literature

Travel literature includes guide books, travel memoirs and the curious experiences that happen when you seek adventure.

Italy: Places the Inspired Shakespeare and his History
Italy is known for its colourful history and culture. It has been said that if Shakespeare had ever visited, he would have found it hard to resist the temptation to write about the country. As a matter of fact, many believe that he did – in his stories such as Romeo and Juliet and Two Gentlemen of Verona! While Shakespeare never travelled there himself, Italy’s rich history can be seen in his work, one third of his plays were set in this country after all.
By Rosalyn 4 years ago in Wander
Virtual Reality, Venus, & Venice Venetia
Venice was more magical than I had ever imagined. In truth, I had never imagined it much. I just knew it was a place that I wanted to go. That it was special, and unique- interwoven with water and gothic architecture unlike anywhere else in the world.
By Amourais4 years ago in Wander
The Gallery of Birds
Her white shadow overhead, like an angel across the canopy, Tyto Alba held the sky aloft on her wings. But here, in the gallery, she shared the air with a tired grey quail and a hoary flock of geese, all drawn up like puppets with string.
By Nali Kingston4 years ago in Wander
Listening to the Snow
“My country cannot be found” the narrator announces in “Dancing in Odessa,” the title poem of a collection by the Russian-born American poet Ilya Kaminsky, published in 2004. For Kaminsky, language conjures memory, and memory creates a country for the exiled and otherwise displaced.
By Rebecca Ruth Gould4 years ago in Wander
"The Internal Gates"
“CRACK,” The rock hit the ground, “ CRAACCKK”, another rock hit the flat bed of gravel in the dusk, splitting in two as a pair of birds flew to escape the debris. Throwing rocks across the hillside was the only thing left for Iris to find his way back to the Godsland.
By Jeremy Snowden4 years ago in Wander
Lubbock by night, Amarillo by mid-day
Something about being on the road just makes me care less. I think I have a carnal desire to potentially lose everything. I guess that's why Phil and I had completely different reactions when an encounter with bonafide lunatics led to a prolonged, highspeed car chase down a Texas highway somewhere between Lubbock and Amarillo. See, I already knew what the stakes were as soon as they pulled up beside us on the curb. I've been through way shittier situations just dating women with mood disorders that were compatible with my own. I didn't even mind the gun; that was just part of the experience for me. Most of my focus was bent towards trying to calm Phil down during those crucial moments where his ability to drive was directly proportional to our survivability, sometimes on a second-by-second basis. The monks call that the "fourth moment" by the way; it's somewhere between the present and the future, where we dictate the flow. That harrowing chase sequence was Phil's rock bottom; for me it was a gratifying experience. I felt the weight of every infinitesimal choice that resulted in just one more moment, just one more chance to care less. I appreciate that things can be intense. If anything, I require as much intensity as possible. I would have absolutely loved it if I still had just a little bit of blow left over from the night before, so that I could have licked a bump of it right as we hit the highway with those two strange cars in hot pursuit.
By Lest Geau4 years ago in Wander
The Fiery Betrayal
Under the light of the moon that poked through the bare trees, she ran. Branches whipped her face, which she barely felt. Her cheeks were numb from the cold and wet from the mixture of tears and blood. Yet, she ran, because behind her, she could hear the shouts of angry villagers and the barks of excited canines.
By Madison Schneider4 years ago in Wander
My Adventure to Jordan
Sometime between 2016 and 2017, I had the opportunity to visit Jordan during my the Middle East travels. I flew into Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, from Kuwait. I arrived with my boss, Monty, along with my coworkers Rob, Steve, and Riley. The day we arrived was a free day to explore since our official schedule did not begin until the following morning. The group decided to take the opportunity to visit the key sites in Jordan and planned our trip accordingly.
