure that the blend retains its character.”
The book describes distilleries: “At the foot of the road, the distillery itself is tucked into the hillside. It has great charm.” The photos of the scenery, as well as pictures like those on page 105 of the different casks at the Macallan Distillery, add a nice flavor to the book.
At the back of the book is a directory of distilleries, a description of the flavors in their whiskies, their address and even their telephone numbers. Sit down with a tall one as you savor the pages of this engrossing book.
In Burgundy and Its Wines, the reader is rewarded with descriptions of wines, the wine country, French culture, French history and stunning photography, like the photo that opens Chapter Three.
There is a map of the Burgundy area of eastern France, that encompasses five distinct regions. In this section we learn of the limestone shelves that make up the landscape, and we hear of the region's history and how nuns and religious orders controlled much of the wine-making areas years ago.
Soil variations, climates and people are featured in this 144-page dictionary of French wines. The pages even explain how vineyard owners seek out additional space: “...families tend not to be content with cultivating their original plots, but itch to have a few rows of vines in every possible appellation, so an individual's holding may be split between a serious hectare or so and an ouvree miles away.”
In Chapter Two, we learn “the slopes between Dijon and Beaune produce most of the truly great red wines of Burgundy.” Here the vineyards have names such as Close De Vougeot, Chevaliers Du Tastevin and Hill of Corton.
Pictures of peaceful villages similar to Monthelie, Volnay and Pommard dot the pages, and at the rear of the book the vineyards are all disected by owners, dates and the types of wines they produce. But not all vineyards are listed: that would take many more pages.
Pour your favorite burgundy, sit back and read this book.
THOMAS COOK EUROPEAN RAIL TIMETABLE. Winter 2009/2010.
Thomas Cook Publishing Company, Unit 9, Thomas Cook Business Park, Coningsby Road, Peterborough, United Kingdom PE3 8SB, www.thomascookpublishing.com. Distributed by Globe Pequot Press, 246 Goose Lane, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437. Price: $26.95.
Thomas Cook is famous for its rail information guides: the European Rail Timetable is a 544-page, 6 x 9 1/2” softcover book crammed---very crammed---with rail information.
Do you want to know about night trains in Europe, when and where they run?
Do you want to know where the train stations are--specifically--in Madrid, London, Dublin, Hamburg and, say Stockholm or Venice? Do you need to figure out how you get from the middle of Budapest to the Ferihegy Airport (answer: there are two to six trains every hour that run this 18 kilometer stretch)?
What is the difference between InterCity, Intercity Express and Regional Express trains? Is the Italian high-speed line between Torino to Salerno via Milano, Rome and Naples open yet? Will public holidays in European change train schedules? Are InterRail passes good on private railways?
You can find these answers in this book, which has been published now for more than 135 years, and is recognized throughout the world as the place to find out every conceivable piece of information you might need when traveling by train In Europe.
This edition appears in summer and winter, and is invaluable when you really need to plan your trip--whether for leisure or business--well in advance, and need to be extremely accurate about it.
The book even offers general travel tips on hotels (“the quality of cheaper hotel in Eastern Europe may be less than inspiring...”); luggage (don’t carry more than 60 liters for men); and miscellaneous ( “a couple of lightweight towels, small bar of soap, water bottle, travel electric adapter” are all items you may need to take along with you).
There are general notes given for each country that address rail passes, where to purchase tickets, tipping, general hours for stores and commerce, currency information, languages spoken, climate and more.
You’ll find such notes as, “All trains from Praha (Prague) to Brno and beyond now serve the main station,” and “Work to transform Wein Sudbahnhof (Vienna) into a new major through station to be called the Wein Hauptbahnhof has started and will take a number of years to complete,” helpful as well as interesting. If you’ve used these stations even once, you’ll appreciate news such as this, especially should you visit again. Railfans will likely find this type of information even more enlightening.
There is even a special section devoted to Scenic Rail Routes (excluding mountain or tourist railways), all isted by country. I see I have traveled on only two of the scenic routes in Germany--guess I’d better buy some more train tickets!
This tome is filled largely with hundreds of timetables, numerous rail maps, train times, train numbers and station names. Read the legends to understand each timetable and the symbols. The book covers Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
This is an impressive book, laden with detailed information you’ll not find anywhere else. I know I’d not want to be a proofreader for this large undertaking, but readers will like the specific knowledge this important book imparts. All aboard!
