I hope you’ve all had a good start of the new year. I know that’s challenging when we see COVID-19 numbers surging and don’t even get me started on what was going on at the Capitol last week. Good grief. I have not been making a lot of progress in my reading but that’s because work was busy and I was kind of hooked on the news. But, really thank goodness for books that take us away from all of this. I have been greatly enjoying one of my reads and wanted to share a bit about it.
“Tut, tut! Miss Lucy! I hope we shall soon emancipate you from Baedeker. He does but touch the surface of things. As to the true Italy – he does not even dream of it. The true Italy is only to be found by patient observation.”
Founded in 1827, Baedeker was a German publisher who pioneered the business of world travel guides. They offered practical advice for travelers, including detailed maps and a star-rating for hotels, restaurants and cultural sights.
This line made me remember my first trips to Europe and how much I’ve changed as a traveler since my first trips. Not just because now we can rely on finding a lot of information online and you don’t need a fold-out map when you are touring a city, but while I do love to go and see the important sites in a new city, I also enjoy going off the beaten path and finding my own places. As you know, one of the things I most enjoy doing is visiting bookshops in foreign countries. I also love stationery and art supply stores, antique stores and libraries. I think it’s so important to take time and really experience the place where you are at. I know that is often complicated because of course time and money.
Bolzano, Italy, 2012
But, I completely understand how much Lucy and the other characters in this novel rely on those Baedeker guides. I believe my first guidebook was a Fodor’s and then I found Lonely Planet guides which were much more my style. When I started traveling in the early 90s I had to rely on these to get the most of my trips. How I remember packing my backpack with the travel guide, books, travel journal, a Minolta and 10+ rolls of camera film.
Now I no longer take a guide because I save all the information I want to checkout on my iPhone. My backpack is downright light nowadays as it just holds my Kindle, a light jacket, lip balm and of course my travel journal.
The way I travel has really changed and I’m sure it now feels so different as I’ve traveled many times to Europe. Of course who knows what travel will be like once we are over the pandemic but the one thing I know I’ll always hope for is that whatever B&B, apartment or hotel we stay in that we will always have a room with a view.
Tell me if you enjoy traveling and if so, what’s one thing that you’ve noticed has changed for you over time.
Hoping to do some traveling this year, but I doubt it will be in Europe. I do hope to see another Fringe Festival in Edinburgh at some point in the future. How about the snow in Austin? We got some heavy, wet stuff, but it is already melting.
We’re hopeful that our ’40th’ anniversary trip will happen at some point – maybe this summer. And, as Jenclair says, how about that snow? We got several inches and boy was it beautiful. Loved it and especially loved the fact that it came with so little ice and sleet (maybe none). Now that’s how to do snow….LOL!
Great post! What has changed are the airports. Before 9/11, if I was late, I could run to catch the plane. No TSA, no guardrails, etc.
Love this post! Travel in general has changed so much over the years, especially since 9/11. For me personally, I stay in nicer hotels than I did in my 20s and 30s, lol!
I love this post, Iliana. I love it when books draw out memories like this. I enjoy traveling but haven’t done much of it, admittedly. It’s been so long since I have traveled anywhere outside of our usual haunts–to visit my mom or my in-laws before they moved. I know that when my mom, Mouse and I went to Pennsylvania and relied on our phones to map our way it was quite different from the days when we used Thomas Guides and regular paper maps to get around. In fact, my mom had brought a regular map to use and kept pulling it out. I had to show her how to use her phone to get places. It’s so much more convenient. Although, when we were in Rochester, New York at one point, the phone kept giving us the wrong directions. The paper old fashioned paper map came in handy then!
With our current situation, I wonder when we’ll get to travel again and although we’re now in phase 3 and many businesses have seemed to resume their business, I’m still sceptical about some places, e.g. hotels, cruises and yeah, planes. I think it’ll still take me a while to visit such places even if all are cleared. Onto another note, I love visiting bookstores and libraries in a foreign country, too! It’s always interesting to see their setups as well as their culture. 🙂
I really miss traveling. We don’t even travel that much but we had just couple of years ago, decided to start visiting places in Europe, We only made it to UK before the virus changed things but hopefully, we can pick back up soon. That’s a beautiful picture! The guides I’m most obsessed with are subway/tram/bus routes. It’s weird but that obsession started when I was once a frequent traveler to NY and the subway maps were key. Since they, I make a point of studying the maps in whichever place we are in that operates an intricate public transportation system. You can imagine how crazy I went with this when visiting London, lol!
You have a travel journal! That sounds lovely, and something I never remembered to do when I was traveling. But one thing I do remember to take nowadays is my selfie stick — not to click my own photos (only), but because the selfie stick gives me a better camera view for landscapes. And it also reminds me to take pictures, because I get so lost in the landscape and the chatter around me, I forget to take pics! Sheesh.
Jen – I’m beginning to think we won’t be doing any traveling this year either at least not overseas but we’ll see. Oh I bet the Fringe festival would be amazing. I haven’t been to Scotland yet but would love to visit. And, our big snow event was really only one day but it was pretty!
Kay – I really hope you are able to do a special trip for your anniversary. 40 years is fantastic! The snow was so pretty wasn’t it? I feel like a kid I was so excited. Like you said, thank goodness no ice!
Isabel – Oh my goodness isn’t that the truth. I remember a job I had before 9/11 and I had to do quite a bit of traveling and one time I was running to catch my flight and they even held up the plane for me. Haha..
Joanne @ Gulfside Musing – I did my share of hostel stays and while I loved the experience I’m so glad I don’t have to stay in those anymore. Haha… We don’t stay in fancy places but I do look for clean and comfort and good breakfasts!
Literary Feline – Oh I love that you had to show your mom the new way of looking at a map. I admit maps are lovely but now you can sort of blend in a bit more without shouting to the world I’m a tourist folding out a map! haha… But yes, 9/11 certainly changed so much about travel for us.
Melody – I’m not a big fan of cruises but now I certainly can’t imagine going on one ever again. Wish is so sad because I know that for many people a cruise is such a great way to travel. Frankly though you are right, even hotels and planes. I know they’ve all made changes due to the pandemic and I wonder how many will still be in place years after.
Athira – Oh my goodness the Tube in London was so hard for me to figure out. Actually so was the NY subway! I too miss travel terribly and I can’t wait to travel again but I have a feeling it may take us quite a while.
Lex @ Lexlingua – One day I need to talk about all of my ongoing journals. I write a lot! You know, I had never though about getting a selfie stick but actually you are right, it would be perfect for getting some better camera views for landscapes! I may have to get one after all although granted who knows when we’ll travel again.