Andrea here, looking out on another very grey, gloomy and cold day here where I live. January has been a dreary month, so it’s no wonder that I’m in the mood to plot more foreign adventures to sunny climes, especially as this past November I took my first trip abroad since before the pandemic.
For me, travel—even if it's done in an armchair—always brightens the spirits. It sparks a sense of wonder as I explore new sights, sounds and tastes. And of course, it lights a fire to the imagination if I get to visit place that I want to feature in my books. The November trip—an amazing cruise from Istanbul to Athens—was extra special because it did include a fascinating place that I have in mind for upcoming stories . . .
It was during the period of the Later Crusades that Rhodes became the headquarters of the Knights Hospitallers, a religious order founded after the First Crusade by former knights and dedicated to serving the sick, the poor and indigent pilgrims at the Hospital of St. John the Baptist in Jerusalem. As the Islamic forces reasserted their rule over the Levant, the Knights Hospitallers conquered Malta in 1310 and remained the sovereign rulers there for over two hundred years.
What about you? Have you ever been inspired by a historical person—or a character in a novel—to visit a specific place? I really want to go to Corfu because of Mary Stewart’s wonderful romantic suspense novel, This Rough Magic!