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In Key West, this Thanksgiving week is not all about the turkey. Starting Thanksgiving Day, Key West is hosting the twelfth annual Pirates in Paradise event, featuring eleven jam-packed days of “pure piratical escapades” that honor and celebrate Key West’s vibrant maritime history.

Key West and its surrounding islands were important both to pirates like Blackbeard and Calico Jack and the people trying to catch them. From the Keys, pirates could take cover while ambushing merchant shipping along the Straits of Florida, which was an extremely significant trade route at the time. And following the War of 1812 when Congress cracked down on piracy, one of the primary anti-piracy squadrons established its headquarters on Key West. So what better way to celebrate the pirate lifestyle and Key West’s history than with a pirate-themed festival?

Sponsored by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, Pirate Radio 101.7 FM, 4 Orange Premium Vodka, and Pusser’s Rum, the Pirates in Paradise Maritime Heritage and Music Festival began at ten in the morning on Thanksgiving day, kicking off with a “Thankstaken” Pirate Party and Feast. But if you missed it, don’t fear: that’s only the beginning. Over the course of the festival, there will be plenty of events and activities for kids and adults alike, for those who simply have a passing interest in pirates, and those who have a serious investment in history.

Over the course of the eleven days there will be a Pirate Village and art fair, featuring period crafts, art, clothing, jewelry, vittles, and plenty of rum, beer, and grog because let’s face it – what’s a pirate without his alcohol? For pirate-obsessed adults, there will be a sailor’s shipwreck holiday ball, craft beer tastings, a rock and roll dance party, an end-of-hurricane season party, a Miss Pirate Key West Pageant, talent, and swim suit competition, and plenty of costume contests, including one for the most buxom wench and bad-ass pirate.

As an all ages event, Pirates in Paradise offers tons of activities for aspiring young buccaneers. There will be a carnival, a kid’s costume contest, and Pirate Art 101 “Color Along” with pirate artist Don Maitz (whose work has been featured in National Geographic). Additionally, in the pirate village, parents can go to a pub and peruse pirate wares while the kids participate in treasure hunts and coloring contests.

For those seeking unusual entertainment, Pirates in Paradise has it all. Some of the most anticipated events of the festival are the authentic reenactments of the famous Pyrate Trials of Anne Bonny and Mary Read and the tall tales storytelling competition, which allows contestants to tell their biggest fabricated story before a panel of nationally renowned authors.

Interested in history and literature? You’re in luck. There are opportunities to sail aboard a real pirate ship, and on Wednesday, November 30, there will be a special excursion on the schooner Wolf where one can join authors Roz Brackenbury, Robb Zerr, and Christine and Michael Lampe on a one and a half hour ride. Prior to the excursion will be an Authors and Artists Luncheon at the Pirate Village VIP tent. Author Robert N. Macomber will, throughout the week, be giving presentations, historical walking tours through Old Town, and partaking in the Literature & the Sea Sunset Happy Hour along with other pirate guests.

Although the festival isn’t free, admission to the Pirate Village is only $5 per day for adults and free for kids under the age of twelve. If you and your family are interested in spending a lot of time at the festival and really getting your pirate on, take advantage of the insanely cheap eleven day festival pass: it’s only $20, and will get you free daily admission to the Pirate Village and Festival VIP Hospitality Area!

For tourists in the Key West area this Thanksgiving weekend and beyond, this could be a wonderful opportunity to discover the great historical roots of the Florida Keys that doesn’t sacrifice fun for education. And don’t worry – if you can’t make it this year, there’s always next November!

Courtesy of Joanne Harris/Leonardo Cendamo Photography

“Publication was never my initial objective,” admits British author Joanne Harris. “I kept writing because I liked it, and on some level I guess I had to do it… but when my first book was published, I was absolutely delighted. And better even than just being published, I was actually read by people,” she told Literary Traveler, laughing.

In case you are unfamiliar with Harris’ work (or deceived by her humble attitude), she is one of the most popular British writers living today. Though her most famous novel may well be Chocolat, which was made even more memorable by the film with Johnny Depp, she has also penned everything from young adult novels (Runemarks) to cookbooks (The French Kitchen).

Along with Bill Bryson, Joanne Harris was invited on board Cunard’s the Queen Mary 2 as part of their Literature & Liners series, where she spoke to the passengers about her two greatest passions: writing and food. After her book signing, we were able to sit down with Harris for a private interview—which we naturally recorded.

