4 comments about Walking in Ireland (Walking).

1. The Lonely Planet guides are always an honest,open an informative and this is no different. The book gives you detailed information on walks giving you directions such as "100m to the left of the pier" and so on. I find with details like that it's pretty hard to get lost! There is also general information on travelling in Ireland, places to stay, where to eat, what's worth seeing and places to avoid if you want to be in a less visited area. The only thing I would like to see is a little more information on day walks. Many people want day walks around Killarny and Dingle and from the information in the book I'm not sure how to divide up some of the week long walks in to day hikes for people who don't have a week for walking



2. For independent walkers planning a trip to Ireland, this portable encyclopaedia is good value. It covers a huge range, from a scenic two-hour stroll to the 122-mile Kerry Way (nine days), from easy walks to some tough mountain circuits. As you would expect from Lonely Planet, the authors are strong on environmental issues and thorough on practical information.

   In 424 well-filled pages they cover the whole island of Ireland, both the Republic and Ulster (part of the UK). The secret of easy access is to use their handy 4-page table of walks organised by region. There is a good index and glossary, and even the boxed text and maps are indexed. Each walk is supported by a small-scale contour map (intended for planning purpose only). As a one-stop resource for walking in Ireland, this book is unrivalled.




3. I found this book to be very out of date, especially in terms of walking paths, pricing and logistics. I went to Dingle, and found that the hostel they highly recommend as having a free shuttle no longer has a free shuttle or friendly/knowledgeable service. I went on the three day Dingle walk that they outline, and the path had changed (and been changed for several years) and we got quite lost several times by following the directions in the books. The hostels that they indicate offer food no longer exist or don't offer food, and they don't mention anything about how easy it is to find someone to shuttle your baggage from walk to walk. Very disappointed.



4. We went to Ireland last year and had a wonderful time. But looking back our very best times were spent walking in the beautiful countryside. The trouble was, we didnt have a plan for our walking and didnt know where the trails were located. We have decided to go again this year and thanks to this FABULOUS book, we will have a PLAN!
   This book is very well put together. Maps of trails, length and difficulty of trails. Closest towns. Everything you need to know. And its also and excellent source for all the other things a traveler needs to know such as where to stay, eat and play. It is the only book you will need to plan a memorable trip to Ireland!

4 comments about The Guide to Lodging in France's Monasteries.

1. LODGING IN FRANCE'S MONASTERIES - $22.95 Anacapa Press
   
   Travel writer Barish adds a third volume (along with Spain and Italy) to her series on unique and inexpensive accommodations in monasteries, convents and religious guest houses, many of which are located in some of the most beautiful towns and villages in France. Travelers can stay, for example, in a 16th century building just a few feet from Chartres Cathedral or in a former castle in the village of Moulins-les-Metz in Lorraine. Most of the more than 150 institutions profiled accept guests without any religious obligation but some of them offer only spiritual retreats. Each entry includes information on the number of rooms, amenities, cost, availability of meals, any special rules, directions and contact information, and two to four pages on local tourist attractions. The average cost per person per night is $30 (meals may add $5 to the cost) and some monasteries ask only for a donation. Barish has also included a reservation form letter in English and French. This is a worthwhile addition to any travel collection and will intrigue travelers on a strict budget and those who want a holiday with a twist. Linda M. Kaufmann, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.



2. This book has obviously taken a great deal of work to put together, so it's a pity that the final result is not as polished as it could be. It provides travellers with a long list of monasteries in France that provide accommodation, including contact info and pricing where available. But where if falls short for the prospective traveller is in not giving much information about the accommodation, the buildings in which the accommodation is provided, pictures of the accommodation, or location maps - all the things that readers would expect from a travel guide.
   Descriptions would have been more helpful if they had been organized under heads in a more systematic manner - like LOCATION, HISTORY, ACCOMMODATION, LOCAL AREA, ETC. At present they tend to be long and rambling and focus mainly on the history of the monsatery and the town which, interesting as it is, really misses the point - the accommodation. There are lots of black and white pictures, often of mixed quality. These frequently relate to the town or local sights and numerous entries fail to show, or indicate the accommodation. This is not much help if you want to see where you are going to be lodging. So it can be a question of taking pot luck! Having said all this, the book does give one a useful starting point.



3. Another way to travel if you are Catholic or interested in a different way to see France.



4. I enjoyed this book very much since I travel around the world and stay in different Monasteries. This book is set up in such a way that I can gather a lot of information about specific Monasteries that interest me versus those that might not be what I am looking for in terms of accommodations.
   
   Truly a worthwhile purchase.
   
   Rhonda

No comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Milan (Wallpaper City Guide Milan).

No comments about Tuscany Umbria & the Marches, 10th (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan).

1 comments about The Cyclades: Discovering the Greek Islands of the Aegean.

1. We're just back from a sailing vacation in the Cyclades, and brought this book along for reference. The historical perspective that the author carefully provides, is the most useful aspect of the book. After reading the book, and visiting the land, it is clear that many aspects of Ancient Greece are still alive! Visiting today and observing the ruins, one feels like a mere speck in time.
   
