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A Speck On The Ocean. Sailing The Pacific With Nadine Slavinski

Imagine sailing through the night across the Pacific Ocean with the sound of a gentle wind on the sails, the creak of rigging, and an array of stars above you.

Nadine Slavinski talks about the joys and challenges of sailing across the Pacific with her husband and son.

Nadine Slavinski is an archaeologist turned teacher whose sailing adventures inspire her fiction and nonfiction books.

Show notes

The Coconut Milk Run, sailing east to west in the Pacific
Experiencing different cultures and languages throughout the Pacific islands
Keeping watch and sailing for several weeks straight
Dealing with the fears that arise in the open ocean, and the challenges of the weather
Working up from day sailing to long passages
How places inspire stories
Recommended books about travel and sailing

You can find Nadine Slavinski at nslavinski.com

Walk The Kennet And Avon Canal Between Devizes And Bradford-On-Avon, England

Walking

You can walk (or cycle) this section of the Kennet and Avon canal in either direction. There’s a train station at Bradford-on-Avon and plenty of buses to Devizes. I’ve detailed the route from Bath to Bradford-on-Avon in this article.

In April 2021, I took the bus from Bath to Devizes (#272) and walked all the way back (around 37km). Definitely possible on a summer day when there is more light, with a lunch stop at Bradford-on-Avon (around 20km).

Devizes is a small town with plenty of places to get coffee and food. There are well-kept public toilets (20p in cash) sign-posted from the main square and on the way to the canalside where the Devizes Wharf has more amenities.

Exploring Darkness And Accepting Our Animal Nature With Tiffany Francis-Baker

Podcast

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Experiencing the dark of night can help connect us with nature and perhaps we need to tap into that animal side more often in order to respect the cycle of the seasons, renew our energy and our mental health, and help wildlife that need it to survive.

In this interview, we also talk about the attraction of pagan fire festivals and the Northern Lights, the power of light in the darkness, and how it connects to something primal deep within.

Tiffany Francis-Baker is a nature writer and illustrator. Her latest book is Dark Skies: A Journey Into the Wild Night.

Show notes

The attraction of exploring the natural world at night and why we need dark skies
Reconnection with our wilder selves and the importance of seasons in nature and our lives
Pagan fire festivals and the Northern Lights
How local exploration has increased during the pandemic
The relationship between writing and illustration
Recommended books on travel and nature

You can find Tiffany Francis at TiffanyFrancisBaker.com

Journeys In Search Of Ourselves. Secular Pilgrimage With Victoria Preston

Podcast

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What does pilgrimage mean when you don’t adhere to a particular religious tradition? Can we find ever find ourselves when we travel, or will we be forever searching?

Victoria Preston has roamed far and wide in her 30 years advising corporate and government clients around the world. She is an associate fellow at the King’s Centre for Strategic Communications, and her latest book is We Are Pilgrims: Journeys in Search of Ourselves.

Show notes

What is secular pilgrimage?
The animal urge to move, particularly in the spring
Balancing solitude and traveling with others
Places that resonate through the ages
Does the search for art and beauty create the desire for pilgrimage?
Being ‘hefted’ or rooted to a place and the meaning of home
Can we ever find ourselves on journeys?
Recommended travel books

You can find Victoria Preston at WhyPilgrim.com

Cross Bones Graveyard, Southwark, London

Dark Travel

Southwark is a diverse area, with the upmarket foodie destination of Borough Market, the historic grandeur of Southwark Cathedral, the towering wealth of The Shard, and the memorial garden for the Outcast Dead, Cross Bones.

Crossbones garden London Photo by JFPenn — Crossbones Garden within sight of The Shard, London. Photo by JFPenn

In medieval times, the Bishops of Winchester licensed sex work in Southwark, known then as The Liberty of the Clink. The women were known as Winchester Geese, and even though the church took funds from the sex trade, they didn’t allow the women and their illegitimate children to be buried in consecrated ground.

Instead, they were buried in Cross Bones Graveyard.

Curiosity, Wonder, And Serendipity. Hidden Travel with Steve Brock

Inner Travel, Podcast

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Sometimes it’s not the most iconic travel destinations that resonate most with us. Sometimes it’s the hidden places and the unexpected moments that echo in our memories many years later.

In this episode, Steve Brock talks about how we can cultivate curiosity and blend serendipity with planning to make the most of our travels, as well as finding hidden places closer to home, and how we can use the different senses of time to make more of our travel experiences.

Stephen W. Brock is the author of Hidden Travel: The Secret To Extraordinary Trips. He’s also a photographer and his website, Explore Your Worlds, focuses on the intersection of travel and creativity.

Show notes

Finding hidden places close to home
Planning trips while leaving room for serendipity and new discovery
Why curiosity is a practice we need to develop to make the most of travel
How the memorable moments of travel might be the ones you don’t plan for
Different experiences of time — kairos vs chronos
Recommended travel books

You can find Stephen Brock at ExploreYourWorlds.com

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