In this latest installment of Literary Traveler TV, Joanne Harris talks to our editors about the experience of traveling on such a grand old ship, how she became a writer, and perhaps most interestingly, her thoughts on the intersections between food, travel, and literature. “I think food has always been a popular theme in literature. I’ve been wrongly–but flatteringly—attributed this task of having brought food in fiction into popularity, but it’s not at all true. I think, with it’s link to travel, it’s also one of the most accessible ways to learn about another culture.”

Learn more about Joanne Harris and her literary musings by watching our video interview here. And for more Literary Traveler TV, please check out our YouTube channel.

Courtesy of Cunard

Last summer, your editors at Literary Traveler were lucky enough to cross the Atlantic on the majestic and elegant Queen Mary 2. The week-long Transatlantic cruise offered most everything we overworked writers need—excellent food, plenty of rest and relaxation, and of course, a bit of literary stimulation.

The trip we attended on the grand old liner wasn’t your average cruise. Literary Traveler was invited to attend one of their Cunard Insights enrichment programs, the 2010 Literature and Liners trip, alongside influential authors like Kate Atkinson, John Berendt, Bill Bryson, and Joanne Harris. During our stay, we were able to attend Q&As with the authors, panel discussions, and book signings.

In order to better document the journey, we also brought our camera. To learn more about the Queen Mary 2—including details about its history, the various amenities available onboard, and the surprising attractions that draws thousands of passengers each year—take a look at our video on YouTube. And stay tuned for further details about the author discussions with Bill Bryson and Joanne Harris.

Where is the stereotypical, lounging vacationer?, Image by Flickr user Micky

For most people, a vacation means snoozing on the beach, catching rays by the lake, or reading for pleasure, but a new trend in tourism suggests that a vacation can be a truly life changing experience. Volunteer tourism, also known as volunteer travel or voluntourism, is a new type of vacation that incorporates sightseeing with service, allowing participants to visit and learn about a new place and culture while using their skills and passions to make a difference.

Groups like Cross-Cultural Solutions, Global Volunteers, Voluntourism.org and Hands Up Holidays arrange these trips, providing clients with opportunities to better the local communities they visit as well as to relax and tour. Trips can last a single week or up to three months, and while most occur in a variety of countries, Voluntourism.org also provides opportunities to take volunteer vacations within the U.S.

A variety of service projects are available to suit your interests and skills, including building and renovation, teaching English, assisting in medical facilities, and supporting environmental preservation. Most organizations equally encourage families, couples, and single volunteers, though some countries and projects may require different different ages and skill sets.

Although many of these trips require demanding, physical work, organizations provide varying levels of comfort and activity. You may choose a trip that truly matches your interests and lifestyle. Most trips provide free time in the evenings and on weekends to explore the surrounding area on your own, but some trips stress this more than others. Hands Up Holidays, for example, describes its vacations as “luxury” and offers just a “taste” of volunteering, while Voluntourism.org seeks truly dedicated volunteers who are willing to put a lot of time and thought into their service experience.

And now the question we’ve all been waiting for: How much does it cost? Of course this depends on where you’re going and how long you’re staying, but in general it seems trips organized through the groups mentioned above are not outrageously expensive, but also not the least expensive way to go. Many fall between $1,000 and $3,000, not including airfare. It’s important to recognize, however, that in many cases this fee includes guided service experience and other cultural activities like language lessons or field trips in addition to lodging and food. Sure it might be cheaper to fly to Thailand, stay in a hotel by the beach and lounge the day away, but you won’t necessarily learn anything about Thai culture, and you certainly won’t be helping anyone besides the owner of the hotel (assuming you stay put in your hotel beach chair). 

If you are on a tight budget, never fear, there are inexpensive ways to volunteer! (pardon the rhyme). Instead of allowing a volunteer travel agency to do the work for you, plan your own trip around a certain service event like a beach or park clean up, or contact an organization directly to ask if you can help out during your vacation. Though this requires more work on your part, you’ll escape the administrative/organizational fees included in the previously mentioned packaged trips.

Of course, voluntourism isn’t for everyone. Critics argue that it’s just another gimmick to get well-meaning individuals to take expensive, exotic vacations guilt-free. They claim that the various projects completed by vacationers don’t make a real impact on the lives of locals and voluntourism organizations could conceivably take advantage of poor communities around the world to sell trip packages.

I see how voluntourism could be suspiciously good to be true (who would pay to volunteer during time off??), I think that overall the heart of volunteer travel is in the right place. Normally vacations are for relaxing and concentrating on personal and family indulgences. Volunteer tourism, on the other hand, recommends that you accomplish more with your time off: improve the well-being of others around the world and more deeply understand different communities and cultures. For me, that sure beats a day at the beach!

