One of my many literary pilgrimages while I was in London and Paris included a trip to a very famous address–221B Baker Street, the home of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. I had heard it was a tourist trap and was pleasantly surprised that it was better than reported. I wrote more about it as part of a book review earlier this week, so today–pictures!
It all rather makes me want to read another Holmes book.
Check out At Home with Books for more Saturday Snapshots!
I got back last week from my trip to London and Paris 🙂 and still need to do a lot of sorting through my nearly 800 photos! So rest assured, you’ll be seeing many travel photos in weeks to come…
This week, because I haven’t figured out yet which shot of Admiral Nelson or which angle of the Peter Pan Statue is best, I have something travel-related but different. I asked blog readers for advice on books for while I traveled, so I thought I ought to share what I ended up reading!
It is SO much fun to sit in Kensington Gardens reading the last chapter of J. M. Barrie’s The Little White Bird or Adventures in Kensington Gardens, or to sit in the lower level of the Paris Opera House reading Susan Kay’s Phantom (while waiting for a tour, I wasn’t just prowling…)
I always try to bring books that will connect me to the cities I’m visiting. My trips tend to turn into literary pilgrimages to places I’ve read about, so it makes sense to read about the places while I’m there. Not everything in the stack is set in London or Paris, but Susan Kay’s Phantom was brilliant for setting me in Paris, and all the others are at least British–except The Poetry of Lucy Maud Montgomery which has nothing to do with anything. But L. M. Montgomery falls into the “don’t leave home without it” category.
And I had a nice time reading Montgomery’s nature poetry while on a boat on the Thames. So it all worked out.
And these were all good books, most of which I plan to review. Besides sorting photos, I have lots of book reviews to write…
Come back soon for book reviews and more photos! In the meantime, check out At Home with Books for more Saturday Snapshots.
When I travel somewhere, I try to bring books set in the place I’m going, or at least reflective of the place. I’m heading to London and Paris in September, so I’m looking for some good British and French novels! I have a few ideas, but I thought I’d put the question out there for ideas.
A Tale of Two Cities occurred to me as an obviously appropriate choice, except that reading Dickens requires a bit too much effort for a vacation read.
I know I want to read some Sherlock Holmes. I have a volume of the Complete Stories, but I haven’t actually read all of them. I won’t be bringing that particular volume (much too heavy for travel!) but I plan to pick up a book of stories from the library.
I want to read something by Agatha Christie, but I’m not sure what yet. I’ve never read her and I’ve been meaning to for ages. She’s one of those authors you hear about, and L. M. Montgomery enjoyed reading her, and she shows up in an episode of Doctor Who!
I plan to re-read The Little White Bird by J. M. Barrie, because it’s set in Kensington Gardens and I’m staying two blocks from the Gardens–deliberately, because I’ve read The Little White Bird before. It’s all rather circular, really.
But that still leaves me woefully short of books for a two-week trip! Any suggestions?
I’ve had London on my mind quite a bit lately, probably because I’m going there in September! I’ve been loving all the Paris photos that have been turning up in Saturday Snapshot this month, but I thought I’d represent the other side of the Channel today. I have lots of photos from my last trip, and I could give you all my beautiful landmark photos–and maybe I will another week–but today I feel like giving you the random ones instead. 🙂
These statues are at the British Museum, and are just begging to be captioned, “If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs…” With thanks to Rudyard Kipling!
This is a book vending machine, which just seems like a fantastic idea–not so much for the convenience (you can buy books lots of places) but for the mindset of it. Why shouldn’t books be as readily accessible as unhealthy food?
I’m a fan of the Running Green Man. That’s what I call him, and he shows up on signs here and there. Stick figures in America are always walking so sedately. All this fellow is trying to indicate is the direction of the exit, but he seems to be heading towards it at full-tilt.
I think I’ll make that my exit for the day too. Head over to At Home with Books for more Saturday Snapshots!
Tales of the Marvelous 