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The superb classic memoir from a dazzlingly eccentric and endlessly fascinating author and feminist icon - a woman very much…
ahead of her time - including her time spent on the glorious island of Skiathos Nancy Spain was one of the most celebrated - and notorious - writers and broadcasters of the 50s and 60s. Witty, controversial and brilliant, she lived openly as a lesbian (sharing a household with her two lovers and their various children) and was frequently litigated against for her newspaper columns - Evelyn Waugh successfully sued her for libel... twice. Nancy Spain had a deep love of the Mediterranean. So it was no surprise when, in the 1960s, she decided to build a place of her own on the Greek island of Skiathos. With an impractical nature surpassed only by her passion for the project, and despite many obstacles, she gloriously succeeded. This classic memoir is infused with all Spain's chaotic brilliance, zest for life and single-minded pursuit of a life worth living.The Book of Marvels and Travels (Oxford World's Classics)
Par John Mandeville, Anthony Bale. 2012
In his Book of Marvels and Travels, Sir John Mandeville describes a journey from Europe to Jerusalem and on into…
Asia, and the many wonderful and monstrous peoples and practices in the East. Written in the fourteenth century, the Book is a captivating blend of fact and fantasy, an extraordinary travel narrative that offers some revealing and unexpected attitudes towards other races and religions. It was immensely popular, and numbered among its readers Chaucer, Columbus, and Thomas More. Here Mandeville tells us about the Sultan in Cairo, the Great Khan in China, and the mythical Christian prince Prester John. There are giants and pygmies, cannibals and Amazons, headless humans and people with a single foot so huge it can shield them from the sun. Forceful and opinionated, the narrator is by turns learned, playful, and moralizing, with an endless curiosity about different cultures. Anthony Bale provides a lively new translation along with an introduction that considers questions of authorship and origins, the early travel narrative, Crusading and religious difference, fantasy and the European Age of Discovery, and Mandeville's pervasive popularity and influence. The book includes helpful notes on historical context that provide insights into medieval culture and attitudes. There are also three maps, an index of places and a general index, and a note on medieval measurements. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Around The World In Eighty Days: With Michael Palin
Par Michael Palin. 2009
'The pace of this kind of travel has not much changed since Fogg set out in 1872. Trains may be…
a little faster, but there are certainly no high-speed rail links yet across India, China or the USA. Passenger services have practically disappeared from the world's shipping lanes ... Recourse to air travel, even as a convenient means of escape, was not allowed.'Following the route taken by Phileas Fogg 115 years earlier, Michael Palin set out from the Reform Club to circumnavigate the world. The rules were simple, but nothing else about the trip was straightforward...From a tour of Venice on a rubbish barge to ship spotting at the Suez Canal and the bicycle rush hour and snake snacks in China, this is an unparalleled tribute to man's ability to make life difficult for himself.Among Flowers: A Walk in the Himalaya (National Geographic Directions Ser.)
Par Jamaica Kincaid. 2005
In this travel memoir, the acclaimed novelist Jamaica Kincaid chronicles a three-week trek through Nepal, the spectacular and exotic Himalayan…
land, where she and her companions are gathering seeds for planting at home. The natural world and, in particular, plants and gardening are central to Kincaid’s work; in addition to such novels as Annie John and Lucy, Kincaid is the author of My Garden (Book): a collection of essays about her love of cultivating plants and gardens throughout her life. Among Flowers intertwines meditations on nature and stunning descriptions of the Himalayan landscape with observations on the ironies, difficulties, and dangers of this magnificent journey.For Kincaid and three botanist friends, Nepal is a paradise, a place where a single day’s hike can traverse climate zones, from subtropical to alpine, encompassing flora suitable for growing at their homes, from Wales to Vermont. Yet as she makes clear, there is far more to this foreign world than rhododendrons that grow thirty feet high. Danger, too, is a constant companion—and the leeches are the least of the worries. Unpredictable Maoist guerillas live in these perilous mountains, and when they do appear—as they do more than once—their enigmatic presence lingers long after they have melted back into the landscape. And Kincaid, who writes of the looming, lasting effects of colonialism in her works, necessarily explores the irony of her status as memsahib with Sherpas and bearers.A wonderful blend of introspective insight and beautifully rendered description, Among Flowers is a vivid, engrossing, and characteristically frank memoir from one of our most striking voices.You Are Here: Hikes