ROSETTA STONE - GERMAN.
Harrisonburg, VA. RosettaStone.com.
I've always been told that even if you know a few words of another language, it is benefical when traveling abroad. It helps because you have made some effort to learn another person's language; this creates a bond with them, and they know you're trying.
If you go abroad more than a few times, you'll really want to study the language more because you'll need it to get by; purchasing food, ordering a cab, hotel room or just getting directions can be trying if you can't speak the language. It helps to also want to learn the language, and finding an "easy" way to learn it will allow you to learn it quicker.
I had heard about Rosetta Stone (the name refers to the 196 B.C. creation of an ancient Egyptian stone called a stele which advanced Egyptian hieroglyphics; it was found by the French at Rosetta in 1799), and their ads indicated this was a quicker, more productive way to learn languages.
The German Rosetta Stone version comes in several CD's which can be inserted into your computer; instructions are pretty straightforward, and I set up my account and had the program running after about 25 minutes. The Home screen features an Introductory video, a Preferences section and a Get Help section. Part of the setup is a microphone that you speak into when pronouncing words and phrases--your words or phrases are "judged" on the spot and you continue you say them until you have them mastered; when mastered, you may continue with the lesson. At the end of each lesson you are graded on how you performed. The software also includes an Audio Companion you can use when you're away from your computer; you can use it on a CD player or download it on an MP3 player.
The lessons are broken into four segments: Language Basics, Greetings and Introductions, Work and School, and Shopping. Further, each segment is divided into four lessons which include pronunciation, vocabulary, phrases, speaking and conversation. Thus, in Unit 1, Lesson 3, under Vocabulary, you learn the difference between the German words blau (blue), weis (white), rot (red) schwarz (black) and other colors. As the lesson progresses, and you are comfortable with what these words mean, you are then shown these words in sentences: each step of the way is built from the previous steps you have studied. There are multiple answer questions, native speakers who you'll try to emulate and screens that ask you to produce phrases without help of a native speaker.
As an example of one of the lessons, you might be given a sentence such as "Das Auto ist weis" (the car is white), or "Der Apfel ist grun" (the apple is green). Then, you are shown pictures of the words you are learning; sometimes you have to match the words with the pictures, sometimes you must perform other matchups that stretch your mind. While you must study the lessons and be aware of how the lesson builds upon itself, I did not find the lessons boring, or too hard. I also didn't get 100% correct answers for all the lessons on the first go around. It did help that I had been to Germany a number of times and had some knowledge of the language, but I have never taken a German language course.
At the end of the lesson, you are given a percentage grade, just like in school, with the number of correct answers, the number of incorrect answers and how many questions you skipped. I found these grades to be a "reward" for my listening carefully and remembering what I was learning from lesson to lesson. At the end of each Unit, there is a Milestone test with a series of exercises to see how you're doing. I believe after a few times through the lesson, you could and should master these for a perfect or near-perfect score. With the microphone, you get to repeat words and phrases that will help you learn the correct pronunciations quicker. A complete guide which explains all the lessons and options that are included comes with the package, and taking some time to read this at the beginning will answer a lot of questions.
I found Rosetta Stone fun, helpful and challenging, all at the same time, and I'm anxious to keep at it until I can say more than the simple "excuse me" or "where is the toilet?" I want to be able to have enough command of the language to go to that "second level." With Rosetta Stone, I believe I've found a tool that will get me there.
GLOBETROTTER TRAVEL MAP OF VIENNA.
New Holland Publishers, www.newhollandpublishers.com. Price: $9.85 U.S.
This 39" x 27" "wide-screen" map offers an excellent overview of Vienna, that classy Austrian city of note. One side of the map shows the various old and new parts of the city, with yellow for the large thoroughfares. Of note is the Ringstrasse, which envelopes the old city and is the center of attention for most visitors. Also on this side of the map is a Calendar of Events, a legend and a list of streets. The other side of the map shows the Palace grounds at Schonbrunn, also gives a legend and offers an expanded view of a larger ring around the city.
SWITZERLAND WITHOUT A CAR.
By Anthony Lambert, published by Bradt Travel Guides, www.bradtguides.com. Price: $22.95 U.S.
