! Route 66 AD: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists (BOOKRING)

by Tony Perrottet | Travel |
ISBN: 0091888069 Global Overview for this book
Registered by rem_DYI-991976 on 5/24/2005
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
13 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by rem_DYI-991976 on Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Another book discovered to be unregistered.

Journal Entry 2 by rem_DYI-991976 on Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Book Ring Rules (Adapted from psychjo and kleptokitty)

1) Everybody should leave a journal entry when receiving the book and after the read! Please let us all know what you think about it...
2) Also PM the next person on the list for a mailing address and when that person doesn't answer within 7 days MAX! please PM the one after...
3) Everybody should also try to read the book soon (max - one month?)- but in a joyful speed. It's not about how many books someone can read within a certain amount of time - it's about enjoying it...
4) You can send the book via surface mail or airmail - that is completely up to you.
5) If you find you don't have the time to read it when it's your turn please PM and I'll move you to a later slot.
6) Enjoy :-)


Participants

YowlYY
LyzzyBee
PurpleRosebud
PrincessJCM
Teachie
PatchworkPerson
rahar109
Lucinda (US)
heatherbells
kinedi
ResQGeek
mdbookworm (US)
MollyGrue
RonOren
beebarf
Amanida
coolboxuk
WelshHelen (UK)
Samulli (Germany)
Semming (Finland)
chich (France)
ajsmom (US)
Joanthro (US)
darkpunkangel (Canada)

....you?

PM me or comment on my bookjournal to join this bookring.

Journal Entry 3 by YowlYY on Thursday, July 7, 2005
Received at the UnConvention2005, thanks! Apologies for the belated JE...in my excitement to get started with this book, I completely forgot to journal it :-/
I am already in Greece and loving it :-)

Picture: view of Cala Ventroso, Capri

Journal Entry 4 by YowlYY on Wednesday, July 13, 2005
A clever, witty, informative but funny report on how to travel like the Romans - and not necessarily having more comfort than they had in their time!
Tony Perrottet, travelling with the pregnant girlfriend throughout part of Italy, Greece, Turkey and then Egypt, had this idea to find out what was like being a tourist in the days when the Roman Empire was at its best, and he manages it brilliantly. The book is full of historical facts that are far from boring - in fact, he reminds me of my old teacher of Latin literature, who made his subject so alive that it was a joy to listen to his lessons! If you are familiar with the ancient history, you will find plenty of well-known names here, from the senators, famous and not, to poets and rich merchants; tales of journeys are given, comments on the quality of the hostels and cuisine of the places, and despite the fact that they were written 2000 years ago they feel strangely familiar.
The most interesting part of the trip for me has to be Egypt seen by the Romans, as I discovered a few things we didn't do at school. The most hilarious parts...well, there are too many to list! Searching the web to see what else the author wrote, I found a website dedicated to the book, complete with photo in colour of the locations visited by the couple, and more. Have a look here: PAGAN HOLIDAY.

The book is ready to leave today to Birmingham...happy reading LyzzyBee, and thanks to daemonwolf for sharing this amusing book!

Picture: The Colossi of Memnon, Egypt, decorated by Roman graffiti!

Journal Entry 5 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, July 15, 2005
Received today from YowlYY - thank you - and thank you very much for the lollip too which I will enjoy while I read the book. And the postcard! I love when I open a parcel and there's loads of stuff in it!

Looking forward to reading this - it looks great. I have half a Larry McMurtry and then this will be next.

Journal Entry 6 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, July 16, 2005
Started it this morning - brilliant so far and I have the feeling I will be racing through it. PM'd purplerosebud for address.

Journal Entry 7 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Thursday, July 21, 2005
Really enjoyed this - very well done. It followed the common pattern of looking at where someone else travelled and following the route in modern times (cf Tim Moore etc) but really opened my eyes to a whole phenomenon, ie Roman tourism! Fascinating to read about their hotels, inns, guides, graffitti etc and the author really made it come alive. Even when he was trying to contact neighbours back home near the end, he managed to work in a bit about Roman postal systems.

A good job done and really enjoyable. His girlfriend and travelling companion being pregnant added another interesting dimension too.

My only gripe: the map in the front has been printed wrong. There is a square containing place names that is obviously meant to be an enlarged version of the Agean section. But the map underneath just carries on through the square and bears no resemblance to the place names - they have forgotten to add the enlarged map. I only noticed cos I have been to Kos and Bodrum and know what they should look like. It took me a while, and consultation with Mr LyzzyBee, to work this out, so I just add this to help future readers - no, you're not going mad!

I have purplerosebud's address so will send off to her today.

Journal Entry 8 by LyzzyBee at on Thursday, July 21, 2005

Released 18 yrs ago (7/21/2005 UTC) at

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posting to purplerosebud today.

Journal Entry 9 by purplerosebud from Petersfield, Hampshire United Kingdom on Saturday, July 23, 2005
Arrived in the post today, many thanks Lyzzybee and for the 'extras'. I loved visiting Rome as it made the history come alive and I'm hoping this book will do that again. I'll get started today.

Journal Entry 10 by purplerosebud from Petersfield, Hampshire United Kingdom on Saturday, August 13, 2005
I really enjoyed reading this book. It took me a bit longer than I had expected because I wanted to absorb all the history. Found it interesting with plenty of humour so no boring bits and the references to his pregnant girlfriend just added to it. I enjoyed hearing all their travel tales and the comparison to how it was done in Roman times. It was a good read, taught me more about history than I would learn in any history lesson and kept me entertained.

Now on its way to PrincessJCM.