Par Blackwell Ruth. 2022
Whether planning a getaway or just dreaming about one, this beautifully curated collection of amazing hikes all around the world…
evokes awe-inspiring travel adventures that are inspirational and attainable.You Are Here: Hikes features breathtaking photos off-the-beaten-path and iconic natural wonders, from enchanting forests to sunset showcases, jewel-like coastal trails to ancient rock formations, wildflower meadows to spectacular vista views. Each gorgeous, handpicked location represents a unique journey, with geolocation information inviting you to the very scenic spot. You are there, or could be.CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATH: Swoon-worthy photographs will excite the spirit of adventure, with each gorgeous destination identified by geolocation inviting you to visit.WIDE RANGE OF HIKING DESTINATIONS: Rocky alpine summits, tropical fern forests, crystalline ice domes, colorful foliage showstoppers, incredible waterfalls, verdant valleys, towering redwoods, and much more.ARMCHAIR OR OUT THERE: Equally suitable for kicking off your next outdoor exploration and adventure or capturing the beauty of nature to enjoy from the comforts of home.INSPIRING PHOTOGRAPHY: The beautiful photographs collected here will not just inspire travel, but inspire sharing photos of your own journey to these or other amazing places.Perfect for: travel enthusiasts looking for a uniquely memorable hiking experience, and anyone looking for inspiration to take and share their own photos these beautiful scenic spots.(Not Quite) Mastering the Art of French Living
Par Mark Greenside. 2018
Every year upon arriving in Plobien, the small Breton town where he spends his summers, American writer Mark Greenside picks…
back up where he left off with his faux-pas–filled Francophile life. Mellowed and humbled, but not daunted (OK, slightly daunted), he faces imminent concerns: What does he cook for a French person? Who has the right-of-way when entering or exiting a roundabout? Where does he pay for a parking ticket? And most dauntingly of all, when can he touch the tomatoes? Despite the two decades that have passed since Greenside’s snap decision to buy a house in Brittany and begin a bi-continental life, the quirks of French living still manage to confound him. Continuing the journey begun in his 2009 memoir about beginning life in France, (Not Quite) Mastering the Art of French Living details Greenside’s daily adventures in his adopted French home, where the simplest tasks are never straightforward but always end in a great story. Through some hits and lots of misses, he learns the rules of engagement, how he gets what he needs—which is not necessarily what he thinks he wants—and how to be grateful and thankful when (especially when) he fails, which is more often than he can believe. Introducing the English-speaking world to the region of Brittany in the tradition of Peter Mayle’s homage to Provence, Mark Greenside’s first book, I’ll Never Be French, continues to be among the bestselling books about the region today. Experienced Francophiles and armchair travelers alike will delight in this new chapter exploring the practical and philosophical questions of French life, vividly brought to life by Greenside’s humor and affection for his community.A Tour on the Prairies: An Account of Thirty Days in Deep Indian Country
Par Washington Irving. 2013
In 1832, Washington Irving, America's first literary superstar, returned to the United States after seventeen years abroad and swiftly set…
out to explore Pawnee country--the wild uncharted territory deep in the young nation's interior. It was a part of the country few white men had set foot in and even fewer had written about it--and certainly none as famous as Irving.Owing to a chance encounter on a steamboat with the newly appointed Indian Commissioner, and embracing an opportunity to silence critics who had begun to doubt his patriotism (after so much time abroad), Irving finds himself sleeping under the stars, traversing hostile plains, and venturing blindly into the unknown. He discovers a certain kind of tranquility in the open air and relishes the traditions and culture of the Pawnee. Irving kept a daily account of his excursion into what is now Oklahoma, and upon his return home, spun this fabulously entertaining and groundbreaking work. With unparalleled descriptions of the natural terrain--a land of giant flowing rivers and endless golden plains--and vivid depictions of the lives in Native Americans, A Tour on the Prairies stands as a classic portrait of what life was like out West before chronic warfare left the plains and the population decimated. Irving's book became a huge success when it was originally published and quickly silenced critics who questioned his affection for his homeland.The Little Black Book of Motorcycle Wisdom (Little Red Books)
