Les Stanley – författare

Les and Tracy had lived in the south of France from 1997 to 2007 before moving back to Australia via Bangkok.

So, when COVID began to release its grip on the world and airlines were flying again, they ventured out of their quiet sanctuary in Brisbane and boarded a plane bound for Nice.

Twenty-four hours later, they were basking in the dappled sunlight of the Cote d''Azur.

But it wasn''t all red wine and Salad Niçoise. There were inefficient bank managers and other bureaucrats to deal with. Not to mention noise-sensitive neighbours.

Cannes Encore is the story of two, not so intrepid, travellers and their exploits in the tourist traps of France, along with excursions to other less travelled parts of Europe.

Partly together, partly apart, Les and Tracy discover the continent; each in their own unique style.

In early September 2023, I left the sanctity of my Brisbane home and sallied forth on a four-month adventure across Asia and Europe. I travelled, for the most part, alone, joined in a couple of locations by my wife. One fine afternoon, as we discussed the travelogue I would write about the trip, I was inspired by what to use as a title. Go Away, with its subtle as a sledgehammer double meaning, seemed appropriate.

The title and writing style were inspired by one of my favourite writers, Paul Theroux. The journey he undertook to write his genre-defining travel book, The Great Railway Bazaar, also took four months. 

Never writing a particularly positive account of the countries he passes through, or the people he meets, towards the end of the book Theroux becomes even more curmudgeonly. This is mainly because he is missing his wife and the comfort of home. Desperate to make it home for Christmas, he struggles with flight, ship and train cancellations caused by bad weather.

I knew how he felt. Not that I wanted to be home for Christmas, but I would rather not have spent it suffering a dose of COVID in Vietnam. There''s no denying that four months is a long time to be away.

It wasn''t all bad though. Far from it. I loved the people and sights of Romania. I learnt much about the history of Paris thanks to two days spent, in the rain, with a friend who lives there and is a passionate and knowledgeable history teacher. Italy was a feast of pizza and wine with some historical marvels thrown in. Bangkok, as always, was mostly fun.