I've been told that 97.5% of the Swiss people are within about a mile of public transportation. It's actually government-mandated, and having been in Switzerland a few times, I'd vouch for this statistic being fairly accurate. You could just about live at 8,000 feet up on a mountainside somewhere on a dairy farm and find that you can walk to a cable car that will take you down into the nearest village where an Intercity train will whisk you to anywhere you want to go. Or a steam-powered paddlewheel boat makes its daily rounds on a hard-to-reach lake, but once at the boat dock, you can catch a bus to the nearest town where a regional train will carry you to, say, Zurich.
This 356-page softcover volume was written by Anthony Lambert who has been visiting Switzerland since childhood and has written 14 books about railways and travel. "My love of Switzerland stems from childhood holidays," he says. "...I was captivated by the sheer scale of the mountain landscapes and ...enthralled by the character and number of mountain railways, cablecars and chairlifts."
Lambert begins by offering practical information such as when to visit, maps, health issues, information on disabled travelers, arts and entertainment. In the second chapter he gives a general overview of the Swiss travel system, indicating that Switzerland has the densest network of public transport in the world. There are 3,125 miles of state- and privately-owned railways--and 600 funiculars, cablecars, rack railways and chairlifts! Only Japanese railroads are used more frequently than Swiss railways.
Most of the rail equipment is operated by the Swiss Federal Railways--SBB,CFF or FFS, letters used for the railroad name in the three swiss languages. There are 65 private railway lines, all working together as a combined transport network.
Lambert tells about the special trains in Switzerland such as the William tell Express, Centovalli, Golden Pass, Glacier express, Bernina express and the Palm Express. He also devotes a chapter to walking and cycling. After that he breaks down the country region by region, although Zurich gets its own chapter; he chapter describes the region, highlights certain areas of each region and gives important facts about the transportation available in that region, with railways taking the front seat. he also offers overnight accommodation suggestions.
This volume is a work of love on Lambert's part; it'll come in handy for anyone wishing to break down and understand the Swiss rail network.
TUSCANY.
By Rebecca Ford, published by Footprint, 6 Riverside Court, Lower Bristol Road, Bath, England BA2 3DZ. www.footprintbooks.com. Price: $21.95 U.S.
Tuscany is one of Italy's best-loved regions, and author Ford has traveled extensively in this area, writing a 320-page softbound book on the subject.
She first introduces the region, offers a very quick overview of the area, gives a brief description of areas within the region, offers 20 things to do in Tuscany, breaks down the months and what happens in Tuscany during those periods, and talks about films and books on the region. Following that, she gives the history of Tuscany, tells about art and architecture, nature and the environment, tells about the festivals and events, entertainment and shopping.
In the Tuscany Today section, she says, "Tuscany still exerts a pull on the imagination that can make you throw caution to the winds." (Sounds like the author herself might move there?) In the book she includes such subjects as getting married in Tuscany, living with the past (Tuscany is "famously" conservative), and describes the various landscapes, animals and plants to be found there.
The 5 3/4" x 7" softcover book is well designed, contains numerous full-color pictures of the region, features many lists of useful websites and explains the many attractions and sights, transportation options, activities and tours, and eating and lodging accommodations. If I were heading out to Tuscany, this is the book I'd want to read first.
CLEAN BREAKS
Published by Rough Guides, www.RoughGuides.com. Price: $29.99 (Canada $34.99)
This book is subtitled, "500 new ways to see the world," and it presents almost 400 pages of unusual travel adventures and alternative vacation trips that are aimed at making a difference to the local people and the planet. Even if you are a seasoned traveler with many trips under your belt, you will find news ways to discover even the most well-trammeled areas of Europe, and the book goes far beyond the ordinary to suggest many exciting adventures across the globe. The book combines cultural sensitivity with practical advice, but it also serves as an excellent source of inspiration for travelers looking for a new way to explore their world.
FOOTPRINT CROATIA
www.footprintbooks.com Price: $19.95
Croatia is a country of spectacular natural beauty and cultural treasures. This Footprint guide provides thorough coverage of Zagrreb and inland Croatia, Istria, Kvarner as well as Dalmatia. There is practical information on where to stay, from hotel to pensions to adventurous "Robin Crusoe"-type accommodations on uninhabited islands and restored lighthouses. There is advice on sailing the beautiful, rugged coast, and descriptions of the best beaches. The book is illustrated with plenty of maps and photographs for help in planning an itinerary.
