Globe Corner Blogs

Ulla the Golden Retriever

There comes a time in life when bluffing your way through adulthood actually turns into “Being a Grownup (capital G).” This is an important realization. Nobody ever knows what they’re doing really, but somehow they get there anyway. Which is, as it happens, one of the best perks of being a Grownup: having the freedom to take off and search for parts of yourself in faraway places. MiddleGround blogger, traveller, and Grownup Dylan Fitzgerald had a little help reaching her destination, and we are very proud that a member of the GCB staff gave her the inspiration to get where she needed to go. Obviously, we’re talking about Ulla the Golden Retriever, the Globe Corner Bookstore’s resident travel agent/guidance counselor extraordinaire.

It all started when Dylan read Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises in high school and made a promise to herself: One day she would stroll beside San Sebastian’s harbor and take in the sights from one of the nearby cafés, just like the novel’s main character Jake. After college and several dead-end jobs, Dylan wasn’t sure what to do with herself. Thankfully, fate brought her to Ulla during an afternoon walk around Harvard Square. Being the great Hemingway admirer that she is, Ulla encouraged Dylan to fulfill her old promise. After a few belly rubs and some serious conversation with her “new life line,” Dylan booked a trip, hoping to discover France, Spain, and maybe a part of herself too. “Paris. Bordeaux. Provence. Nice. Madrid. Barcelona. San Sebastian . . . I headed to Ulla’s bookstore shortly thereafter and started buying maps.” Continue Reading »

Let's Go Ireland: On a Budget

I often travel by myself.  Sometimes it is great; I love the freedom and flexibility to do whatever I feel like doing at that particular moment. Sometimes it is not so great, and I become so painfully lonely that I shop just so I can talk to sales clerks. I used to think that I was not the “tour group type,” but lately I have started to take some traditional tours, and not only have I enjoyed them, but I have made lots of good friends. The problem seems to be finding the right tour group.

Recently a friend told me about a group of backpackers who organize trips to Europe that are based in the North End of Boston. There was also a great article about them in the Boston Globe today (Local Backpackers Flock Together). Since I just found out about them, I haven’t actually participated in a tour. However, I am glad that they are on my radar for future trips.

As a side note, the new 2009 Let’s Gos have arrived. They are a longtime budget traveler favorite. New titles include: Britain, Europe, France, Italy, Spain & Portugal with Morocco, Western Europe, Australia, Buenos Aires, Costa Rica, Germany, Hawaii, New York, Paris, and Thailand.

Reykjavik Graffiti--photo by Nicole

Keflavik Airport. Reykjavik. Iceland. For an hour more, anyway. My trip here is coming to a rapid conclusion, and I am sitting at an internet station (free- thank the Norse gods!) in the slick, airy Scandinavian airport terminal. Sandwiched between a Kaffir coffee shop (the Icelandic Starbucks, according to Lonely Planet) and the ubiquitous Viking gift shop, I am trying to think of eventful travel exploits worthy of reportage. Continue Reading »

While it may be raining elsewhere in Europe, London swaggers with its flawlessly sunny weather and proves the doubtful Austrian wrong – in so many different ways! The maze of crooked streets, hidden and not-so-hidden parks and squares offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor time. Continue Reading »

Cycling Southern France: Loire to Mediterranean is one of the new cycling books and maps we’ve just received. Info on each long-distance or area ride includes text and annotated 1:200K Michelin map images. The 8.5″ x 6″ guide is spiral bound.

Also just in–regional maps for European cycling in the high (Germany/Austria/Switzerland) and low (Benelux) countries, as well as guides with maps for both U.K. mountain biking (in the Lake District, Downs, the Dales, the Midlands and the Peak District) and long-distance cycling routes.