Travel

They're short on practicalities, but wonderful for inspiration.

They begin with essays on the history and culture of the country or city and continue with a sort of illustrated guided tour, as in, "A short train ride takes you to ________, the sight of an old royal palace..." There are photos on every page.

Once the Insight Guide has inspired me and given me ideas about what to see, I turn to the Rick Steves guides (for Europe) and the Rough Guides. These have the most practical information without excessive details.

I'm in Japan now, and even after more than a dozen trips, not to mention living here many years ago, I still use the Rough Guide for practical information.

Tomorrow the Rough Guide will be put to the test when I head for Korea via hydrofoil, my first trip to that country.