Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Trek around Europe with books! "Visit" as many European countries as you wish. The catch? All countries must be physically connected by land or by water and read in that order.

Here is a couple maps of Europe:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&am...
http://i.infopls.com/images/Europemap...

Time Limit: None
Genre: Any

Shannon - Backpacking around Europe
1 December 2013 - 31 December 2013

Start: England Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman
By sea to: Ireland On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry
By sea to: England The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner
By sea to: Germany Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
By sea to: England The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
By sea to France: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Shannon, I am joining you and starting this today. :)

I'll just have to plan ahead to make sure I can connect all my countries :).



1) Start: Portugal: Nachtzug nach Lissabon by Pascal Mercier, 4*-review
2) By train to Spain: Ich bin dann mal weg. Meine Reise auf dem Jakobsweg by Hape Kerkeling, 3*
3) À pied à la France: Das Lächeln der Frauen (The Ingredients of Love) by Nicolas Barreau, 4*
4) Through the tunnel to the UK: The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling, 4*
5) Across the Irish Sea to Ireland: Two Lives by William Trevor, 5*
6) Across the Atlantic Ocean to Iceland: Reply to a Letter from Helga by B. Birgisson, 2*
7) Across the Atlantic again to Norway: The Faster I Walk, The Smaller I Am by Kjersti A. Skomsvold, 2*
8) Over the mountains to Sweden: Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson, 3*
9) Across the Øresund to Denmark: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, 5*
10) Moving south towards home: The Spectacle Salesman's Family by Viola Roggenkamp, 2*
11) Driving east to Poland: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, 2*
12) Further east to Lithuania: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, 5*
13) Still further east to Belarus: Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch, 4*



Sill missing:
Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, (Kosovo), Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, ..., Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, .., Czech Republic, Slovakia

SilverRaindrops wrote: "Shannon, I am joining you and starting this today. :)

I'll just have to plan ahead to make sure I can connect all my countries :).

(Countries of Europe:
Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, France, ..."

Enjoy, SilverRaindrops - I keep hopping back to England, need to get moving across Europe ... :)

Shannon wrote: "Enjoy, SilverRaindrops - I keep hopping back to England, need to get moving across Europe ... :) "

I started in Cambodia, then realised that doesn't fit. So with England you're already way ahead ;). I think I will finally get going with Portugal today.

I tried Night Train to Lisbon for Portugal but didn't finish - I look forward to seeing your choice of books.

Shannon wrote: "I tried Night Train to Lisbon for Portugal but didn't finish - I look forward to seeing your choice of books."

That's exactly what I have. My mum recommended it to me. But I think I have two advantages - I'm reading the original, non-translated version, and I've already seen the movie ;).

----
EDIT
I've now read it, and I liked it. I have to say though that a lot of people read it for the philosophical thingies, and I couldn't stand those. I much preferred the simple guy whose story we get to follow.
Nachtzug nach Lissabon by Pascal Mercier, 4*-review

I've travelled from Portugal to Spain. In Spain, I joined a German comedian on the Way of St. James, but it was a bit meh to be honest. Looking forward to France next.
Hape Kerkeling - Ich bin dann mal weg. Meine Reise auf dem Jakobsweg (I'm off, then), April 28, 3*-review here

I have fallen in love in and with Paris, in Das Lächeln der Frauen (engl.: The Ingredients of Love) by Nicolas Barreau. Complete with a recipe for a French Menu d'amour. 4*-review here.

Then I went across the channel to experience the madness of local politics in the UK ... The Casual Vacancy (J.K. Rowling), 4/5 as well.

Ireland is next up.

Ireland (William Trevor's Two Lives, 5/5) was superb, and I would love to go there for real.
Less so to Iceland (Bergsveinn Birgisson's Reply to a Letter from Helga, 2/5), too much love for sheep.

I forgot to update, but I've now went to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. (see message #3).

I'm stuck in Russia, because I can't seem to find books for Finland, Estonia and Latvia, and I don't want to move on south because then I would have to go back there if I find books.

For Latvia I'd recommend Hunde von Riga by Henning Mankell. It's a really good crime novel/thriller.
This spring I read The Summer Book by Tove Jansson which is set in Finland. It's a heart-warming story.
I read that The Czar's Madman by Jaan Kross is set in Estonia. I haven't read it yet but put in on my list of books I'm planning to read for my frequent flyer challenge.
I hope that I was able to help you a bit and that maybe you'll read one of these books!

SilverRaindrops wrote: "I'm stuck in Russia, because I can't seem to find books for Finland, Estonia and Latvia, and I don't want to move on south because then I would have to go back there if I find books."

Here are my shelves for these three countries:
Estonia: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...
Finland: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...
Latvia: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

I have not that many listed b/c the latter two usually listed under my "soviet union shelf": http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

Maybe you can find something you like.

Thank you, Ellinor and Chrissie!

Ellinor, I've read both The Summer Book and The Dogs of Riga already. Mankell was alright and The Summer Book was great, but I didn't want to reread anything.
The Czar's Madman looks great and I'll put it on my wishlist.