Par Malcolm Nelson. 2013
There’s no getting around the allure of motorcycles. Since 1885, when Gottlieb Daimler mounted a gas-powered engine on a wooden…
bicycle, riders of all ages have been drawn to the exhilaration and terror of motoring in the open air on two wheels. Motorcycles have become ingrained in our culture. To some, they are the ultimate expression of freedom. To others, motorcycles symbolize lawlessness and disrespect for authority.The Little Black Book of Motorcycle Wisdom is packed full of wise, witty, and edgy quotes on motorcycles and the people who ride them. Celebrities, literary giants, and athletes offer pithy and memorable comments on what they ride, where they ride, with whom they ride, how fast they ride—and, most importantly, why they ride. Read musings on bikes from such noteworthy folks as: Hunter S. ThompsonMarlon BrandoRobert PirsigEvel KnievelSonny BargerEwan McGregorSteve McQueenLeonardo DiCaprioPaul NewmanBob DylanHugh LaurieAngelina JolieT. E. LawrenceAnd dozens of others!There’s a reason why people the world over are passionate about a machine that has been dubbed “the perfect vehicle.” This book tells you why.Americana: Dispatches from the New Frontier
Par Hampton Sides. 2004
Harley-Davidson bikers . . . Grand Canyon river rats. . .Mormon archaeologists. . . Spelling bee prodigies...For more than fifteen…
years, best-selling author and historian Hampton Sides has traveled widely across the continent exploring the America that lurks just behind the scrim of our mainstream culture. Reporting for Outside, The New Yorker, and NPR, among other national media, the award-winning journalist has established a reputation not only as a wry observer of the contemporary American scene but also as one of our more inventive and versatile practitioners of narrative non-fiction.In these two dozen pieces, collected here for the first time, Sides gives us a fresh, alluring, and at times startling America brimming with fascinating subcultures and bizarre characters who could live nowhere else. Following Sides, we crash the redwood retreat of an apparent cabal of fabulously powerful military-industrialists, drop in on the Indy 500 of bass fishing, and join a giant techno-rave at the lip of the Grand Canyon. We meet a diverse gallery of American visionaries-- from the impossibly perky founder of Tupperware to Indian radical Russell Means to skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. We retrace the route of the historic Bataan Death March with veterans from Sides' acclaimed WWII epic, Ghost Soldiers. Sides also examines the nation that has emerged from the ashes of September 11, recounting the harrowing journeys of three World Trade Center survivors and deciding at the last possible minute not to "embed" on the Iraqi front-lines with the U.S. Marines. Americana gives us a sparkling mosaic of our country today, in all its wild and poignant charm.ist; mushes the Iditarod Trail with Alaska legend Joe Redington. AMERICAN EDENS. . . runs the rapids during a man-made flood in the Grand Canyon; crashes the redwood retreat of California's elite Bohemian Club; debriefs the "bio-nauts" as they emerge from captivity in the Biosphere; dives into America's greatest swimming hole; gets ecstatic with the Zippies at their secret all-night techno-rave. AMERICAN RIDES. . . ponders silver bubbles at the annual Airstream RV convention; revs it up at the Harley-Davidson rally in Sturgis, South Dakota; sails the Chesapeake with snooty owners of a rare antique sailboat known as the log canoe; roams the streets with D.C.'s hard-core band of bike couriers. AMERICAN BY BIRTH, SOUTHERN BY THE GRACE OF . . .. . . speaks in tongues with black Pentecostalists of the Memphis-based Church of God in Christ; fishes for lunkers at the Bassmasters Classic; goes underground with the world's greatest cave rescuer; unravels the mystery of a notorious teen murder in rural Mississippi. AMERICANS ABROAD. . . crosses the Sahara Desert with American endurance runners at the infernal Marathon des Sables; bushwhacks through MesoAmerica with Mormon archaeologists in search of lost tribes of Israel; visits a high school friend who's become an Uzi-toting Zionist pioneer in the West Bank; walks the route of the Bataan Death March with characters from Ghost Soldiers. AMERICAN OBSESSIONS. . . cranks it up with high-end stereophiles at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas; gets bowled over by 5,000 squealing salesladies at the annual Tupperware convention; plumbs the mysteries of the "schwa" at the National Spelling Bee; scrapes at the stucco of the neurotic architectural tradition known as Santa Fe Style. AMERICA, POST 9/11. . . traces the harrowing stories of three World Trade Center survivors; goes off-roading in the Imperial Sand Dunes; almost embeds on the Iraqi frontlines with the U.S. Marines; remembers Shane Childers, the decorated Marine who became the first American combat death in Iraq.From the Trade Paperback edition.A Travel Junkie's Diary: Searching for Mare's Milk and Other Far-Flung Pursuits
