4 March is World Book Day (www.worldbookday.com), the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK and Ireland. Here’s our pick of must-read novels set in stunning destinations worldwide:
Stockholm: Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson
Millions of copies of Stieg Larsson’s nail-biting books about journalist Mikael Blomkvist and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander have sold worldwide. Stockholm features predominantly in the trilogy and it’s now possible to take a guided literary tour: see Lisbeth’s luxury apartment first-hand and take a stroll past the Millennium editorial offices, among other highlights.
Cuba: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway lived in Cuba for over 20 years and was enormously inspired by the island. Author of The Old Man and the Sea, he cultivated a reputation as a man larger than life: someone who could out-drink anyone and catch bigger marlin than a professional fisherman.
Venezuela: The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World was inspired by Mt. Roraima, the highest of the tepuis (flat-topped mountains) in Venezuela’s Gran Sabana. Set in London and South America, the book’s explorers find themselves in The Lost World, a vast plateau with sheer cliffs all around. See the 2,810m tall rock island for yourself and the mysterious shapes and shadows of Venezuela’s surreal Gran Sabana.
Egypt: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
First published in 1937, Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile challenges detective Hercule Poirot to solve a murder mystery onboard the paddle steamer SS Karnak.
Venice: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie’s much-loved sleuth, Hercule Poirot, is on the Orient Express when one of the passengers is discovered murdered. The train is stuck in snow and he has just a few hours to figure out the murderer’s identity. Perhaps not an ideal scenario for a holiday, but a nostalgic journey on the magnificent Orient Express is a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed.
Morocco: Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud
Hideous Kinky is an autobiographical novel by Esther Freud (daughter of Lucian, great-granddaughter of Sigmund) illustrating her hippy childhood in Marrakech in the 1960s. You’ll read this and won’t be able to resist the city’s mesmeric, magnetic charms.
Vienna: The Third Man by Graham Greene
Set in post-war Vienna, Graham Greene’s novel The Third Man is perhaps even better-known in its film format, starring Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles. A visit to the Third Man Museum will set the scene for a fascinating short break to the Austrian capital, where world-famous coffee houses, imperial architecture and impressive museums and galleries also await discovery.
Monaco: Monaco by Eric Morse
Enjoy the sportsmanship, glory and glamour of 1930s Monaco with this nostalgic historic novel by Eric Morse. Set against the background of pre-WW II Europe and Nazi Germany’s hold on motor racing, Monaco evokes the explosive world of the golden-age Grand Prix.
Cornwall: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier novels set in Cornwall have always been her most popular, perhaps because she made her home in and around Fowey – a pretty harbour town that tumbles from high on the hill right down to the water on the beautiful south coast.
Barga, a beguiling 10th century hilltop town, sits on the edge of Tuscany’s Garfagnana region, nestled beneath the towering peaks of the Apuan Alps and the Apennines. It’s a champion of ‘slow food’ – think locally grown porcini mushrooms, pecorino cheeses, sublime chestnut-inspired desserts, indulgent black truffles and leisurely lunches – but it sticks in my mind for an entirely different reason. Walking the sleepy, cobbled backstreets of this medieval town, I remember noticing a disproportionate number of fellow redheads. On further investigation, it would seem that Barga has very close ties with somewhere much closer to home…West Scotland to be precise. This Tuscan gem has a Scottish legacy that dates back to the 19th century when many of its inhabitants migrated to Scotland to escape poverty, often opening up ice cream and fish and chip shops. Nowadays, the flow of people has reversed and the town is home to a number of Scots. Barga even celebrates its strong ties with Scotland with La Sagra Del Pesce e Patate - the Fish ‘n’ Chip Festival which is held every August. Paisley singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini is also rumoured to appear at this sleepy town’s modest annual jazz festival – now I know why. Sarah Belcher
As Pancake Day only comes around once a year you can just about be forgiven for not diverging from the typical British pancake - topped with a dash of lemon juice, sprinkled with sugar and drizzled in golden syrup. Should you fancy mixing it up a bit this year, however, I’ve compiled some bizarre pancake ideas from around the globe:
Vietnam Banh Xeo – meaning “sizzling cake”, these savoury pancakes are stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp,and bean sprouts, and then pan fried. They’re then stuffed with mint leaves, basil and other herbs,wrapped in mustard and lettuce leaves, and finally dipped in a fish sauce.
