Some novel travel suggestions for summer reading!

There's nothing like a good book to take you away somewhere and holidays are often the only time many people get to read these days. With so many books to chose from often many good reads join the long list of 'to be read' while we are distracted to read the newest books on the shelves. That's why I've picked three books that have been around for a while. They have been made into movies but there is a different experience to be enjoyed from flicking through the pages of a novel and conjuring up images in your own head.
I've picked three books set in three different destinations that are popular all year around and even if you are not going to these places, reading these books may well inspire your next trip.
We discussed these books on Midday on Tuesday 26th July and you can see the clip here Midday TV3 discussing Novel Travel

Parc Guell Barcelona

First up is Barcelona and the book I chose to give a reader that sense of place is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon.

Set in post civil war Spain the main character Daniel Sempere is brought to an old library called the cemetery of forgotten books by his father where he is allowed to take only one book. The book inspires the young boy to find out more about the author and it brings him on an adventure where he finds love and danger but it takes the reader to many of Barcelona's great sights.
There is a fully guided tour available which will give fans of the book a chance to relive Daniel's footsteps. /The-Shadow-of-the-Wind-Walking-Book-Tour-in-Barcelona
Barcelona is a great city to take the kids to visit. A big hit with my son was the Nou Camp stadium, home to Barcelona FC. Another treat for all the family or romantic couples is Parc Guell. The Spanish architect Gaudi is responsible for much of the magical architecture around the city and it will amaze even the most reluctant sightseer.

My son, Mark in Nou Camp

If you have time the red bus tour takes about two hours and really gives a sense of the enormity of this city and will help to get your bearings. But if you would rather just relax then a stroll along the ramblas and stop off for churros and hot chocolate - the kids will love you for it.

Las Ramblas

A landmark restaurant in the Gothic Quarter that will transport you to a cultural feats is 4 Cats where artists like Picasso and Gaudi hung out in the early twentieth century.
If you are heading to one of the popular resorts close to Barcelona then it is worth even taking a day trip to this beautiful city.
For more information see Spanish Tourist Board
Barcelona pops up in my novel Six Postcards Home - in fact it opens in a scene in the Placa Reial - if you would like to take a read it's available on amazonSix-Postcards-Home

Few places capture the imagination like Rome with all its romance and ceremony. I've picked a book that has been around a long and time. Dan Brown has certainly had his critics over the years but he did something similar for books as JK Rowling did with the Harry Potter series and got people reading. Any author that has people turning pages rapidly is incredibly talented.

 Angels and Demons is the second in the Robert Langdon series and I think one of the best reads to find your way around Rome.

Vatican city , St Peter's Basillica

The plot takes readers at break neck speed around Vatican City, The Castel San Angelo and The Piazza Navonna which is easily my favourite place to people watch in Rome. If you have plans to visit there is so much to do with incredibly food and the best handbag shopping you will ever find.

Piazza Navonna

Rome has so much to offer the lover of art and culture and must sees include the Colloseum and Trevi Fountain mean that you can be busy running around the city trying to fit it all in - much like Robert Langdon. I recommend taking a slower pace and leaving something to return to for next time.

Trevi Fountain credit FOTOTECA ENIT.

CARACALLA THERMAL BATHS OPERA SEASON IN ROME

Rome 22 Jun – 10 Aug 2016

www.operaroma.it

This year the Caracalla Opera Season will present a rich programme of opera and ballet in the magnificent Caracalla Thermal Baths in Rome. The spectacular backdrop will enhance the enjoyment of operas such as: Nabucco, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Madame Butterfly and ballet such as Nureyev tribute and a recital by the acclaimed dancer Roberto Bolle. Performances by the Chinese pianist Lang Lang, and legends like Lionel Ritchie and Neil Young are also in the programme.   This year, with the MyCaracalla initiative it is also possible to combine a guided visit to the Caracalla Thermal baths at night and a gourmet aperitif before an opera or ballet of your choice.