By Chad Pillai4 years ago in Wander
Brown package conundrum
“Senator so and so receives something something explosive packages….” Joana glancing with half-open eyes through the headlines on the news feed on her smartphone laying on the bed. The morning’s alarm has started her body’s ignition. It would take fifteen more minutes to gain the momentum to leave the bed. As Joana was brushing her teeth while rubbing her left eye, Amber alert vibration mentioned the presence of a terror suspect in the locality. She was as pleased as Punch with the whiteness of her teeth. She heard some fading footsteps at the door, opened it, and discovered a package wrapped in brown paper. She extended her hand to pick it up but instantly flinched back. The two pieces of information entrapped in her subconscious mind triggered this involuntary recoil response. She was not expecting any package. She went inside picked up the phone to check if her mother expecting anything. The door was left partially agape. Split seconds later, her mother Mrs. William returned from the morning walk with her dog Max. Her dog sniffed the package, barked once, and swerved to the other side digressing from his idiosyncrasy of prying into any never-before-seen object. “What is this packet?” She picked it up, it smelled horrible without even bringing it close to her nose. Miss Barbara lived next door alone. She was an eavesdropping neighbor and never missed an opportunity to intrude in the Williams family's lives. She was within her boundary wall and said “Good morning Mrs. Willaim. Why do you make the nauseous face? What is that parcel” “Do not know it is pungent.” Mrs. William responded with a bitter expression.” “ Let me see. I do not smell anything.” She bought close to her nose. “not even now, but I can hear something ticking.” She placed it near her ear “definitely some analog clock” A sound she heard after almost ten years. Joana saw and heard this from her room through the partially open door and rushed to the door. “Throw it outside the boundary wall. It has bomb. Just throw it. “ Panicked. Threw it. Clinched. All in one second. There was no explosion, they stood stiff with hands on their ears. The eerie silence was broken. “I am calling 911” Joana was active. After two minutes on the phone “They are sending the bomb squad. Wait. How did the package become green? I remember the package was brown.” Nobody responded. They went inside and within minutes the bomb squad arrived. One officer and one junior officer both half-dressed as bomb squad specialists. The package was not there. “Where did it go? “ All three ladies screamed simultaneously. “Check the camera.” The officer was quick with the response. The computer screen showed some youth stealing the package. “You cannot call it stealing. The package was on the road,” said Mrs. William who was genuinely courteous. Using face recognition the state police data analysis department was able to identify the youth and within minutes they had the address of Neil Dantam. The officers and the ladies hurried to that address which was just three blocks away.
By abhidipta mallik4 years ago in Wander
diary of a lover
3041, june 86 i am not sure what is language anymore. even now i sit with dictionary to my right, a rare thing to have these days. i was even more so lucky to find this tiny journal. it is the size of my right palm only because my left one is bigger. humans do not look like humans anymore. some of us have hardened scaly skin with disformed lobster claws.
By baron5 years ago in Wander
Journeying to Green Knowe
A little boy was sitting in the corner of a railway carriage looking out at the rain, which was splashing against the windows and blotching downward in an ugly, dirty way. He was not the only person in the carriage, but the others were strangers to him. He was alone, as usual.
By Caitlin Aston5 years ago in Wander
Summer Unwritten
Chapter One As I walked the downtown streets of Raleigh, taking in the sweet, fragrant summer air. The warm breeze gently kicked up and swayed the cherry blossom that tinted the city streets and windows pink. It was the season of sensational love, of romance, and here I found myself alone for the first time. I think this was the first time I understood the gravity of my situation. The unsettling feeling that begins to overcome your body. Tightening and rising from your gut, The queasiness from all the decisions that lead you to here. A dropout, who turns away from family and community. A woman who walked away. I guessed that was okay, if not I’d have to learn to be. Luckily for me, I had no issue confronting who I was at that moment. Someone who needs a fresh start. Someone who needs to find a place to sleep by tonight and someone who needs a job because currently, I was down to my last 300 dollars.
By Maria Sanchez5 years ago in Wander