   The only criticism I have, is that some of the information in the book is out of date. For example, the Chora in Kea was not clean, but somewhat dirty and depressed, and felt chronologically displaced. So we're told, it turns out that Kea was a Communist enclave during the 1960's, and we even observed the word "Castro" written in Greek and engraved in large stone letters on a walkway.
   
   I recommend the book as an interesting historical read, but not as a practical guide. At least for sailing, the most popular text is "Greek Waters Pilot" by Rod Heikell. It also contains good general information about Greece and its ports.

4 comments about Georgia: Sovereign Country of the Caucasus (Odyssey Illustrated Guide).

1. The best travel guide available for The Republic of Georgia. I had the Second Edition, so when the Third Edition came out I had to have it. I am a Georgian American who enjoys all things Georgian, especially sharing my heritage with others. This guide makes for a great coffee table book and a quick way to briefly share a little about Sakartvelo.
   
   Visiting Georgia is not like visiting Europe, but if you are a traveler that doesn't mind things being a little unpredictable or a little rustic, or likes out of the ordinary trips like the Middle East, South America, etc. you'll have no problem. The warm-hearted hospitality of the Georgian people, their culture, food and wine, more than makes up for the problems of a country still pulling itself together after the ravages of communism.
   
   The book covers a little of everthing - history, culture, information, maps, and of course beautiful photos of Georgia and its people. If there is a better guide to Georgia here in the U.S. I haven't come across it.



2. This book is quite comprehensive as it tries to describe many aspects of Georgian geography, history, culture and economics as well as being a tourist guide. Unfortunately, it is quite boring to read.



3. The best thing one can say about this book is that the author's love for the people and culture of Georgia shines brightly; rather than the cynicism that peppers many guidebooks to the former Soviet Union, this one is written with genuine warmth and affection.
   
   Regrettably, however, this very affection soon becomes one of the book's many, many flaws. Rosen's style is florid to the point of being laugh-out-loud funny: open any page at random and you're sure to find a sentence gushing with the moonstruck hyperbolic excesses of a hopeless sentimentalist. (Wish I could now provide examples, but I abandoned my copy of the book in Georgia.) Much worse, though, is the book's utter, utter uselessness as a travel guide. Rosen provides no practical information whatsoever for the independent traveler: where to stay, where to eat, how to get from point A to point B. Some phones and addresses for hotels and a very few for restaurants--the vast majority of them in Tbilisi--are appended without comment at the very end of the book, but no descriptions are provided, and no value judgments about the quality of the places are made. This is a "guide" wholly without "guidance"! Nor does the author get off the well-beaten tourist-track: nearly a third of the book is devoted just to Tbilisi, while entire regions (Guria, Racha, Kvemo Kartli and Samegrelo) are glossed over in a paragraph or two. Fabulous places like Bakhmaro don't merit so much as a mention.
   
   How then does the author fill his 300-odd pages? With long-winded disquisitions on the art, architecture and history of the country. Some of this is interesting, some not, but none of it is useful once you're actually in Georgia. Fine to go on for pages and pages about the history of Gelati Monastery, for example, but the only thing you need to know once you're on the road is how to get there easily from Kutaisi...the one piece of information this book doesn't provide.
   
   So, as PRE-DEPARTURE background reading, the book isn't completely without merit, especially for those who know little or nothing about the history of the Caucasus. (Some "background" areas where you'd expect to Rosen to be good, however, he comes up inexplicably short. I'm thinking particularly of the perfunctory sections on Georgian language and Georgian cuisine.) To actually help you get around Georgia, though, you're better off with any other travel guide. Tellingly, I lived in Georgia for nearly two years, and the entire time I was there this book sat gathering dust on my shelf, while whenever I needed some practical information I referred to the older Lonely Planet or Bradt guides--both flawed themselves, but far superior to this effort.



4. My friend's daughter and her husband recently were sent to Georgia as missionery's. Naturally she wanted to know everything she could find out about the place where her daughter is. She says it has been invaluable. When her daughter visits diffent parts of the country she can picture what it is like there. She also plans to visit her and feels she knows the place already before embarking on her trip.

No comments about Treasures from the National Trust.

No comments about HIDDEN PLACES OF CORNWALL: A beautifully illustrated guide taking you on a relaxed but informative tour of Cornwall (Regional Hidden Places).

No comments about The Garden at Hidcote.

2 comments about Sardinia (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. I went to school in Rome for a semester, and during a four day weekend I decided to go to Sardinia b/c I saw some pics of it on the 'net and it looked and sounded awesome. As I read this book I became very excited at all the cool things one could do and see.The book listed many of the best beaches, festivals, scenery, and archaeological sites of the island. It was very hard to decide what I should do first!
   The book was a huge help and gave me lots of great ideas. However, I did have some trouble finding some of the things mentioned in the book, despite what seemed like very detailed directions. That may have had more to do with the very old and poorly maintained roads and signs than the book though. I have found some pictures online of places that I don't think were mentioned in the book that I want to see the next time I go, so I wouldn't rely exclusively on one source when planning your trip.



2. Sardinia travel guide is as good, clear and concise as all the DK travel guides. It is ideal for those tourists who do not have the time to learn a long history, or simply do not want to do so. Ratio of photos/texts is perfect, maps are clear not filled with useless details. Quality of paper again is ideal, so can take it out from and put it back to your bag 100 times a day without transforming it into a pellet.