Par Dina Bennett. 2018
Dina Bennett’s on the road again—and she can’t stop! Having completed the 7,800-mile Peking to Paris Classic Car Challenge while…
braving carsickness and patching rocky marital relations, she’s once more in over her head, enduring 100,000 miles of road trips through the world’s out-of-the-way places.Drawn to strange foods and intriguing views into the kaleidoscope of local life, and with a knack for getting into—and out of—awkward situations, Dina gives you the world in all its glory. She’s a born storyteller, uncovering the curious and unusual in the ordinary, bringing you along on vivid experiences in laugh-out-loud style. Neither particularly brave nor wild, she opens her diary of personal triumphs and embarrassments, suspense and discovery, in places most will never get to. Join her as she stands knee-to-knee with a Tajik border guard in his bedroom, hunts down camel pad meat in the street markets of China, and seeks out the source of mare’s milk in Kyrgyzstan. Whether stranded on a sandbar in Myanmar’s Chindwin River or sharing barley beer with an ex-Black Panther in Ethiopia, Dina’s observations are half prying neighbor, half best friend gossiping together on the crooked path to enlightenment.The tales in A Travel Junkie’s Diary plunge the reader right into the midst of exhilarating travel experiences, with all the smells, sounds, sensations and emotions of being right there. They are by turns fascinating and frightening, endearing and bittersweet, humorous, humiliating, and always engrossing.The Joys of Travel: And Stories That Illuminate Them
Par Thomas Swick. 2016
The Joys of Travel: And Stories that Illuminate Them is a collection of Thomas Swick’s personal essays on what he…
has identified as "the seven joys of travel”: anticipation, movement, break from routine, novelty, discovery, emotional connection and heightened appreciation of home.The Joys of Travel awakens readers to pleasures that, as travelers, they may be taking for granted. It also shows non-travelers what they’ve been missing. It offers tips on how people can get the most out of their trips, as well as the titles of travel classics that will not only prepare them for the places they visit but make those places more meaningful once they get there. And it tells, through memories and stories, the tale of someone who has made a living writing about travel. In fact, the story of Thomas Swick’s life as a traveler neatly parallels the examination of a journey from beginning to end.Before you next trip, be it a family vacation or a backpacking tour of Europe, read The Joys of Travel. It will inspire you to get the most out of your time away from home and to get away more often.Sitting Up with the Dead: A Storied Journey through the American South
Par Pamela Petro, Jimmy Neil Smith. 2008
For the first time in paperback, an acclaimed look at the American South through the lenses of its most acclaimed…
storytellers and their tales.Rarely does a nonfiction work come along that is as original and refreshing as Sitting Up with the Dead. Here, take a ride with Pamela Petro as she embarks on a series of road trips through the states of the Old South to collect its stories and meet its tellers of traditional tales. Some of them are local celebrities, others national treasures. Among them are Ray Hicks, a National Heritage Fellow; Kathryn Windham, the "ghost lady”; Nancy Basket, a kudzu paper-maker; Colonel Rod, self-proclaimed "Florida cracker”; and Grammy Award-winner David Holt. You encounter plat-eyes and boo-hags, Jack the trickster and Brer Rabbit, mule eggs, singing turtles, talking corpses, and flying Africans from the sea islands of South Carolina. Stories provide the connective tissue of the South, linking the past with the present. They join communities as widespread as the coastal plains of the Carolinas and Georgia, the swamps of the Gulf Coast, and the mountains and valleys of Appalachia. As distinctly American as jazz, they blend cultures and oral traditions as diverse as those of southern England, Ireland, West Africa, and native America. They contain bits of lived history, both from before the Civil War and after. In Sitting Up with the Dead, Pamela Petro offers a paradoxical wake for the undying body of the Old South, to hear its truths and contemplate its robust afterlife in the tallest, "lyingest,” most fruitful, and most haunting of its tales.Riding Sky High: A Bicycle Adventure Around the World
Par Pierre-Yves Tremblay, Bernard Voyer. 2014