Chrissie, I've thought about Lenin's Harem before, and I'd decided against it because it seemed to be more about Russia. But I'm coming to think that it would be very difficult to find a book about the Baltic countries that doesn't also deal with Russia a lot. (At least not one that is available in an English translation.) So it's moving back on the list.

Glad I could help.

Read the next month's Goodreads selection.....The Summer Book set in Finland.

I am doing a European backpacking challenge in another group, so I will resurrect this thread to chart my progress, since I have not done this one here yet. My books will either be set in the country or authored by a writer from the country.

I started on July 2, here is where I have been to so far:


Create Your Own Visited European Countries Map

I am traveling in geographical order, crossing bodies of water only for non-continental countries or short distances:

In order of "visit":
1. France: Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris
2. Belgium: Fear and Trembling
3. Netherlands: The Laws
4. Germany: Effi Briest
5. Denmark: Quicksand
6. Sweden: The Red Room
7. Finland: Unknown Soldiers

Next up: Norway with Alberta and Jacob

Wayne's Backpacking Challenge Through Europe will follow a different tack. Due to the land or sea connection rule, I will start at one point, and then add countries as I read relevant books. Starting date set for 1 January 2020.

Starting point : Scotland
1. Scotland (Edinburgh) :The World According to Bertie (04/01/2020)
2. England (London): Blind Faith
3. Spain (Santiago de Compostella): The Way of Stars and Stones: Thoughts on a Pilgrimage
4. Italy (Sicily): Sicilian Summer: A Story of Honour, Religion and the Perfect Cassata
5. Greece (Lesbos): The Olive Grove

Wayne's Backpacking Challenge Through Europe (2020).

Starting point : Scotland
1. Scotland (Edinburgh)
2. England (London)
3. Spain (Santiago de Compostella)
4. Italy (Sicily)
5. Greece (Lesbos)
6. France (Vézelay)

Wayne wrote: "
Wayne's European Backpacking Tour



Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com
"
Wayne, once you've created your map, how do you update it? Every time I try, the site makes me start over. What am I doing wrong?

Gerry wrote: "Wayne wrote: "
Wayne's European Backpacking Tour



Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com
"
Wayne, once you've created your map, how do you update it? Every time I try, the site makes me start over. Wh..."

Hi Gerry, I actually start over, but to make it easier, I open Goodreads in two tabs and use one to note the places already marked. So, there is no automatic update. It is similar to the booklinks, if one wants to include the original links, it needs to be re-entered. At least that has been my experience thus far. Hope it answers your question.

Thanks, Wayne. I'll try your strategy!

Starting point : Scotland
1. Scotland (Edinburgh)
2. England (London)
3. Spain (Santiago de Compostella)
4. Italy (Sicily)
5. Greece (Lesbos)
6. France (Vézelay)
7. Norway (Tromsø)

Starting point : Scotland
1. Scotland (Edinburgh)
2. England (London)
3. Spain (Santiago de Compostella)
4. Italy (Sicily)
5. Greece (Lesbos)
6. France (Vézelay)
7. Norway (Tromsø)
8. - Portugal (Lisbon)

I've decided to do this with books about walking, hitching or travelling to, through or in countries in Europe. I love walking - both short walks from my front door (I'm lucky to live on the coast and close to fields and countryside) - or longer more challenging hikes - last year I walked the Caminho Português from Oporto in Northern Portugal to Santiago de Compostela. So I'm kicking off my trek with The Salt Path by Raynor Winn a book that takes me very close to my front door - I live under half a mile from the South West Coast Path. This is a 630 mile trail around the south-western "leg" of England, it follows the coast where possible (though has to change when rock falls or storm damage affect the route). I started walking this in short chunks 12 years ago and I've only covered about 1/5th so far. Raynor Winn actually passed through my town on the train as this stretch doesn't have the secluded spaces she needed for wild camping - the path follows the seawall alongside Brunel's railway for several miles between Dawlish Warren and Teignmouth. Maybe I'll have to do a train journey read for here too! There's lots of information about the SW Coast Path here https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk

Country 1: England (Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset) The Salt Path
Country 2: Spain (Camino francés) Spanish Steps
Country 3: Republic of Ireland Round Ireland with a Fridge
Country 4: Wales: Never too old to backpack: A 364-mile walk through Wales
Back to England with The Old Ways: A Journey On Foot
Country 5: Scotland Bothy Tales: Footsteps in the Scottish hills
Back to England with Night Walks
Country 6: France Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes
Country 7: Italy (Tuscany) A Walk in Italy: Tuscany from Florence to Siena
Country 8: Switzerland Slow Train to Switzerland: One Tour, Two Trips, 150 Years - and a World of Change Apart
Country 9: Austria Dawdling by the Danube

This is going to be a long-term challenge for me but it does look like fun.
I am going to start in Iceland, since that is the closest European country to where I live in Canada.
My goal is to read The Blue Fox.

Rosemarie wrote: "This is going to be a long-term challenge for me but it does look like fun.
I am going to start in Iceland, since that is the closest European country to where I live in Canada.
My goal is to read ..."

