THE NOVEL TRAVELLER NEWS

WITH MICHELLE WALSH JACKSON

DID you know that a giraffe’s saliva has antiseptic qualities, making them safe for humans to kiss? I learned this anecdote from this week’s guest on my podcast, literary editor and travel writer Madeleine Keane. She took time out to safari in Kenya with her daughter a few years ago and in her guest house it was typical for giraffes to come to the house and pop their heads through the open windows while guests ate breakfast and demand a big juicy kiss.

I’ve travelled with Madeleine in the past to Wales, to celebrate the centenary of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. We visited the house where he spent his younger years and spent a night in the town of

Laugharne. Pronounced Larne — some would say there’s no laugh in Laugharne, but we found the contrary. This small coastal village is where Thomas carved the raucous and sometimes naughty characters for his famous radio play Under Milkwood.

Wales is a close neighbour of ours and often ignored or overlooked as a fun travel destination but did you know it boasts the longest zipline in Europe at zipworld.co.uk, high up in the Snowdonia National Park — it’s highly recommended for a hen or stag do when we get travelling again.

The flicker of good weather we’re having this week got me thinking we really do have some of the best beaches in the world here in Ireland. One of my favourites is the Dóilín in Carraroe, Co Galway. Local man Padraic O’Ráighne of connemarapubtours.ie also joined me on the podcast this week. He has great video footage and offers tours around the Gaeltacht and Aran Islands.

Books are our only means of travel for the next few weeks and my new book Journey to the Heartland is the topic for The Hope Foundation Book Club Fundraiser on March 18 and cost is €10 to attend (hopeshop.ie). This great charity supports the poor in the slums of Kolkata. THE Novel Traveller podcast is out every Friday on goloudnow.com and usual podcast channels