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Staying grounded
Having well developed travel plans for
2020 is one thing, but having been further
inspired by your December 2019 issue,
the decision was made to reduce air miles
and travel by land or sea for adventures in- In an undetermined period where
‘stay home’ is safest for all and the outlook
unknown, will the convenience of air travel
be less appealing than alternatives? As
an interrailer of years gone by and quite
happy to live out of a single (smallish) bag,
I do believe zigzagging across a country or
several by train, road or with two feet gives
an adventure untouchable from 30,000.
The world will certainly change, and I for one
hope it’s for the better. MATT WACKETT
Tasting notes
Your ‘Taste of Lebanon’ feature (March 2020)
reminded us of our trip to the country. We
ventured beyond Beirut and discovered
Bsharri, the birthplace of poet Kahlil Gibran,
at the head of the Qadisha Valley which rings
with poetry of its own. There we found Café
Aroma, run by Tony. We ordered sandwiches
of ka a, Lebanese sausage and shrimps,
washed down with Lebanese coff ee: sweet
and bitter, smooth and silky, without any
residue. Thanks to Tony, we learned the
diff erence between Lebanese and Arabic
c o ff e e! NANDINI CHAKRABORTYBear it in mind
Your article on bear conservation in
Abruzzo (March 2020) was beautifully
presented. I’ve visited this area of Italy a
few times, including Pescasseroli. It was in
an unspoiled part of the country, and so I
was delighted to hear of the conservation
work of both Salviamo L’Orso and the
European Nature Trust (in Abruzzo and
Scotland). I am grateful to these people
as our delicate planet, and all the living
creatures we share it with, needs as much
help as possible. I’ll certainly look into
returning to Abruzzo to spend some time
with national park guides to learn more
about the area and its wildlife, including the
amazing Marsican brown bear.
DR NADIA TUZITrain on Landwasser Viaduct, between
Schmitten and Filisur, SwitzerlandIMAGE: GETTY
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Jul/Aug 2020 145