From London To LA

There are road trips and then there are road trips.

Nearly 2,500 miles east to west across one of the biggest countries in the world along one of the most famous roads in the world firmly puts Route 66 in the ‘you really need to do this’ category.

From London To LA is much more than just a travelogue. Not just a commentary of the journey itself, it also explores the history of places visited along the way as two blokes from London discover the big cities, the small towns, the real wild west and some really quite bizarre curios that couldn’t belong anywhere else other than along Route 66.

Full of information, observations and British humour, From London To LA is a must-read for anyone who is interested in travel, history, geography, Americana and, of course, the Mother Road herself.

Or if you just want a jolly good read…

From Navy Blue Knickers to the Driving Test

This book required a lifetime of experience and sixteen years to write. Mind you, there was an eight-year gap in the middle when the author had to return to full-time, salaried employment. The chapters are presented alphabetically, so in theory it is possible to take any chapter, and read it in its own right. Once a reader has read all twenty-six chapters, he or she will have a sum of all the parts: a completed ‘jigsaw’ of Hal T. Strapel’s story. Truth or fiction? Let the reader decide.

Jane C.:

“In ‘Turning Thai’, I think a very vivid picture of Thailand is presented — it all sounded very exotic to me sitting in dull old middle England. Lots of well-described local colour and all fluently articulated. The author met up with some colourful characters and gives an honest appraisal of how they affected him as a traveller in uncharted territory. There is definitely an eye for detail and the sights, sounds and smells leap off the page. I had a good laugh at the cockroach episode, which sounds very callous of me, but it resonated with me as I had a similar sort of experience in Sicily with a very large spider.”

John H.:

“I found ‘Bilious Belligerent Bowels’ highly entertaining, particularly when Hal was describing the attentions of the nurse and her colleagues.

Charlie H.:

“I found ‘Queenish Quirks’ an intriguing and easy read that connects cultures in a relatable way.”

Lee F.:

“I enjoyed reading ‘Lust for Lingerie’. It sounds voyeuristic in itself! As a man who spent his working life in ladies knickers I can see the author is knowledgeable!”

Johnny B.:

Greetings from Morocco

The collection of short stories gives the reader an insight into the Arab world with all its peculiarities and attractions. The author found the themes of the stories on her journeys in Morocco in the period from 2013 to 2018. In her book, she managed to perfectly capture the atmosphere of the various places she visited, as well as the types of people she met. Thus, the reader can get to know the crowd in a big city with its hidden places, as well as the endless and powerful Sahara desert and its inhabitants. Witty stories that are easy to read encourage the reader to think about the differences between the two cultures, about modern way of life in the Western world and his comparison with Arabic world.

Pavla Gambiraza

This is a story of life reflected in an amazing mosaic of colourful experiences. It is hard to say anything about what these pages hold without the risk of revealing too much and ruining the surprise. This book is not only about that surreal African country. It is about the warmth of human nature, leaps and depths of faith, ethereal strings that connect us all, bringing us to the same primordial truth whoever we may be, and from wherever we may come. This is a book you will never forget. So, sit back and enjoy, and welcome to Morocco!

Snježana Djordjić, Profis d.d.o

How The Ship Changed My Life

Due to the difficulty to find a job in his city, Goran chooses the type of career that changed his life. He started to work on a cruise ship in the hospitality industry in 2013. He has three contracts in three different cruise ships. He considers this experience the most difficult but also the most valuable that life has taught him.

Working on a vessel requires huge sacrifices like being miles away for more than half a year from family and friends, working with different nationalities and cultures, brutally heavy pace of minimal ten working hours every day and often even more without normal sleeping hours but on the other hand a piece of relaxation that makes it very special such as traveling to various attractive world tourist destinations and creating unforgettable friendships and adventures.

Because of his soccer dream, he left the cruiser in 2016 together with Elizabeth from Peru (back then his girlfriend, today his wife) and since 2017 they live in Munich, Germany. From the first day spent on the ship, during all the rich experiences and adventures until the last disembarkation, through magical Peru and a special proposal on the beautiful Machu Picchu to the current life in Germany, he continues to explore new places and shares his soccer passion.

Ship life inspired him to write this book and motivate people in achieving their biggest goals because he strongly believes that everything is possible if the person really wants it.

Islay and Its Whiskies

For whisky fans and their travelling buddies.

This insightful and well-researched pocket guidebook is all you need to enhance your Islay visit. It is the ideal companion for the Scotch whisky dreamers and those who share a passion for Scotland’s islands.

Pop it in your back pocket and set off. Information at a glance with no need to plan or study beforehand.  

There are 10 world-famous Scotch whisky distilleries to discover, all with useful insider tips clearly listed. Islay’s other treasures are not forgotten either: ancient history, archaeology and Islay’s amazing bird life also feature.

There are suggested daily tour routes around Islay highlighting what to look out for. There are also details of day tours to the nearby Islands of Jura and Colonsay.

The author has been guiding groups from all over the world for almost 20 years and is very much aware of what visitors actually want. This guidebook has it all!