Journal Entry 11 by PrincessJCM on Thursday, August 18, 2005
Received today! I should be starting this either later today or tomorrow. Also, Purplerosebud enclosed a beautiful embossed bookmark :-)

(edited for typo)

Journal Entry 12 by PrincessJCM on Monday, September 19, 2005
Sorry I took longer with this book than expected :-( I really enjoyed the book though! It was a fun read and all the historical facts and stories the author dug up were amazing. This is the first travelogue I've ever read and I don't think any others will compare to this!

I've pm'd the next person for their address and will be mailing as soon as I get it.

Journal Entry 13 by PrincessJCM at on Monday, October 3, 2005

Released 18 yrs ago (10/3/2005 UTC) at

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Mailed to Teachie

Journal Entry 14 by teachie from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Friday, October 7, 2005
This arrived today, thanks Princess JCM. I am part way through "Ghost riders, Travels with American Nomads," so this book should follow on nicely.
1st. Nov.
Sorry this has taken me so long to read. I have really enjoyed following their journey and their trials and tribulations with the various landladies; he makes it so funny by comparing them with the inns of ancient times. Perrottet keeps the reader's interest with anecdotes written by Roman philosphers and travellers; it makes history come alive.
I have contacted Patchworkperson and will be sending this book off to her.

Journal Entry 15 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Thursday, November 3, 2005
Received today (03/11) from Teachie - thank you.

Journal Entry 16 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, December 27, 2005
I did enjoy this book! I love history but wasn't prepared for this book to quite so funny. It made me laugh out loud. The trials and triumphs of Tony Perrottet's journey with his long-suffering & pregnant girlfriend made for a great read & Roman history really came to life. If only school history lessons had been this entertaining!

Journal Entry 17 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 15, 2006
On it's way to rahar109 as of 14/01/06.

Journal Entry 18 by wingrahar109wing from Ash Vale, Surrey United Kingdom on Friday, January 20, 2006
Received a few days ago - thank you.
Apologies for the delays in journalling.

Journal Entry 19 by wingrahar109wing from Ash Vale, Surrey United Kingdom on Monday, March 27, 2006
I enjoyed this book particularly the contrast between the modern day trials and tribulations and what the Romans had to endure. It certainly made me want to visit many of the places, but in better hotels!

Pming Lucinda for her addy.

Journal Entry 20 by wingrahar109wing from Ash Vale, Surrey United Kingdom on Friday, March 31, 2006
Posted off to Lucinda yesterday.

Journal Entry 21 by Lucinda from Ventura, California USA on Monday, April 10, 2006
Just received and will read as soon as I finish the previous bookring book.

Journal Entry 22 by Lucinda from Ventura, California USA on Saturday, May 6, 2006
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the author's mixture of the past and present and how it was all written in such a lighthearted manner. But I am truly in awe of the author's pregnant girlfriend who was such a good sport, despite being pregnant and being dragged all over the Mediterranean. I would have loved to have heard more of HER P.O.V.!!

Sending off today.

Journal Entry 23 by Lucinda from Ventura, California USA on Friday, May 12, 2006
Finally made it to the Post Office and sent off to Heatherbells.

Journal Entry 24 by wingAnonymousFinderwing on Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The book arrived today - thank you Lucinda

Journal Entry 25 by HeatherBells on Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Aaargh! Who forgot to log in before posting her journal entry?

OK so now I've wrested the book from AnonymousFinder I can settle down to reading it!

Thanks again Lucinda.

Journal Entry 26 by kinedi from Rushyford, County Durham United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Arrived safely in Edinburgh. Thanks for posting it to me. Next on my list to read

Journal Entry 27 by kinedi from Rushyford, County Durham United Kingdom on Friday, September 21, 2007
A travel novel to my liking - interesting, full of facts while at the same time entertaining and amusing.Maybe I should travel around Europe a bit more as opposed to always taking at least a 6 hrs plane journey somewhere. This book also nicely tied in with Michael Palin's new travel programme ''New Europe'' which only started last week on BBC2.
I do have ResQGeeks address handy so Tony and Co will travel on to the US next week. Thanks for startung this bookring daemonwolf !

Journal Entry 28 by kinedi at on Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Released 16 yrs ago (9/25/2007 UTC) at

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Going travelling again, alas this time by modern aeroplane :o) Happy reading

UPDATE Sept 27
Sorry, ended up sending it surface mail to the US as it was just too expensive to go airmail. Hope it won't take too long to reach the US

Journal Entry 29 by ResQgeek from Alexandria, Virginia USA on Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Arrived in today's mail. I just started my current book yesterday, but this is next in the queue, and I'll get to it soon, and send it on its way.

Journal Entry 30 by ResQgeek from Alexandria, Virginia USA on Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I had no idea that the citizens of the Roman Empire were such big tourists! The historical accounts of the adventures of the Roman travellers were fascinating both in their similarities to modern travel as well as the differences. I can't even imagine embarking on a sightseeing trip that would take months or even years to complete. This provides a glimpse into what life was like two millenia ago.

Intertwined with this history is the author's story of his attempts to recreate the Roman "Grand Tour" with his pregnant girlfriend. This definitely is not how I prefer to travel. I'm not willing to sacrifice personal comfort and/or safety in the interests of having an ancient experience. I'm amazed that the author's girlfriend was so accommodating to this weird quest, as my wife would have simply refused to do some of this trip. However, the contrasts between the modern experience and the ancient one are interesting, and the reader will find that the old adage "the more things change, the more they stay the same" may well apply to large bits of the tourist industry.

I have the mailing information for mdbookworm, and will ship this book on tomorrow.

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