Check out Matador Network’s Complete Guide to Volunteer Tourism to see if it’s right for you!

Today, I read Chasing the elusive Northern Lights by boat by Susannah Palk for CNN Travel.  Since it’s mid-January, icy and freezing in New York right now, I thought it was an appropriate topic for today’s post.  I am one of the lucky few who have seen the Northern Lights, a.k.a. Aurora Borealis,  in person … in fact, I’ve seen them in person 4 times!  Not many people can say that.

I saw the Northern Lights in Iceland, twice in Finnish Lapland (the area above the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia), and actually, once in Massachusetts, just outside of Boston–it was a freak occurrence.  The time I remember most vividly was when I stood on a desolate, frozen lake in Finnish Lapland.  I’ll never forget the 10-minute light show swirling above my head.  The colors blazed like lasers, and oddly enough, I could hear the Northern Lights.  That’s right.  If you get a chance to see them up close like I did and you’re in a remote area, you will literally hear them.  It sounds like a dull humming.

So when I read Susannah Palk’s article today, it brought back a surge of memories.  But also what interested me in Palk’s article was the “Northern Lights Safari.”  Palk says safari-goers take a two to five hour boat trip, complete with five course meal, to see the Northern Lights.  Guests also have the option of taking a two to three day boat tour.

This sounds like such a peaceful and magical winter trip.  It’s definitely a great travel destination for us writers who seek inspiration.  Sometimes, all you need is a little time in nature to get the literary juices flowing.

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~ To continue with your winter adventures, check out War Games and Winter in Finland’s Lapland: Arto Paasilinna’s The Year of the Hare by Toma Kavonius.

Everyday the price for flying and additional fees slightly increases. Baggage fees, pet fees, and airline meals are greatly overpriced. As a traveler, I would rather spend my money on exploration and spontaneity. So I choose driving across country instead.

As you explore the depths of the road, the act of traveling becomes part of the vacation and not something to simply endure. Traveling by car allows for the journey and the destination to be the vacation.

I drove across country this past summer, and one of the many reasons why I prefer to travel by car compared to by plane is because of the spontaneous stops.

As I traveled the country, I decided to cross into Missouri from Illinois via the Mississippi River. I stood on the Ste. Genevieve ferry and reminisced about the story of Huck Finn and his adventures along the Mississippi River. As I watched the twigs float by and felt the cool breeze wisp across my face, I pictured Huck Finn on his raft drifting across the river beside me.

Take it from a traveler that often takes the wrong turn, spontaneity is freeing.  It presents a new layer of traveling. As I took unintended turns, I instantly rerouted myself along another path towards my destination. Every unintended turn became a spontaneous new adventure and a shift in a new direction.

I often sit on the San Francisco transportation and allow myself to be carried to a new destination. I find myself daydreaming of my recent adventure across this beautiful country.

My mind retraces all the amazing and memorable moments and I wish that sometime soon I will again be on the road. Traveling is not only an adventure for me—it is a time to be free of the daily stress and daily uncertainty of what am I going to do with life? I feel that more often than not I am ‘boogled down’ by uncertainty; I am driven by the need to endlessly search for a tangible answer. However, traveling makes me feel as though this answer is right in front of me, as if this answer is unimportant, a mere speck of what is truly out there. When I travel, this mere speck is just a weightless distraction left behind.

As I was nearing the end of my trip across the country, I found myself at Seven Falls in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was enchanting. The color of the mountainside against the beautiful blue sky and forest green trees on my way towards the entrance, promised an unforgettable afternoon.

Entrance fee was $9.25, but well worth the hike and afternoon out of the car.

Seven Falls is located in the South Cheyenne Canyon. It received its title based upon the water that cascades from 181 feet in seven distinct steps. The water falls from the southern edge of Pikes Peak and allows for a picturesque, tranquil sight.

In addition to the waterfalls, Seven Falls has 2 hiking trails: Trail to Inspiration Point and Trail to Midnight Fall. The Trail to Inspiration Point is a mile long, intermediate hike that is the location of the original gravesite of Helen Hunt Jackson. Helen Hunt Jackson was a writer of the 1800s. She is best known for her interest in the mistreatment of American Indians by government agents. This hike was a great way to stretch my legs and breathe heavy as the hill sat in front of me. The sun was beautiful as it set upon the mountainside and the clouds swiftly moved across the evening sky.

