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Viking And Christian Art. Urnes Stave Church, Norway

I love visiting unusual churches, so I was excited to visit Urnes stave church, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in September 2023.

You can drive there or cross the beautiful Sogn fjord from Solvorn on the ferry and walk up the hill to the church.

When Do Human Remains Become Art? Visiting The Paris Catacombs

Unusual Places

When do human remains become art? I considered this question as I walked through the Paris Catacombs recently. It was the second time I had visited, so I knew what to expect, but the impact of so many bones, so many lives, was still strong.

Skulls in the Paris catacombs, Photo by JFPenn

The Paris Catacombs hold the remains of more than six million people, moved there to free up the overcrowded cemeteries above. Each section is labeled with the name of the cemetery that the bones were moved from.

Classical Architecture, Angels Unawares, And A Surprise Gutenberg Bible. A Long Weekend In Washington DC, USA

Weekend Trips

I’ve always wanted to visit Washington, D.C. as it features in so many films and TV shows. I even set a scene in my thriller, Ark of Blood, at the George Washington monument (they have a replica Ark), but I had never visited — until now.

On this long weekend, I enjoyed the classical architecture of the government buildings, the ecclesiastical grandeur of the Basilica and the cathedral, and discovered the beautiful Library of Congress.

JFPenn at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, Feb 2023 — it was very, very cold!

In February 2023, I managed a long weekend before speaking at a conference in Colorado Springs. It was an unseasonal cold snap, so I was freezing but the sky was blue, and I spent days walking the city, which was really empty as it was off-season. Here are some of the places I visited and would recommend to others.

The Call To Pilgrimage, Resilience, And Embracing Challenge With J.F. Penn

Podcast, Religious

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Why is resilience such an important part of pilgrimage? How can embracing the challenge of the way help in daily life? Why do we need to heed the call to pilgrimage before it’s too late?

I’m Jo Frances Penn and in this episode, I share some clips from podcast interviews I’ve done around my new book, Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways. Thanks to Travel Writing World with Jeremy Bassetti, Into the Woods with Holly Worton, and Sacred Steps with Kevin Donahue, podcasts you will enjoy as listeners to this show.

As this goes out, Pilgrimage is available now in a special limited edition signed hardback, as well as a paperback, ebook, audiobook narrated by me, large print edition, and a workbook.

In this episode, I talk about:

Which were the three ancient ways I walked and why they’re interesting even if you’re not religious
What I learned along the way
The three types of energy you need at the different stages
How pilgrimage reminds us we are animals, and how it gives a much-needed perspective on life.

Pilgrimage: The Perspective Of History And Glimpses Of The Divine

Podcast, Religious

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How can walking in the path of history put life in perspective? How can you find a glimpse of the divine in unexpected places?

In this episode, I share two chapters from my book, Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways. You can buy the audiobook, as well as the special edition hardback, paperback and ebook, at www.JFPenn.com/pilgrimage

The Meaning of Travel With Emily Thomas

Podcast

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In this wide-ranging interview, Emily Thomas talks about the importance of perspective and time in travel writing, how sublime moments of pleasurable terror make travel so interesting, how to overcome fears both real and imaginary, as well as the ethics of doom tourism, and how VR (virtual reality) might change how we travel in future.

Dr. Emily Thomas is an associate professor in philosophy at Durham University in England. She’s also the author of several books, including The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad.

Traveling is about experiencing otherness, going to places that are new and unfamiliar and trying to figure out how to make sense of them
Sublime moments in travel as a kind of pleasurable terror
Tackling fears, both real and imagined
Research before a trip, and arriving in Malawi, Africa
How do travel books blur the line between fiction and nonfiction, and why is this so important to address stereotypes
“There is no view from nowhere.” Perspective in travel writing
Maps as processes, and how they change over time. The importance of knowing ‘when’ a book was written and the perspective of the writer.
Doom tourism
How VR (virtual reality) might improve aspects of travel, and what we want to keep as in-person experiences
Recommended travel books

You can find Emily at www.EmilyThomasWrites.co.uk and on Twitter @emilytwrites

Shareable and header image generated by Jo Frances Penn on Midjourney.

How can walking in the path of history put life in perspective? How can you find a glimpse of the divine in unexpected places?

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