Pete McCarthy, travel rules and a challenge for you
Every author needs inspiration. Pete McCarthy was one of many writers who inspired me over the years. His book, McCarthy’s Bar, is fantastically gentle and funny—it grabs you from the first page. It documents his travels along the west coast of Ireland, reminding those who have been what a wonderful journey it is, and making those who haven’t start planning a trip.
Pete was a successful travel writer and broadcaster who traveled the world with a programme called Travelog on Channel 4. His travels took him to places as varied as Zanzibar, China, Fiji, Corsica, Costa Rica and Laos—but things always seemed to draw him back to Ireland.
He had a number of travel rules, some of which appear throughout the book. Here are three of my favourites:
1. On arrival, buy a local paper and go for a drink.
8. Never pass a bar that has your name on it.
13. Never ask a British Airways stewardess for another glass of wine until she’s good and ready.
There are plenty more superb travel rules to live by that would help anybody on their journey, but you’ll have to read the book for those pearls of wisdom.
There was a plan for a follow-on book exploring the fun side and the historical side of Northern Ireland—my part of the world. Sadly, Pete McCarthy died in October 2004 before he could write it.
I thank Pete for this great book — and for his second book, The Road to McCarthy. Inspirational.
Anyone up for the challenge?
There are plenty more rules in the book, and quite a few numbers are missing from my little list above. So, here’s the challenge: can anybody come up with any more brilliant rules to make a traveler’s life better?
They don’t have to be sensible. In fact, judging by Pete’s example, they’re probably better if they aren’t.
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