My last novel is set in Rome and if you would like to read a sample click here amazon.co.uk/7-Wishes-Rome-Irish-Fiction

For more information about visiting Italy go to http://www.italiantouristboard.co.uk/

My final recommendation is a book that isn't one of my favourites but the premise is similar in theme and style to many of the great women writers we have produced in Ireland, if this book had been writing by Maeve Binchy or one of the many other strong women writers such as Melissa Hill or Colette Caddle it may not have had such literary recognition. But it is a good story about a very real time in our history and a character that will resonate with many readers who have experienced emigration. It takes the reader back to Wexford too which is still a popular summer destination for those who holiday at home.

Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn is one of the five Burroughs that makes up New York city. Traditionally the Irish have a history of congregating around mid-town Manhattan for our weekend visits but here is so much more to see and if you are taking a second or third bite of the big apple then make some time to explore one of the other Burroughs. One of the best views of Manhattan is from Brooklyn, framed by the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge. The Bus tour from Manhattan is a great way to cross the Hudson River and see the area from best advantage.

Beautiful Brownstone houses in the Cobble Hill district

This time of year is lovely in New York and it is also NYC Restaurant Week. If you are in town why not try out one of the 387 participating restaurants. In its 24th year, NYC Restaurant Week takes place this summer from July 25 through August 19 and features 49 new restaurants. For menus, photos and reservations visit nycgo.com/restaurantweek.

Coney Island is part of the Burrough of Brooklyn and home of the New York Aquarium and Luna Park fairground.

Coney Island Beach

One memorable scene in the novel is when Eilis goes on her first trip to Coney Island and see the world through her new sunglasses while sporting her swimsuit. It's difficult to imagine what life was like for her but it is easy to be transported back in time in this popular beach resort where the locals come to swim in the sea. Take time out on one of the fairground rides at Luna Park.

Luna Park Fairground Coney Island

 If you would rather a more sedate activity then the Botanic Gardens are beautiful and well worth a visit, especially in April and May when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. 

For all you need to know about visiting Brooklyn or any of the New York suburbs go to NYCGO.com

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

Some great deals with Tour America at the moment include a stay at the hotel Beacon which is my favourite place to stay in Manhattan touramerica.ie/packages

Probably my favourite book baby is Three Nights in New York - written in 2008! .amazon.co.uk/Three-Nights-New-York-

Travels with Charley and the family!

I was rooting through some books that I Haven't finished because of my travels and I came across the very wonderful Travels with Charley by none other than the brilliant John Steinbeck. I bought my copy while I was at the authors family home, pictured above, in the town of Salinas, California. My children posed patiently while I ranted and and raved my way around the house where Steinbeck spent his most formative years. The lovely local people of Salinas have turned this house into a restaurant with homemade food and it's pretty much packed out all year round. In the basement is a treasure trove of books and memorabilia for fans to purchase and take home while the Steinbeck foundation continues to flourish on its proceeds.

Travels with Charley is about a road trip that the author took around the United States with his pet poodle Charley for company in a small camper van - which is on display in the Steinbeck museum in downtown Salinas. The museum boasts authentic artefacts from the authors life and is well worth a visit if you are in the San Francisco area this summer.

But back to the book and Steinbeck writes beautifully about the characters he meets as he traverses the states and different habits and cultural ways of the people who live there. In his journey across Illinois he meets up with his wife again and while he tells of his time on Lake Michagin I'm reminded of the lovely people that I met at the Travel Media award from the Great Lakes. I haven't explored this part of the Midwest and it's my intention to do something about it on my next trip to the states. I had a great chat with Bill from visit Detroit and I'm curious to hear more about his city which seems to be the comeback kid at the moment after a horrible few years with the collapse of the motor industry and city bankruptcy!

Travel Media awards at the Westbury Hotel 20th May 2016

The Travel Media awards are an annual event where the irish media vote for thier favourite travel brands and operators and this year there were three new peer awards. The Novel Traveller was nominated in the category best new Irish Travel blog and came runner up on the day. I was in the lovely company of two other runners up at Stena Line and Tourism Northern Ireland.

The Lovely Diane Poole from Stena Line was great company
and I look forward to travelling on one of her ships soon.

