Voyage/Gastronomie

Athens can be noisy and crowded and confusing, but it's spontaneous and always surprising. A cable ride up Lykavittos rewards with an incredible panorama but veer off the track to discover the hill's secret links to Parnitha. The beauty of Kaisariani Monastery's architecture is matched by the 'organised wilderness' of its incredible gardens. Ancient relics, great and small, mirror a glorious past that remains an example to the world, but they are only the start of what's great about Athens today. There are the mountains that surround it, busy with climbers, runners and picnic-lovers during the weekends. The ubiquitous graffiti, some admirable, some abhorrent, that reveal what's bugging the Athenians' psyche. Bars, cafes and restaurants thronged with broke Greeks who refuse to stay inside. Stores where you can find vendors as venerable as their antiques and others that are up to date with the edgiest demands. And many surprising, sometimes downright dark, dank and mysterious pockets. Athens is changing day by day. This book will take you to places that are beyond touristy or trendy; whether hundreds of years old or contemporary, their tales are timeless.

In Berlin, the city divided after World War II, everybody knows about the Brandenburg Gate, Hitler s bunker, Kennedy's speech, red and green beer, splendidly broad boulevards, and numerous lakes. But this metropolis, once again the capital of Germany, encompasses many clandestine niches characteristic of a heterogeneous city without a beginning and without an end between its famous backyards, nature parks, and bridges. It is often these minuscule witnesses that tell authentic history. Besides the larger attractions, this unusual guide presents Berlin's other side - such as a tower so ugly that no-one wants to open a restaurant in it; a library offering its books in the trunks of living trees; the monument for the inventor of the currywurst; a residential settlement in a former East German prison; the place where the Nazis concealed the so-called 'degenerate art' which they had confiscated; the house where David Bowie lived; an automat out of which maggots can be pulled; a museum for things used for purposes for which they were not created; the reception camp for refugees from East Germany - and, in a completely unexpected spot, the most romantic place in Berlin.

For the enthusiastic reader and book lover, browsing through a bookshop is an irreplaceable experience. American author Elizabeth Stamp selected the 150 most unique bookstores in the world that are worth making a detour to visit. From Australia to France, and Japan to the United States, the bookstores here range from establishments that have been around for decades, to newly opened shops. Each shop has been selected for an outstanding feature, either an interesting backstory, a unique collection, or a fabulous setting. This handsomely bound book, the latest in the 150 series, has inspiring photographs and a wealth of information on each location.

A classic of travel writing, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush is Eric Newby's iconic account of his journey through one of the most remote and beautiful wildernesses on earth. It was 1956, and Eric Newby was earning an improbable living in the chaotic family business of London haute couture. Pining for adventure, Newby sent his friend Hugh Carless the now-famous cable - CAN YOU TRAVEL NURISTAN JUNE? - setting in motion a legendary journey from Mayfair to Afghanistan, and the mountains of the Hindu Kush, north-east of Kabul.

Inexperienced and ill prepared (their preparations involved nothing more than some tips from a Welsh waitress), the amateurish rogues embark on a month of adventure and hardship in one of the most beautiful wildernesses on earth - a journey that adventurers with more experience and sense may never have undertaken. With good humour, sharp wit and keen observation, the charming narrative style of A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush would soon crystallise Newby's reputation as one of the greatest travel writers of all time. One of the greatest travel classics from one of Britain's best-loved travel writers, this edition includes new photographs, an epilogue from Newby's travelling companion, Hugh Carless, and a prologue from one of Newby's greatest proponents, Evelyn Waugh.

The Aegean – the island world of the Greeks – is a source of particular fascination: sun and sea, natural environment and culture, entertainment and Greek hospitality. Over the last few years the number of people who go hiking on the Aegean islands has grown steadily. Kalderimia and Monopatia are increasingly being designated as hiking paths and the volume of literature about them is increasing. A hiking holiday in the Aegean is particularly attractive when it involves ‘island-hopping’; this offers the opportunity to get to know the islands, each of them stamped with its own unique character, and to enjoy their infinite variety. This roaming lifestyle is the subject of “Aegean – Nature and hiking for island-hoppers”, which describes a total of 48 selected routes on 16 Aegean islands. The main purpose of this book is to draw the attention to the diversity of plants and animals. The biodiversity of the Aegean islands is particularly rich: circum-mediterranean representatives meet with species which originate from the Balkans and the Near East, and their number is further enhanced through numerous endemic species which developed in isolation after the Ice Age. However, only a small fraction of the several thousands of these species can be introduced through illustrations and notes. Ecological cohesions in typical Mediterranean habitats, the interesting behaviour of animals, the importance of some plants for Man, and traces of old agricultural practices constitute the reading material for a holiday of discovery, hiking or walking through the natural landscape.

Ancient Athens: The map of Ancient Athens covers roughly the area of the Classical city, bounded by the Themistoclean wall built after the Persian wars. The plan of the Classical walls (and their Valerian and Late Roman successors) was drawn by archaeologist Annita Theocharaki. Topographer Dimitris Theodosopoulos retraced the ancient course of the Ilissos and Eridanos rivers now mostly hidden under asphalt. The main monuments of the ancient and Byzantine period are marked against the background topography and modern road network. For key monuments, a three-dimensional representation was created by Delia Potamianou. With this map we invite you to wander in the steps of the politicians, historians, philosophers and artists who bequeathed to us democracy, philosophy, the theater and some of the finest works of art and architecture that ever saw the light. Modern Athens: The Map of Modern Athens is a thematic map showing buildings important for the architectural physiognomy of the city. Buildings are marked separately by period, from late Ottoman, to Neoclassical and Modern. The most notable ones are highlighted with three-dimensional representations created by Delia Potamianou and a short text on the back with historical details. This map invites us to see Athens through buildings that shape the present-day identity of the city, and through these buildings to take a stroll back in time to see the city's progress from modest neoclassical capital to modern metropolis.

David Attenborough, Dion Leonard (Finding Gobi), Dervla Murphy and Brian Jackman are just four of the authors whose work features in this new anthology from Bradt focusing on true stories about travelling with animals. In Beastly Journeys, there are 46 tales of extraordinary animal travel experiences, from hilarious holidays with pets to journeys on which wild animals somehow came along for the ride, including: David Attenborough tries to get an armadillo through Paraguayan customs; adventurer Ash Dykes takes a white cockerel to Maromokotro to ward off evil spirits; Mike Gerrard shares a car journey from Belsize Park to Canvey Island with a python; Brian Jackman rides, walks and swims with Abu the elephant; Bradt New Travel Writer of the Year Dom Tulett rows with a kingfisher; and John Rendall travels to Africa with Christian, the lion he bought at Harrods and raised in west London. Also included is a brand new piece of writing from ultramarathon runner Dion Leonard about his experience with Gobi, the stray dog who accompanied him for 80 miles over the treacherous Tian Shian mountains. A mix of new, previously unpublished writers and old favourites are included, with extracts from writers such as Mark Shand (Travels on my Elephant), Dervla Murphy (Eight Feet in the Andes) and Robert Louis Stevenson (Travels with a Donkey), not to mention Gerald Durrell, 19th-century explorer Isabella Bird and renowned publisher Michael Joseph. Compelling, engaging, surprising, humorous and entertaining. if this book proves one thing it's that travel with animals is every bit as unpredictable as you would expect it to be.

This new edition of the 'Berlitz Pocket Guide' includes even more pictures than before, providing a highly visual introduction to the destination. Practical advice and cultural tips are more clearly highlighted to help travellers get to the heart of the destination they are visiting.