Barcelona revisited

Hi, Kel here with something you may remember from April. It's hard to know how my journalling is going to go on any particular trip. Sometimes I have supplies but no time, sometimes time but no mojo. I love journalling while I am travelling, sitting in cafes watching the world go by and scribbling down my memories, sticking in mementos. Other times, things need to simmer before I know what I want to preserve. Some travel journals are more writing based while others, especially if it is easy to get prints, may have more photos or even sketches.

I like my journals to be practical too. I often use them ahead of time to record addresses of 'must sees' and packing lists. I usually stick a map in too. That way I can hit the streets, travelling light, and leave the guidebooks at the hotel. This page is half of the tourist bus map, it's suitably detailed for finding my way around, but the unseen half also has all the routes for the tourist bus. In Barcelona, I tend to use that as transport on 1 or two sightseeing days. The double page spread with a map also has a flap over with details of our flights, dates and accommodation.

I had a polaroid camera with me, so used that for the photos in the book. Pictures with Impossible Film aren't very stable, so I've scanned them all in too. Lots of writing in this journal,  I was in the mood for a straight-up diary. We were so busy I wanted to capture it all.

I'm quite shy about sketching or painting in public, so I was working on this in the hotel room. It isn't quite finished yet, as I want to fill in more mosiac. It is a sketch from one of my photos of the walled terrace at Park Guell. I find Gaudi's mosaic work so beautiful and inspiring.

So while I haven't shown you everything, I hope you are getting that there is no one way to keep a travel journal. What is important is that it works for you, whether you like to draw and paint, stick in photos as you go, jam it full of ephemera like Eleanor's 'stick it' books or just write it all down and do the fancy bits when you get home. We would love to see your travel journals and mini-books, whether you are getting away, or making the most of summer at home!

Comments

[Mandy]

I'm really inspired to keep a travel journal, which is something I've not really managed before. Such a great momento of your trip to Barcelona!
TFS,
Mandy

[Eleanor]

Fantastic - the colours are perfect - so evocative, and the mosaic is going to look amazing.
Elx

[jayne]

Must get a book for my journey to Prague !
TFS xxx