I look forward to travelling on Stena in a few weeks time when I'll be hoping to find my epic in Wales. The lovely people at visit Wales are promoting lots of adventure attractions this year, so I may well be hanging from a zip line or worse in June!

Laurence Duffy from Duffy Rafferty was there to represent Tourism Northern Ireland
while the rest of them were all at the golf in the K Club!

I was in the company of the Fabulous flamboyant people from the Spanish Tourist Board on Thursday when I, along with a host of media and tour operators, was entertained by flamenco music and opera while we ate dinner in the Dining Hall of Trinity College. I was chatting to representatives of the Andalucian region and particularly taken by the Almeria region which provided the setting for the great film maker Sergio Leone when he made the Clint Eastwood classics The Good the Bad and the Ugly and other spaghetti westerns. This region and the beautiful city of Seville are on my list for this year.

The man of the day at the Travel Media awards was Jim Murty, editor of the Irish Daily Mail
who picked up the award for being a pleasure to deal with.
I can vouch for that as he published my feature on Florida!

Finally my travel feature about the Wild side of Florida was published on 21st May in the Irish Daily Mail. I will be putting it up on my blog soon!
Happy travels and reading
Michelle X

Novel Traveller News Thailand, Madrid and Paris

The battered copy of Us by David Nicholls that I borrowed from
The Hotel Paradise in Thailand - I'd better bring it back!!!

I’ve just turned the final pages of the book I’ve been reading for the last few weeks. ‘Us’ by David Nicholls called out to me from the shelves of the Hotel Paradise’s library on the beautiful island of koh Yao nao in Thailand. As I was a big fan of his book ‘One Day’ I was really looking forward to reading ‘US’. I had every intention of putting it back before leaving, but found it difficult to find time to read it in between the pedicures and massages.

Beautiful Thailand

Thailand is girlie heaven and I was with my best friend (of more years than I will admit without revealing my age) and every time I opened the book there was some other spa-like experience or delicious low-carb-meal beckoning so I didn’t get to read fifty pages. It was my first trip to the tiny Thai island and I’m dismayed that so many Irish travellers see Thailand as a destination for backpackers and middle aged men with dubious intentions. Thailand is great for families and the Scandinavians and Germans take their kids to the smaller remote islands en masse. Something tells me that our European neighbours like to keep this little known fact a secret. In fairness the long-haul-flight pushes up the price of a family package to a far-flung destination but we recouped this expense as the cost of food, beer and excursions etc. was so much more reasonable than many European destinations.

Outside the Prado

But back to ‘Us’ and once I got on the aircraft for home I was hooked as it has two enthralling elements – a heartbreaking love story that kept me hanging until the end to find out if Douglas makes it back into his wife Connie’s heart and a trip though Europe where Douglas searches for his son Albie, taking him to some of the most inspiring galleries and treasures of European painting, most notably in Paris and Madrid.

Me in Madrid

My son Mark and daughter Nicole at the Mona Lisa

This reminded me of the time that I brought my kids to the Louvre, and the queue was an hour long even though it was a miserable Friday at the end of November. So I was very pleased that I had bought The Paris Pass which meant we were able to skip straight to the top of the line. When travelling with kids I’ve discovered avoiding queues is a priority because their short attentions spans don’t leave much time to get around a gallery. Most museums can be large labyrinths to get lost in, so I usually check the layout online before travelling and it helps make the most of our time there. At the Louvre, The Mona Lisa was a priority for my kids to see being probably the most famous painting in the world and because it hung in Napoleons bathroom! Another intriguing fact about it that the Kids loved was the fact that it is priceless. Next question was how much is priceless? The Mona Lisa was a bit of a disappointment but Arcimboldo’s exotic faces made from still life objects were far more interesting.

