This is not a guidebook telling you how to ride Lands’ End to John O Groats, but a detailed and honest personal account of the journey, made by a first-time cycle tourist
‘Inspired’, ‘enthralling’ and ‘stylish’ are just some of the words used to describe the first edition of Bearback. Now in paperback, Pat Garrod’s remarkable story is set to be discovered by even more travellers.. Imagine jacking it all in, packing your life into a 41-litre pannier and riding into the sunset. Bearback is the story of two GPs who did just that, downing stethoscopes to take off on their motorcycle, The Bear, to see the world. Across the deserts of Africa, over the mountains of the Andes, deep into the jungles of Indochina, and beyond the Arctic Circle; 100,000 miles through six continents and 64 countries. A circumnavigation of epic proportion and entirely unsupported, it was to become one of the longest journeys ever undertaken by a couple on one motorcycle, a journey destined to change their lives forever. ‘A remarkable journey. Searching, honest, uplifting’ – Sir Ranulph Fiennes ‘An inspired travelogue, dispelling the myth that remarkable journeys are out of your grasp’ – National Geographic Traveller ‘Belts along at a cracking pace. Stylish and good quality’ - RIDE ‘I didn’t want this enthralling book to end. If you only read one travelogue this year, make it this one’ – Real Travel, Book of the Month ‘We’ve all dreamed about it – quitting the job, packing up the house, and hitting the road for the adventure of a lifetime. Few do it, and even fewer do it as well as Pat Garrod’ – Travel Africa Magazine
Inspired by a life-long passion for travel, Stuart McMillan embarked on a journey of over 2,000km, crossing the continent from the Baltic Sea to the Balkan coast. The book provides personal observations and reflections on a fascinating world hidden for decades behind an Iron Curtain. It gives the reader a glimpse of how the history, culture, years of oppression and brutal wars have shaped these beautiful lands and the people who live there. Starting in Lithuania, a journey weaving through the beautiful and often mysterious Slavic lands all the way to Croatia - taking in Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It includes travelling in a 44-degree heatwave; taking a short-cut via Moscow; experiencing a chaotic sleeper train out of Ukraine; coping with the failure of all air-conditioning and lighting on a long-haul train down to Serbia; learning about the legacy of both Nazi and Communist oppression; and seeing first-hand the scars and re-built splendour of Sarajevo and Mostar following the recent brutal, and often forgotten, Yugoslav wars. As well as recounting the beauty of the countries and cities visited, and reflecting on the years of oppression and wars that shaped the landscapes and cultures, it also captures the emotions of travelling alone for weeks through foreign lands – the freedom to experience so much of countries hidden away from the world for so long; the reliance on internal narrative for company; and the bouts of homesickness that often conflict with the author’s love of travel.
A Foodie Afloat is the story of a cook’s journey through France on a barge. Di Murrell takes us on a gentle journey across France; her main preoccupation being to make sure that tasty food arrives on the table each day. As she voyages across the country she shows, through her recipes, how the cuisine changes with the landscape. Whether bought in the market, dug from a lock-keeper’s garden or even foraged along the towpath, the food she finds and cooks is always seasonal and local to the region. This book is more than just a collection of recipes though. It is the result of a life spent on the waterways of Europe. She talks to lock-keepers, skippers of working barges and those, who, like her, find their sustenance on or near the canal. Di’s enjoyment of good champagne, foie gras and truffles leads to an eclectic mix of simplicity and sophistication in her cooking. The boating life, though rarely sensational, is full of small events and chance encounters. This is an enticing story of slow boats and slow food. Di makes it come alive, and her combination of travel and recipe book tempts us to give up everything and join her on the waterways of Northern and Central France. A Foodie Afloat is the 2020 UK winner of the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards in the Food Tourism category.