Journey to Beijing

This book gives an account of some amazing places which the author was fortunate to visit in China--from magical Guilin to historical Zunyi; from the stunning Three Gorges to tropical Hainan; from cities of the eastern provinces to the Avatar mountains of Zhangjiajie; from relaxing Xishuangbanna to hectic Hong Kong and Macau; and in the north from the Mongolian grasslands of Nei Menggu to the heart of it all: Beijing. Many people travel today, with something approaching 10,000,000 people in the air on an average day. Yet this is only a fraction of those who travel by other means. Why? For relaxation? For education? To get away? Or simply to say they have "been there"? On his own travels, the author saw many tourists arrive at a scene, struggle to get to a vantage point, get there, take the obligatory photograph and move on. They have not even looked, let alone appreciated where they are. All they are doing is ticking off places on their "bucket list". In this book, the author is striving to delve deeper, especially when it comes to the significance of Beijing.

Little Orange Nightbook

Written in the first person, these stories are designed to be read in bed just before you go to sleep. The way to enjoy this book is to follow the author’s intentions: read one letter each night, put in your bookmark, firmly resist the temptation to turn the page and read the next one, switch off the bedside light and go to sleep. That way you have nighttime reading – hence the book’s title – for a month, more or less, and at quiet moments during the course of each day you can, if you so fancy, speculate about what’ll be on the reading menu tonight: which country you’ll be transported to, and whether he’ll be telling you about something which happened to him last year or half a century ago. To read it straight through would be the equivalent of ordering a three-course meal of, say, tomato soup, poached salmon with a side salad followed by chocolate fudge cake with hot sauce – and then putting them all on the same plate and eating the mixture with a spoon. Of course, it’s a free country. But courses are served separately so that different flavours may be enjoyed.

If you’re now sufficiently intrigued, turn to page one and the Introduction.

Notes of a Shorewalker

Unhappy teaching and spurred on by an obsessive attraction to a young student, Catherine took a job in a hotel on the North Norfolk coast. The beauty of what she found made her want to discover more about Seashore life. These are notes she made on her walks.

Who are the Belarusians?

A Guide to Belarusians, Belarus and what makes the country unique.

Being on the crossroads between invading armies since time immemorial, Belarus has emerged with a growing sense of identity that sets them apart from their neighbours. The author opens the lid on the background, attitudes and behaviour of a people about which little is known.

‘Belarusians often describe themselves with the word ‘Pamiarkoŭnasć’. This spans the kaleidoscope of attitudes such as ‘moderation’, ‘self-restraint’, ‘patience’, ‘resignation’, ‘tolerance’ and an excessive interest in what other people think of them.’

‘Whereas in the UK politeness is generally applied in order to preserve a general sense of harmony, in Belarus it is selective and done for specific reasons and in specific contexts. A Belarusian is polite when the situation demands.’

‘In the bus, there may be an empty place in an otherwise crowded interior while many are standing uncomfortably. The empty seat is like the last biscuit on the plate – everybody wants it but are too polite to take it.’

‘Generally, the Belarusians are a law-abiding folk. This is not necessarily an instinctive need to adhere to the rules or a paranoia about the results of not following them. In fact in most cases, there is a feeling that it is better to stay within the rules which amount to one of the few uncertainties in life than to go out on a limb and risk unforeseen consequences.’

Chasing Our Dream in La Rochelle

When the newly married Gillian and Bill leave Britain for rural France, little could they imagine the adventures they will have: from expert house renovation to wily language-school owners, to becoming involved in village life. The pair embrace all that comes their way, especially Bill, whose eye for the French ladies becomes legendary.While the newly christened 'Gilly-Anne' makes her debut as an English teacher in a school at La Rochelle, Bill tackles their new investment: a ruined house with no water or electricity. Fortunately, they are helped generously by their new neighbours. So many customs to discover, so much to explore in their camping van before the couple finally succeed in making France their home.New author Gillian Broome has written about her experiences with whimsy and humour. For those who have sought a new life abroad or are dreaming about one, her book will be a source of inspiration"”or laughter.

Medieval Wanders and Wonders: Understanding Northern Spain and the Camino de Santiago

Those who have walked the Camino will know just how compelling is the magic to be found along this way. In Medieval Wanders and Wonders Kate Simons delves into the drama that can be sensed in glorious cathedrals and mysterious religious houses, the thrills shared by fellow walkers and the triumph of arriving in Santiago de Compostela. But, having gazed upon magnificent art and experienced the vast Spanish skies, do pilgrims question the significance of James' holy bones, the influence the saints wrought on western civilization or the peculiarity of medieval pilgrimage? By examining the mysteries, sometimes grisly, sometimes delightful, of witches, heresy, obsolete religious practices and knights Kate attempts to answer these questions. She also provides personal reflections and anecdotes from her own Camino walk and subsequent trips to northern Spain undertaken with her husband. As well as asking deep questions, Medieval Wanders and Wonders offers insight into the nature of pilgrimage and the curiosities and marvels of medieval Spain.  

Transit to India

Changing times bring changing outlooks but even back in 1984, well before the plethora of today’s health and safety laws and risk-averse attitudes, an overland school trip to far-off India was considered somewhat extreme. And doubly so, given that travel through Iran was unavoidable despite Iran at the time suffering the upheavals of the Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic Revolution and engagement in a bloody war with neighbouring country Iraq.

The idea behind this 10000-mile, eight-week journey was to present a ‘retired’ old school Ford Transit minibus to the charity ‘Lepra’ to aid its life-saving work among India’s rural poor. Ten pupils aged 12 to 16, accompanied by two teachers, made up the delivery crew, in so doing possibly making the longest school minibus trip ever undertaken. One of the boys travelling (aged 15 at the time) said recently: “Surviving all the adventures and hairy incidents, all I can say is that I set off as a boy and returned as a man.”