{"id":20279,"date":"2024-02-06T13:31:38","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T13:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/?p=20279"},"modified":"2024-05-22T11:06:31","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T11:06:31","slug":"quirky-travel-themed-treats-to-download-before-your-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/quirky-travel-themed-treats-to-download-before-your-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Quirky travel-themed treats to download before your trip"},"content":{"rendered":"Approx read: <\/span> 3<\/span> mins<\/span><\/span>

Looking for neato travel inspo?<\/h2>\n

Need something to get you through a long layover?<\/h3>\n

Snack on these short and short-ish travel pieces.<\/p>\n

Why big balls of string matter<\/h4>\n

Need inspo for the next adventure? A 15-minute diversion? The Atlas Obscura Podcast<\/span> delivers gorgeous audio essays on people, places and things, with a twist. Elegant sound design and a short format keeps episodes from getting flabby.<\/p>\n

How does a box of noses<\/span> discovered in Copenhagen make us rethink beauty standards? What are recipe graves<\/span>?<\/p>\n

If an episode inspires a road trip, check Atlas Obscura for other attractions nearby, like the world’s heaviest ball of twine<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"snow<\/p>\n

Trainspotting with a vampire<\/h4>\n

Train delays? Not good for a business meeting, especially with a vampire. In The Trainspotter\u2019s Guide to Dracula<\/span>, BBC reporter Miles Jupp traces Jonathon Harker\u2019s journey, peppering the trip with interviews – and paprika-spiced meal reviews – along the way. A fascinating exploration of how Bram Stoker, a detail-oriented civil servant and artist, stitched the plot together with train tables and storyboards painted in words.<\/p>\n

Contrapuntal, contemplative travel<\/h4>\n

In 1967, Canadian pianist Glenn Gould created an experimental recording exploring The Idea of the North<\/span>. He overlaid interviews of people familiar with the region, fading tracks in and out to show movement, point, and counterpoint in what he called \u2018contrapuntal radio\u2019.<\/p>\n

As any fan of TikTok sea shanty mashups knows, Gould\u2019s ground-breaking technique shows up everywhere today.<\/p>\n

Fans of the recording will be happy to hear that Gould produced two more episodes using this technique, forming his Solitude Trilogy.<\/p>\n

The History of [Your Destination Here]<\/h4>\n

Before I get somewhere, I like to learn a little about the place. Somehow, listening to the history, say, of the engineering of Amsterdam<\/span> makes the drudgery of The Week Before the Trip a tad easier. Also neat: connecting the history with the place, once you’re there.<\/p>\n

The DNA of Cities<\/span> is a newish podcast (2022) that aims to identify unique traits of specific cities, backed by history, geography, culture, and interviews with locals in the know. The production values could do with a bit of zhuzhing, but it’s promising. Shoutout to the creators for not just parroting facts, but talking about traits not so easy to identify: unique smells, fashion, and manners.<\/p>\n

\"south<\/p>\n

A brilliant blog from the bottom of the world<\/h4>\n

Brr<\/span> follows an IT specialist on a 14-month stint waaaaay down south. Sorry penguin lovers, this blog focuses on daily life at Antarctic research stations and the infrastructure that keeps that happening. If you\u2019re curious about how doors work<\/span> in Antarctica or how the last egg<\/span><\/span> for five months was prepared, delivered with dry-as-a-subzero-desert humour, this is your jam.<\/p>\n

Audio souvenirs<\/h4>\n

In Berlin\u2019s Hidden Soundscape<\/span><\/span>,<\/span> artist Kirap combines field recordings with images converted through computer magic to audio for an audio narrative of a day in the city. Start with birdsong, then a street market in supertrendy Neuk\u00f6lln, pop in for a protest, then catch a train to a club in Mitte. If travel ASMR is a thing, this qualifies.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t find a soundscape of your destination? This piece provides an easy template to create one of your own.<\/p>\n

What’s the rush?<\/h4>\n

Slow travel. In which the getting there is the there<\/i>. One of my favourite books on the subject is Dan Kieran\u2019s The Idle Traveller: the Art of Slow Travel. Tales of wonders, discovered thanks to a longer gaze. Chock-full of history, references to travel writing from across continents and the ages. Sadly, there’s no digital version, but maybe that’s the point: to mindfully experience the world around you.<\/p>\n

Need a shortcut?<\/h4>\n

Look to the battleface Blog<\/span><\/a> for tips on culture, safety, inspo, baggage requirements and more.<\/p>\n

What is dopamine travel?<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n