Many dream of dropping everything and just traveling around the world. It's a common dream, but few imagine embarking on…
that journey by bicycle. Exposed to the elements, legs burning, all your possessions strapped to you and your bicycle--it doesn't paint a relaxing picture, but this is just what Pierre-Yves Tremblay did.Leaving his hometown of Chicoutimi, Quebec, in July 1994, Tremblay took a flight to Europe, and from Paris hopped on his bike and went for a long ride around the world that lasted all of 836 days. He traveled through Europe, past the deserts of the Middle East, then braved the Himalayas, and rode through Southeast Asia and the wilds of Australia, before finishing his journey biking across the United States and arriving back home in Canada.Besides the sheer physical effort, this epic adventure is about a person confronting himself, alone, with his bike, encountering life, its possibilities and limits, dealing with emotions and everything that compels him to keep going and persevere. It means exchanging greetings and sharing moments with people from many different cultures. It means overcoming hundreds of pitfalls only to keep on going.Fifteen and a half thousand miles later, this modern-day Ulysses invites us to read the precious journals he kept on his odyssey. Here you'll find out what really pushes great achievers to their limits.Going Gypsy: One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All
Par David James, Veronica James. 2015
Almost every couple faces a "now what?" moment as their last kid moves out of the house. There's a big…
empty nest looming over this new and uncertain stage in their lives.David and Veronica James chose to look at this next phase of life as a beginning instead of an ending. Rather than staying put and facing the constant reminders of empty bedrooms and backseats, a plan began to develop to sell the nest and hit the highway. But could a homebody helicopter mom learn to let go of her heartstrings and house keys all at once?Filled with a sense of adventure and humor, Going Gypsy is the story of a life after raising kids that is a celebration of new experiences. Pulling the rip cord on the daily grind, David and Veronica throw caution to the wind, quit their jobs, sell their house, put on their vagabond shoes, and go gypsy in a beat-up old RV found on eBay.On a journey of over ten thousand miles along the back roads of America (and a hysterical, error-infused side trip into Italy), they conquer old fears, see new sights, reestablish bonds with family and friends, and transform their relationships with their three grown children from parent-child to adult-to-adult. Most importantly, they rediscover in themselves the fun-loving youngsters who fell in love three decades prior.TSA Baggage: An Inside Look at the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly at America's Airports
Par Scott Becker. 2017
Scott Becker spent over 12 years working for the TSA at Chicago’s O’Hare airport and served it in numerous capacities,…
from baggage screener to manager. He brings to TSA Baggage a wealth of experience and stories that have something for everyone:•Candid Cameos: Several stories in TSA Baggage feature appearances from celebrities, including Madeleine Albright, Patch Adams, and the Kardashians•Behind-the-Scenes Look: For anyone who’s ever wondered what happens in the parts of airports hidden from a view or during a shift at a security check, this book provides first-hand accounts of the inner workings of airports and the people who keep them humming•Laugh Track: Airports seem to attract the misguided, confused, and weird, and this provides for plenty of laughs, whether its passengers attempting to bring grenades in their luggage or trying to skip through security in a drunken tizzy•Travel Warning: This book can also be a great guide to do’s and don’ts for all future travelers, with tips from someone who’s seen everything that can go right and wrong at an airportTravel brings out the good, bad, and ugly in everyone, and TSA Baggage captures all of it for readers from a first-hand witness to the whole circus. Strap in and get ready for a great read.An Angle on the World: Dispatches and Diversions from the New Yorker and Beyond
Par Bill Barich. 2016
Spanning over thirty years of writing, An Angle on the World is a wonderful collection of articles that cross the…
