Visiting Book Locations

I have read so many different books that are set in many different locations all over the world. I always wonder what these different places would look like in person. When I read historical fiction books, I think about how interesting it would be to go to the locations mentioned and see how they look today. Visiting these historical spots also gives you a deeper understanding of what occurred there. Below are some of the spots I have always wanted to visit from some of my favourite books.

A Long Petal of the Sea
Location- Catalonia, Spain
A Long Petal of the Sea is set in multiple locations, but the primary home of the books’ characters were in Catalonia, Spain. Although the book doesn’t spend too much time talking about the beautiful landscape, it does offer enough to entice someone to visit this Spanish province. What attracts me to this spot even more is its deep history. Between the authors’ description of Catalonia’s beauty and the historical events that take place there, I realize I would love to one day visit Catalonia, Spain.

Pictures are from: Catalonia-Spain.jpg (1920×1080) (matzav.com); park-guell-barcelona-spain-DEALSPAIN0117.jpg (1600×1000) (travelandleisure.com)

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Location- Kefalonia, Greece
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is set on the island of Kefalonia, Greece. It follows the villagers from World War II through to modern-day Greece. It gives vivid details to the island’s hilly mountains, the small towns within the island, and the beautiful views of the ocean. Although I haven’t read this book in a very long time, I still feel the urge to visit and follow in the footsteps of the characters.

Pictures are from: kefalonia-travel-guide.jpg (1800×1012) (goatsontheroad.com); Assos-Kefalonia.jpg (2715×1810) (greekboston.com)

My Life in France and The Nightingale
Location- French countryside
Both of these books feature more than one setting, but the French countryside stands out the most. The way Julia Child discusses her home in the French countryside would make anyone dream of visiting. In The Nightingale, you read about the experiences of a small French town outside of Paris during World War II. In both cases, I find myself hoping to one day be able to visit parts of the French countryside and think of these two books while I am there.

Pictures are from: 85 (970×647) (usnews.com)

Eleni
Location: Village of Lia, Northern Greece
This book has encompassed village life in Greece. Learning about the small village community, how they build their homes, grew their gardens and lived their lives makes one dream of the simpler life. I would love to visit this small village one day to picture how Eleni and her family lived there, to see how isolated this community is and to visualize the inhabitants daily life. An argument could be made that a visit to any one of the thousands of little Greek villages will also serve the same purpose, but Lia has an added importance because of the book.