The Travel Almanac

— 11th June 2012

by Igor Termenon

A couple of weeks ago I bought the third issue of The Travel Almanac. For those of you who haven’t heard about this publication before, it is a biannual travel magazine with a twist, focusing on the experiences lived whilst travelling rather than featuring a bunch of holiday destinations and some tips on how to make your stay more enjoyable.

The first three issues of the magazine have followed the same format: a set of interviews with creative individuals followed by a photo essay, hotel reviews, a souvenir section and a travel log to keep track of all the new places you have visited.

Although I must admit that the interviews in The Travel Almanac 03 have less focus on those “experiences” than the ones on the previous issues, it is still nice to read about the interviewees’ thoughts on the places they have lived in or visited during their careers.

Writer Jay McInnerney talks about his latest book and leaving NYC after the success of Bright Lights, Big City in the 80’s, fashion designer Rick Owens shares the photos he took on a trip to Rome, painter Norbet Bisky reveals why he never takes his camera with him when travelling, The Smiths’ founder, Johnny Marr, talks about running in different cities around the world and Danish actor Udo Kier – who is also on the cover of this issue - shows the readers the library-house he has recently bought in Palm Springs.

The hotel review section is a personal favourite of mine. The Travel Almanac contributors describe their hotel experiences from a really personal point of view, forgetting about details such as the service or the size of the room and focusing on those hotels that actually make you feel like home.

I may never be able to afford staying at some of these hotels, but the way they are described is completely unpretentious and there are always some features on hotels that are accessible to everyone.

Maybe it is the tone used on the articles and that accessibility what makes me look forward to getting every new issue of The Travel Almanac. After all, some of the best trips have often nothing to do with the destination and more with those experiences lived while being there.

• The Travel Almanac on Magpile
• The Travel Almanac, Spring/Summer 2012, #3 on Magpile

Igor Termenon

is a photographer and editor of contemporary photography zines Girls on Film and Boys on Film. He also reviews zines on his blog.

You can follow him on Twitter.

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