Nicole in Koh Yao Noi

Picasso Guernica

Bigger than the Louvre

One painting that never disappoints and was the final one mentioned in ‘Us’ is Picasso’s Guernica in the Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid. Described perfectly by Douglas, it really is an image that will move and leave an impression with the viewer. Documenting the Nazi’s attack of the Basque town, permitted by the Spanish Leader, Franco, it is an allegory of all wars, a statement that is as relevant today as it was when it was painted. It is so big it has its own room and leaves a punch that will be a highlight of any visit to Madrid, even for the kids because sometimes they just get brilliance in a way adults don’t. Speaking of Madrid and Paris I’ve rooted out a nice deal that might entice you for a short break away to the Spanish capital.

My daughter Nicole at paradise hotel Koh Yao Noi

Now I’ve to get that copy of ‘Us’ back to the Hotel Paradise in Thailand. I think it needs to be delivered by hand just to make sure it arrives safely!
Happy reading and travels

Michelle x
The Novel Traveller

5* Madrid from €289pp in June

 

From €289pp for the 5* Silken Puerta America Hotel.  Price is per person based on 2 adults sharing for travel in June 2016.

 

Price includes:

·         3 nights in the 5* Silken Puerta America Hotel, Madrid, Spain

·         Double room on a room only basis

·         Aer Lingus flights from Dublin to Madrid

·         Airport taxes & charges

·         Link to offer: https://www.clickandgo.com/design-your-own-holiday/details/2016-06-10/3/2::0/RO/DUB/0/1058/125/294?search=all/Madrid/2016-06-11/3/2::0//DUB/0

Narnia isn't all that far away - it's in Belfast!

A Voyage of Discovery in Belfast with CS Lewis

Nicole with the searcher statue dedicated to CS Lewis, do you spot a certain wardrobe?

Every city has its literary giants and Belfast is no exception. Authentic Ulster promotes a tailormade CS Lewis tour which takes a fascinating three hours.  While my 11 year old daughter, her friend and I enjoy the wisdom of our entertaining guide Sandy Smith, we discover that the mountains at Cavehill provided the inspiration for one of the most famous giants in literature. 

Cavehill is visible from several parts of the city and resembles the profile of a giant lying on his back. Sandy informs us that while Jonathan Swift was visiting Belfast and looking at the same mountain he found inspiration to create the character Gulliver. It's the perfect start to the tour, as we stand at the site where the young Clive Staples Lewis spent his early childhood. My daughter is already enthralled without the need of a flashing screen or interactive exhibit. The Chronicles of Narnia is undoubtedly the series that CS Lewis is best known for and Sandy is quick to question the children in our group about The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe. He then takes us to Lewis's Grandfather's house which was the rectory attached to St Marks Church. 

We stand at the front door and see that the young Lewis would have been at eye level to the beautifully moulded door knob − the head of a lion. The wardrobe story is next and we are taken to Belmont Tower which is only around the corner. A permanent exhibition holds all the information needed to become proficient in the CS Lewis story. Here we learn it was Lewis's other grandfather, who worked at the Harland and Wolfe shipyards, that crafted the famous wardrobe where he used to play hide-and-seek as a child.

I'm surprised the girls enjoy the educational part of our trip so much but it's time for something completely different. We Are Vertigo is an adventure zone with trampolines and ski to keep kids busy on a rainy day. All that jumping gives the girls huge appetites and we are ready to taste some of the best cuisine in Belfast. Graze restaurant on the Newtownards Road is a gem with a menu to suit all tastes. The girls opt for a steak and mini burgers while I'm sent to nirvanha as the scallops melt in my mouth. Graze has a really good wine list and they play excellent music too.

We spend the night in the Hastings Stormont Hotel on plump pillows and mattresses. After our hearty breakfast, where I pop a drop of Bushmills in my porridge, we set off for W5. The girls scale the new Climbit exhibit a little too quickly but they have to be dragged out of the Go exhibits. If you're thinking of taking the kids up to Belfast for the day to see the Titanic or W5 I recommend staying the night and finding the other attractions unique to the city. The Mac at St Annes Square is another cultural experience which just might surprise and you won't go wrong by eating in 4th Wall − a funky restaurant with great service, it's good for lunch and only across the square from the MAC. But the real takeaway is that the girls want to call to the library on the way home to find a certain book!  