Seven Falls is a gem of this country. It is a secluded area, with rushing water as its soundtrack. It is a great place to become in touch with nature and breathe in the amazing fresh air that this earth has to offer.

It makes my list for the top 10 places to visit in America. What’s on your list?

When I read, in some travel blog or another, that Amsterdam has one of the most comfortable airports in the world — couches for napping during layovers, 2 Euro showers, stands selling Belgian waffles and peanut-butter-dipped fries — I stopped worrying about finding a hostel over Halloween weekend.  In fact, I wondered why people bothered to book hostels.  Some fellow literary nerds squeed over the possibility of staying overnight in Paris’s Shakespeare and Company Bookstore.  Despite the intensity of my Beauty-and-the-Beast-inspired library fantasies, dozing in a transportation hub took a close second.

So I was disappointed by the metal seats, the florescent lights, the loudspeaker announcements every five minutes, and, after 4:00 a.m., the airport guards who explained that, if I continued to occupy more than one seat, I could be charged with vagrancy.  In my youthful folly (ah, to be 19 again), I’d missed a crucial detail: the perks of air travel were limited to ticketholders.

This experience hasn’t diminished my dreams of airport occupation, though.  When there’s a weather emergency, or when I watch Independence Day for the millionth time, I remember Jeff, who confessed, during an Agnostic Club meeting in college, that he went to airports on Thanksgiving to people-watch, to imagine himself in their families, their communities.

Everyone traveling by airplane is in a state of transition in the terminal, separated from most of their possessions, acquaintances, and surroundings.  Unless they’re hiding out in the Red Carpet Club, they’re subject to the same sterilized, scrutinized, Starbucks-packed otherworld that I am.

Alain de Botton, a French philosophy student gone culture critic, knows what I’m talking about.  He chronicles the week he spent in London’s Heathrow Airport in his creatively-titled A Week At The Airport.  As the airport’s Writer-in-Residence, he had unfettered access to air traffic control towers, baggage handlers, and, yes, the first-class lounge.  Critics are calling it an essay collection, a meditation on a non-place.

I’m calling it the cheapest route to an extensive stay in one of my favorite places.

My Southern England trip continues as I edge closer to my time ending in Salisbury. As I write this post, it’s a washout as the Brits like to say. In other words, it’s raining heavily. Therefore, yesterday was my big excursion; I visited Lacock and Bath in one day … and without a car.  Here’s how it went:

I took the train from Salisbury station to Trowbridge.  I have to admit I much prefer the buses because they’re much cheaper and you get to see much more sitting atop the double decker.  The train costs 10 pounds for only a 30 minute or less trip.  The day before I took a bus ride for 30 minutes for 3 pounds, 80 pence. It’s a huge difference to a budget traveler.

I got off at Trowbridge, a bit lost, but a nice Brit walked me to the town center and showed me to the right bus.  Trowbridge is the county seat and a busy, little town, and I was glad I was able to see it.  I hopped aboard the 234 (or you can take the X34) toward Chippenham.  I made sure it stopped at Lacock, even though it clearly said it on the sign.  The bus cost 4 pounds, 15 pence.

The ride was charming on my absolute favorite, the double decker bus.  We went through villages and farmland and even got to see a version of a British trailer park.

Then we arrived at Lacock after a 30 minute or so ride. Lacock is the National Trust village where scenes from world-famous BBC films such as the original Pride & Prejudice (the Colin Firth version) and Cranford were shot.  Scenes from two Harry Potter films were shot here as well.

Lacock is a step back in time.  It looks like an 18th to 19th century, English village. The English tudors, flower boxes, lush green landscapes help the tourist step back in time.  It was easy to see how Lacock was a film set.  Simply throw down some dirt for the roads and place actors in old-fashioned clothes and you’re ready to shoot.

I walked around Lacock, winding through the cobblestone streets, peering up at the perfect English cottages, adoring a kitten in a window (see photo) and even stopping off at the bakery to smell some goodies. I stopped outside The Abbey and took some photos through the fence and thought of Jane Austen. This was a perfect setting for her novel.

After sitting on a bench and eating in Lacock, I walked down the road towards Chippenham and caught the X34 (you can also take the 234) to Chippenham.  Only a 10 minute ride and 2 pounds, 40 pence, I got off at the Chippenham bus station. Alas, there was a bus waiting to go to Bath.  I hopped aboard for 4 pounds, 45 pence.

