Sometimes people read a book in order to not go on a trip. You read a book instead of going on the trip. And so the travel writer is doing the traveling for you.

Maine is a joy in the summer. But the soul of Maine is more apparent in the winter.

Most travel, and certainly the rewarding kind, involves depending on the kindness of strangers, putting yourself into the hands of people you don't know and trusting them with your life.

I always found myself in the company of Australians, who were like a reminder that I'd touched bottom.

Anything is possible on a train: a great meal, a binge, a visit from card players, an intrigue, a good night's sleep, and strangers' monologues framed like Russian short stories.

Travel works best when you're forced to come to terms with the place you're in.

People who don't read books a lot are threatened by books.