A surprise runaway bestseller offers more choice than we can handle, writes Jim Eagles.
So many places, so little time, so little money. The more you find out about the world, the more wonders you discover that you'd love to see. Perhaps that's why a book called 1000 Places To See Before You Die unexpectedly hit the bestseller lists in the United States at the end of last year.
It was so popular, in fact, that until now there weren't enough copies available for it to be released in New Zealand.
Travel writer Patricia Schultz spent seven years researching this 974-page catalogue of treats.
It's a sumptuous a la carte menu of delectable places from every corner of the globe that will make you drool.
I'll give you a sample from the first few pages:
Tea at the Ritz in London - okay, $70 for afternoon tea may seem a little pricey, but, as Schultz says, "nowhere is it served with more reverence or flair than at the Ritz, the grand old-world icon that sets the standard".
Hogmanay in Edinburgh - nowhere is the new year celebrated as enthusiastically as in Edinburgh, which turns on "Europe's greatest street party" and, as a bonus, there's all the whisky and haggis you could ever want (well, okay, that I could ever want).
International Musical Eisteddfod in North Wales - 12,000 singers, musicians, poets and dancers gather in Llangollen for "the Welsh Olympics of poetry and song".
Ballybunion Golf Club in Ireland - Schultz describes it as "possibly the most scenic and charming golf destination on earth (and host of the 2006 Ryder Cup)" and I've mentioned it just so I can say that I've played there.
Christmas in Vienna - white with snow, adorned with traditional decorations, lined with stalls selling festive goodies and carols sung by the Vienna Boys' Choir.
Mary Chocolatier in Brussels - the finest chocolates in a country that claims to make the world's best, and they start at just $55 a kg.
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres - a classic gothic cathedral with magnificent statues and stained glass windows - all 4.6ha of 12th- and 13th-century glass was removed for safekeeping during the world wars - plus one of Europe's finest organs.
Grand Casino at Monte Carlo - the most famous casino in the world and even more glamorous than Sky City.
Baden-Baden on the edge of Germany's Black Forest - arguably the most famous spa in the world, once known as "the summer capital of Europe" because of all the heads of state it attracted, and still dripping with old-world elegance.
Delphi, Greece - Chosen by Zeus as the centre of the universe - a stone marks the precise location of the navel of the universe - home of the most famous oracle of antiquity and even today a place of beauty, mystery and magnificent ruins.
The list goes on and on, and each item is accompanied with useful advice - if you do want to take tea at the Ritz be sure to book, and gentlemen must wear a jacket and tie - as well as prices and contact details.
New Zealand features with the Bay of Islands; Huka Lodge and Lake Taupo; Wharekauhau Country Estate, on Palliser Bay; Rotorua and its thermal field; Marlborough wine region; Grasmere Lodge in the South Island high country; the Routeburn and Greenstone Tracks, which traverse the Southern Alps; Milford and Doubtful Sounds; Mount Cook and the Tasman Glacier; Queenstown and its bungy jumping and jet-boating.
It's not hard to think of other spots which might be included - Cape Reinga, the South Head of the Hokianga Harbour, Tiritiri Matangi, the outfall from Lake Tarawera, whale- and seal-watching at Kaikoura, kiwi-spotting on Stewart Island - but you couldn't disagree with any of the selections.
Anyway, part of the book's attraction is as a stimulus for discussion about what should be in the top 1000 and where you'll go next.
For instance, how come Australia gets 22 listings? I mean, the Sydney Opera House, Uluru and Kakadu National Park, fair enough. But the Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley wine region and Hayman Island resort? Hmph.
And I really must drive the Great Ocean Road, a 290km stretch of the southern coast, with its mixture of history, scenery and wildlife.
It's not a volume to read at one sitting, but one to pop into, again and again, maybe in search of ideas, but also as a reminder of what an amazing world this is.
The only problem is that most of us have no hope of visiting all 1000 places before we die.
I rather wish the author had given us a top 100 or maybe even a top 10 to start with.
But then again I'd probably disagree.
If you want to make your own list, then 1000 Places To See Before You Die is $39.99 and published by Workman Publishing.