Michelle Jackson is the author of Six Postcards Home published by Poolbeg Press. For more information see www.michellejackson.ie follow @mjacksonauthor

To experience the CS Lewis Tour visit www.authenticulster.co.uk ,

For activities see www.wearevertigo.com, www.w5online.co.uk Follow the Northern Ireland tourist @DiscoverNI  or see www.discovernorthernireland.com

Cannery Row in Monterey....

Old sardine factory now converted

Cannery Row in Monterey is no longer a stink, as the author John Steinbeck portrayed this once important centre of sardine fishing. Steinbeck's novel Cannery Row is 70 years old this year and this part of Monterey was the source for his own literary inspiration. I'd been warned that Cannery Row is over commercialised without a trace of the world that Steinbeck immersed himself so many decades ago but I have to say in my excitement that I wasn't disappointed.

Monterey Bay and Cannery Row

The strip of road that is now maintained with comfortable hotels and bijou eateries and boutiques is peppered with atmosphere. Maybe it is the romantic in me that easily conjures up images of John Steinbeck and his friend the marine biologist, Ed Rickets shooting the breeze over the cool blue bay.

Steinbeck statue

Formerly Wang chung market

One of my favourite stops is the souvenir store formerly called Wang Chung Market - I picture Steinbeck's character Lee Chong behind the counter serving out some 'old tennis shoes whiskey' but in his place could well be his pretty Asian great-grand-daughter selling crystals and incense.

The stench that Steinbeck wrote about has wafted across the bay and is replaced by the smells of chocolate, warm waffles and creamy chowder. My children are fascinated by the ice cream store and want to explore the Aquarium. It's a spacious building that draws us gently through the history bit and in to the real action. The sea otters, sharks and touch pools abound and it's a place where the whole family get lost for an hour.
We dine at Lover's Point and our host at the Beach House restaurant informs us that the lovers who came here in the nineteenth century were Christians who choose this spot to praise the Lord. The view is spectacular and food of the high standard we have come to expect as we have travelled up the Pacific Coast Highway.

At the Beach House Monterey

The Monterey Bay area is filled with places to pay respects to the great author John Steinbeck and only a twenty minute journey from Salinas, the town where he was born and spent a much of his life. The main street is now home to the Steinbeck centre which is well worth a visit with artefacts that the author owned. Including the truck that he used in his travels across the country with his poodle Charley. The house where he was born is now a restored and much loved restaurant run by dedicated local people who give their time freely to ensure its continued upkeep. The food is delicious and the family are wrapped up with nostalgic mementos that we will be able to take with us back home.

The room where Steinbeck was born

Steinbeck House and restaurant

Steinbeck house

The land around Salinas is known as the salad bowl of america. Fields stretch into the manicured yonder ending at the lilac tinted mountains in the distance. It's still very much the beautiful rural land that attracted so many from the dust bowl in the thirties. The curator at the Steinbeck Centre tells me that his grand-father came from Oklahoma during those years as we pass by the display for the Grapes of Wrath. California is in its fourth year of drought and this year heralds another very dry summer. Steinbeck's thought provoking novels and messages appear to be just as relevant today and they were when he wrote them. It is wonderful to see his legacy respected and accessible for literary fans who chose to visit from all over the world.

Taking the kids to the Steinbeck Center is the perfect way to bring literature to life.

For more information visit the The Monterey Visitors Bureau at this website see monterey
The Beach House restaurant website http://www.beachhousepg.com/
Don't miss out - visit The Steinbeck House - http://steinbeckhouse.com/
The visitors centre is on Main Street Salinas http://www.steinbeck.org/

The Dylan Thomas Centenary Year is the perfect time to visit Wales!

 

The words, ‘Do not go gentle into that good night,’ used to send shivers down my spine and throw me right back to my school days. But I’ll never forget that it was Dylan Thomas who wrote the poem or that it was about the death of his father. I recently set off on an Odyssey to discover more about the man and the myth in South Wales. The town of Swansea, where Dylan was born, has also given us Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey. It is set up for a revival, and the old docks that once were filled with coal ships now offer an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars.