Sweden Raggmunk - this is a savoury potato pancake fried in butter and served with thick slices of fried pork or bacon and lingonberries, no less. The more crispy and buttery the pancake is around the edges, the better it apparently tastes.
Japan Dorayaki - a sweet pancake filled with red bean paste. In Japanese, dora means “gong” and legend has it that the first Dorayaki were made when a samurai named Benkei forgot his gong upon leaving a farmer’s home where he was hiding. The farmer subsequently used the gong to fry the pancakes.
Thailand
Roti Gaeng Karee - this is a crispy pancake done Muslim-style, served with coconut-milk based curry and spices. If you like ‘em savoury, this one’s for you!
Korea Pajeon and Bindaetteok - we don’t know much about these, other than they’re made with seafood, chilli paste, and lots of vegetables. Possibly the healthiest pancake ever?
India
Dosa - made from rice and black lentils and traditionally from southern India, these thin crispy pancakes can be served with anything from chutney, Indian pickle, chicken, mutton or fish curry, depending on the region and taste.
Better than all of these, though, is Russia - where, thanks to Maslenitsa, I can enjoy pancakes for a whole week, guilt-free…
Pancake Poll We’ve also conducted our own pancake survey here at Travel PR Towers. It seems we’re a boring bunch. While the classic (and still fairly brilliant I would say) lemon and sugar combo won whisks-down, only a handful were brave enough to choose another topping…
As another eagerly-anticipated (?!) Valentine’s Day approaches, love has certainly been in the air at our St Margaret’s offices. So, whether you’re the type to need a reinforced letterbox for all those cards and presents this weekend – or are more likely to be found browsing microwave meals for one in Waitrose (sob) – we hope the following personal anecdotes warm the cockles of your heart. Names withheld to spare our blushes…
Where’s the most romantic place you’ve ever been?
• “Watching the sunset over the Tuscan hills and the red tile roofs of Florence from the top of the Duomo. Breathtaking, just like the stairs”
• “The 16th floor Gaja Sky Bar at the Swissotel, Istanbul, sipping cocktails while overlooking the Bosphorus. Bliss.”
• “As new (ish) parents…sheltering together in the pouring rain under a kagool, eating chocolate biscuits on the deck of the Isle of Wight car ferry to Cowes for our first weekend without the kids. As we huddled under the plastic, the storm passed over, a beautiful bright light cast over the water and seagulls swooped down to eat the biscuit crumbs.”
• “Enjoying the soft air, sweet spicy smells and exotic sounds of the busy Jamaa El Fna Square as we gazed down from the haven of our Marrakech riad rooftop cafe.”
• “Wintertime in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. It’s at its most romantic at night, the stars twinkle overhead, the temperature is a few below zero, snow is falling and the steam envelopes everyone and everything. Its milky blue waters gently lap in the breeze and soothes tired limbs - it feels like your own private oasis. Hard to beat for an unforgettable experience.”
• “On a trek in Nepal, just outside Kathmandu, emerging from thick cloud to see the smoke rising from a beautiful Tibetan monastery - set against a snowy high mountain backdrop, with birds of prey circling languidly overhead and the distant sound of Buddhist drums. As we staggered breathless up to the monastery, there were hundreds of coloured prayer flags fluttering in the wind, a line of prayer wheels and then the wonderful bright orange robes and happy smiling faces of the monks.”
• “In London, you can dine at all the rooftop restaurants, cross all the bridges and stroll all the parks you want – but I’d dispute that any of those experiences comes close to matching the magic of a day on Hampstead Heath with your partner. The ideal scenario is this: choose a hot day and arrive during the peak of the heat. Dip in the mixed pool, then amble, arm-in-arm, up to higher ground for a lavish picnic overlooking London’s cranes, spokes and spires. After the pickled onions and prosciutto are all gone, bring out a blanket, and cuddle down as the sun slips away. A nice bottle of wine doesn’t go amiss, either.” (Nor breath mints, presumably, after this particular love picnic?!)