EUROPE BY EURAIL 2010
Published by the Globe Pequot Press www.globepequot.com
This 6 x 9" 544-page softbound is the best-selling guide to riding the rails in Europe. Packed with essential rail information, this hefty book is divided into chapters by country: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, and others. The book explains all about Eurail passes, how to use them and what to expect. The author goes beyond the technical details (although they are extensive) to discuss the abundant cultural and recreational opportunities available by rail. The book offers rail schedules and gives suggested rail tours. In addition long-distance travel, the book offers a guide to city/metro trams, undergrounds and buses, as well. This book is two pounds of good information.
FRENCH VINEYARDS. Bed and Breakfasts on wine-producing estates. By Patrick Hilyer. Distributed by the Globe Pequot Press, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437 800-820-2329 Price: $26.95 U.S.
Doesn't this book title even sound neat?
Who wouldn't want to stay overnight at a winery---I can just imagine a beautiful French chateaux with high wood beam ceilings, comfortable beds, gracious dining, and of course, excellent wines for dinner.
As Alastair Sawday says in the opening pages of the book, "We often find ourselves unable to admire whatever it is that lies beyond the great gate at the edge of the village. This is especially so in France, where many villages and towns have at their edge a mighty, or even a mini, chateau standing guard protectively over its precious hectares of vineyard. You can only get a tantalizing hint of what is there."
And so this book, which is divided into areas of France--Alsace, Burgundy and Beaujolais, the Loire, Bordeaux and Southwest, Languedoc-Roussillon and the Rhone Valley and Provence. Under each heading the editors list the places they chose to recommend: "There are no rules, no boxes to tick. We choose paces that we like and are fiercely subjective in our choices."
Each vineyard accommodation is pictured in color, even to the individual sleeping rooms and the common rooms, plus a listing of the varieties of wine produced at the winery and their cost, on average, per bottle. An example of a review: "Bedrooms here are on the south wing's ground floor and the three restrained chambers au chateau look out onto a tidy potager, a giant umbrella pine and the vineyards. Antiques add a stylish gravitas, and large comfortable beds are cozy with quilted, patterned spreads."
It continues, "Thirty-four hectares of vines surround the house--walk to the edge and you find a vast forest within are hidden chapels, ruined windmills and Romanesque churches." Each entry also shows, in color, a sample of the vineyard's label. This is a wonderful book, full of information and enchantment.
LONDON'S BRIDGES. Sterling Publishing Co., 387 Park Ave., South, New York, NY 10016. Price: $19.95.
This is a handsome 128-page all-color 7 3/4" x 10" hardbound describing the bridges of London that cross the Thames River--there are a total of 33 bridges that span the river over a 23 mile distance between Hampton Court Bridge to the west of London and the Tower Bridge in the east.
Twenty of the bridges are for road traffic, 10 are for railway traffic and three carry pedestrians only.
Each bridge has its own story to tell, from the time to was built to the present day, and authors Ian Pay, Sampson Lloyd and Keith Waldegrave have done an excellent job deciphering the intricate background of these structures.
Likely the most famous of these Thames bridges--the Tower Bridge and the London Bridge--are dutifully given their due in these pages. The Tower Bridge, with construction starting in 1886, employed five major contractors employing 423 workers, 57 of which lost their lives while building the bridge. Today you can take a tour of the bridge, which is even more stunning at night. The London Bridge, which was the first bridge over the Thames in London, was actually sold to a U.S. company and moved piece by piece to Arizona. The first stone London Bridge was built in 1176 and took 33 years to build. It was sold for 1 million pounds in 1968.
Excellent text and graphics accompanies each bridge entry in this book. It's a wonderful tribute to the bridges of London.
RICK STEVES' EUROPE—DVDS, and EUROPE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR. www.ricksteves.com
I first started watching Rick Steves 10 years ago when I happened across one of his television programs featuring Germany. I was fascinated by his thorough knowledge of the country and the particular section of Germany he was talking about. I've been a fan of Rick every since, and try to watch his many shows.
