For the past few months, I have been writing and co-editing the publication Travel and Culture with Ann-Marie Ackermann, an American non-fiction author living in Germany. Ann-Marie and I first met in a medieval cooking class in Newcastle upon Tyne in England, and we started the publication to write about our travels, exploring new places and cultures. The first issue came out in September 2024, and we’ve gone a long way since then.
Our 2026 articles have covered Wales, Luxembourg, Italy, Canada, Germany, Malta, Bavaria, Northumberland, East Prussia, and Australia. Some countries have even appeared in more than one article. We like to focus on activities and events with a touch of cultural history and culinary delights in the mix. We often focus on how the travel experience connects to our own writing and to that of authors we love, like Mark Twain, Louise Penny, and Hans Christian Andersen. We also invite guest authors to contribute their travel experiences.
Travels in North Wales, UK
Here is a link to my most recent article, covering my most recent visit to North Wales in August.
Exploring North Wales: Revisiting Carnarvon and Conwy Castles, and Discovering Rhuddlan, Llys Rhosyr, and Bardsey Island
https://travelandculture.substack.com/p/exploring-north-wales-castles
I had gone to Ireland to give a workshop for the Historical Novel Society conference (more articles to come on that one!) Naturally, I had to take the opportunity to see and do some more novel research in Wales again.
This one became a two-part article, harkening back to my first visit there in 2006 with an earlier post:
The Welsh Castle that Inspired a Fantasy Novel
https://travelandculture.substack.com/p/welsh-castle-inspired-a-fantasy-novel
(The timing of this one also aligned with Spirit Sight‘s book birthday on August 20. The first novel of the Last of the Gifted series, Spirit Sight tells the tale of two siblings who pledge their magical gifts to save their people from the ruthless invasion of Edward I, with a little help from the spirit of the last true Prince of Wales – after his murder.)
Other European destinations
My two Malta articles marked my other major trip of the year.
There are many more European destinations available on Travel and Culture this year. We’re working hard to cover the world, and there will be more articles to come in 2026. Please check it out and let us know what you think (and subscribe, of course!)