• “It’s cheesy I know, but my best Valentine’s day was spent in picture perfect Paris. A morning spent at the magnificent Musée D’Orsay, an afternoon spent strolling hand-in-hand along the Seine with no agenda, and an evening at a gorgeous little bistro in bustling St Germain de Prés. For me, Paris remains one of the most romantic cities in the world – its charming pavement cafés, picturesque cityscape, fantastic museums and indulgent food are still a winning combination when it comes to wooing your loved one.”
• “Catching the last little boat back from Bryher to St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly after a magical day of autumn sunshine, spent meandering around the island and enjoying a delicious lunch of freshly-caught shellfish, washed down will a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc. I can honestly say I’ve never felt so relaxed and at peace. The seals we saw from our dinky vessel seemed to be enjoying the occasion too!”.
• “For me, it has to be Amed, a collection of small villages on the north east coast of Bali that’s so off-the-beaten track, I doubt we would have ever found it without the freedom and flexibility of a scooter. Dependent on salt-making and fishing rather than tourism, we woke every morning at sunrise to find the calm, big blue bay (no Kuta waves here) filled with hundreds of colourful sails as the double-outrigger fishing boats gliding back to shore with their catch. Silent and sublime.”
• “Lit each night by hundreds of hand-dipped candles, for breathtaking romance, it has to be the Hotel Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua, the old colonial capital of Guatemala. Dramatically overlooked by the brooding cones of three volcanoes, the former Dominican convent and church is an absolute delight. I burst into tears when we were shown our room – it was so lovely and individually designed, filled with lots of local touches. The perfect place to propose would be over dinner amidst the ruins of the old stone walls – very private and romantic, lit by candlelight but in the open air. You can also get married in the main church of the hotel – a good reason to return!”
• “Being rudely awoken at four in the morning by the honking and shouting of an impatient tuk tuk driver may not seem like it would signal the start of a romantic sojourn but Cambodia is full of surprises! Bouncing up and down along winding roads in complete darkness I wondered if I was mad, but all doubt dispersed when we arrived at Angkor Wat, the best-preserved temple at this awe-inspiring 12th century complex. We made our way to the ponds in front of the temple and took position for the sun rise, the sky turned from inky black to purple, pink then orange - particularly beautiful was the reflection of the temple in the water by my feet.”
Mark Carwardine, the wildlife presenter, amused the audience at last year’s Paul Morrison Guide of the Year Awards, run by Wanderlust magazine, at the Royal Geographical Society. He courageously sat on stage with interviewer Derek Moore (AITO’s Chairman/Founder Director of Explore) while a clip of a parrot trying to mate with his head appeared on the (very big) screen above him. The parrot had taken a fancy to Mr Carwardine while he was filming a BBC “Last Chance to See” series with Stephen Fry.
Now we learn, courtesy of The Daily Telegraph, that New Zealand has appointed the kakapo, a rare parrot just back from the brink of extinction, as its ‘spokesbird for conservation’. What a hoot! (Or should it be what a squawk?)
I’ve collated various tips for hot travel destinations in 2010, and displayed them all, with explanatory description, in one Google Map. Click the grab below to go through to the map itself - and enjoy! Richard.
Earlier this year I spent five months working in a tourist office in the South of France. Before starting I really wasn’t sure quite what to expect, and was by no means ready for the stream of strange and curious questions which would end up coming my way. Nothing had suggested that the tourist office would turn out to be a general information office or that the majority of ‘tourists’ would, in fact, be local residents.
People seemed to see us as having a variety of functions. A particularly memorable question came during my first week when a middle-aged lady came in to ask where she could buy a canary. Thinking there must be a misunderstanding and blaming my rusty French, I double checked that it was a little yellow bird that she was after. It was. She was not alone in viewing us as a sort of shopping advisor, and weeks later I was asked for the whereabouts of a shop selling wine bottle corks, and one which stocked books on witchcraft.