In this journey of discovery, John Micklewright travels the slow way, on foot, on paths, tracks and byways from the Channel to the Alps – from the coast of Normandy to the flanks of Mont Blanc. The Opening Country is a beautifully written account of his progress through the French countryside, an evocative patchwork of landscape, nature, history, literature, film, and – drawing on his father’s diaries that stretch back to the 1930s – of memoir. Always curious, absorbing all around him, ready on a whim to divert from his chosen route as he heads unhurriedly southwards. The natural world unfolds as spring turns to summer with surprises of bird song and butterflies, against a constant background of reminders of the economic and social story of rural France and of wars past. The result is an engrossing record of a classic long-distance walk through Britain’s nearest continental neighbour. The Opening Country is a book to fire the imagination – a call to travel slowly, to open eyes and ears, to discover and explore.
This is the sixth of Terence Jenkins' successful series of idiosyncratic books about London and its inhabitants. The retired teacher, journalist and ex-London guide, gives another entertaining and informative collection of bite-sized chunks, which are perfect for a leisurely stroll around the capital. You may discover a London you never knew and meet people who will widen your horizons. Who was the Queen whose funeral was attended by thousands? What was one of the greatest of American crime-writers doing in SE 19? And who was one of Hitler's greatest fears? Read. Explore. Enjoy.
Greco Files is part memoir and part commentary. It traces the real-life experiences of a couple of retired British teachers as they fashion a new chapter in their lives in a Greek village as the 21st Century unfolds.
Neither Brian nor Sandra knew whether there was a longer palindrome than 'a man a plan a canal Panama', but they did know that the country in this palindrome was well worth a visit. Not only did it house a whole treasure-house of wildlife riches, but it also had that extremely well-known canal. Furthermore, it presented them with the opportunity to travel through this canal on a splendid catamaran with just a handful of other people. So, off they both went to discover for themselves what Panama held, and how far this isthmus nation matched up to their guide book's description. Was it all green and lovely or was it a bit more 'lived-in' in certain respects? Oh, and was that canal all it was cracked up to be? Well, A Man a Plan a Canal Panama answers these questions – and does a hell of a lot more. For example, it examines the hardships Brian suffered as a result of his being billeted in a giant Coke can and the discomfiture he endured from having to dance with a half-naked (full-breasted) girl. Then there is what others had to ensure as a result of his habit of sounding off about all sorts of stuff, including the devaluation of degrees and the raising of the voting age to thirty-two. And various other similarly unprejudiced ideas...
Strangers Like Angels chronicles the journeys of Alec and Jan Forman to far and distant lands as they embrace their pioneering spirit. Following adventures in Canada, Antarctica and the Sultanate of Oman they set off on the original gap year in the seventies. Travelling in their Land Rover, they use only a map and compass to navigate through the Sahara Desert and tropical rainforests in Africa, back to Europe and out to Asia via the Hindu Kush, and on to the Himalayas. They grapple with the realities of poverty and yet experience surprising hospitality and welcome from unlikely sources. In the confined space of their vehicle, Alec and Jan learn what it takes to support and sustain themselves and their relationship on an exciting and often harrowing journey. Exchange of news through airmail letters to and from England keeps them in touch with family matters. Beautiful photographs and illustrations with maps complement the text, taking the reader along on the journey with Alec and Jan. A light, entertaining read of a true story of adventures, travel and divine encounter, blended with winsome tales to delight the heart, Strangers Like Angels will appeal to fans of memoirs and travel books.
Not in That Car is the story of an Englishman who drove a thirty-two year old MG Midget car around the world, alone. Roy Locock travels across Europe and down to Southern India before circumnavigating Australia and following the Pan-American Highway from Argentina to Canada. Dismissing a Taliban attack as ‘not being personal’, he explains the intricacies of fording through Australia’s worst floods for 30 years and is badly shaken by an earthquake in Panama City. In between the driving, he takes the time to enjoy walking in the Himalayan foothills, crossing the Andes and trekking in the Rockies. During the trip, Roy and his MG Midget covered over 39 000 miles, through 27 countries and raised money for Unicef along the way. Roy’s safe arrival back in the UK was picked up and reported on by every major paper in the UK – as well as news agencies across the world. A highly readable account of an epic journey that will appeal to travellers and petrol heads alike.