From Place to Place, From Time to Time by Marie Curran

Marie Curran has succeeded in doing what many of us probably wish we had done a better job of, writing in detail about her travel experiences over the years. This collection of her European travel memoirs takes us on a journey through destinations both familiar and off the beaten track.

This was a COVID project which compiles over 50 years of accumulated written material and photos. Initially intended for the family, this collection will resonate with many travellers who have also seen rapid change over the last half century.

The first chapter opens in 1973 with a visit to Prague while it was still behind the Iron Curtain and continues through several European excursions, ending with a visit to Ghent in 2018. Marie and her travel companion John (who became her husband) have returned many times to Europe. She initially went to study in Germany in 1973, and after marrying back in New Zealand, she and John spent a year in Europe with their young family in 1982.  After that, they took regular trips, and they often made a point of travelling to destinations off the main tourist route. This has led to some very interesting experiences and encounters along the way.

Each chapter features one destination and a selection of personal photos from that visit. There are great explanations of the history of each place and encounters with local people, which give a very personal view of their stay. Marie shares some moving experiences, such as a visit to Auschwitz, and there were some places that did not live up to expectations. There are encounters with locals, travel mishaps and humorous descriptions of unfortunate situations they find themselves in. Often returning to places they have been to before gives an insight into how things have changed over the intervening years.

A lot has happened since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the general opening up of travel to many parts of Europe. A lot of people travel today with a bucket list that is influenced by social media posts, and some destinations have become overcrowded with tourists. I expect Marie Curran feels fortunate that they have travelled in less intense times.

It’s not a travel guide, in that there are no maps or instructions on how to do things, but it is an interesting and intelligent look at a selection of places visited, which may inspire today’s travellers to take a slightly different path. Her observations and her interest in the history and people of each place make this an engaging read.

Reviewer: Rachel White

Mary Egan Publishing