He has released a new set of travel DVDs that include 80 different shows with 40 hours of programming. The set contains 13 DVDs, including a 3 ½ hour bonus DVD with a 45-minute infomercial as Rick takes a tour with two dozen travelers, making their travel dreams come true. The DVD also includes a travel skills segment in which Rick gives tips on how to travel smart and safe, but on a budget, through Europe. It's here where Rick explains his view of “Europe through the Back Door,” as he likes to say. That means he'll show you how to experience Europe in a way that will not cost you a fortune, but will bring you a lifetime of vivid rememberances in spots not usually visited. Last, Rick enters the political arena, telling viewers how his European travels have helped shape his views of Europe, America and the world.
In the travel DVDs, Rick presents his 2000-2009 travel shows that were seen on television; I've seen many of them as well on the tube, but to have them accessible when you want them is a big plus. Let's say you've decided to go to Italy and you need to narrow your travel choices where to spend your time there. Rick presents 13 episodes of Italy—seven on Italy's cities, and six on Italy's countryside. Those tapes present 6 ½ hours of Italian programming you can view to help make your decision. With any European trip fairly costly, Rick's DVD travel tips are an economical way to make your travel decisions right from home.
In his half hour shows, Rick travels to a variety of locations, with emphasis on food, art, people, hotels, transportation possibilities, costs and safety. He's a laid-back type of guy who is easy to like: sometimes he can be quite funny, and at all times he's informative and easy to listen to. Short clips of him during the programs show him eating in a cozy European restaurant, talking to the owners of a hotel where he's staying for the night, chatting with a guide who adds more specific information about a location, or maybe riding a bicycle through Holland. When Rick wants to broaden an aspect of a place or attraction, he'll interview the owner, or he'll spend more time at a location, allowing his audience to soak in the ambiance of a place.
Rick keeps his comments brief, but to the point, so that by the end of the 30-minute program, you feel like you have a general knowledge of an area or a country. That takes a lot of groundwork ahead of time by him and his crew.
Besides the great photography and camera angles his film crew finds, slow or faster background music (as needed) keeps pace and enlivens the script, adding to the overall experience. When he takes his viewers to see the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, he and his camera give viewers a thorough tour of the chapel and feature its important chambers and levels, including its beautiful 13th century frescos. The combination of script, music and photography give viewers a lasting impression of this most-visited pilgrimage place.
At the end of each DVD, humorous outtakes leave the viewer laughing. “Thanks for joining us...I'm Rick Steves...until next time” is his last line in each program, which invites his viewers to come with him on his next journey. I know I'll be there.
(Rick's 80 shows include Germany, Austria, Holland, Amsterdam, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Italy, Scandinavia, Greece and Turkey, England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Eastern Europe, Spain and Portugal.)
“Europe is a bubbling multicultural fondue,” says Rick Steves. He should know; he's one of America's foremost European travel experts.
His accompanying 744-page 5 ½ x 8 1/2” softcover Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2009 ($21.95, published by Avalon Books, www.avalontravelbooks.com) is a Travel Skills Handbook, as he likes to call it, bringing together an astonishing mix of information and knowledge—so you don't have a long learning curve yourself. Rick is your teacher and guide.
The book starts off with a section entitled Travel Skills, which talks about gathering trip information, about itinerary skills, transportation, money, eating and sleeping overseas, a section called Travel Savvy (featuring ideas on staying healthy and outsmarting thieves), and special concerns (woman, people of color, seniors) and something called Perspectives, which suggests an “attitude adjustment” may be in order before you leave on your trip. In Part Two, Rick breaks down the different countries and what you can expect from each area of Europe and major cities, and what you might see there.
A nice color map opens the book, as does Rick's Travel Philosophy, which boils down to this: you don't need to spend a lot of money on a trip to Europe and you can still have fun, and you'll learn a lot by going there, so do it. Thus, Rick's “back door” philosophy—learn where to have fun in Europe and avoid the crowds.
The book's text, some of it in the first person (Rick), is written in easy-to-read language, with lots of accompanying charts, pictures and additional subhead stories that cover a multitude of travel areas. The “low-down” on cafes, hotels, such helpful tips as how to find a cab, what to see in Paris, how to get where you're going, highlights of museums and attractions, where to go for fun, descriptions of streets and back alleys, and historical perspectives of buildings, statues and art objects, are all covered.
This is a “must-have book” whether you've never been to Europe or you've been there 15 times. Rick's rich history with Europe has gone before you to take the kinks out of your journey.
PILGRIMAGES OF EUROPE AND JOURNEYS OF THE SUN KING, CHARLES DICKENS, CELTIC LEGENDS AND TO THE GODS. www.janson.com.
