Rambles in Istria, Dalmatia and Montenegro

A charmingly opinionated Victorian travelogue for readers who long for journeys no one else is taking. The author and his friends debate holiday possibilities over dinner in London, with one championing Lapland's exotic allure while another argues that splendid, overlooked spots lie much closer to home. This sets the author off on a discursive ramble through Istria, Dalmatia, and Montenegro - lands that most Victorian tourists never bothered to visit. Writing with wit, historical curiosity, and genuine affection for crumbling churches, forgotten dialects, and dramatic coastal vistas, he offers a meditation on what it means to travel meaningfully. He laments the rise of package tourism and urges readers to seek joy in paths less trodden. Nearly 130 years later, his evocations of sun-bleached stone towns and wind-swept islands retain their power to transport. For anyone who prefers their travel writing with personality and a slightly grumpy charm, this is an oddly moving companion to lands that have changed enormously yet still reward the curious traveler.