Happy trekking, I enjoyed the Blue Fox

Left England behind to travel with Tim Moore through Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. I guess I'd have to get the ferry to Bilbao or Santander to join him on his walk accompanied by a donkey in his account of his 2004 journey Spanish Steps. I picked this up in our local Oxfam bookshop a couple of years ago and have only just got around to reading it. I found it slightly irritating, his humour didn't suit me but I do know the relief of arriving in Santiago (in the rain!) even if my walk was from Portugal and much shorter than his.

Thanks, Ruth. Happy travels to you too!

European Journey:
I started by sailing from Halifax to
🇦🇽 Iceland:
The Blue Fox by Sjón (03/20)
Then caught another ship to
🇫🇴 The Faroe Islands:
The Faroe Islanders' Saga by George Johnston (03/20)
Final sea trip for a while to
🇳🇴 Norway:
Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus (03/20)
By bus to
🇸🇪Sweden:
Miss Julie by August Strindberg (04/20)
By bus to
🇫🇮 Finland:
The Kalevala by Elias Lönnrot (04/20)
By train to
🇷🇺Russia:
My Childhood by Maxim Gorky 04/20)
Continuing my train journey to
🇪🇪 Estonia:
The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk 04/20)
By train to
🇦🇹 Latvia:
Baltic Facades: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since 1945 by Aldis Purs (04/20)

Country 3) Republic of Ireland: Round Ireland with a Fridge

Brittany Ferries run a ferry from Santander to Cork so from there it was up to Dublin to embark on a journey hitch hiking along the border with Northern Ireland and around the coast of the Republic in the company of Tony Hawks and his fridge.

Starting point : Scotland
1. Scotland (Edinburgh)
2. England (London)
3. Spain (Santiago de Compostella)
4. Italy (Sicily)
5. Greece (Lesbos)
6. France (Vézelay)
7. Norway (Tromsø)
8. - Portugal (Lisbon)
9. - Germany (Stuttgart)

http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?ch...

Starting point : Scotland
1. Scotland (Edinburgh)
2. England (London)
3. Spain (Santiago de Compostella)
4. Italy (Sicily)
5. Greece (Lesbos)
6. France (Vézelay)
7. Norway (Tromsø)
8. - Portugal (Lisbon)
9. - Germany (Stuttgart)
10. - Netherlands (Utrecht)

Starting point : Scotland
1. Scotland (Edinburgh)
2. England (London)
3. Spain (Santiago de Compostella)
4. Italy (Sicily)
5. Greece (Lesbos)
6. France (Vézelay)
7. Norway (Tromsø)
8. - Portugal (Lisbon)
9. - Germany (Stuttgart)
10. - Netherlands (Utrecht)
11. - Russia (Irkutsk)

Country 4: Wales Never too old to backpack: A 364-mile walk through Wales by Tracy Burton

So taking the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead gets me to the start of this walk from the north-west corner of Wales to the south-east corner on the border with England. The author is a blogger and this book read like a blog but was a refreshing read in this time of enforced staying at home. I sat reading this with a map of Wales next to me and have plans for Welsh walks once we're free to travel again.

Back to my country of origin, England, with Robert Macfarlane's The Old Ways: A Journey On Foot

This has been an excellent book to read during corona virus lockdown evoking a real sense of connection to landscapes that are both familiar and exotic. It also takes the reader to Scotland, Palestine, Spain and Tibet and finally to the chalk lands of northern France. It's also led me to two other books by this author the wonderful The Lost Words and The Lost Words: Spell Songs

Country 5: Scotland Bothy Tales: Footsteps in the Scottish hills by John D. Burns

Evoking a sense of the scale of the wilderness in Scotland (well by my English standards) and full of the perils of walking through bogs.

No direct ferry link from Scotland to Scandinavia so I've headed south back to England to walk London at night with Charles Dickens. Night Walks is a series of essays about different walks taken by the author through some of the seedier parts of London. Full of description, London and Kent come alive in these. The wonders and perils of being lost as a child in London feature in one tale but my favourite is the title essay.

Starting point : Scotland
1. Scotland (Edinburgh)
2. England (London)
3. Spain (Santiago de Compostella)
4. Italy (Sicily)
5. Greece (Lesbos)
6. France (Vézelay)
7. Norway (Tromsø)
8. - Portugal (Lisbon)
9. - Germany (Stuttgart)
10. - Netherlands (Utrecht)
11. - Russia (Irkutsk)
12. - Ireland (Dublin)

Leg 2 of my journey:

From Latvia I took the train to
🇱🇹 Lithuania:
Pan Tadeusz by Adam Mickiewicz(05/20)
And am continuing my train journey to
🇵🇱 Poland:
Isaac's Army: A Story of Courage and Survival in Nazi-Occupied Poland by Matthew Brzezinski(05/20)
My journey by train takes me to
🇧🇾 Belarus:
The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach (05/20)
Continuing my land journey to
🇺🇦 Ukraine:
City of Lions by Józef Wittlin (06/20)
Next stop
🇲🇩 Moldova:
The Good Life Elsewhere by Vladimir Lorchenkov
(06/20)