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Book review: Writer explores England by kayak

As British writer David Aaronovitch points out in the introduction to his 2000 travel book/memoir, Paddling to Jerusalem, in the last few years writers have walked around England under the guise of just about every gimmick imaginable.

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Grenada + nutmeg: Inseparable

You’ll rarely find a place as passionate about nutmeg as the Caribbean island of Grenada. Islanders use the fruit’s sweet-smelling shells to build garden paths. Women in markets sell strings of nutmeg to intrigued tourists.

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Book Review: Three Cups Of Tea

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

For those of you who, like me, somehow missed this book when it first came out, here’s the scoop.

After a failed attempt to climb K2, Mortenson descends from the mountain ill and disoriented. He washes up in the village of Korphe in northern Pakistan, where villagers help him get better. He is grateful but isn’t sure how to  thank them properly, until he sees village children holding their lessons outdoors because they have no school. He promises to come back and build one.

Continue reading this article @ Facing the Street

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10 Of The World’s Best Ferry Rides

Earl's Cove to Saltery Bay / Photo by Laura Byrne Paquet

I’ve long been a fan of B.C. Ferries‘ scenic routes, ever since I took my first trip from Vancouver to Victoria (well, from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, if you want to get technical) over two decades ago.

My enthusiasm was rekindled earlier this month when I had the chance to hop aboard several ferries on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. The scenery rivalled almost anything you’d see from the deck of a pricey cruise ship. Just check out this view along the route from Earl’s Cove to Saltery Bay.

It turns out my fellow members of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) agree with me. The B.C. Ferries made SATW’s new list of the world’s top 10 ferry rides.

Read the list @ Facing the Street

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Book Giveaway – Wanderlust: A Social History Of Travel

It all started when I began wondering where passports came from. I pitched every magazine editor I knew on a story about the history of passports, but no one, and I mean no one was interested.

Fine, I thought. I’ll broaden the concept and make it into a book.

The history of passports eventually became a chapter in my book Wanderlust: A Social History of Travel. The book also answers such burning questions as “Why did 1930s stewardesses carry wrenches?” (Answer: Because the planes’ violent vibrations often shook loose the passenger seats, which were bolted to the floor.)

Back in the early days, just about all travellers “travelled like locals” – from the bureaucrat in ancient China who took 13 years to return from a government mission (partly because he married a local woman and started a family en route) to the medieval pilgrims who sought shelter in monasteries along the way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

So how do you enter to win a copy of the book?

Find out @ Facing the Street

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What’s Greener: Planes, Trains, Automobiles Or Buses?

Photo by Laura Byrne Paquet

According to a report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the greenest choice isn’t always the most obvious one. It all depends on where you’re going, what route you’re taking and how many people are travelling with you.

For instance, if three or more people are travelling together, driving may be more eco-friendly than flying, depending on the type of car (think Prius, not Hummer). However, if you’re travelling alone or with just one other person, a non-stop flight in economy class may be the greenest choice, particularly if you’re travelling farther than 500 miles (800 kilometres).

Continue reading this article @ Facing the Street