It took over an hour to get to Bath.  The bus was not double decker, and the ride was uneventful until we approached just outside of Bath …

Please continue reading about my travels in Bath on the Editorial Director’s Forum.

And don’t forget to read about my non-touristy, Stonehenge visit.

- Jennifer, Editorial Network Diector

I touched down in Guatemala yesterday afternoon.  Originally, I planned to go directly to Quetzaltenango, where a former high school classmate is launching his non-profit, weGuatemala.  But, anticipating the long weekend and my yen for ruined churches, I decided to spend the day in the deliberately old-school city of Antigua, and maybe try to see Lake Atitlan (a la Aldous Huxley’s Beyond the Mexique Bay) on the way.  Good plan, it turns out.

Heavy rains on Thursday and Friday created mudslides on the routes to the west of Guatemala City, and a chicken bus (colorful second-class transportation) went under.  Last I read, there were 37 confirmed deaths, and 23 missing persons.  President Alvaro Colom declared it a national emergency, and la ruta Interamericana has been closed.

If I’d taken my malaria meds, I’d be booking it for Tikal right now — ruins on a large scale, and far to the east.  As is, I’m grateful to be here, and I’ve developed an interest in traveling first-class.  Because–I can’t help but think this, erroneous as it is–throwing money at it might make the landscape less chaotic.

And, given recent events, I’m a little perplexed by my interest in the ruins of natural disasters.  I think every social science nerd geeks out over Pompeii, and I love me some scraps of ancient civilizations, but isn’t there something inhumane about my giddiness over churches ruined by volcanoes?  If the mud out here acts as a preservative (this isn’t an entirely crazy idea — I’m looking at you, mummifying air of Guanajuato), will a future student of the humanities go out of her way to study the chicken bus?

Probably not, since it’s a pretty small-scale disaster.  And while I am not alone in my fetishization of “ruined” civilizations (I’m looking at you, Romantics), I am uncomfortable with contemporary disaster tourism, even as I participate in it.  When Ground Zero was a stop on my marching band’s tour of New York, I cringed,  but I got off the bus.  When I went to New Orleans to knock down houses the spring after Katrina hit, I unabashedly took pictures of the broken dam, and admitted that I had gone down mainly out of curiosity.

The latter was shameless because I was doing what I could to help, even if I just came to gawk.  Maybe that’s the difference.

Day 10 of this road trip across the country and I find myself in the center of Memphis, Tennessee.  I spent over twelve hours in the car yesterday and drove through 5 states; it was liberating and quite astonishing.  I am sure I am not the first person to do such a thing, but I never really thought that I would travel that much in a twelve-hour period.

I am currently sitting beneath the balcony where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.  The sun shines down upon me on a very different era of this nation; our African-American president, Barack Obama can attest to that.  He plainly demonstrates the advancement of Black Americans everywhere and the growth of our country as a whole.

I visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel, the exact location where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot.  Admission was $13 dollars and for an extra $2, I purchased the audio tour, which I highly recommend.  It clearly guided me through the museum and allowed me to stop or pause when I wanted to read further into what they were speaking about. The museum offered a great display of our nation’s struggles with civil equality.  Displays of segregation, the sit-ins, the riots, the protests, the lynchings, the KKK, the marches–all this and more was made visible, present.  Both the desire and willingness African-Americans had to fight for our country and the terrible reality of our history of oppression were prominent throughout the museum.  I was overwhelmingly impressed with this museum and am so happy that we asked Camille, a local, for her recommendations.

Before walking to the museum, we ate brunch at a local hotspot on the corner of Second Street and Union Ave: Cockados.  A quaint, welcoming restaurant that offers bottomless mud coffee and an amazingly decadent dish of bananas and peanut butter sandwiched between two French toast drizzled with maple syrup, whipped cream and blueberries.  Cockados is a great way to welcome yourself to Memphis.  This is also where I received the museum recommendation–as opposed to going to Graceland.  Clearly, we took their recommendations and are 100% happy with our choice.  I was very impressed with Memphis and had a great time there.  After the museum and before getting back into the car, we took a stroll down Beale street and sat outside with our large beers, live music and 7-year-old street performers.  Memphis was not only beautiful, it was also rich with history and culture.  But enough for today.  The road still stretches in front of us, so we head north… safe travels.

Now that I have begun my journey across the country and have my destinations planned, I find myself breathing easy and at peace with my choice to leave my home state. Maybe it is the rush and excitement of an amazing adventure coinciding with new discoveries and sites, but my happiness has almost entirely overwhelmed the feeling that there is something I’m missing.

