Straw sandals, fold-away boats, a penny-farthing bicycle, camels, yaks, ponies, even a cow: just a few of the means by which my ‘passionate travellers’ made their incredible journeys across vast distances. We are a migratory species. For millennia, our ancestors
Travel Snacks of the Past
As we tuck a packet of nuts and raisins, a chewy bar or a handful of dried fruit into our pocket before a journey, we follow an ancient tradition of travellers. But they had more need of it than most
How to Detach Unwanted Leeches
Leeches are a common hazard for passionate travellers. But would anyone actually want leeches? Well yes, the ancient health remedy of applying leeches to the body is still a recognised medical practice, though now targeted more scientifically and called ‘hirudotherapy’.
Fleas, Bedbugs and Other Travelling Companions
Fleas, Bedbugs and Other Travelling Companions When one of my ‘passionate travellers’, the great essayist and philosopher, Michel de Montaigne, toured Italy in 1580, he found Florence inhospitable: “I was forced to sleep at night on the dining room table,
Why I Wrote Passionate Travellers
Exciting times! Passionate Travellers: Around the World on 21 Incredible Journeys in History was released on 28 April and is available in paperback and digital editions from all major online retailers, and can be ordered from your local bookshops in