Stanfords Blog

Book of the Month: I Belong Here by Anita Sethi

In our Book of the Month for May, I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain, Anita Sethi invites us on journey of reclamation through the natural landscapes of the North, brilliantly exploring identity, nature, place and belonging. Beautifully written and truly inspiring, I Belong Here heralds a powerful and refreshing new voice in nature writing.

Waypoints: a Journey on Foot by Robert Martineau

Waypoints: a Journey on Foot is the story of a 1,000 mile walk in Ghana, Togo and Benin, West Africa. I’d been unhappy in my life before I left, and, aged 27, I believed a long walk could help me. The book explores the psychology and folklore of escape, and the ways a long walk can be a healing experience.

Before the journey, I was inspired by many books about walking, solitude, and escape. In this blog I look at four journeys explored in Waypoints that taught me something about the power of walking.

Around the World in 80 Plants by Jonathan Drori

In his follow-up to the bestselling Around the World in 80 Trees, Jonathan Drori takes another trip across the globe, bringing to life the science of plants by revealing how their worlds are intricately entwined with our own history, culture and folklore. From the seemingly familiar tomato and dandelion to the eerie mandrake and Spanish ‘moss’ of Louisiana, each of these stories is full of surprises. Some have a troubling past, while others have ignited human creativity or enabled whole civilizations to flourish. With a colourful cast of characters all brought to life by illustrator Lucille Clerc, Around the World in 80 Plants is a botanical journey of beauty and brilliance.

Here Jonathan Drori gives us an insight into a few of the plants that feature in his book:

A Connemara Journey by Hilary Bradt

A Connemara Journey is Hilary Bradt’s classic account of a journey through Ireland on horseback in the 1980s published for the first time in a single volume.

In 1984, Hilary Bradt achieved an ambition from her pony-mad childhood to undertake a long-distance ride. Using her experience of horsepacking in Peru with saddlebags imported from America, she and her pony set forth with no decent maps, and only a vague idea of the route. The book is also a portrait of a vanished rural Ireland before the Celtic Tiger era, built up from descriptions and conversations with local people.

The journey takes Bradt a thousand miles south from county Mayo, around the peninsulas of Kerry and Cork, and inland towards Waterford.

A Connemara Journey

By Hilary Bradt

£12.99

-by Hilary Bradt

From my horsey childhood growing up in the 1950s and addicted to pony books, I had dreamed of having my own pony and going on a long-distance ride. No more riding-school hour doing a circular hack, but days out exploring the countryside with my perfect pony. This finally came to pass in 1984 when I found myself single again and ready to embark on this greatest of all adventures.

First I had to decide where to go.

I know, Iceland! It had all the requirements: lovely scenery, a tough breed of native pony and friendly people who generally spoke English. I’d been there and loved it. I tried out the idea by rather casually mentioning in my Christmas letter that I was going to buy a native pony in Iceland and do a long-distance ride. I received a reply from a horsey friend: “Ireland! What a great idea. A Connemara pony would be strong enough and it’s such a beautiful country. And they love horses.” Oh. My handwriting… well, let’s think about Ireland then. It had never come into my reckoning, perhaps because of a very wet family holiday there where we children had sulkily squelched up Ireland’s highest mountain in mist and rain. But now, suddenly, everything fell into place. Ireland was an ideal choice. Scenic, safe, English-speaking … perfect!

Slow trains coming…

by Tom Chesshyre

Tom Chesshyre took to Spain’s clickety-clack railway lines for a 3,000-mile adventure on 52 rides described in his new travel book and our Book of the Month for April, Slow Trains Around Spain. Here is a taster of his journey:

Book of the Month: Slow Trains Around Spain by Tom Chesshyre

Between soaring mountains, across arid deserts, parched plains and valleys of fruit orchards and olive groves, down glittering coastlines and along viaducts towering above plunging ravines – there is no better way to see Spain than by train.

In our Book of the Month for April, Slow Trains Around Spain: A 3,000- Mile Adventure on 52 Rides Tom Chesshyre hits the tracks to take in the UK’s most popular travel destination through carriage windows on a series of clattering rides beyond the popular image of ‘holiday Spain’ (although he stops by in Benidorm and Torremolinos too). Heading wherever the trains take him in a big S-shape around the country, Tom slips into the rhythm of the tracks meeting characters aplenty along the way. From hidden spots in Catalonia, through the plains of Aragon and across the north coast to Santiago de Compostela, his journey takes him onward via Madrid, the wilds of Extremadura, dusty mining towns, the cathedrals and palaces of Valencia and Granada, and finally to Seville, Andalusia’s beguiling (and hot) capital.

5 of the best road trips for food lovers in France

Take to the road with Camping Road Trips France and Germany and explore a selection of stunning handpicked trips.

The selected trips are suitable for campervanners, motorcaravanners, long-distance cyclists. basically anyone on a set of wheels, especially those who like to go camping, wild or otherwise (although details of finding alternative accommodation are also included).These self-guided tours will provide the inspiration to set out and explore the less obvious regions of France and Germany. There are routes of all distances, from day/weekend trips of no more than 30 or 40 miles to routes of 1,000 miles and more for those enjoying a longer holiday.

Here the author Caroline Mills recommends the best road trips for food lovers in France:

Building Bridges by Misba Khan

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 we are taking a closer look at Tough Women Adventure Stories: Stories of Grit, Courage and Determination an anthology edited by Jenny Tough. The adventurers in this collection are all fearless, intelligent, compassionate and curious about the world – and they all happen to be female. From endurance obstacle races to arctic expeditions, from mountain climbing to wingsuit flying, from horse trekking to swimming the English Channel, they have set the bar high for what women are capable of.

Here we have a story from the book Building Bridges by Misba Khan:

Hidden Beaches Spain

Do you dream of taking adventurous hikes to wild and unspoiled beaches? Lola Culsán & John Weller spent a year campervanning, walking, swimming and exploring Spain’s secret coast to bring you their new guide book, Hidden Beaches Spain. Join them on the slow road, with diversions along paths less travelled to remote shores, pristine coves and secluded swimming spots. Immerse yourself in Spain.

Lola and John get off the beaten track to share some of their favourite beaches:

Book of the Month: 500 Walks with Writers, Artists and Musicians

Back by popular demand, Stanfords Book of the Month for March celebrates many different types of walks.

Follow the footsteps of writers, artists and musicians in this carefully researched collection of walking routes covering every continent, state, province and territory. Accompanied by full-colour photography and illustrated maps, 500 Walks with Writers, Artists and Musicians takes a culture trip through a series of inspiring strolls, treks and hikes in accessible countryside, national parks, remote wilderness and the great cities of the world.