At age 15 I won a Book Award. I chose a book about Brazil, because it was the most exotic destination I could think of. That book was full of glossy photos of people with skin even darker than my own, and coffee bushes, and jungles, and it filled me with a desire to visit far off lands.
Then I discovered the huge and wonderful array of travel memoirs and I have never looked back. When I am not travelling, or blogging about travel, I am reading other people’s travel blogs and memoirs.
My current fix is Almost French by Sarah Turnbull. Sarah was a young Australian woman who took a year off from her job as an SBS television journalist to travel in Europe, met a Frenchman, and moved to Paris. In her book she shares her romantic love affair with Paris.
I have read it before, but the time seemed right to revisit, so I pulled up a chair in the winter sun, indulged myself with a croissant and cappuccino, and escaped to Paris.
Will it inspire me to travel to Paris – to walk the same streets – to eat in the same restaurants? Maybe!
Extra Virgin, and Ripe for the Picking, written by Annie Hawes, about her life amongst the olive groves of Liguria, inspired me to visit the village of Diano San Pietro. The village was way smaller than the big characters that inhabited it in her story.
We ended up staying amongst the olive groves, terraces and glass houses in Ceriana, but took a day trip to discover Imperia, Diano Marina and Diano San Pietro, that had come to life for me in Annie’s books.
Would I ever have visited Liguria if I had not first read her travel memoirs? No.
Do Travel Memoirs inspire you to travel?
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Books don’t necessarily inspire me to travel to a particular place but I do like to read them after I have decided to go to a place or whilst I am travelling. I couldn’t believe how William Dalrymple’s books came to life during my first trips to India so I now always take a book pertaining to where I am travelling with me. Travel blogs on the other hand can inspire me to change an itinerary!!
Hi Jenny, I shall have to read William Dalrymple. Luckily when we were in Spain the home owner loved the genre and was English so I read my way through a heap of books on Andalucia. And actually she recommended “Riad Maizie”by Miranda Innes to me before we left Australia. It is about restoring a riad in Marrakech which inspired us to stay there! I do take a lot of notice of travel blogs as well.
Jan
I always think of the book as being called Riad Maizie, but it is actually called “Cinnamon City” – which is an excellent name! lol
I love travel memoirs! It is my favorite genre, and I am always inspired after reading them. Sometimes it can be dangerous if I don’t have a trip planned. My favorites are “Honeymoon with my Brother,” “Without Reservations,” and “A Day at the Beach.” But truly, there are few that I haven’t liked.
Hi Juliann, I am a travel memoir freak. In fact it is the only genre I read! Oh and the occasional Fantasy Novel, but I am picky with them.
I have read Without Reservations. I have it in my bookcase. I have about 100 travel memoirs. Of course Frances Mayes inspired me to visit Tuscany, and Pam Scott’s Hanoi Stories led me to Hanoi. Happy reading!
Wow! This is very inspiring! Actually, there are a lot of people who will get interested with this.. Thanks for the great news here!
Hi Lizzie, Thanks for dropping by – I love getting feedback!
Jan
I will definitely head to check out the towns that Annie wrote about, I’d love one day to meet her. Now we will be living in Liguria so you never know! x
One book I read as a teen that had me travel was Lust for LIfe x
Hi Lisa, It will be wonderful living in Liguria. Does Annie still live there?
I Liked everywhere we went in Liguria!
Jan