Mostly Food Journal has articles on and reviews of Cookbooks, Restaurants, Chefs, Ingredients, Drinks, New Products, and the People behind them.
Use the buttons above to take a stroll through them all!

1000 Places to See Before You Die

Travel – it’s like a drug. If you have never travelled then perhaps you can’t understand why anybody would. Home is cosy, safe and you speak the language. But many of us have had the pleasure of taking a trip, and that sparks something within.

I was 11 years old when I first left my home country. A school exchange trip offered me the privilege of staying with a family in Germany. The food was different but I did love the new tastes. I was introduced to Schnitzel and even wine. Yes, in those days children could also have a little wine and no, I didn’t grow up an alcoholic – but that’s an argument that can run and run.

We toured through vine-fringed valleys and along the Rhine. We visited quaint towns and museums and discovered that there was more to the world than just our small corner. As I grew older I wanted to explore and experience and (mostly) enjoy all the wide world had to offer. 1000 Places to See Before You Die presents a bit of inspiration for future travels.

This book will be the bedtime reading of choice for any would-be traveller. Its chapters are divided into eight regions which are then subdivided geographically. Plenty of essential information about transport as well as addresses for tourist boards. You’ll likely want to take advantage of excursions, so you’ll learn about the ones most suited to your interests.

A perfectly planned trip can be ruined by just going at the wrong time. Phrases like “you should have been here last week” or “you have just missed...” or even worse “we are closed for the season”. You will want to arrive just in time for that wine festival but perhaps you’ll be glad to miss the National Tripe Festival. Weather is always a consideration: Spring in Europe is always lovely; but an inch of snow in England can call a halt to even the best travel arrangements.

There is, unsurprisingly, a large entry for London in the England section. It offers a wealth of suggestions for must-dos and the top attractions. You likely will not manage all those listed but they do offer an overview and a cultural taster of the city. Take the opportunity to travel around the country to see that Green and Pleasant Land as well as English Country Gardens.

Every country mentioned is described in tempting detail. This is perhaps the book to buy should you be planning a world tour. Certainly you will want to read some in-depth guides to cover your chosen destinations, but the beauty of 1000 Places to See Before You Die is that it highlights, well, the highlights of each country. You will doubtless find your own treasures along the way and this book is just a volume of possibilities ...and dreams.

1000 Places to See Before You Die
Author: Patricia Schultz
Published by: Workman
Price: $19.95
ISBN 978-07611-5686-4