As writers, no doubt we’re all familiar with the over-quoted saying, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” Whether this was really said by St Augustine or not (and there are those who have doubts), there is a lot of truth in the phrase. The world is filled with adventures completely outside the scope of the Six Wonders of the Isle of Wight.
We’ve all seen photos of Ayers Rock, the Great Pyramid, the Grand Canyon and the Parthenon, but it’s only by visiting them that we can really comprehend what they are like. It isn’t just their size and magnificence, but the whole experience.
Until we’ve heard the thunder of Niagara Falls for ourselves, stumbled through dusty Jerusalem alleyways to the Dome of the Rock or gazed down on the rooftops of Paris from the Eiffel Tower, we can’t hope to write about those places convincingly. But, more than that, inevitably, our creative writing will be enriched by those experiences, even when writing on topics closer to home.
The fourteenth-century Moroccan explorer, Ibn Battuta, had this to say of travelling: “It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
A few weeks ago, Yvie waved goodbye to Island Writers and flew off to live in Dubai for the next two years. She’ll be sharing her exploits on her new blog, Delving Into Dubai.
Perhaps she could start at the vast Ibn Battuta shopping mall, containing nearly 300 shops, as well as stunning hand-painted ceilings. Now there’s an experience you probably won’t get in Union Street…
For the rest of us, back here on the Island, that doesn’t mean we won’t have any experiences to write about – far from it! Our new group project is a chance to explore the many beauties of our beloved little isle – including, let’s hope, some of the special places which grockles never find.