If you enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love, you will want to read this book by Luca Spaghetti. See Rome through the eyes of the Italian who showed Liz Gilbert around and who became one of her closest friends.

"Spaghetti (his real name) met Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, during her momentous journey through Rome in 2003 and sparked a friendship that deeply inspires this personable memoir about being a Roman. Spaghetti grew up in that city, lived on Via Gregorio VII, and shares some of the peculiar loves and mannerisms of the dyed-in-the-wool Roman..." (Publishers' Weekly Review)

Elizabeth Gilbert says "Luca Spaghetti is not only one of my favorite people in the world, but also a natural-born storyteller...I'm delighted to share my friend through this marvelous book, which I cannot recommend highly enough."

Chapter 1: Long history

Best known for the 1984 Olympic Winter Games and the longest siege of a capital city in a history of modern warfare, Sarajevo and the area that surrounds it has been continuously inhabited by humans since the Neolithic Ages, when Butmir Neolithic culture flourished (26 and 25^th centuries B.C.)

Bronze Age brought Illyrians, the ancient people who considered the West Balkan as their homeland. They had several settlements in Sarajevo Valley, and they were known as the last people in the region of present Bosnia and Herzegovina to resist Roman occupation. They were finally defeated by Emperor Tiberius in 9 A.D.

Chapter 2: An ancient spa

In Roman times, the area around the present suburb Ilidža was the site of the town called Aquae Sulphurae. Numerous traces of Roman civilization - mosaics, ceramics, jewelry, coins, and even structural remains - had been found at that location. Near Ilidža is the spring of the River Bosna (see the photo), one of the country's top natural landmarks and is one of the most famous scenes of natural beauty in the region.

During the most glorious period of the Middle Ages, Bosnia was an independent kingdom (between 1377 and 1463) but the history and role of the settlements in Sarajevo valley at this time is debated.

Chapter 3: The birth of a metropolis

What we know today as Sarajevo was founded by the Ottomans, who occupied Bosnia in 1463. The first governor of Bosnia transformed the cluster of villages into a city, building a number of public structures, such as a mosque, marketplace, public bath, a castle, called saray in Turkish, hence the name of the city.

Chapter 4: The long-lasting legacy:

No other person left a greater cultural legacy and socio-economical impact on Sarajevo during the Ottoman rule than its second governor, Gazi-Husrev Bey, a son of a Bosnian father and Turkish mother. Widely considered as Sarajevo's greatest patron, he financed and had built much of Sarajevo's old city at this time.

At every time of prayer in this mosque, the Sarajevo’s greatest benefactor has been remembered.

Gazi-Husref Bey vakuf (‘legacy of perpetual endowment’) included a mosque (built in 1531), madrasa (school), library, soup kitchen, hospice, khan (inn), bazaar, public baths and two tombs.

Chapter 5: Good deeds drive away evil

Gazi Husrev-Bey also built the city's clock tower (Sahat-Kula). Under his rule, Sarajevo became one of the most advanced cities in Europe, with its own water system, clock tower, bathhouses, and public schools. In a time when education was merely for the wealthy, and most Europeans considered baths to be unhealthy, the residents of Sarajevo were among the cleanest and most culturally advanced commoners on the continent.
In his legacy, Gazi-Husrev Bey stated: "Good deeds drive away evil, and one of the most worthy of good deeds is the act of charity, and the most worthy act of charity is one which lasts forever. Of all charitable deeds, the most beautiful is one that continually renews itself.”

Chapter 6: Glorious past

At its height, Sarajevo was the biggest and most important Ottoman city in the Balkans after Istanbul itself. By 1660, the population of Sarajevo was estimated to be over 80,000. Comparatively, Belgrade in 1838 had a mere 12,963 inhabitants, and Zagreb as late as 1851 had only 14,000 people. (Belgrade and Zagreb are present capitals of neighborhood Serbia and Croatia, respectively).

Chapter 7: A harmony of new and old or a clash of the past and present?

Ali-Pasha's Mosque was constructed in Sarajevo during 1560-61 as a vakuf (legacy or perpetual endowment) of Hadim Ali-pasha, another Ottoman governor of the Bosnia. The mosque was built according to the classical Istanbul architectural style. The dome covers the prayer area and three small domes cover the cloister. Because of its noble proportions it stands at the top of the scale of all sub-dome mosques that have been constructed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city transit artery runs between the mosque and the main city park dotted with centuries old tombstones (nišani).

Chapter 8: The tamed pigeons of Bašcaršija

Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city was built in 15th century when Isa-Beg Isakovic, Sarajevo’s first Ottoman Governor, founded the town.

Chapter 9: Where the East meets West

Austria-Hungarian Empire conquered Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, and annexed it completely in 1908. The architects and engineers from all across the Empire continued building Sarajevo as a modern European capital, making the city a unique blend of Ottoman and contemporary western architecture.

Chapter 10:Peace and war; life and death

This is a relatively modern part of Sarajevo with a new cemetery in the background. When the Second World War was over, the new socialistic government invested heavily in Sarajevo, building many new residential blocks. Before the Bosnian War 1992-1995, Sarajevo had about 526.000 inhabitants. During the siege, nearly 10,000 people were killed or went missing in the city, including over 1,500 children. Today, population if the city is estimated to be about 311.000.

(Photos and text by J.T.)

Paris: the city of pain au chocolat

For some reason, there are many more girl characters than boys in books to prepare for a visit to Paris. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans is the classic, about the twelve little girls in two straight lines following Madeline into adventure.

