REVIEW: Neither Here Nor There

One of these days I'll get around to reviewing In an Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson, because it's one of my favorite books for a lot of reasons. But today I shall discuss Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe, by the same author.

If you have ever read Bill Bryson's stuff, you realize that his travel books are not so much descriptions of the places he visits, but about his experiences with the people there, which is really a better way to write a travel book, if you ask me. Which you didn't, but I give my opinion freely.

Also, when I think about my own travels through Europe with my college Besty....we'll call her "Teeny".....I don't remember too many details about the Mozartplatz in Salzburg or the Spanish Steps in Rome. My lasting memories from our travels were more about the people we met along the way.

For instance, I have fond memories of Peter and Peter, two engineers traveling in Munich for work from Hamburg. Peter and Peter spend a long evening with us at a beerhall and after consuming vast amounts of sausages and biers with us, took pictures of Teeny as she danced on a table to a polka-inspired rendition of "Sweet Caroline." Even though I remember little of the evening past the dancing, Peter and Peter ensured our safe return to our hotel without trying to get in our pants, for which I am eternally grateful.

I also remember quite clearly the afternoon in Rome when Teeny, her mother and myself found ourselves inadvertently sharing a traditional Easter dinner with a Roman family at their family restaurant. We were unable to find a restaurant that was open and Patricia, the restaurant's hostess, took pity on us and set up a table for us next to the kid's table. The sun was setting, it was warm, the family was gracious, and it was the most amazing meal I ate in Europe. And for some reason that is still unclear to us, the family gave us a standing ovation as we left.

In this book, Bryson drinks his way through Oslo to Istanbul and records his experiences with cranky hoteliers and stinky bus passengers along the way. My favorite chapters were his accounts of seeing the northern lights in Oslo and trying not to get killed by Vespa drivers in Rome.

If you have spent any time traveling alone in Europe (KK, you will love it), I highly suggest this book.