Another two weeks of unknown routes, friends, new knowledge and self-discovery still lie ahead.  These weeks are sure to promise long days of driving, sunburns, fast food, hot weather, and many moments of being lost; I welcome even these inevitable inconveniences for the mere pleasure of learning about my country and myself.

Today’s discoveries took place in Washington, DC.  In all my 24 years, I had never been to DC and have never explored the ‘Mall.’  Today I had the opportunity to walk the long distance of the National Mall towards our Nation’s Capital, then back towards the Washington Monument, and over to visit Lincoln on his Memorial.  I popped in to see the Obama’s with hopes to play a quick game of basketball (actually I stood outside the gate like every other tourist and snapped pictures). I visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and later hit up the National Museum of American History where I had the chance to view the flag that inspired the Star-Spangeled Banner, our national anthem. Today was a full day of walking, sun burns, and almost endless amazement.  Although our country is young compared to other nations, I felt proud to be standing in front of all the sites that proclaim our heritage.

Traveling for over two weeks and moving across the country puts me in a position of unemployment and quickly very conscious of money. So, needless to say, I plan to travel in such a fashion that will leave me with funds to begin a new life, in a new state.

Today, I got a heavy dose of history, national sites, with the added perk of self-discovery – all for the price of $19.60. The museums were free and because I chose not to rent scooters or bicycles to get from one site to the other, it was an extremely inexpensive day. Of course, I could have spent more money (you can always spend more money) but if you want to explore for cheap, all you need to do is pack some water, a lunch, sunscreen and good walking shoes.

Tomorrow will bring a new destination with new discoveries.  It will also bring me one state closer to the eventual goal, so stay tuned for more tips, lessons, and stories from my trip.

Since 1985 and the up rise of Thailand’s economy, Thailand has become a newly industrialized country.  Thailand is the 50^th largest country in the world. They export approximately $105 billion a year and aid in economic support to neighboring countries.

Thailand is now a popular tourist attraction, renowned for its beauty, architecture and rapid development. I have found an unbeatable deal via Travelzoo for your travels this week: an 11-night package in Thailand for only $1299. This deal will include a roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles, ground transportation, visits to Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Phitsanulok, Sukhothal, Lampang, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.  Breakfast sleeping accommodations, sightseeing tours and transfers are all included, as is an English speaking tour guide.

If you do not know much about Thailand or what you might do during your free time, I suggest you start exploring now!   This is the best way to learn about a country and its culture.  If you are into meditation, I recommend going to a temple (they are very prominent in Thailand) and breathing in the Thai air.  Or check out the amazing coastline at sunset.  Thailand is the largest rice exporter, so you might enjoy visiting some rice fields.

Whatever you choose to do, I hope you enjoy the vast difference between the advancing landscapes.  Breath in that Thai air and quiet your mind.

Greece, located in southeast Europe and surrounded by the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean Sea was the site of the first Olympic games in 776 BC, and today is the locality of debt, crisis, stress and anxiety.

Greece’s current economic crisis has them asking for a $61 billion bail out from the IMF due to their government finance troubles, consisting of unaccounted funds and inadequate documentation. Although their squandering has put a dark shadow over Europe and other euro users, it gives travelers the opportunity to travel cheap. Because of this debt, Greece is inadvertently lowering their prices to attract tourists in hopes to regain some financial stability.

With this said, I have found an affordable and enchanting deal to not only help out this beautiful country, but to explore the allure of a newfound land.

Europe Destinations is offering an eight-night trip including airfare and hotel accommodations in Athens, Mykonos, Paros and Santorini. With this trip you will have the opportunity to explore the largest city in Greece and stay on three of Greece’s islands.

I recommend trying a few of Greece’s famous dishes; the classic Greek salad, and fasolada, a bean soup known as “the national food of the Greeks.” If you are a habitual cooker and enjoy the flavors that herbs add to a dish, thyme, oregano, and olive oil are extremely prominent in the Greek cuisine. Greeks frequently use olive oil because it is easy to obtain due to their olive trees that stretch across the region.

Although Greece has encountered a time of hardship and financial uncertainty, it should not manipulate or sway your desire to explore a land of antiquity. Greece was the land of the Olympics, drama, philosophy, the Greek Gods, and the infamous Odysseus, consider this trip and everything Greece still has to offer

Traveling can be fun and easy for business or pleasure, but in this economy, tenacious travelers must do a little digging if they want to get the most for their dollar. I am here weekly to keep the unstoppable seekers up-to-date with the best, get the most, money-saving travel deals.

