Kittling's Literary Tours: Colin Dexter's Oxford

Most Anglophiles know that there are two premier universities in England: Oxford and Cambridge. Most Anglophiles who also happen to be crime fiction fans also know that one of the very first authors to set his books in Oxford was Colin Dexter, whose Inspector Morse solved many a crime amongst the dreaming spires of that venerable university. 

His Morse mysteries began to be adapted for television in 1987, and Inspector Morse proved to be so popular that, with the death of its star, John Thaw, television then turned to his partner, Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately) for the equally popular Inspector Lewis. Wouldn't you know it-- towards the end of Inspector Lewis's run, the franchise then turned to Morse as a young man just starting out in the police force, and Endeavour now wears the mantle.

All three television series have a solid foundation in Dexter's books, and he's been an integral part of each. Strong stories, marvelous actors-- but throughout each and every single episode of all three series is the glory of Oxford. I've been to Cambridge. It was a highlight of one of our trips to the UK, and from what I experienced there, I think Oxford would be very similar. But Cambridge was a strange land for me, although it was a land that absolutely thrilled me. (I lost count of the number of times I was so moved that I had tears in my eyes.) Through Dexter's books and these television series, I feel as though I already know Oxford. Odd how that can happen, isn't it?

Oxford High Street

Is it any wonder that there are businesses catering to fans of both books and television who want to visit Oxford and see where so many crimes were solved?

One Inspector Morse Tour is free and seems to be connected to the Randolph Hotel whose Morse Bar is featured in the television series. The Tour in a Day website talks more in depth about episodes and about which colleges are fictional. You can go there to download and print a copy of the tour map, which is always great when you're doing all the planning for your trip.

One tour which isn't free is through Brit Movie Tours and its Inspector Morse and Lewis Tour of Oxford. This is a two-hour guided walk of Oxford, and the route varies from week to week depending upon which colleges are open. This company also does private tours.

If you want something a bit different, there are also articles in publications like the RadioTimes which shows an Endeavour tour complete with a map. The RadioTimes self-guided tour is three hours long and covers about seven miles.

You could also do something similar to what Denis and I did in Cambridge: a CitySightSeeing tour of Oxford on a big red double decker (open-topped) bus. Depending on the time of day/time of year, there are either live guides or pre-recorded tours available with free headphones to help you learn about the city, although you probably won't get the in-depth knowledge of Endeavour, Morse, and Lewis. Your ticket is good for twenty-four hours, and you can get on and off the bus as many times as you please.

Any way you look at it, there are plenty of different ways to explore Oxford and learn about its most popular policemen. I'm hoping to get there some day in the future!

Cornmarket Street

 

Kittling's Literary Tours: Phryne Fisher's Melbourne

When it comes to mysteries and tourism, television has once again come to the aid of readers. Like many others, I've read several of Australian author Kerry Greenwood's mysteries. My favorite-- written by this recipient of the 2003 Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award-- is her Phryne (FRY-nee) Fisher historical series set in 1920s Melbourne, Australia.

Australia has always fascinated me, and I don't read nearly enough crime fiction set there. (I think part of me is still pining for Adrian Hyland and his Emily Tempest mysteries.) The 1920s have always been a personal favorite, and one of the things that Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries TV series does is bring that era visually to life.  

Essie Davis, the actress who portrays Phryne, must really enjoy herself. There's a twinkle in her eye as she inhabits the role of a thoroughly modern woman who can't be beat when it comes to solving murders, and I would also imagine that those gorgeous period costumes are a lot of fun as well!

Another thing that makes the television series so enjoyable are the locations they use, such as Wardlow House to the right, which stars as Phryne's home. Isn't it great? 

Melbourne seems to have taken Miss Fisher to its bosom, and the city certainly does have the historic district (called Marvelous Melbourne) to bring authenticity to the television series.

 
The city has even had a "Festival of Phryne" held at Rippon Lea House and Gardens (above) which is Aunt Prudence's home during filming. I love these grand old houses! This festival had costume exhibits, a Miss Fisher Pop Up Speakeasy,  and murder mystery themed dinner and drinks. Certainly sounds like it was a lot of fun, doesn't it?

If you'd really like to immerse yourself in Phryne Fisher's Melbourne, a company called Meltours does a three-hour walking tour that one must book ahead of time. The tour begins with afternoon tea, then some of the production sites are visited along with several of the "Marvelous Melbourne" buildings of that era. it all concludes with a stop at Melbourne's famous Gin Palace where you can partake of a Phryne Fisher cocktail (and rest your weary feet). A tour like this costs around $129 Australian dollars.

Any fellow Phryne fans (oh oh... I do love alliteration...) want to come along with me? I'd love to go even if I'd never heard (or read) of Phryne Fisher!

