Off the Beaten Track
Sandy Barker's Travel BlogArchive for London
Reading, Writing and Relatives
I am spending some time with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew in London. They live in the bustling borough of Teddington, where terraces houses are the norm and vehicles try to maneuver down narrow streets without taking off the side mirrors of parked cars.
I have spent most of my time here at home, or out and about the neighborhood with my sister and nephew.
I have visited with two long-time friends, and enjoyed outings to Kingston (shopping hub), Oxfordshire (to see our Great-aunt), and to Hampton Court Palace. I have seen and done some really cool stuff, and usually I would blog all about it.
But I have started this blog post seven times. Seven. My travel writing synapses appear to be broken. Unlike my sister, whose oven is steaming food rather than roasting it, I cannot call a handy-person to come fix my problem.
I wonder if it is because I am reading so much during this latest vacation. Sometimes I am in a writing phase, sometimes I am in a reading phase and sometimes I would rather just watch America’s Next Top Model. I would love for this writing issue to be sorted out, however, as I have made some fascinating observations during my stay, and I would like to get them down to share with my fans. Yes, I really wrote that. You know who you are.
And so I am left with one topic to use as fodder for my post: what I am reading.
Victoria and Mark (aforementioned sister and brother-in-law) love books and have an extensive library in their home. These three books caught my eye.
I love anything about Robin Hood (yes, even that silly film by Costner), so picked up the first book in the series, Hood. It re-imagines the tale, presenting Hood as a Welsh Prince in the 11th Century, whose kingdom is usurped by a French count, who has murdered his father. Loved it. Couldn’t put it down. Read it in three days. I did that thing where you stay up until midnight and you can’t keep your eyes open anymore, so have to put the book down. I can’t remember the last time I stayed up late to read a book.
I bought the other two books on Kindle.
A couple of weeks ago I finished The Art of Fielding. To say that it is a book about baseball is to over simplify a book that is indeed – a little – about baseball. It is a modern American piece about some well-drawn people with beautifully-crafted arcs. I loved it and I don’t mind baseball. The Costner films about baseball were both terrific, by the way.
I am also about 1/5 through Steve Jobs’ autobiography. I loved the start, but it has dissolved into a detailed history of Apple’s rise to infamy. I am not sure what I expected, but I am hoping to learn more about the man and less about the business.
Also on the Kindle and already capturing my attention, is the new Stephen King novel, 11.22.63. This is about a man who travels back in time to stop Kennedy’s assassination. I am fascinated by Kennedy’s reign and time travel. I also like King’s writing, so I think I will enjoy getting stuck into this one. I should mention that Costner was also in a film about Kennedy’s assassination.
I didn’t read anything today, though. I was too busy out and about with my nephew and sister at Wisley Gardens.
I am glad to have finally finished an actual post. ‘Til next time…
Off the Beaten Track
‘Off the beaten track’ is a state of mind as well as a way to travel. Many of my travels have been on well worn roads, but my approach allows me to have experiences far beyond the brochures.
In the past decade travelling has taken me to incredible parts of the world, where I have met people who have influenced my life, and done things I had never considered. I have greatly embraced the surprises that travel brings, even on ‘well-planned’ trips, and especially when those surprises could have been considered disastrous.
One of the best days of my life started with a head cold and a scooter ride through torrential rain, but on a Greek Island in the Cyclades, this was the beginning of an incredible adventure and the forging of an important friendship. My mindset is what takes me ‘off the beaten track’, which is why my Blog carries this name.
My passionate affair with travel took hold when I was given a life-changing job with Contiki Europe as a Tour Manager in 1997. With Contiki I travelled Europe extensively and even though our tours stuck mostly to well worn paths, my experiences during that time marked an incredible change in my view of travel.I ran organised tours, yet I saw a diverse range of clients, from tourists who saw Europe through the lens of a video camera, to travellers who sought out their own adventures.
Armed with these powerful observations, I vowed from then on to always be a ‘traveller’. Mostly, I have succeeded. This does not mean that I enjoy five-star luxury travel any less, just that a backpackers’ hostel in New Zealand, serving free soup at 6pm, can bring me as much joy. The diversity of my experiences is what keeps me addicted to my drug of choice: travelling.
My focus for this Blog, and the accompanying photographs will be the travel I have done most recently. In the past 15 months I have been sailing through the Cyclades Islands of Greece, traversed Peru by plane, train and motor cycle, had adventures in Hawaii, New Zealand and Canada, and discovered treasures in the cities of Las Vegas, London, Seattle, Christchurch, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Denver and my home town of Sydney.
Where next? This is a lengthy list peppered with must-returns and must-sees.
I invite you to read, comment on and contribute to “Off the Beaten Track”.
