GUIDEBOOKGOLLUM

“We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious.” Gollum

Some years back me and Kate (AKA the Coeliac) were on holiday with her brother and his wife. My devotion to the guide book earned me the nickname of ‘Guide Book Gollum’. Fair enough. So thanks, John, the insult that spawned a website. It’s been offline for a while but it’s here to enable me to post articles about places I’ve been and maybe locations that feature in my novel. From time to time I’ll also revisit some of the writing that has featured on GBG previously.

Actually, I do believe a decent guide book is precious when you’re travelling. I want to know what’s worth seeing, best places to eat, stand out bars, the cafes that let me watch the world go by. OK, it’s not foolproof…who hasn’t walked up steep cobbled alleys for two kilometres in 35°C to discover where Gino’s Gelateria used to be before Gino went bust?

What’s GBG about?

Travel writing has always interested me. Whether they’re short pieces for magazines and newspaper supplements or books based on journeys, they’re great for firing the imagination and perhaps inspiring a trip or a holiday. That’s why I started writing about where I’ve been, so GBG became a way for me to indulge that passion. It’s good to have somewhere I can share my experiences. And while the fight against the Covid-19 virus continues it's good to have a way of remembering what we loved about places, firing our dreams about travel in the future. Whether you like to write about the places you visit or simply enjoy reading about travel I hope there’s something here to interest you. Feel free to share your thoughts.

Posts from GuideBookGollum on the Writing page

From a holiday taken in summer 2018, check out Mallorca: Exploring its South West

It's the perfect weekend break destination or a brilliant day out while you're in Mallorca, see what you can do with Twenty Four Hours in Palma

If you're a fan of travel writing, take a look at What's Your Favourite Travel Book? Any you agree with? Let me know what your favourites are.

The story of GuideBookGollum. "We wants it. We needs it. Must have the precious!"

Connections

A regular contributor to the social media travel world is Jonathan Sacks at Everybody Hates A Tourist. Here's a good example where he introduces us to the Francesinha. I love trying local specialities myself, so this is my sort of blog. A guide to the Francesinha: Porto's favourite sandwich

devourtours.com These are the people who connect curious travellers with local food and people in a way that helps culture thrive. You'll find them in cities across Spain but also in Lisbon and Rome. They do great food tours but right now during lockdown they're offering live Facebook sessions on making tapas, paella cocktails and other stuff. You can sign up for their free newsletters.

worldnomads.co.uk A real worldwide travel resource covering adventure, responsible travel, exploration and brilliant stories. Very good on safety and insurance. They also provide useful newsletters.