Pilgrimages of Europe is a series of 60-minute DVDs that explore the journeys that pilgrims make to sacred places throughout Europe, and the reasons behind these journeys. Europe is known for hundreds of thousands of people making long and arduous trips to visit various churches, cathedrals and sacred locations once or even several times a year.
In the first DVD, we visit Kevelare, Germany and Medjugorje, Bosnia. As many as 1,000 people each year visit Kevelare, where a wayside chapel stands that is said to be holy. Hendrik Busman, a merchant, heard mysterious voices in 1642 asking him to build this chapel, and the same day it was completed, the first pilgrims arrived to worship there. In Bosnia, pilgrims from every corner of the globe visit this small village because it is said the Virgin Mary appeared before two young girls in 1981. Later six youngsters also saw the vision.
In Croagh Patrick, Ireland, and in Iona, Scotland, pilgrims come to see the Croagh Patrick Mountain where it's said that in the 4th century A.D., the monk Patrick won a dispute with the druids whether he could fast on the mountaintop for 40 days and nights. He did, and lived, and today Saint Patrick remains Ireland's patron saint. In Iona, a quiet island off the western coast of Scotland, pilgrimages are made to study Christianity amidst the peace of this small island.
Other DVDs in this series show pilgrimages to Fatima in Portugal, Amsterdam in Holland, Santiago de Compostela in Spain and El Rocio also in Spain. The pilgrims are filmed as they march or ride toward their sacred locations, and many are interviewed about why they are there. These are interesting insights into this phenomenon.
LAROUSSE SPANISH AND ITALIAN POCKET DICTIONARIES. Distributed by Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Price: $6.95 each.
These handy, 4 1/8” x 7” softcover books will be appreciated by anyone just learning Spanish or Italian. I recently traveled to Spain, and didn't think to purchase a dictionary— fortunately a friend dropped a used one off to me two days before I boarded the plane: I was able to learn a few essential phrases before I left, such as “Where is the bathroom?” So these pocket guides can come in mighty handy!
Both books are small enough to fit in your hand easily, and thus they are great for flipping through the 392 (for the Italian) and 394 plus pages (for the Spanish). Both guides point out that they are designed for the two languages as they are spoken today; this means it's better to use these up-to-date guides than rely on one 15 years old. Languages change, and its a good idea to stay in tune with modern word useage.
The Italian guide defines 55,000 words and phrases and offers 80,000 translations of Italian words. The book is divided into English-to-Italian and Italian-to-English phrases; the same is true of the Spanish pocket guide.
The guides include many proper names and abbreviations, as well as a selection of the most common terms from computing, business and current affairs. I find these books useful, and their price point is extraordinary, or as they say in Spain, ”extraordinario.”
As with any language you're trying to learn, you'll want to travel to the country of that language to get the correct pronunciation. When you go, take along these pocket guides and use them often.
The Scotland Visitor Guide: The Ultimate Guide to Scotland's Attractions 4th Ed.
Globe Pequot Press, www.GlobePequot.com. Price: $21.95 (Canada $24.95)
This 7 x 9" full-color volume truly lives up to its title's assertion of being the "ultimate guide" to Scotland, and any traveler considering a hop across the pond to the United Kingdom would be well-advised to organize an itinerary with this book's suggestions in mind. The book offers a comprehensive look into Scotland's 14 regions, as distinguished by Scotland's Tourist Board, and illustrated in the guide's first pages. In addition to the listings of popular sights and destinations, it provides a brief, yet thorough, introduction to the cosmopolitan centers and countrysides of Scotland, which are enhanced by numerous photos and maps sprinkled throughout the volume.
It is well-organized, colorful and easy to read, with each destination's entry comprised of a few sentences about the site, its hours of operation, price for admission and a panoply of visual markers categorizing the destination (e.g. "Castle or Historic House" or "Ancient Monument," as well as the facilities, such as washrooms and gift shops). The entries also offer a reference number corresponding with the site's location on the book's accompanying maps for easier planning. The book also includes information on some of the region's most popular events for travelers, including the Highland Games and the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival.
Travelers who choose to use this volume for a trip, however, should make sure to pick up a separate guide for hotel and restaurant recommendations, as The Scotland Visitor Guide's emphasis is only on the timeless features of the country and does not offer tips on hotels or dining. Margaret Luther
