Blogs

by Nellie Huang

It was his obsession with adventure that brought him to the interior of what was then known as Spanish Sahara, an overseas territory of Spain. In 1930, Michel Vieuchange, a French adventurer, set out on his journey to the largely unexplored region known today as Western Sahara. He removed his gold tooth and disguised himself as a Berber woman to sneak his way into the unknown. His goal was to discover the ruins of Smara, a walled city that was built centuries ago and then aband

The name of Don Quixote is known around the world, even if the story behind the name is perhaps not so familiar. Written 400 years ago by Miguel de Cervantes, the novel describes the colorful adventures of Don Quixote of La Mancha, a retired country gentleman from the western La Mancha region of central Spain, who lives out a fantasy life based on the many romantic books he has spent his years reading. He battles imaginary enemies (famously including the windmills of La Mancha) and fights for t

by Nellie Huang

Spain, a Western European country rich in Mediterranean flavors and Arab influence, is actually a few countries packed into one. With its location in the southern end of Europe and just a hop away from North Africa, Spain serves as Europe’s link to the Arab world. This link has been running strong for centuries: With large swaths having been ruled by the Moors for centuries as al-Andalus (origin of the name of today's southern Andalusia region), evidence of Arab influence is st

by Andy Jarozs

In his 1999 documentary series Hemingway Adventure, Michael Palin, the Monty Python star turned traveler (no relation to Sarah, as far as we know), visited Cuba to see for himself the many places on the island that are associated with the famous writer. He even attempts to secure an interview with Fidel Castro himself; it’s too bad that Castro turned him down, as it would have been fascinating to hear the Bearded One’s memories of fishing and talking politics with his old equally

Since 2004, UNESCO has been promoting cities where literature plays an important role, including festivals and literary events and the existence of libraries and bookstores. Cities like Melbourne, Dublin and Edinburgh were given the chance to promote their local creative scene, as part of of being chosen as Cities of Literature. Trace the footsteps of some of world's most famous writers with our literary cities for 2012:

London, England: Hometown of Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens and many others

I'm so thrilled and honored that my novel, The Time Baroness, is Read of the Week! But is it a travel novel you ask? Well, Tripatini co-owner David Paul Appell and I batted that question around, and we agreed that though, no, it is not a travel book, per se, a novel about traveling to another era might just intrigue Tripatini members. To me, fantasizing about time-travel is about as good an escape as vacationing in some exotic locale. In The Time Baroness, the main character travels from the fut

I am absolutely over the top with the response from the Vagablogging reviewer for Rolf Potts. 

Linda Ballou’s Lost Angel Walkabout isn’t your standard collection of travel essays. At first impression it reads more like nature writing than anything else. Sure, most travelers are drawn to the scenic beauty of the countries they visit, or a powerful sea or desert expanse. However, Ballou brings an intelligent meditation to her travels in the wilderness. Her pages express a deep appreciation of natu

So every once a while, there's a story you really, really want to do. I have one coming up next month: I'm covering the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, England. The festival is held every year, but this year is a big one, as it's the 120th anniversary of Dame Agatha's birth. As a dedicated fan, I've read all the books, seen all the films and BBC programs. And now I'll get to visit Christie's home, see her manuscripts, typewriters, memorabilia--and the garden of poisonous plants used to knoc