globe and introduce readers to many characters, introduced as only Bill Barich can. As said by Time magazine, Barich's touch is always "artful and compassionate."Broken up into two sections, Barich shares stories of the people, from those that have shaken him to the core, to others from a much lighter place.As he notes in his introduction, "I've spent much of my writing life indulging curiosity, throwing myself into situations and subcultures to gain an education and acquire my own angle on the world. The dispatches collected here arose from that desire."From the troubles in Northern Ireland and the homeless in San Francisco to the US-Mexico borders, Barich went to the people to find the "real story. These are his dispatches. "They all explore stories the press had ignored or covered in a desultory way, at least in my view." While doing his research for these pieces, Barich would speak with grocers, butchers, and even barbers to get his story, knowing that they would give him the truth, as opposed to those that would try to skew reality for someone writing for a magazine.Barich also shows the other side of things, as he speaks about diversions of a "lighter fare." From meetings with Jerry Garcia and trips to Barbados and Culebra, readers will enjoy the work that has kept Barich busy for so many decades, and helped him become one of the most enjoyable writers of our time.An Angle on the World is a terrific compilation from a brilliant writer that offers a raw sense of reality from the people who live it. No filter, no fluff, just the truth as Barich told it. They're real and genuine stories, and shown from a caring point of view that make this collection a definite can't-miss.Soul Rider: Facing Fear and Finding Redemption on a Harley
Par Carolyn Fox. 2017
This is the story of a woman who went on an incredible journey. Carolyn Fox was a single mother and…
lawyer haunted with grief and secrets, and facing her fiftieth birthday. So she decided to change her life by facing her fears: she bought a Harley, packed it with a sleeping bag and tent, and set out to ride through all fifty states-alone! Soul Rider is her gripping travel/journey memoir, written by a successful woman who realized she would have to make significant changes in the way she lived and thought, if she ever had a chance to find peace and wholeness. Soul Rider will inspire readers to:Believe they can improve the quality of their lives by stepping outside their comfort zonesFind the courage to ask for forgiveness - first by forgiving others, and then by forgiving themselvesRecognize that loneliness can be overcome, simply by being the first to say HelloLearn that it’s okay to admit failures, fears, and guilt. Stuff happens to everyone. Confront those things and discover how quickly personal empowerment flows.Along the way, Carolyn traveled alone but met colorful characters, received positive media attention, discovered who she was, and put more than 14,000 miles on her bike. She kept a journal of her adventures, and the result is Soul Rider.Delirious Delhi: Inside India's Incredible Capital
Par David Prager. 2013
When the Big Apple no longer felt big enough, Dave Prager and his wife, Jenny, moved to a city of…
sixteen million people--with seemingly twice as many honking horns. Living and working in Delhi, the couple wrote about their travails and discoveries on their popular blog Our Delhi Struggle. This book, all new, is Dave's top-to-bottom account of a megacity he describes as simultaneously ecstatic, hallucinatory, feverish, and hugely energizing. Weaving together useful observations and hilarious anecdotes, he covers what you need to know to enjoy the city and discover its splendors: its sprawling layout,some favorite sites, the food, the markets, and the challenges of living in or visiting a city that presents every human extreme at once. Among his revelations: secrets that every Delhiite knows, including the key phrase for successfully negotiating with any shopkeeper; the most fascinating neighborhoods, and the trendiest; the realities behind common stereotypes; tips for enjoying street food and finding hidden restaurants, as well as navigating the transportation system; and the nuances of gestures like the famous Indian head bobble. Delirious Delhi is at once tribute to a great world city and an invitation to explore. Read it, and you'll want to book the next flight!Climbing the Equator
Par Neville Shulman. 2005
Creatures from another time, volcanic mountains five million years old, Indian tribes surviving from the pre-Inca period, jungles and rainforests:…
Ecuador has all this and more. Only in its Galapagos Islands did Charles Darwin discover such a variety of extraordinary fauna that on his return to England he wrote his groundbreaking On the Origin of Species. With a philosophical yet humourous approach, Neville Shulman provides an in-depth background to Ecuador and its diverse peoples and tells intriguing stories of spectacular creatures and exotic flora, many not found anywhere else in the world.Narrowboat Dreams: A Journey North by England’s Waterways
Par Steve Haywood. 2008
Steve Haywood escaped the routine of his life in London for a voyage of discovery along England’s inland waterways, travelling…
by traditional narrowboat. With irrepressible humour he describes the history of the canals, the characters he meets along the way, and the magic that makes England’s waterways so appealing.