At the Ritz, In Paris

I'm a big fan of the author Ernest Hemingway, so when I was asked to do a travel piece last year on his life in Europe, I was overjoyed.

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) served in the US Army in WWI in Europe – an ambulance driver in Italy. It left a profound impact on him, and when he later chose a career as a writer his experience in Italy resulted in a book: A Farewell to Arms. His time in Italy also left him with a taste for European culture that kept him in Europe for most of the 1920's. He lived in Paris, but traveled often to Spain.

Hemingway spent most of the 1930's in the US, but in 1937 he returned to Europe – this time to live in Spain and cover the Spanish Civil War as a war correspondent. I was asked to trace his footsteps in Spain and to research a guide to his travels there. The venture was made somewhat more affordable after I found some hotel discounts in Madrid. Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls is rooted in his time in Spain and is set during the Spanish Civil War.

Following in the footsteps of an author or artist is one of the most rewarding travel experiences imaginable. It allows you to relive someone else's greatness.

Photo source pablo.sanchez