No comments about Andalucia and Costa Del Sol Top 10 (Eyewitness Top Ten Travel Guides).

3 comments about Pilgrim Stories: On and Off the Road to Santiago, Journeys Along an Ancient Way in Modern Spain.

1. I found this book to be very helpful to me as I am in the planning stages of walking El Camino in 2000. Although I believe that too much stress is put on the spiritual and religious aspect of the walk a lot of practical information is provided as well. I was especially pleased to learn about the infrastructure which has been recently developed to assist Pilgrims. Ms. Frey has researched the subject to a great extent and puts a very positive light on this interesting subject. She has also presented numerous of the varied motives for tackling this venture.



2. Anyone who's walked or thought about walking Spain's greatest long distance walk, the Camino de Santiago will love this book. A young woman who walked this medieval pilgrimage route recommended this book. I began to understand her enthusiasm for this modern-day adventure--a road trip on foot through Spain's majestic lands, visiting the past and the present and meeting all sorts of fascinating people. Anthropologist Nancy Frey has managed to bring the experience to vivid life conjuring the sights, sounds, emotions, exhilarations and disappointments of modern pilgrims as they trek across Spain in search of themselves, God, happiness or whatever else may be meaningful to them. Frey follows hundreds of pilgrims during and after their walk and tackles the questions of what happens once people go home and they trace their lives back to their points of origin around the world--Brazil, Germany, UK, US and, of course, Spain. I highly recommend this book!



3. Be aware that this is not a practical guide to the Camino. At least, it is not a practical guide in the sense that it does not provide lists of refuges or information about places to sleep. Frey has written a book about the culture of pilgrims and the Camino and a potential reader should see it more as an anthropology text than a how-to book.
   
   The sections of the book begin with the kind of person who begins a pilgrimage and ends with the journey home once people have completed the route. As someone who walked the Camino from Utrecht, I was entertained by her descriptions of Camino life. I found myself often nodding in recognition or agreement. I was less interested in her conclusions, I am sorry to admit. But then I was not reading the book from a scholarly perspective.
   
   I would recommend the book for someone who would like to get a feel for the culture and experience of walking the Camino. Unfortunately, Frey is not the strongest writer and it often reads like an extended senior thesis. Three stars for the book and one star extra for the extensive bibliography.

1 comments about Trekking in the Pyrenees, 2nd: France & Spain Trekking Guides.

1. I used this guide last summer to walk the first half of the GR10 before bouncing over to the alps to do the Tour de Mont Blanc and the Haute route to Zermatt.

   This guide has everything you need to survive the trip. Of course, over time things change. some epiceries, gites and campgrounds will close or change their hours, but that is some of the fun of this trip. the uncertainty of where you are going next.

   Over 300 km's, i only found one major error in the guide, and i think that error was due to the cutting of a new logging road which made finding the existing logging road much more difficult.

   I guess if there was a problem with the guide is that it didn't explain well how difficult some of the optional excursions were. I forget the name for the non-main trails, but I was scared off due to a lack of a detailed description about potential dangers of various alternatives.

No comments about Frommer's Mediterranean Spain with Your Family: From Tranquil Villages to the Bustling Costas (Frommers With Your Family Series).

4 comments about European Menu Translator.

1. This is a terrific little book! EUROPEAN MENU TRANSLATOR has four languages in one small volume: French, German, Italian and Spanish. Menu items are easy to look up--it's in a dictionary style. The size is just right--I keep it in my moneybelt for quick access and full-time availability. I have food allergies and just plain avoid certain foods (eggplant--ick!). I also discovered some pleasant surprises that got me to try new things (did you know that Spanish moles are all based on chocolate?). This book allows me to enjoy the foods of the country without any unpleasant surprises! I highly recommend EUROPEAN MENU TRANSLATOR for any traveler.



2. This is an excellent travel book. Because it is small, it's easy to tuck in your purse, back pack or whatever. It's so thorough it makes the most of each meal on the road. It can bring a great new dimension to eating in countries with French, German, Spanish or Italian menus!

   It's so inexpensive, it's a great bon voyage gift for a friend or for yourself.
   We love ours!
   Julie & Peter Dawson.




3. Collaboratively written by Whitney and Anne Galbraith, European Menu Translator is a "user friendly" pocket-sized dictionary specifically designed for tourists and travelers seeking to understand the specialized cuisine terminology of France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. A brief introduction to the fine dining basics of each nation supplements the lists of alphabetically arranged terms, subdivided by language. European Menu Translator is an excellent and very highly recommended reference whether when dining abroad or simply eating at a European-style restaurant here at home.



4. I often travel to Europe. Hop the trains with my Eurail Pass and hit as many countries as I can in less than 10 days.

   On one trip I took about 6 different phrase books with me and wrapped them all up with a rubber band. Too bulky!

   What's better for European travelers are phrase books with multiple languages. The European Menu Translator fits perfectly in a backpack and even in your back pocket.

   Great reference for eating out all over Western Europe.

   If I had one criticism, it would be that they might want to include a couple more languages. Maybe expand it a bit and include some other important Euro languages, like Dutch, Czech, or even Russian. Certainly Greek should be added.

   But otherwise great job Galbraiths!

1 comments about Karen Brown's Portugal, 2007: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries (Karen Brown's Portugal Charming Inns & Itineraries).

1. As a frequest visitor to Portugl I was seeking a great travel book for a gift. This one had wonderful information and the recipients found it a great help when planning their trip.

1 comments about Let's Go Map Guide Madrid (2nd Ed) (Let's Go: Map Guides).

1. My daughter gave me the Let's Go Madrid Map Guide before my husband and I left for Madrid this spring. I had given her Let's Go Europe years ago and had always regarded it as a college student's guide. But we were on a tight budget and so we brought it along. What a pleasant surprise! The maps were great and there is so much information about everything in that little booklet. And it is so nice and small -- it fit right in my purse. I loved not having to carry around a big book all the time. Best of all, the good directions saved us from having to use our awful Spanish. This is certainly a great find for anyone who plans on spending a few days in and around Madrid.

1 comments about Time for Food: Madrid (Time For Food).

1. Used the Time for Food books for Madrid and Barcelona. My wife and I ate wonderful local cuisines at a wide range of places (the haute cuisine and piano player in a converted 16th century church in Madrid Vs the seafood market stalls in Barcelona!) and had a wonderful time. Descriptions were on point (we could identify which places we preferred), and often mouth watering. For me, a vacation with poor food is a disaster, and these tiny books made Spain a place we want to re-visit. My highest recommendation.

No comments about A Castle in Spain.

No comments about The Rough Guides' Mallorca Directions 2 (Rough Guide Directions).