ROAD TRIP: the books

The Countdown to what I am now calling "Our Super Duper It´s-Going-To-Be-Amazing Road Trip"* begins!! To be honest, the countdown actually began a while ago. But the trip itself is not close enough that I can start thinking about packing. It could even be said that starting to think about packing is the only sensible thing to do.

The preparation for the trip really began several weeks ago, with a visit to the library. Since being taken on a tour of the library on a "field trip", I have rediscovered the joys and infinite wonders of the library. This rediscovery comes just about a year or so on the heels of the previous rediscovery, which was when I became a university student again, and was thus compelled to use the library again. The labyrinth of books on any imaginable topic, I found incredibly inspiring. I could learn anything! ...in theory. I had to but check out a book and information on any topic would be at my fingertips. Although I must say, I have always been a fan of libraries in general. From the mobile library which used to come to our little neighbourhood when I was a child, to the various university law and state libraries which I have visited around the world. There is no denying the bibliophile in me. I digress. 

Preparation for our trip, as I said, began with a visit to the library. See despite being a fan of the library, I suffer from a compulsion to buy and own the books I read. I buy more than I can ever read, despite the fact that I read more than most (but certainly not all) people I know. I derive some sort of inexplicable satisfaction in the ownership of a book. I suppose there really is no denying the bibliophile in me, by any definition. 

I am, however, well aware that some travel guides are better than others. I also know that despite being highly recommended and generally popular, I personally simply do not like some guides. I have, for example, gone off the Lonely Planets. I have no doubt that they are still very good guides, but they no longer suit my purposes. With that in mind, I set off in search of a suitable travel guide for our trip. The ideal guide book, in my mind, would have to be broad enough that it covered the entire geographical area of our proposed trip, but detailed enough that we do not miss out of something which would have been a 30km detour off our taken route. It was not a simple affair. Or perhaps I was being picky. I did not want a guide book that focused on the major cities, because we might actually avoid most major cities altogether. Nor did I want one which focused on churches and museums. After several visits to several bookshops and a perpetuating inability to decide, I emptied the library of any remotely interesting books on Sweden, Norway or Scandinavia. I was limited only by the number of books I was physically able to carry with me on my (basket-less) bicycle. 

In the weeks which followed, this was a significant feature in our home:

Aside from the top and bottom ones, which I own, this stack of library books (and a few others which were returned earlier) help me to decide on which ones I wanted to buy. I have since ordered my shortlist online. Unfortunately, it was not with Amazon. Delivery therefore is taking slightly longer than a day. It is taking slightly more than 2-3 days even, the fact that I opted for express 1-2 day delivery notwithstanding. I realised after the transaction was complete that when they say "delivery within 1-2 days" they mean after the products are sent for delivery, that is to say, posted. Processing the purchase, that is to say, the time it might take before the products are posted, would take 5-8 working days. Sigh... So much time has passed now that I have only a hazy memory of what it is I have bought. I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. According to the delivery confirmation email which landed in my inbox today, I should receive them tomorrow! As soon as I do, back go the library books!

So, when we finally set off for the trip, it will be with the following packed along but within easy and readily accessible reach:

1. Europa Reseatlas - a 2008 road atlas which I found in a discount corner not so long ago. I figure the road we would be on cannot possibly have changed that much. I hope these words do not come back to haunt me!

2. ADAC Camping Caravaning Führer - so we know where the closest campsites / showers / laundry service is, if we were to need one. The title amuses me though. I suppose I always knew that "camping" has become a German word. I had, however, no idea about "caravaning", which I find amusing as a verb even in English! Anyhow...

3. Insight Guide: Sweden

4. Insight Guide: Norway

These will by no means be the only books accompanying us on this trip. We will also be needing reading material. I put aside a few books the other day which I thought to take with me. A classic in English, an English contemporary, one German and one Swedish novel. And why not? One never knows what one might be in the mood for, does one? In addition, I have ordered a few more books online, not consciously with the intention of taking them with me on the trip. Although it does otherwise beg the question as to why I bought them on the eve of our trip if not to take them with me... My husband's reaction to this was to ask: "You do realise we are only going for a few weeks, right?" I suspect he may have a point. I question the realistic probability of me reading in German or Swedish while on holiday. I must also wonder how much time I will have to read. We will be on the road and on the move a lot of the time, and I doubt I would be reading in car. I have not been able to read in a moving car since my early twenties. Besides, is not part of the point of a road trip to take in all that there is to see on the road? I would certainly not be able to do that with my nose buried in a book. Plus, if at all my nose were to be buried in a book, should it not be one of the travel guides I am so excited about finally receiving tomorrow? On the other hand though, we would have a lot of daylight hours the further north we go. So there might actually be a lot of time to read in the evenings by the camp. Hmm... this requires some thought. Life is full of tough decisions...

*What I call it changes almost on a daily basis. Actually, it changes every time I write anything about it. Sometimes it is just plain old 'road trip', others 'our summer holiday'. So what I call it is, in fact, irrelevant. A rose, by any other name, is still our upcoming super duper it's-going-to-be-amazing road trip...