I started at the Dylan Thomas Centre which is a small but accessible museum set in the Old Guild Hall. It holds a host of letters and information about Dylan and his life in Wales, London and where he met his tragic end in the infamous Chelsea Hotel in New York. It is an interesting place to get a picture of the poet’s life and hear his recorded work on the interactive displays. I was especially intrigued by the beautiful illustration of his play for voices, ‘Under Milk Wood’, which was recently re-recorded by famous Welsh stars, including Charlotte Church, Sir Tom and Cerys Matthews.

5 Cwmdonkin Drive is the home where Dylan was born and lived for much of his life. It has been carefully and authentically restored by the Haden’s who make it available for rent on a Bed and Breakfast basis and it would be a wonderful treat to send a fan of the poet here for an overnight break. The Thomas’ Maid was alive until a few years ago and she was able to describe the décor of the house from Dylan’s time in great detail, so it is a genuine trip into the past. Dylan’s tiny bedroom looks as if he stepped outside for a moment. It is complete with images of him and his first girlfriend and authors who inspired him, including our own Joyce and Yeats.

Cwmdonkin Park is close by the house, and it is here that the young Dylan ran in the open spaces and here that recitals will be happening all this year to commemorate the poet – especially during this the centenary of his birth.

Don’t leave Swansea without taking a trip out to the Mumbles – a suburb set at the mouth of the sea where there are a host of beautiful restaurants and bars which Thomas and the people of Swansea went to enjoy their leisure time. I dined in ‘Patricks With Rooms’ and was blown away by the presentation and cuisine which included Laver bread (a substance similar to seaweed and mentioned in Under Milk Wood).

It is impossible to make a pilgrimage to Dylan Thomas country without visiting the small town of Laugharne, pronounced Larne. The scenic route to take from Swansea is via the Gower Peninsula. The Gower is criss-crossed with winding roads and ditches filled with wild-garlic and bluebells. Along the way you can see Llanstefan and the landscape that inspired his poems, such as ‘Fern Hill’. The town of Laugharne has long been credited as the inspiration for Dylan’s ‘Under Milk Wood,’ and if you visit Brown’s Hotel Bar on a Saturday night you may be able to spot a few of the characters who appear to be alive and well and enjoying the local brew at the counter.    

I dined later in The Cors Restaurant, a quirky eatery with delicious cuisine. Set among exquisite gardens, The Cors also offers accommodation and is well worth a visit if in the locality. An interesting pilgrimage linked closely to Dylan’s ‘Poem in October’ traces the route he took on the morning of his thirtieth birthday. Bob Stevens is the creator of this excursion and it is a delightful way to follow the steps that Thomas walked himself. But you mustn't leave laughaurne without visiting the Boathouse where Dylan and his tempestuous wife Caitlin lived towards the end of his life. The actual shed where he worked is reconstructed and set in a magnificent horseshoe cove.

 The Boathouse at the water’s edge is now a visitor's centre and tea rooms and must be seen. Dylan Thomas is laid to rest in the grounds of St Martin’s church – only a short stroll from Brown’s Hotel. His grave is marked by a brightly painted white cross. Even if you are not a fan of poetry the fabulous Bluestone Park Resort is close by and a wonderful base for families who are looking for a fun and adventurous place to stay. It might be nice to combine a visit to Laugharne and bring a little culture into a family holiday.

I returned to Cardiff to catch my flight home with my head full of poetry but there was still so much to see and do. Cardiff Castle is a remarkable museum with some of the finest examples of decor from the Arts and Crafts Victorian movement. Created at a time in the nineteenth century when the owner, The Marquis of Bute, was the richest man in the world. Just outside the castle is the main shopping street and a covered market with quaint shops and boutiques.

Whether you decide to fly into Cardiff or take the ferry from Rosslare, Wales is only a stone’s throw across the pond and well worth a visit this summer.

www.visitwales.com

www.dylanthomasbirthdaywalk.co.uk

www.thecors.co.uk

For information on upcoming events to celebrate the centenary of Dylan Thomas see www.dylanthomas.com

www.bluestonewales.com