Bill Bryson is an amazing author, as I have recently discovered, and there is no better book to introduce me to his interesting, witty and compelling adventures and writing style, than Neither Here Nor There; Travels In Europe.
Neither Here Nor There is the tale of Bryson’s final trip around Europe before returning to America to give his kids the experience of living in another country, and to let his wife experience late night shopping (and, because he has decided his country needs him).
He begins his journey by going to the coldest place in Europe at the coldest time of year in the hope of seeing the amazing “Northern Lights”. Although he hates the cold, and the bus trip there is most unpleasant, and he initially finds the town mostly dead and unexciting and soon loses all hope of seeing the etheral Northern Lights, he is eventually blessed with the amazing sight that is the Aurora Borealis.
The “Aurora Borealis“ thanks to wikipedia.
From there he heads back to England before continuing on in the summer from Paris across Germany and Italy into Eastern Europe and finally arriving in Istanbull, Turkey. From the cafes of Paris to the busy war-scarred streets of Eastern Europe, Bryson uses his uniquely witty and charming writing style to craft an exciting and romantic idea of European travel.
A highly recommended read for anyone with even a slight interest in Europe, Backpacking, or Travel at all.
I felt a bit timid, maybe a bit scared you could say. I really didn’t want to go - to leave all my friends behind, and the life I had known for the last 5 years, but I was also excited. That, and I guess I had to go - it being my parents decision, and all.
Our red Peugeot 405 just leaving our house of 5 years.
We set off around six-thirty in the morning and before we even leave our driveway, dad broke the handbrake. Whoo! Anyway, after hours and hours of solid driving we arrived at Andy & Jacki’s place around ten at night, heading off to bed son after. But it wasn’t until at least an hour after getting in bed that we actually went off to sleep, because Elsa, Andy & Jacki’s cat, kept terrorizing (playing with) us.
It was kind of weird thinking that we’d be living in that red car, and a fold-up camper van for the next six months. Really makes you think about how excessive our society is. I mean, do you really need a huge house with lots of bedrooms, and on-suite and a swimming pool, when a family of four can live out of an old Peugeot and a camper van? I’d rather be seeing the world in a crappy red Peugeot than be stuck inside a mansion.
As you may know, if anyone actually reads this blog, after my epic 20-month trip across Asia and Europe, I will eventually arrive in the UK, where I wish to attend University/College. I would really like to live in London, just because it looks downright awesome. So much culture and history, the food, the sights, the smells and the people - just everything.
So I was looking around at Universities and the like and I found the London College Of Communication. Quite frankly, it looks great. I’m interested in possibly either their Journalism or Film & Video courses. Maybe even Photography - I’ll just have to see what happens. Film & Video would help greatly in putting together a film/documentary of my travels using the footage I’ll have from my trip (hopefully using the nice JVC i posted about earlier)…