To other people we were more of a meteorological office. An old man once wanted to know the precise timings of the forecasted rain in order to schedule when his wife could hang out her laundry, and fairly late into spring I was questioned on the closest place with snow.
Numerous occasions saw us being mistaken for a travel agent and being asked to book flights to Madrid or on the best way to get to Ibiza. Another favourite was when a clearly very local couple came and asked whether there was a time difference between where we were, and the north of France. You really never knew what was coming next!
Perhaps people had reason to come in with strange requests. It’s true that along with the town maps you might expect to receive in a tourist office, we could provide maps and guides to any EU capital, to most French ski resorts and to France’s various overseas départements and territories.
It’s worth remembering, and next time you find yourself in France with a tourist office nearby, you really can go in and ask quite literally anything. Helena Hamlyn.
Inspired by David Whitley’s great effort, we at Travel PR have decided to create our own festive brainteaser - because everyone loves a Christmas quiz. See how well you do, and please let us know - 25 marks up for grabs. Answers after the festive picture, below.
1. How many islands make up the Faroes?
2. Where is the biggest carpet in the world found?
3. How do peppercorns grow?
4. Paris is famous for its arrondisements – but how many are there in total?
5. London is almost exactly due north from which West African capital – A) Accra, B) Yamassoukro or C) Monrovia?
6. In Marrakech, a popular thing to buy in the souks are ‘babouches’. But what are they?
7. Which classic London landmark is famously afforded an uninterrupted view from King Henry’s Mound in Richmond Park – A) St Paul’s Cathedral, B) Big Ben or C) Canary Wharf?
8. In which UK county could you sample Star Gazey pie, an acquired taste featuring fish heads and tails peeping out from beneath a pastry crust?
9. Everyone’s heard of the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – but what are the Little Five?
10. Where is Portugal’s highest peak located?
11. What is the French meaning of ‘Marmite’?
12. On which island in Greece is Icarus said to have flown too close to the sun and melted his wings?
13. In Morocco, what kind of trees do goats climb?
14. Which is the most-visited country in the world?
15. Where is the highest dune in the world?
16. Which town in France where 10,000 German soldiers were killed by Allied forces in 1944 was also the birthplace of William the Conqueror?
17. Which two countries in the Middle East are planning a causeway between them which will be the longest fixed link in the world?
18. Which village in Ireland was once the centre of the flying boat world in the 1930’s (as the main stopping off point between Europe and N.America) and is also reputed to be the home of Irish Coffee?
19. What is the last divided city in the world?
20. Which European principality could fit into an area the size of Hyde Park?
21. What is the most northerly capital city in Europe?
22. Can you name the capitals of England’s three World Cup Group C opponents - Algeria, the USA and Slovenia? (A point for all three; half a point if you get two)
23. Which country this summer changed the side of the road on which it drove, moving from the right to the left after 100 years?
24. Which is taller – the Statue of Liberty or the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, in Rio?
25. And in which country is the tallest statue in the world?
1. 18 – located between Scotland and Iceland, they are Danish.
2. The new Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi. It took 1200 women in Iran 18 months to make, and was completed in situ. Even experts can’t tell where the joins are.
3. On a creeper a bit like ivy, which grows up a tree. The peppercorns dangle down like exotic earrings.
4. 20
5. A) Accra
6. Slippers (shoes is acceptable).
7. A) St Paul’s Cathedral
8. Cornwall
9. Leopard Tortoise; Rhinoceros Beetle, Ant Lion, Buffalo Weaver, Elephant Shrew.
10. On Pico, a tiny island in the Azores
11. A cooking pot (or stew pan) – there is a picture of one on the Marmite label.
12. Ikaria
13. Argan trees
14. France – though Irish visitors are expected to be scanter in 2010.
15. In Peru’s Sechura desert
16. Falaise, in Normandy
17. Bahrain & Qatar
18. Foynes in County Limerick
19. Lefkosia (formerly Nicosia) in Cyprus
20. Monaco
21. Reykjavik
22. Algiers; Washington DC; Ljubljana
23. Samoa
24. The Statue of Liberty, 46m to The Statue of Christ the Redeemer’s 38m
25. China – the 128m Spring Temple Buddha in Henan
My friend Katy Regan and I went on our second mini-break recently. Mini-break number one was to Barcelona in the summer of last year, this time we decided to take in Tallinn. In both cities we did hours of walking but Tallinn by comparison is much, much smaller and more compact than Barcelona and easier to navigate around, although I wish I hadn’t insisted on wearing heels all the time – not the best choice of footwear for cobbled streets, stylish but silly.