James Bond and I have become great friends. I have just embarked upon a quest of watching the famous movies after being cursed by a friend because I had not seen them. Not only do I have questions about Dr. No and Pierce Brosnan vs Sean Connery, but, when did this movie phenomenon begin and who was the master creator of James Bond? Ian Fleming wrote his first novel in 1953, Casino Royale, this book introduced Mr. James Bond. Mr. Fleming resided at 22 Ebury Street in London, England and for those as interested in this master creator as I have become, I have found some great travel deals and tours to and from London:

If you are looking for the ultimate trip, and would like to continue exploring, I found a package that offers tours of Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Cavalry Museum, the Tower of London, the Crown Jewels and much more. All tours include lunch!

The “Total London Experience”

As I plan trips around the world an attribute that I look for while choosing a destination is architecture. I am a stickler for an amazing façade, beautiful colors and intricate craftsmanship and Bangkok has it all. Bangkok’s architecture offers creative organization and originality in every structure, such as The Grand Palace or The Oriental, “it’s surroundings creep into my consciousness, comforting my body and mind.”

If you are interested in exploring the charm and elegance of Bangkok, I have found some great travel deals. Round trip tickets as low as $1094, including tax and fuel surcharge. Book before May 31^st!

However, if this is not enough and you want to see more of Thailand, there is a great deal on special passes that entitle you to travel to three cities for only 209.00 USD.

Always dreamed of going on a trip where everything was planned; flights and hotels were booked, dinners were reserved and you could see as much as possible? Well I have found the perfect opportunity for you:

Visit Istanbul, Canakkale, Kusadasi, Pamukkale, Antalya and Cappadocia in 15 days with a guided bi-lingual tour guide. This package includes a round trip to flight to Turkey with a major airline, a bi-lingual tour guide, 13 nights of accommodations, breakfast and 11 dinners, admission to all sites and private deluxe motor coach. Amazing deal! Book before March 26^th and save $400 per couple.

This is an exquisite opportunity to see Turkey and to explore the depths of the hills, maybe you may be caught up in your own déjà vu much like Inka Plegsa-Quischotte experienced while capturing the sun’s shadows on ancient buildings.

Stay tuned… more to come next week. Safe travels.

Oh Kaliningrad.  Is this really an oblast that calls for a visit?  And what exactly is an oblast?

The Kaliningrad oblast is a province of Russia.  Many people do not know about it due to its unique location, which is not connected to the mainland.  Instead, Kaliningrad is located between Lithuania and Poland and on the Baltic Sea.

Personally, I have never been to this province, yet I did live in Eastern Europe for two years, and have been in the Kaliningrad vicinity, visiting both Lithuania a few times and Poland once.  In fact, I lived in Estonia for two years, so I can assure you, it’s true, the Eastern European blues do exist, and they do emerge in the dark, winter months.

To find happiness while surrounded by bleak gray skies can be difficult.  For me, enduring my first year of darkness was the worst.  You are not prepared for the sun to rise around 10 am and to set at 3 pm.  And though it is “day” the sky looks like dusk.  A midnight blue haze eclipses any possibility of sun.

The other reason for misery is the wind.  Every day I would walk out of my apartment and say to myself, “it can’t get any windier, right?”  And the next day, it would be windier still.  People ask me the lowest temperatures I had suffered.  In Finnish Lapland, I snowshoed, dipped in an ice hole and saw reindeer at 40 degrees below Celsius.  In Estonia, my second Christmas on my way to Lapland, I survived -30 C.

So you can see why it’s hard to find a little joy in those extreme conditions.  Take a look at Lisa Piergallini’s article and find out how philosopher Immanuel Kant found it.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.  And remember to explore your literary imagination this holiday season . . .

Jennifer, Network Editorial Director

Savannah, Georgia. This Southern city has become synonymous with a kind of languid elegance, a slow-seeping decadence, that alluring mix of hospitality and tradition with just a hint of seedy underbelly peeking out from behind the Spanish moss. It’s no surprise that Savannah has long captured the literary imagination, and the writers that have fallen under its spell have surely done their duty to perpetuate to city’s mystique.

The most famous literary tribute to Savannah, now know by locals simply as “The Book,” undoubtedly is John Berendt’s 1994 nonfiction novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Later adapted into a film directed by Clint Eastwood, Berendt’s book traces his experiences in the city in the wake of a local murder. Berendt encounters a variety of eccentric characters, from the wealthy antique dealer Jim Williams, accused of murder, to local drag queen and entertainer the Lady Chablis. Berendt weaves these portraits of the disparate and vibrant residents of Savannah into not only an engrossing narrative, but also sense of the city itself.

