Travel is transformational – that’s why Monocle always has its sights on the horizon
This morning we begin the 48-hour drive south from London to Palma de Mallorca, dog in tow. The other half was working in New York all week and only got home on Friday morning. That still gave him almost 24 hours to get his act together. Last weekend, however, as I was tidying the bedroom, he told me not to touch a small pile of clothes: underwear, socks, a T-shirt. “That’s what I’ll be wearing on our journey,” he said, excited about his holidays. Sweet. Sort of. Though I did have to explain to him that Big Ted and Little Ted would have to stay at home this time. There were tears.
I get to travel a handsome amount with work and always have a bag half-packed. Even so, summer holidays invoke preparation rituals. My dog and I both got haircuts this week – not at the same place, I hasten to add, and my barber certainly didn’t trim my undercarriage. The neighbours have been recruited to water the plants. The transformational promise of travel is on the horizon – we are going somewhere. And I am not the only one from Monocle on the move.
In the coming days, several members of the London team will be heading to Bangkok, where they’ll meet up with James Chambers, our Asia editor based there, to start working on a new Monocle Handbook on Thailand. (The series’ previous editions have covered Portugal, Spain and France; the one on Switzerland is currently at the printers.) I love these books because they encapsulate our thoughts on the idea of travel: they are concise; they spotlight hotels both high and, well, a little less high; they take you off the beaten track and introduce you to people who know the country. And they’re the perfect companions whether you’re planning to stay for days or weeks – or are even considering putting down roots. In short, you need a set on your bookshelves.
And talking of perfect companions, how about letting our design editor, Nic Monisse, and editor, Josh Fehnert, keep you amused on your travels? The editorial duo – sort of the Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger of Midori House (in that Nic’s also a stand-up comedian and Josh is a Matterhorn of a man) – commissioned, cajoled and concocted a perfect line-up of essays to celebrate the on-going Venice Biennale. Called The Monocle Companion: 50 Ideas on Architecture, Design & Building Better, it’s a great beach read or flight-time filler. It’s clever and amusing, like its editors. It’s available here.
If you did the right thing and clicked that link, you will have noticed that subscribers to Monocle get a discount on their purchases. There’s another thing that subscribers get: free access to a fast-evolving catalogue of online, bang-up-to-date City Guides. Mexico City was just added to the line-up at monocle.com and Madrid will be next. These guides take you beyond the usual spots to discover cool neighbourhoods, fun chefs, the best inns and unmissable retail outposts. Plus, you can download a handy map to your phone. I know, crazy stuff.
And that discount even applies to tickets for our annual Quality of Life Conference, which will be taking place in Barcelona from 4 to 6 September. Perhaps we can entice you to put the city on your travel agenda and join us? Since we started the series more than a decade ago, the conference has become the key moment for Monocle readers to come together, mix and mingle, like the ingredients in a tasty paella. You can find the full details here. If you book, we’ll also be sharing details of our Patrons programme that comes with another bonus – a chance to have a holiday with team Monocle. Intrigued? You know what you need to do.
Anyway, I’d better get off this laptop and return to my lap dog. It seems that I am in charge of all music and radio-station selection (he’ll do anything to stop me driving). But wait, is that Big Ted I see poking out of his bag?
