Europe Archives - Books And Travel

Slow Down And Wander. Visit Paris Like An Artist With Cynthia Morris

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Paris has so much to see and do, it can be overwhelming if you try to do it all. In this interview, Cynthia Morris talks about how to visit Paris like an artist and how walking and wandering is a great way to see the city in a more relaxed way. We discuss how to manage museum and art gallery overload, how to pay attention to your curiosity and tap into your senses, plus we talk about some of our favorite places in the city.

Cynthia Morris is the author of historical fiction as well as travel memoir and creativity books, including Visit Paris Like An Artist. She’s also a coach, speaker and runs workshops in Paris and online.

Show notes

Wandering the back streets of Paris, taking it slow and allowing for serendipity
Managing your energy when there is so much to see
Eating and drinking well in Paris with recommendations for resources to find out more
Tapping into your senses in order to see things in a different way
The value of curiosity and slowing down when exploring a new place
Recommended travel books about Paris

You can find Cynthia Morris at Originalimpulse.com

Beauty In Ruins, Dark Myths, And Hope In Difficult Times. Greece With Peter Fiennes

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Peter Fiennes talks about his search for beauty — and hope — in Greece. We discuss the different areas of the country with recommendations for ruins to visit, as well as how the ancient Greek myths still resonate in modern times, with their tales of the darker side of humanity.

We consider whether generations of belief can somehow imbibe specific locations with spiritual meaning, and how a realization of our place in history can give us hope that things live on — and that life is to be celebrated, even in difficult times.

Peter Fiennes is the author of four non-fiction books, including Footnotes: A Journey Round Britain in the Company of Great Writers, and A Thing of Beauty: Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece, which we’re talking about today.

Show Notes

The unique and varied landscape of different areas of Greece
Finding beauty in ruins
Consulting the Oracle of Delphi
Do landscapes resonate with the belief of those who have come before us?
Why ancient myths still hold meaning in modern times
Attractions of modern Greece
What travel may look like in the future
Recommended travel books

You can find Peter Fiennes at One World Publishing

Layers Of Invasion And Empire. Slovakia With Sarah Hinlicky Wilson

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Slovakia only became an independent state in 1993, so it is less than 30 years old. In this interview, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson and I discuss borders and how strange it is that history draws lines on a map that don’t necessarily represent the people who live within them. These layers of invasion and empire can shape lives for generations.

Sarah also recommends places to visit for both culture and nature and shares specialties of the region, as well as some of her favorite travel books.

Sarah Hinlicky Wilson is the author of memoir, poetry, and religious nonfiction. And today we’re talking about I Am a Brave Bridge: An American Girl’s Hilarious and Heartbreaking Year in the Fledgling Republic of Slovakia.

Show notes

The sense of always wanting to be somewhere else — and whether those of us who are ‘unrooted’ will ever find home
How borders split Europe in ways that resonate through history
Interesting places to visit in Slovakia, for culture or nature
Slovakian architecture, including wooden churches, built without nails
Food and drink specialties of the region
Recommended travel books

You can find Sarah Hinlicky Wilson at SarahHinlickyWilson.com

Header photo: Photo by Branislav Knappek on Unsplash

Finding Beauty In The Ordinary. A Different Side Of Poland With Ben Aitken

Unusual Places

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In this wide-ranging interview with Ben Aitken, we talk about challenging cultural stereotypes, identifying as the ‘Other,’ and how to find beauty in the ordinary, as well as thoughts on where to visit and what to eat and drink when visiting Poland.

Ben Aitken is a freelance writer, playwright, and the author of three travel books. Today, we’re talking about his book, A Chip Shop in Poznan: My Unlikely Year in Poland.

Show notes

The relationship between the UK and Poland and how that changed while Ben lived there during the referendum
How travel can change attitudes
Finding beauty in the ordinary
Recommendations for food, drink, and places to consider visiting in Poland
The joy of travel without planning
The possibility of a return to more local travel in the wake of the pandemic
Why Ben chooses unusual trips like taking coach tours with the elderly as he writes about in his latest book, The Gran Tour
Recommended books about Poland

You can find Ben Aitken at BenAitken.com

Travels In Blood And Honey. Kosovo With Elizabeth Gowing

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The word Kosovo brings to mind images of the Balkan War — a place of blood — but Elizabeth Gowing talks about it as a place of sweetness, a place of honey with wonderful food, welcoming people and a complex patchwork of religion that manages to get along together in a tiny country. She also explains how her unexpected move to Kosovo led to her love of beekeeping and a new direction helping local communities.

Elizabeth Gowing is the author of five books, including Travels in Blood and Honey: Becoming a Beekeeper in Kosovo. She’s also a professional speaker and co-founder of The Ideas Partnership, a charity that empowers and supports people in need in Kosovo.

Show notes

An unexpected transfer to Kosovo
Exploring Kosovo and the hospitality of the people
The dying art of silver filigree
The religious buildings and their significance
Is it safe to travel to Kosovo?
The symbolism of the traditional Kosovo foods
Working with the Roma and Ashkali communities to educate children
Tips for sustainable tourism in Kosovo

You can find Elizabeth Gowing at ElizabethGowing.com

Elizabeth’s headshot photo credit: Jonada Jashari

15 Unusual Things To See In Europe

Unusual Places

If you love to travel, then Europe is full of fascinating places. The tourist guidebooks are full of them. But what if you want to see the unusual sites that are sometimes missed entirely from more obvious guides?

Here are some of the more unusual places to visit if you’re in Europe, sites that I have found particularly interesting for my ARKANE thriller book research.

1. Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily

Most people think of ancient Egypt when they hear the word ‘mummy’. Yet the Capuchin Monastery in Palermo has almost 8000 corpses and over 1200 mummies in its catacombs. The oldest corpse dates back to 1599!

The bodies are organized, with religious figures displayed separately from women or children. Some of the corpses are posed, while others are pinned to walls. They also vary in states of preservation.

Mummies in the Catacombs of the Capuchins in Palermo, Sicily. Photo licensed from BigStockPhoto

The Catacombs were only intended to house friars but eventually wealthy locals paid to be interred. One of the last interments was a two-year-old girl in 1920. She’s so well-preserved that many call her “Sleeping Beauty”.

Europe

1. Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily

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