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Has a book ever inspired you to travel?
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The last big trip I took (thanks to a book) was not to a remote or undiscovered place. I was debating about visiting Florence last fall and was leaning to not going because I came across so many blogs and comments in travel forums that focused on how crowded it was and how much that detracted from the beauty of the city. Actually, most of what I read was really negative. Then I came across Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom. Her book paired with advice from a hardcore traveling friend changed my mind and I traveled (solo) to Florence last October. It was my first time to the city and while it was indeed very crowded, I still found the city utterly enchanting, the architecture completely moving, and a sort of kinship with the masses who were there marveling at the beauty you find on every street corner. I'll never forget the minute I first saw sun glinting off the the Duomo, the magnificence of that cathedral brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you for the recommendation—I love Florence, and I will now have to read this book.I had ached to visit Florence ever since studying Renaissance art in college, so when I finally got there a few decades later, I was surprised at how small and bustling it was. Jet lag and arriving by train did not help—the train from Venice was so quiet and empty, but as soon as we got off, whoosh! People everywhere and no room on the cobbled narrow sidewalks for us and our suitcases. You could say it was one of my worst first travel impressions ... but luckily, we chose a wonderful boutique hotel with a rooftop wine bar looking out at the the Duomo, and we had seven wonderful days eating and drinking incredibly well and soaking up all the art and culture and language we could. Of course I must go back—I overdosed on the art and forgot about the literature, other than eating dinner in the alley behind Dante's house!
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I love that! I remember hearing about that book when it came out but had totally forgotten about it--now I am definitely more curious to read it. I'm a huge fan of solo travel.
There are some really great quotes and thoughts about solo travel that reminded me of why I'm so drawn to it. Also, the book is divided into four sections. In addition to Florence, Rosenbloom covers Paris (in Spring), Istanbul (Summer), and New York in Winter. The NYC section is great because it's her home, but she focuses on rediscovering it as a "hometown tourist."
Sara wrote: "We've talked about this a lot at AFAR, but I'm curious if any of you have been moved to travel thanks to a book you've read?A book I recently finished and that has sparked my curiosity to visit R..."
Thanks for sharing Sara! I have added that to my want to read list, which is constantly growing from all the recommendations in this group!
I finished A Gentleman In Moscow recently and felt the same way. I had never really put Russian on my bucket list, but after reading about the city of Moscow in particular and the changes the city, businesses, and the population who lived there experienced over decades, my interest is now peaked!
Kerry wrote: "There are some really great quotes and thoughts about solo travel that reminded me of why I'm so drawn to it. Also, the book is divided into four sections. In addition to Florence, Rosenbloom cover..."Kerry - Thanks for the recommendation! I will definitely be picking up this book this summer!
Girl at War by Sara Novic; I read this book while visiting Croatia and Slovenia so that much more impactful to see the bullet holes near many building windows, the bombed buildings but them also got to see the recovering taking place in these countries, the people carrying on nobly and proudly. Highly recommend reading it about girl who lived through the war there, moved to U.S. but had to go back to recall her past
Every travel book Paul Theroux has written inspires me to travel farther, deeper, more often.
Maureen wrote: "Girl at War by Sara Novic; I read this book while visiting Croatia and Slovenia so that much more impactful to see the bullet holes near many building windows, the bombed buildings but them also go..."Thank you so much for this recommendation! I spent a week in Slovenia last fall and fell in love with the people, which also made me very curious about their rich history. I just put this on my list!
Interestingly enough, I was going to post earlier that my trip to Slovenia was indeed inspired by something I read, but not a book. It was a 2006 article in the late Gourmet Magazine. At the time I read it, my eyes kept getting bigger and bigger—castles? Caves? The mixing of at least four cultures from the border countries of Austria, Italy, Hungary and Croatia? The resulting food!?! I knew that someday I would go there; I was determined to find a way.
Sure enough, in fall of 2019, my partner and I spent a week in Venice and then headed to Slovenia by train and bus. It was even more fascinating than the article promised, of course, because it’s living, breathing, changing. Just the other day, I found that old article and read it out loud to my partner. I was disappointed—nothing we saw or experienced was in those words at all.
I am amazed at the power of an article to propel me to a place that is far more interesting than it said—and yet what it said was more than enough to get me there. That is miraculous.
TR wrote: "Every travel book Paul Theroux has written inspires me to travel farther, deeper, more often."My dad and my brother have long touted Theroux, but I finally read his novel, “Hotel Honolulu” this year. It was brilliant, fascinating, disturbing—“Deep South” is next, then “Figures in a Landscape.”
Alison wrote: "Maureen wrote: "Girl at War by Sara Novic; I read this book while visiting Croatia and Slovenia so that much more impactful to see the bullet holes near many building windows, the bombed buildings ..."so True Alison; will have to look up Theroux books.
A book I recently finished and that has sparked my curiosity to visit Russia is Disappearing Earth. The story itself is complex and pretty heavy, but the novel was set in a part of the country that we don't normally hear about (the Kamchatka Peninsula) and that piqued my interest.