Blog | Books And Travel

7 Literary Landmarks For Book Lovers In London

From Great Expectations to Bridget Jones’ Diary, London looms large in world literature. But the city offers book lovers plenty to see beyond location spotting.

Watch plays like a Shakespearean Londoner at the recreated Globe Theatre. Get up close and personal with all things Sherlock at the Sherlock Holmes Museum near Baker Street. Even the Old Bailey has literary associations. Lawyers prosecuted Penguin Books here in 1960 for publishing Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Would you like to explore a wider range of literary landmarks in London? Here are seven ideas to get you started.

Venice, Art History And Italian Artisans With Laura Morelli

Unusual Places

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Traveling to a new place is about art, architecture, food, and culture, but it can also be about the people you meet and the memories — and even souvenirs — you bring back. In today’s interview, Laura Morelli talks about Venetian artisans, the joys of limoncello, and shares her tips for finding the perfect way to remember your trip.

Dr. Laura Morelli has a Ph.D. in art history from Yale writes award-winning historical fiction based on the true stories of art history and teaches art history online.

Show notes:

How early travels in Europe sparked Laura’s interest in medieval history
Places in Venice where you can see behind the present facade to the history beneath
The quiet places where you can still find artisans and craftspeople who keep old skills alive — and how to avoid being ripped off
Venetian paper and bookbinding
The plague mask and Carnival
Limoncello
How travel helps us appreciate what’s different and what’s the same between our cultures and countries
Recommended books around works of art

You can find Laura at www.LauraMorelli.com and on twitter @lauramorelliphd

8 Unusual Things To See On Mallorca

Unusual Places

Mallorca (also known as Majorca) is the largest of the Balearic Islands off the east coast of Spain in the Mediterranean. It’s better known for its beaches and nightlife with party destination Magaluf and the home of the TV show, Love Island.

But beneath the tourist surface lies another Mallorca. Gothic cathedrals, medieval architecture, quiet coves, fascinating museums and a history that impacts the founding of modern USA.

If you’d like to explore this Mallorca, add these unusual things to your bucket list.

Northumberland: Ancient Lindisfarne, Modern Newcastle With L.J.Ross

Unusual Places

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The north-east of England combines the ancient history of Viking raids and English castles, with the stark beauty of Lindisfarne island cut off by the tides, and the vibrant city of Newcastle linked by its seven bridges.

In today’s episode, mystery author, LJ Ross talks about love of home, why she sets her books in the area, and tips for visiting.

LJ Ross is the internationally bestselling author of the DCI Ryan mystery series set in the north east of England including UK number one bestseller, Holy Island.

Why Louise feels that Northumberland will always be home, even as she and her family travel away and back again. The emotional resonance of where we have memory and family.
Are there geographic personalities? On the possible differences between the north and south of England
Lindisfarne, the Holy Island, and tips for visiting so you don’t get stranded by the tide as well as nearby Bamburgh Castle
Cragside and Victorian history
The city of Newcastle, seven bridges and the Victorian tunnels
How Louise is entwining her international travels into the upcoming Dr Alexander Gregory series, whose work as a psychological profiler takes him around the world
Recommended books set in Northumberland

You can find Louise at www.LJRossAuthor.com and on Twitter @ljross_author

13 Unusual Things To See In New York City

Unusual Places

New York might be most famous for Wall Street, Broadway, the Statue of Liberty, and being a multi-cultural melting pot, but the city also has its stranger side.

Abandoned subway lines, marble cemeteries, mass graves, and a cheese house are just some of the weirdest examples. It seemed a logical place to set One Day in New York where ARKANE agent Jake Timber joins the hunt for a secret buried under the city.

If you’d like your trip to be a little darker, a little more ‘ARKANE’, then pay a visit to some of these weird and wonderful locations.

14 Unusual Things To See In Prague

Unusual Places

If you’re planning a trip to Prague, you might think first of the Christmas markets, the fascinating mix of architecture and its celebrated café culture (plus cheap beer!).

But the city has so much more to offer the intrepid traveler with a taste for the arcane and unusual. Here are 14 of the more offbeat things to see in Prague.

1. Sedlec Ossuary

This jaw-dropping ‘bone church’ lies an hour’s train ride to the east of Prague, in Kutná Hora. It’s well worth the trip for the incredible sculptures made from skulls and the intricate chandelier.

Sedlec Ossuary, Kutna Hora. Photo by JFPenn

Overcrowding in Sedlec cemetery forced the authorities to move bodies into a crypt to make space. In 1870, woodcarver František Rint took on the task of organizing jumbled skeletons. He turned them into the famous artistic arrangement visible today. You can even spot his name spelled in bones on the wall.

Its stunning chandelier plays a key role in the climax of Crypt of Bone, which was inspired by the Ossuary.