Inspiring Travel Writing from Christopher Somerville
Christopher Somerville is one of the UK's most respected freelance travel writers. His 'Walk of the Month' feature has been running in the Daily Telegraph for ten years, and his travel pieces appear regularly in Britain's top-quality newspapers - the Daily and Sunday Telegraph, the Times and the Sunday Times. One particular area of expertise is travel on foot in the less well-known corners of the world, especially islands and the Celtic fringe.
Christopher has written around 20 books - some accounts of his travels, several walking guides, and guidebooks to the UK, Ireland and Crete. He has also written an account of the British Commonwealth's role during the Second World War, and has had a collection of his poems published.
Broadcasting activity includes researching, writing and presenting his own long-running 'Somerville's Walks' series on TV, and a varied experience of radio which now includes presenting a monthly walk on BBC Radio 4's travel programme 'Excess Baggage'.
Christopher has written around 20 books - some accounts of his travels, several walking guides, and guidebooks to the UK, Ireland and Crete. He has also written an account of the British Commonwealth's role during the Second World War, and has had a collection of his poems published.
Broadcasting activity includes researching, writing and presenting his own long-running 'Somerville's Walks' series on TV, and a varied experience of radio which now includes presenting a monthly walk on BBC Radio 4's travel programme 'Excess Baggage'.
Articles by Christopher Somerville
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Before You Die: Blue Mountains of Jamaica
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Christopher Som...
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Jamaica
Take a walk in the rain forests of the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Christopher Somerville
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Before You Die: Climb the Magic Mountain
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Christopher Som...
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Ireland
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Clare & Limerick
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Mullaghmore
Climb the magical mountain of Mullaghmore in County Clare, Ireland, on a cloudless morning in June. Christopher Somerville
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Before You Die: Fish and Chips
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Christopher Som...
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United Kingdom
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East Anglia
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Aldeburgh
Sit on the beach wall at Aldeburgh on the east coast of Suffolk, England, listening to the music of waves on shingle and eating a greasy paper of the best fish and chips in the world. Christopher Somerville
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Before You Die: Stay at the Taverna Aravanes
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Christopher Som...
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Greece
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Crete Island
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Crete Town
Stay at the Taverna Aravanes at Thronos in the Amari Valley, Crete, with Lambros and Maria Papoutsakis, drinking Lambros's wine, eating Maria's stuffed vine leaves, and listening to Kostis and George play the lyra and the louto. If it's a red-letter...
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Den Haag - Unexpected art treasures in an overlooked city
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Christopher Som...
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The Netherlands
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South Holland
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The Hague
Many visitors to Holland think only of the finger-lickin’ pleasures of Amsterdam. The name of Den Haag brings to mind the International Court of Justice, perhaps the Dutch Parliament in session, and the … um, not much else. Yet this overlooked city...
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Abruzzo, Central Italy
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Christopher Som...
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Italy
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Abruzzo
Abruzzo, the mountainous region at the heart of central Italy, is still little-known. Here, less than two hours' drive from central Rome, are brown bears and roe deer, wolves that stalk chamois, eagles and songbirds, alpine wildflower meadows and...
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Walking the Millennium Mile along London’s River Thames
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Christopher Som...
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United Kingdom
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Greater London
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London
London’s Millennium Mile (it’s actually nearer two miles) along the south bank of the River Thames must contain more memorable sights and attractions than any city-centre stroll on earth. The very first thing you see after emerging from Westminster...
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Alentejo, Portugal
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Christopher Som...
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Portugal
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Alentejo Region
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Alentejo
It seemed like a good idea at the time: a dawn getaway from Lisbon to evade the city’s morning commuter madness. But I hadn’t taken into account what happens when the rising sun hits the dew-soak of flat country. As soon as I dropped down to the...
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Fiesta De La Merce
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Christopher Som...
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Spain
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Catalunya
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Barcelona
Anyone foolish enough to get themselves lost driving a Madrid-registered car during morning rush hour in Barcelona will quickly get a pretty good idea of the self-assertive prickliness of the capital city of Catalunya. That applies in spades if you...
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Omey Island
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Christopher Som...
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Ireland
A long line of cars was heading out at walking pace across the sand. In front of the steadily crawling column drove a shiny black hearse. Sitting on the graveyard wall on Omey Island, hands deep in pockets and collars raised against the blasting...