In a much earlier literary appearance, Savannah serves as the death-site of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Captain J. Flint, “the bloodthirstiest buccaneer that ever lived.” In Treasure Island, Stevenson described the ruthless pirate on his deathbed in a tavern based on The Pirate House of Savannah. After shouting, “Fetch aft the rum Darby!” Captain Flint supposedly passes on the map to his buried treasure. The Pirate House was allegedly an actual inn that was frequented by pirates in the late 1700s.

A famous literary son of Savannah, the poet and author Conrad Aiken paid homage in his writing to the city that brought him comfort and pain. Aiken discovered the bodies of his parents after his father killed his mother and then committed suicide; Aiken would later move back to Savannah, into the house next door to the site of the tragedy. His highly autobiographical short story, “Strange Moonlight,” follows a young boy around the city, from Bonaventura Cemetery to Tybee beach. Conrad Aiken is buried in Bonaventura Cemetery, under a stone bench which reads, “Cosmos Mariner, Destination Unknown.”

Other well known books on Savannah and it’s literature include Chris Fuhrman’s memoir The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys, as well as Only in Savannah, a collection of stories by writer Tom Coffey. Literary Savannah, by Patrick Allen, is an excellent anthology of fiction and nonfiction stories about Savannah.

In an article entitled, “Sip It Slow,” British journalist Nik Cohn describes his retreat to Savannah, inspired in part by John Berendt’s writing. Cohn pinpoints the peculiar attraction of the city: “Savannah has elaborate good manners, but a risky heart—a combination I’ve always found alluring.” Along with its flowered squares and hidden courtyards, stately mansions and mysterious superstitions, the slow indulgence of Savannah will always prey on the intellectual imagination. Cohn described Savannah’s magical effect well when he said, “Before I came to Savannah, I’d almost forgotten how good surrender can feel.”

A master of the Southern gothic style, Flannery O’Connor is one of Savannah’s literary icons. Famous for such profoundly disturbing stories as “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” O’Connor spent most of her early life in Savannah. Literary Traveler journeyed to Savannah to trace some of the places this brilliant woman wrote and lived.

For more, check out this article on O’Connor, “A Good Writer Is Hard To Find.”

The feeling you get from a beautiful view.

It was like a drug; addicted to the view that only made us want to persevere and never stop. It was breathtaking, amazing, and indefinable. It was the motivation to start something new and to let go of something old. It was a view of the unreachable. It was a breath, a smile, a sigh, a vision, all of something new. It was hard, grueling, painful, sweat, and pulsing. It was claming, soothing and the sounds of waves against rocks. It was a new perfection. It was a view of the larger things in life that are often never seen or understood. It was a chance; a chance to forget, a chance to push, and a chance to continue when it hurt.

It was worth it. It was freedom. It was a bird soaring through the air. It was crisp. It was an opportunity to see everything for what it truly stands for in our lives. It was alive; it woke us from our lives, our reality and put us into reality. Everything became so small, so indifferent and so useless. The fights, the tears, the anger, the worry, the aching, the dread, the pain; the emotions that fulfill our lives quickly floated away with each exhale. The beauty before us erased the want to ever allow the little things to become enormous barriers. Its tranquility became us, seeped into our skin and touched our souls while its calmness and beauty enveloped our hearts and memory.

Was it this place, or what we saw?

It was beyond the beauty of the shadow of the sun setting along the mountains. The addiction of the view pushed us, and the want to see it all pulled us to our destination. It was my everything. It was my realization. It was my savior. Each step turned into a new realization, a step with my right and I realized that it is only possible to deal with obstacles that stand in my way. Step with my left and I understood that in order to get to a destination, all I can do is get there. If an obstacle falls in the way, I must deal with it to continue. It was the fact that I can only overcome a rock when it stands in front of me and I can only deal with a hill when it lies before me. Obstacles are unfailingly present but to overcome and surpass them, is to stare into their soul. It showed me inevitably that all obstacles, large or small, will constantly exist and arise, however not to fret, worry or be concerned, only when they stand in my path do I or should I recognize it as a real issue.

It was an addiction. It was peaceful; it was a feeling upon our hearts that has been absent a whole lifetime. It was unreal and unimaginable. It was us living and walking through the discovery of our unknown.

It was everything.