Luckily for my feet we took lots of minimini-breaks within our mini-break and stopped off for many hot chocolates. And when I say hot chocolate it really is chocolate – made from melted chocolate, thick and gloopy. Sensibly, when we visited the Chocolaterie Cafe in the tucked away courtyard off Vene street, we stuck to just eating chocolate – white, dark, chili, nutty, fruity plus a piece of (savoury) quiche thrown in - rather than eating and drinking chocolate, that would have been greedy. We sat (and ate) in the softly lit, cosy establishment, furnished with comfy sofas, velvet throws, burgundy tablecloths and tassled table lamps for quite a while – a great setting for writing one’s novel, Katy said (her second – we’re so proud – the first one is called ‘One Thing Led to Another’).
The first chocolate drink was consumed by the Mayans over 2,000 years ago – cocoa beans were ground and mixed with water, cornmeal and chili peppers.…….today there is a multitude of hot chocolates all around the world. You have the really thick cioccolata densa in Italy, Mexican hot chocolate made from semi-sweet chocolate, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla, there are particular brands of breakfast hot chocolate in France and a pudding-like consistency is traditionally favoured by the Spanish. Here in the UK, similar to the US, a thin version consisting of cocoa powder, sugar and dry milk made with hot water is prolific – in Starbucks you can get a ‘skinny hot chocolate’ – no fun hot chocolate, that’s what I call it and nowhere near as satisfying as the buttery liquid dessert we enjoyed at the New Art Museum Kumu in chic Tallinn, made directly from a bar of chocolate. I consumed 1.5 of these gluttonous treats, Katy just 0.5.
So where in the UK can you find equally decadent delights ? Coco Chocolate in Edinburgh produces a luxurious selection of organic chocolate and offers the delectable drink with high cocoa content and all of the necessary cocoa butter, the West Winds Yorkshire Tearooms serve frothy Green and Black’s hot chocolate, with milk, there’s the nationwide Hotel Chocolate whose motto is ‘Less sugar, more cocoa’ or if you pop into Travel PR, we can offer you a mug of hot chocolate, thanks to Galaxy! Mika Bishop.
For somebody who has never watched a live cricket match, never mind played it, it was a brave step to attempt my first cricketing appearance against a crack Indian outfit at the AITO conference in Cochin, Kerala, last Friday. All the more so when I saw how fast the first few deliveries whizzed by our opening batsmen.
Every year at the AITO Conference, Steve DaCosta from Sports Tours Ltd lays on a sporting challenge where we play a local team. Playing the Spanish at football and the Indians at cricket is a wonderful occasion but to stand any chance of winning a game, we need to be playing the Spanish at cricket and the Indians at football.
The famous pink cricket ball
As somebody who has played a range of sports, cricket has always appeared to be a sport that seemed slightly pedestrian. Hurling, with 15 other mad Irishmen chasing you with sticks and trying their best to beat the living daylight out of you, was a slightly livelier prospect. However, despite my sporting nous, I was dispatched to the outfield as a fielder, facing the batsman at approximately five o’clock on the field; somebody more knowledgeable than I can tell me what position that’s called! The first ball that came my way went over my head like a rocket, on its way into the Indian sky, as everyone shouted “catch it, catch it”. Easy for them to say as firstly, I barely saw it, secondly, I’m not ten foot tall and thirdly, I value my fingers a bit more than sticking them in front of a missile travelling at 80 mph. Still the next ball to come my way was far more manageable, a nice height, not too fast and as it approached I imagined the cheer of the crowd for this cricketing rookie, the appreciative drinks that would follow as I was constantly slapped on the back and congratulated for being a natural. As it fell down to earth, I was perfectly positioned and it sailed into my hands, a perfect catch but the momentum of the ball caused me to trip on the boundary, fall on my backside and I ended up over the other side of the rope, gifting the Indians a six. Slaps on the back did not follow although slaps of a different kind were now more likely to follow.