Kittling's Literary Tours: Bruno's Périgord

I don't know about you, but when it comes to armchair travel and the mystery series that I read, Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police has been one of the ultimates in transporting me to another country. By the time I finish one of Walker's mysteries, I'm thinking with a French accent and salivating for one of the splendid meals Walker so lovingly describes. 

I've often thought of traveling to the Périgord, a region in southwestern France.

On the map above, it's the green area with the red arrow pointing to it.  It is an area rich in history, rich in food and wine, and rich in natural beauty.

The photo to the right shows you just a tiny bit of the chateaux and villages that can be seen on a trip through the area. Of course you can only travel the roads in a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic in the pages of Walker's Fatal Pursuit, but one can dream.

Fatal Pursuit's Bugatti

If you want to plan your own trip to the Périgord, an excellent start would be Walker's own website.  In a section labeled Bruno's Périgord, the area's restaurants, hotels, and attractions are listed, and you can also read sections on Bruno's cellar and kitchen if you want more information about food and drink.

A business called the Duck & Truffle has been offering three-night excursions for those who want to "follow Bruno on a gourmet adventure."  There's wine tasting, a visit to the food market in Le Bugue (the real St. Denis), an afternoon cookery lesson, and plenty of restaurant hopping. But that's not all this business offers! Visitors can go into the Devil's Cave and hunt for truffles, too.  The Duck & Truffle also has its own related Pinterest board.

Just writing about this has me wanting to start at the beginning and read the entire series all over again, but unfortunately I don't have any of the books here in the house.

Instead, I think I'll plan a trip to Bruno's France. I'd want to do just about everything that it's possible to do-- even cook-- but since I don't do underground, I'll just have to put Denis in that basket to be lowered into the Devil's Cave. (He's been down a mine in Bisbee, so I don't think he'd turn a hair at this.)

With all the history, natural beauty, food and drink that are to be had in the Périgord, I think it would be the trip of a lifetime. How about you-- how many of you have read Walker's mysteries and envisioned yourself in France?

Okay then! Who's coming with me? Inquiring minds would love to know!



 

Kittling's Literary Tours: Montalbano's Sicily

I will be the first to admit that I'm an inveterate armchair traveler. I've never been able to afford to travel every place that I want to go, so it should be no surprise that I love books in which setting plays an important role. There are several mystery series where their settings could almost be called characters because they are so evocative. I can't help but picture the books' locations in my mind's eye as I read.

Sicily, right at the "toe" of Italy

Recently I finished reading The Age of Doubt, one of Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano mysteries set in southern Sicily. Camilleri does such a wonderful job of bringing his setting to life. I can envision Montalbano's home on the beach. I can smell the food he loves to eat. As he travels from one crime scene to the next, I can picture the countryside. Shortly after reading The Age of Doubt, I wondered about traveling to Sicily to follow in Montalbano's footsteps. I'd forgotten all about the television series based on the books that is filmed there, so I was momentarily surprised by the number of hits that came up in my search. 

Montalbano's "TV house"

What really made me smile was seeing the house they use as Montalbano's when filming the series. It looks exactly as I'd pictured it in all the books I've read! (For some odd reason, that really makes me want to watch this television series.) Of course the beach has to be right there so Montalbano can go for a swim whenever he likes, and there's plenty of places to sit outside to eat and to watch the sea.


Some of the tours Montalbano fans can sign up for are through Sicilian tour companies (Sicily Life Tours, Sicily Travel Net, Sicily Travel Tours, Sicily Day Tours), and some are through travel agencies in the UK (Expressions, Long Travel, The Thinking Traveller). Montalbano isn't a hit show in the United States, so the only American website I found tours mentioned on was Expedia.

Yum!

It is a lot of fun to browse through the websites to see what each tour consists of. Some tours are only a few hours. Some take an entire day, and you can also sign up for tours that last from three to four days.  

Most concentrate on the shooting locations for the television series, and since the production company did such a fantastic job in choosing Montalbano's home, it wouldn't bother me one little bit to see the rest of them. However, one company did specify a Montalbano literary tour for those of us who have only read the books. And did I mention that these tours aren't going to let us skip sampling the food? That would be a must for me; I've just read too many scenes of Montalbano enjoying his meals!



Regardless of what you may think of these tours, the money they can funnel into the local economy can be put to great use. For example, the popularity of both Downton Abbey and Outlander have given Highclere Castle and Doune Castle badly needed funds for essential restorations (like a new roof or two). 

Chances are that I will never take one of these tours, but I certainly did enjoy reading about them and looking through all the photos. I hope all you fellow armchair travelers (and Camilleri fans) will, too!