Places Archives - Books And Travel

Salisbury Cathedral, England

In late April, I visited Salisbury Cathedral in the south-west of England. It’s only an hour from where I live in Bath. I’ve used the cathedral as one of the settings for my ARKANE thriller, End of Days, and revisited it as part of my research for a new project on Gothic Cathedrals.

Salisbury Cathedral has the tallest spire in the United Kingdom, standing at 404 feet (123 meters). It has had scaffolding around it for the last 38 years so I was lucky to be able to see it newly uncovered.

Unlike many medieval cathedrals built over centuries with varying styles, Salisbury Cathedral was constructed within a relatively short period (1220-1258). This gives it a consistent Early English Gothic style, which is rare as most other cathedrals blend styles as they were constructed over longer periods.

Vienna, Nuremberg, And Cologne. My Five Days Research Trip For Spear Of Destiny

Places, Weekend Trips

In January 2024, I did a whistlestop five-day book research trip to Vienna, Austria, and then Nuremberg and Cologne in Germany. My goal was to research locations for my next action-adventure thriller, Spear of Destiny, and also to visit two spectacular Gothic cathedrals.

In this article, I’ll share the highlights and also some practical tips. It includes:

St Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom), Vienna
The Holy Lance / Spear of Destiny in the Hofburg Treasury, Vienna
Tombs of the Habsburgs, Capuchin Crypt, Vienna
Globe Museum and State Hall library, Vienna
Practicalities of Vienna, and trains to Germany
Nazi Art Bunker, Nuremberg, Nurnberg
Cologne Cathedral, Koln

Spear of Destiny, an ARKANE thriller, will launch in June 2024 on Kickstarter and will be available on all stores by September 2024. Click here for more details.

Cathedral Of Santiago De Compostela, Spain

Places, Religious

It was wonderful to explore the city of Santiago de Compostela without a backpack on! I taped up my blisters and headed out for the Cathedral where I spent several hours looking around and visiting the museum, as well as attending Pilgrim’s Mass. There are 3 per day so you will find one that suits and it lasts about 45 minutes.

Pilgrims arrive in the Plaza del Obradoiro which has the most imposing cathedral facade. You can’t enter the church this way but the entrance to the museum and the Portico da Gloria are on this side.

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela Plaza del Obradoiro Photo by JFPenn

Walk The South Bank Of The Thames From Tower Bridge To Westminster. London, England

Places, Walking

South Bank is one of my favorite walks in London. You pass places of historical importance and architectural beauty, as well as iconic cultural locations, plus great places to eat and drink alongside the River Thames while people-watching in this fantastic city. I set my Brooke & Daniel crime thriller trilogy in this area and I do this walk whenever I’m in London.

If you walk the route from end to end without stopping, it will only take you about an hour or so to do the 5km along the Thames Path. But if you make the most of everything along the way, you could be busy for a week or more. It’s a great way to orientate yourself if you’re new to the city where so many get the Tube or a taxi when it’s easier and often quicker to walk.

London, South Bank Of The Thames on a bright day. Panoramic image taken from the Tower bridge. Photo licensed from BigStockPhoto — London, South Bank Of The Thames on a bright day. Panoramic image taken from the Tower bridge.

Start at London Bridge Station which is a major transport hub for overground and underground trains. There are many different exits but it’s easy enough to find the river!

The Shard is next to the station. You can pay to look out over the city at The View From The Shard, which is worth it on a glorious day.

The Old Operating Theatre is also near the station, Europe’s oldest operating theatre, pre-dating anaesthetic and antibiotics.

Cycling Oxford To Bath Through The Cotswolds, England

Places

In May 2021, we cycled Oxford to Bath through the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the southwest of England. In this article, I’ll share some thoughts and practical tips as well as photos from the route.

Practical info

We booked our self-guided cycle trip through Headwater who set us up with a local operator, Hikes and Bikes. We were given route information beforehand and Headwater has an app for navigation. However, we really love the Komoot app, so we plotted the routes into Komoot and used that on the way. The 24-gear bikes were provided with a side pannier and two locks and were fine for the route, which is mostly quiet roads and trails.

Bike with pannier Photo by JFPenn — Bike with side pannier for Costwold cycling. Photo by JFPenn

My husband, Jonathan, is an experienced cyclist and very comfortable on a bike. I haven’t been on a bike for several years and am definitely not bike fit, so it was a little challenging in parts, even though it’s not a very hilly route. Headwater rated it 1+, generally relaxing with some hills.

Southwark Cathedral, London

Places

Southwark Cathedral is the oldest Gothic church building in London, with over 1000 years of worship within its walls.

It was a convent in 606, a priory in 1106, a parish church in 1540, and a cathedral from 1905. Famous literary figures such as Shakespeare and Chaucer are associated with the church, and The Becket Way pilgrimage starts here on the way to Canterbury. The area has a rich cultural heritage, so if you’re in London, it’s definitely worth a visit. You can find more detail at cathedral.southwark.anglican.org

Southwark Cathedral Exterior, London. Photo by JFPenn

Always look up in a Gothic cathedral! Southwark’s vaulted nave is magnificent. When you enter the building, you can pay a few pounds extra for a photo permit. It’s definitely worth it.

Places

Practical info

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