For the Solo Travel Interviews today I am meeting Barbara, a travel writer who loves to travel alone and embrace silence. Read my interview with Barbara here below.

1) Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do in life and how your passion for travel has started ?

I was brought up in Athens and I write travel books.  I’ve recently finished a trilogy on Italy, the country where I mostly live and where I learned how to observe details on artistic works, to taste wonderful meals and use its melodic language.  My passion for travel started in my childhood reading books about far away places and my curiosity brought me one day to start travelling in order to see the beauty of the world.

How was your first solo trip experience?

My real first solo trip experience was in September 2006 when I flew from Rome to St Petersburg, where I stayed 5 days and loved it. I didn’t speak Russian but as I was well prepared to discover this splendid city, there was no need to ask questions in the street. I visited the museums – the Hermitage was my daily pilgrimage, I didn’t get into taxis as I had been told it was dangerous for ladies travelling alone, so I walked …and walked in company with my silence. My family would call me every day, but I was happy to be alone. Then I took the plane and I flew to Paris and with a big smile I entered a taxi at the airport. I felt at home. The reason? I could talk in French!

What is the motivation for you to go solo? How often do you travel on your own?

I travel quite often solo, but even when I travel with friends, I like to keep my own personal space. My friends know it and they are discreet. The reason for this solitude, which is a positive solitude, is that I want to concentrate and to dream. As a travel writer my gaze is not superficial. It penetrates everything that catches my attention. A real traveller must not speak too much because there are so many scenes in front of his eyes that come unexpectedly and they go away on the spot. This I think is the motivation of travelling solo, because I am undisturbed. Certainly, I travel alone to cities and not in the desert or the mountains. It would be too scary for me.

The biggest challenge, fear or a weird situation you had to overcome in your solo travel trips?

Even if it sounds funny the biggest challenge when I travel solo is to catch the right train! From my student years I was always missing trains in Spain, France, Germany, Holland… Oh, travel at this age was not easy for me. My travel bags were heavy as I was a bibliophile and I would buy books everywhere I went.  I remember being desperate to catch the next train from Brussels to Bruges for instance, I started crying in the railway station. Strangely I don’t remember myself fearing anything. Maybe because I don’t put myself in difficult situations, even when I face a whale at the mouth of the St Lawrence river in Canada! I feel protected in a jeep or a motor boat. Weird situation I had to overcome? Yes, sometimes when local people talk to me and I don’t understand them, for instance a Masai, but my little secret is always to be polite, to say thank you and to smile.

How do you choose your solo travel destinations?

It depends on the interests I have in a particular period. If it is baroque art that I study, I dream of visiting Dresden and Vienna for instance. If I want to taste the real French cuisine, I go to Burgundy or Perigord. If animals start moving in my mind, I dream of Kenya. It is exciting to fulfil your travel dreams. But if a place requires certain preparation and a true guidance on the spot, I follow little groups of archaeological mutual interests and we share our knowledge, our experience and lively impressions.

What do you think are the pros and the cons for travelling solo as a woman and how much does safety matter while on the road?

The first women travellers in the 19th century had to face many more problems than today. They would cross countries in the Orient on camel, on horses and not in jeeps. Fortunately they could afford to have people at their service to prepare their meals and the animals for the ride and the tents to sleep at night. Nowadays it is much easier to travel.

What have you learned from travelling alone over the years?

To be precise, to be in the best company of myself and to be prudent. When you travel alone you are not in your familiar ambience.

Any plans? What will the purpose of your next solo trip?

I dream of going to China, and I am studying this wonderful country not through geography but through its porcelain history. It is amazing how much you can learn about a place and its people through these delicate, precious pieces of art.

Any tips that you would recommend to any woman who would like to start travelling alone?