Batting was a going to be a doddle; I’m pretty handy at tennis and how to drive a hurling ball (sliothar to those who want the technical term) ninety metres down a pitch. As I expected this to be my one and only cricketing experience I intended to take a swipe at anything that came my way and send the errant bowler all around the ground. The moment came as I faced my first ball and as it slowly left his arm I panicked. I connected and the ball was hit 20 feet into the air, but sadly only three feet in front of me into the grateful arms of a fielder. My batting career had lasted one ball and twenty seconds, far from a glorious innings. Still, I had the consolation of being one of the first people ever to play with the new pink cricket ball, courtesy of Colin Gibson at the ECB and for seeing the happiness on the opposition’s faces at their victory.
My first cricketing experience was thoroughly enjoyable and a wonderful sense of camaraderie between both teams was apparent. Although I never expected to play cricket for an English team in India, I can’t wait for the next time to make amends for my dismal performance and rescue my reputation. Ian Bradley
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Heavenly hot chocolate in Estonia
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009My friend Katy Regan and I went on our second mini-break recently. Mini-break number one was to Barcelona in the summer of last year, this time we decided to take in Tallinn. In both cities we did hours of walking but Tallinn by comparison is much, much smaller and more compact than Barcelona and easier to navigate around, although I wish I hadn’t insisted on wearing heels all the time – not the best choice of footwear for cobbled streets, stylish but silly.
Luckily for my feet we took lots of minimini-breaks within our mini-break and stopped off for many hot chocolates. And when I say hot chocolate it really is chocolate – made from melted chocolate, thick and gloopy. Sensibly, when we visited the Chocolaterie Cafe in the tucked away courtyard off Vene street, we stuck to just eating chocolate – white, dark, chili, nutty, fruity plus a piece of (savoury) quiche thrown in - rather than eating and drinking chocolate, that would have been greedy. We sat (and ate) in the softly lit, cosy establishment, furnished with comfy sofas, velvet throws, burgundy tablecloths and tassled table lamps for quite a while – a great setting for writing one’s novel, Katy said (her second – we’re so proud – the first one is called ‘One Thing Led to Another’).
The first chocolate drink was consumed by the Mayans over 2,000 years ago – cocoa beans were ground and mixed with water, cornmeal and chili peppers.…….today there is a multitude of hot chocolates all around the world. You have the really thick cioccolata densa in Italy, Mexican hot chocolate made from semi-sweet chocolate, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla, there are particular brands of breakfast hot chocolate in France and a pudding-like consistency is traditionally favoured by the Spanish. Here in the UK, similar to the US, a thin version consisting of cocoa powder, sugar and dry milk made with hot water is prolific – in Starbucks you can get a ‘skinny hot chocolate’ – no fun hot chocolate, that’s what I call it and nowhere near as satisfying as the buttery liquid dessert we enjoyed at the New Art Museum Kumu in chic Tallinn, made directly from a bar of chocolate. I consumed 1.5 of these gluttonous treats, Katy just 0.5.
So where in the UK can you find equally decadent delights ? Coco Chocolate in Edinburgh produces a luxurious selection of organic chocolate and offers the delectable drink with high cocoa content and all of the necessary cocoa butter, the West Winds Yorkshire Tearooms serve frothy Green and Black’s hot chocolate, with milk, there’s the nationwide Hotel Chocolate whose motto is ‘Less sugar, more cocoa’ or if you pop into Travel PR, we can offer you a mug of hot chocolate, thanks to Galaxy! Mika Bishop.
Tags: AITO, Barcelona, comment, Edinburgh, Estonia, holidays, hot chocolate, SPain, Starbucks, Tallinn, travel, travel pr, www.aito.com, www.travelpr.co.uk, “Association of Independent Tour Operators”
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