Posts tagged: Opinion

It is a truth universally acknowledged that travel-writing bears only a tenuous relationship with the truth. Lisa Gerard-Sharp ponders the moral matrix which surrounds the murky world of travel writing.

Electionland feels like a real country, even if it’s a surreal country under siege. We are on the election trail in the Weald of Kent. The British General Election has come to town.

German war guilt is in the news again – exactly seventy years after Hitler committed suicide in Berlin. It seems that contemporary Germany has shed its burden of guilt and moved on.

This is a travel rant, teasing out issues of truth in travel, and focusing on the centrality of storytelling and strong voices in contemporary travel journalism. It’s polemical, following on from Travelandia, my first blog.

How valid are the annual travel hotlists? “Where to Go” cool lists seek to frame the travel year and shape our plans but are they arbitrary or authoritative? Shouldn’t there be more caveats?

Forgive me for straying from my travel brief but Britain’s role in Europe is far more important than cheap flights and boutique beds – even if tourism will be affected by any decision to leave the EU. Let me nail my colours to the European mast. The EU may be flawed but it’s more than a marriage of convenience. Grab a glass of Euro fizz and get ready to disagree with my musings.

Picking favourite airports is subjective. Security and speed-of-escape can be more crucial than sleep pods. Even so, the top terminals are truly surprising, tempting world-weary travellers with tranquil Zen gardens or even a brewery.