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PAGE 28 TRAVEL IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • JUNE / JULY 2020
Around the World While
Staying at Home
Then there are those books that cover the
world in scope. The latest edition of 1,000
Places to See Before You Die (Patricia Schultz;
Artisan Publishers), which seems to me a
daunting challenge, takes almost 500 pages,
illustrated by some 1,100 photographs, to
highlight what the author considers to be
the Earth’s “must-see” attractions. They
cover the gamut from the Cappadocia region
of Turkey, a geologically moon-scaped area
of rock towers, cones, and caves to cheetahs
hunting for prey in Kenya to the rugged
Huangshan Mountains in China.
While only 25 destinations are high-
lighted in Hidden Places (Sarah Baxter; White
Lion Publishing), they live up to the book’s
name in terms of both obscurity and appeal.
Included are little-known citadels that are
reachable only on foot, jungle-blanketed
remains of the great Mayan civilization,
and underwater ruins buried deep in the
Pacific Ocean.
Mayan ruins buried in the jungle. Photo by Victor Block.
More accessible sites are previewed in
de France (Tim Moore; Yellow Jersey Press) the 2020 edition of Lonely Planet’s Best
BY VICTOR BLOCK The author attempts to cover the entire Travel Destinations. This 15th annual col-
course of the legendary French bike race. lation of “hot spots” ranks the Top 10
(SENIOR WIRE) Hop aboard the fabled Moore is one of the select writers of comic countries (number one is Bhutan), cities
Orient Express train. Pedal the route of the travelogues, and his words make enjoyable (Salzburg, Austria) and best value desti-
famous Tour de France bicycle race. Explore reading for everyone from serious bikers nations (Indonesia). Other “Best” ratings
the colorful canals and history-rich streets to those who have never put their feet to include top-value destinations, new places
of Venice. bike pedals. to stay, and new food experiences. The book
OK, so you can’t make these inviting Excursions, rather than destinations, places a strong emphasis upon sustainabil-
journeys right now. But you can take vir- also are the focus of The Journey Matters: ity for the environment, local people, and
tual trips that immerse you in the sights, Twentieth-Century Travel in the True Style travelers themselves.
sounds, and other appeals of those and (Jonathan Glancey; Atlantic Books). The Those who prefer to combine a bit of
other places and experiences by reading author brings to life the Golden Age of intrigue with their travel reading are likely
about them. Travel, when getting to a destination to find The Falcon Thief (Joshua Hammer;
The books described here, some new was as important and enjoyable as being Simon & Schuster) to be a page-turner.
and others older, are rated among the most there. He augments accounts of journeys It is, the jacket tells us, “A True Tale of
outstanding travel writing in recent years. he took—like crossing the Atlantic on the Adventure, Treachery, and the Search for
Let your eyes do the walking, and your SS Normandie and flying from England to the Perfect Bird.” The story is a fact-based
imagination can lead you to places you may Singapore with England’s Imperial Airways, crime adventure about a wildlife detective
have visited and others you’d like to when a British airline that operated from 1924 to (yes, they exist) seeking to apprehend a
things return to normal. 1939—with equally intriguing stories by globe-trotting smuggler who spent two
Around the World in 80 Trains (Monisha fictionalized narrators. decades capturing rare birds and their eggs.
Rajesh, Bloomsbury Publishing) describes When it comes to books about destina- The story whisks readers from the Matobo
a globe-straddling rail journey through tions, seldom, if ever, has the essence of a National Park in Zimbabwe and the deserts
North America, Europe, and Asia. It includes city been better described than in Venice (Jan of Dubai to the volcanoes of Patagonia and
a high-altitude ride in Tibet, a trans-Ca- Morris; Faber & Faber). This award-win- frigid tundra near the Arctic Circle. That vir-
nadian journey, and the luxurious Venice ning tome is not a guide or history book, but tual whirlwind tour of exotic destinations,
Simplon Orient-Express. In addition to rather one that absorbs the reader into the combined with the stirring story, offers
descriptions of train trips and destinations, character and life of that magnificent city. appeal to a variety of readers. ISI
the author brings to life fascinating people Venice comes alive almost as if the reader
she encounters along the way. were there enjoying its architecture, canals,
Pedal power is the mode of transporta- curiosities, and, above all, its people.
tion for French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour
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