The Romantic poets were the prototype ramblers, and Ive often found myself following in their footsteps – although perhaps not all of their footsteps since a typical walk for Samuel T. Coleridge might last two days and cover 145km. – Arthur Smith
It was Julie Burchill who decreed that, beyond a certain age, a man should not be seen in a leather jacket. – Arthur Smith
Travel books are, by and large, boring. They lodge uncomfortably between fact, fiction and autobiography. – Arthur Smith
Occasionally I find a travel book that is both illuminating and entertaining, where vivid writing and research replace self-indulgence and sloppy prose. – Arthur Smith
I think opera has gained a kind of glamorous appeal. Its a live performance that aligns all of the arts, and when it is represented in the media, in film in particular, it is presented as something that is really a special event, whether its a great date or something thats just hugely romantic. – Renee Fleming