Another fine picture book is Everybody Bonjours. This is a simple story of a little girl doing all the major tourist “to do” Parisan activities with her family. The painted watercolours are simple, colourful, and appealing. The book verges into silliness in the scene of the girl standing ALONE in front of the Mona Lisa! The Louvre mob scene around the famous painting is ten people deep.

We also enjoyed the picture book A Spree in Paree by Catherine Stock. Monsieur Monmouton’s barnyard animals all join him on a trip to the favourite tourist spots.

For an 8 year old boy, I figured gargoyles, the French revolution, and the Eiffel tower would have the biggest appeal, so I gathered some nonfiction information books about those topics. You Wouldn’t Want to be an Aristocrat in the French Revolution : a Horrible Time in Paris You’d Rather Avoid by Jim Pipe was a hit, both for it’s humour and it’s comic illustrations.

Since the trip, I’ve read The Invention of Hugo Cabret : a Novel in Words and Pictures by Brian Selznick. It’s a well written mystery about an orphan who lives in a Paris train station, and would be good for boys or girls of upper elementary school age.

Our top Parisian DVD recommendation is the delightful Ratatouille about a rat who wants to be a chef.

Top attractions for kids:

• The number one appeal is the bakeries, and there are many. Simon was delighted when our friend Gail took him to compare the neighbourhood bakeries’ pain au chocolat, a pastry with chocolate inside. They returned with a bag of samples for breakfast.
• The museums are not oriented to children, like the interactive displays in North American buildings. However, we had a fun time at the Louvre by pretending that Simon could look at ONLY 10 paintings. We picked dramatic ones with stories, like the shipwreck in The Raft of the Medusa, the Coronation of Napoleon and, of course, the Mona Lisa. The book Louvre in Close-Up by Claire D’Harcourt is a good introduction.
• The Cluny Museum was a hit because Simon is interested in the Middle Ages. The highlights were the medieval pilgrimage tourist souvenirs found in the Seine and the unicorn tapestries.
• We spent an enjoyable afternoon at the Sunday pet market near Notre Dame Cathedral. Simon rescued a rabbit that made an escape. The other days of the week this is a flower market.
• In keeping with the child centered trip, we promised we would only visit one church, so we chose the stain glass filled Saint Chapelle on a sunny day.
• A carrot at the end of our visit was Disneyland Paris, an easy train ride from Paris. They had an Indiana Jones rollercoaster with a loop that we dared each other into riding.

Kari

We have recently received a new book on this transformative walk, Camino Letters by Julie Kirkpatrick.

"It’s very simple: this book is a quiet masterpiece. Wrought of searing honesty, pain, and humour, these exquisite letters walk a path of brave humility and surrender. They ache with agonies, laugh with magic, bless with insight, and open to the whispered songs of grace. They are dances of sorrow, love, and spirit. They are frozen music, sketches of the divine on earth. This book is a gift."

Alison Wearing, author of Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey

I'm off then : losing and finding myself on the Camino de Santiago (2009)
by Hape Kerkeling

Overweight, overworked, and physically unfit, Kerkeling was an unlikely candidate to make an arduous pilgrimage across the French Alps. But that didn't stop him from trying, which he describes in this humorous and inspiring travelogue. (Syndetics)

Walking the Camino de Santiago : [from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela and on to Finisterre] (2009) by Bethan Davies

Smoothing your way with step-by-step instructions, detailed sketch maps and profile charts, this guide lets you into Spain's cultural and culinary secrets, includes a detailed, illustrated wildlife section, and gives you all the practical information you need for a hassle-free pilgrimage. (Sydetics)

What the psychic told the pilgrim : a midlife misadventure on Spain's Camino de Santiago Compostela by Jane Christmas

To celebrate her 50th birthday and face the challenges of mid-life, Jane Christmas joins 14 women to hike the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Despite a psychic’s warning of catfights, death, and a sexy, fair-haired man, Christmas soldiers on. After a week of squabbles, the group splinters and the real adventure begins. (Syndetics)

The roads to Santiago : the medieval pilgrim routes through France and Spain to Santiago de Compostela (2008) by Derry Brabbs

Brabbs traces the four main routes within France leading to Santiago de Compostella, the third most important pilgrimage destination for medieval travelers. His photographs of the journeys are breathtaking, showing the tiny towns and grand cathedrals where the pilgrims took, and still take, shelter. (syndetics)

A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago: St Jean, Roncesvalles, Santiago by John Brierley

Now updated to include newer maps and photos and weighing less to support carefree traveling, these comprehensive guidebooks to the Camino de Santiago and its offshoots contain all the information needed by modern-day pilgrims wishing to walk the sacred Way of St. James. (Syndetics)

Slow travel is all about getting to know a place and connecting with the people. What better way to see a country than to walk the highways and biways?

The library has some great books that you can check out on walking vacations for locations both near and far.

One of our newest is by Countryfile, Great British Walks. This book features 100 unique walks through the British countryside and has clear, easy-to-follow routes and ordnance survey mapping. It includes notes on what you will see and some lovely colour photographs. It has everything from gentle strolls through the countryside to challenging hikes into the wilderness.

"With its strong binding, attractive photographs, and variety of walks, this guide will make a wonderful companion for enthusiastic country walkers. (Library Journal Review)

You can walk through Provence or Paris:

Or perhaps you would like to walk Down Under.

Or you can stay close to home:

Whether you are a meanderer or a serious hiker, there is something here for you. Happy trails!!