Travelling is an art. You should embrace it with enthusiasm, passion, knowledge and never forget that the world you will discover, will enrich and transform you. Take lots of pictures because your pictures will help you remember what your mind will forget after some years, and even if you are not talented, put in your travel bag a small sketchbook. Trying to draw a gothic window in Venice or a graceful antelope in the Savanna will give you such a pleasure, because what you observe will enter inside you and will become yours. These little drawings will be the gifts that your travels will give you.

You can read more about Barbara’s travels on her website www.barbaraathanassiadis.it
you can follow Barbara on Twitter @b_athaniassadis
Facebook Barbara-Athanassiadis
on Google+ Barbara Athanassiadis

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I know Margie from Twitter and am delighted to interview her and share with you her passion for travel and her discovering journey through Italy on her Solo Travel Trip.

1) Can you tell us a bit more about yourself before we start the interview, what you do and how your passion for travel started

Margie I am a critical-care nurse in south Florida with a passion for travel and particularly, Italy. Several years ago I began writing for some online websites and a newspaper. I also have a blog, margieinitaly, and a year ago, published my first book, Memoirs of a Solo Traveler – My Love Affair with Italy. I have always loved  traveling and made it a priority in my life. I enjoy the beach and spending time with my family, especially my twin granddaughters.

2) When in your life and how did you discover solo travel? What was the biggest trigger/motivation for you to go solo ?

I first traveled solo when I decided to take a 3-month trip to Italy.I knew no one could take that amount f time off so I decided to do it alone. The motivation was that I wanted to go to Italy for an extended period of time.

3) How was your first experience as a solo female traveller and where did you go and why did you pick that destination?

I fell in love with Italy on my first visit there so I wanted to return and spend time when I didn’t have to feel rushed. I planned my own itinerary and the the trip was an adventure of a lifetime.

4) Can you tell us about your expectations versus the reality of your first solo trip ?

The expectations were not far from the  reality.  I am an outgoing person so I talked to a lot of people along the way.

5) Did you encounter any challenging situations during your solo trip and how did you deal with loneliness (if any) at first ?

Yes I wrote about it in my book. I guess I was a little naïve about Italian men and wasn’t exactly prepared for the flirtatious situations I encountered. I didn’t feel lonely very often thanks to frequent communication with Skype and text messages. I had an iPhone and an iPad and they made a huge difference.

6) What was the most enjoyable experience of your solo trip?…. I know you have written a book about your solo trip? Can you tell us more about this experience ?

The most enjoyable experience for me was mingling with the local people speaking their language and discovering how life really is in their villages and towns. I never intended on writing a book when I made this trip. I blogged from Italy and after I returned home I realized I had more to say and then I wrote the book based on my blog.

7) Has solo travel changed your life and if so how?
Yes it has. I prefer it because I value the freedom that comes with traveling by myself.

8) Do you feel every woman should try to travel solo and why?

Yes I do. I think solo travel can be very empowering especially for women. Many more women are traveling solo now and even some cruise lines are offering studio cabins for solo travelers.

9) What makes of solo travel a unique experience that you would not be able to experience otherwise?

The unique thing about solo travel is knowing that you are the only one who is going to make something happen, whether it s going on an excursion or quietly relaxing on a park bench and taking in the ambience. The choice is yours and no one else gives input. The responsibility is also yours alone.

10) Do you have any tips to give to women who would love to travel solo but have fear to step out ?

Yes I would encourage them to follow their dream and make it happen. Check out some of the many solo travel websites and get a feel for the resources available to them. I would never want to say I missed going somewhere because I didn’t have someone to go with me. I have met a lot of interesting people on my solo adventures.

Thank You Margie for participating to the first Solo Travel Interview on our Solo Travel Junkie Blog!

We wish you more empowering trips in Italy and lots of success with your book “My Love Affair with Italy”!

To connect with Margie click on the links below

www.facebook.com/MargieMiklasAuthor
twitter.com/MargieMiklas
margieinitaly.wordpress.com/
www.amazon.com/Margie-Miklas/e/B0094YY3LA

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