[Kenneth Rosenberg]

So back in 2002 I was laid off from my job in the news room of a local TV station in San Diego, and I decided that I was going to take off for a while and just go write someplace.  I had a bit of money saved up, plus a two-week severance check, so I started thinking about places that I could go that might be a bit like the famous Paris of the 20's, with cheap rents, cool cafes to write in, and nice ambiance.  Western Europe seemed too expensive, so that was out.  Prague was already overrun with tourists (I'd been a few years earlier for a visit).  I ended up going to the beautiful medieval city of Tallinn, on the Baltic Sea in Estonia.  I spent four months there, and had one of the best times of my life.  My rent in a nice renovated studio was $180 per month, I made lots of good friends, and the place had all of the ambiance and cool cafes I was looking for.

Cut to the present, and I haven't been back since.  I actually lost touch with my friends there, until they looked me up on Facebook just over a year ago.  But now I'm headed back over for another summer.  I leave Tuesday and can't wait.  My old friends are picking me up at the airport, and I have a room all rented ($350 this time).  I'll spend the summer in the same cafes, working on getting my next few novels up.  So in the spirit of this trip, who else has stories of places you've been that were great for writing?  Or places you'd like to go?  Anyone? 

 

[Vianka Van Bokkem]

Wow, what an interesting story Kenneth!

Maybe you can share a picture or two from your trip if you decide to come back. 

I would love to visit the home of most of my vampires and werewolves. 'Romania'


-Vianka 

 

[SheaMacLeod]

Thanks for sharing your story, Kenneth.  What an amazing adventure!

I've never been able to afford to go away to write, though believe me I DREAM of Italy.   Or perhaps a trip back to the Oregon Coast.

However, when my parents came to the UK for a visit last year, we traveled through the UK visiting such amazing sites as the Peak District, the Lake District and Hadrian's Wall.  It was this trip with all the marvelous scenery and mind boggling history and insane chats with my dad which inspired a great deal of my second book, Kissed by Fire.  Who said dragons can't live in hedgerows? 

 

[41419]

I went to a small fishing village in Portugal a couple of years back to try and finish my novel. I was there for three months, then a little town in the Czech Republic for three months. And I finished it too.

Would love to go back, especially to Portugal. You can't beat just staring at the sea.

 

[Kenneth Rosenberg]

Wow, thanks for all the great comments!  I'm just checking back in here.

Vianka: Romania is definitely on my wish-list, too!  If I manage to get over that way, I'll let you know.

Deborah: As a former ski instructor, I love the new avatar (and cover)!

Shea: I've always thought Hadrian's wall would be a great thing to see.  I've only seen pictures of that countryside myself, but I can definitely imagine dragons flying about up there.

dgaughran:  Actually, my best friend is spending the summer in Cascais, Portugal.  I was thinking about going down for a visit, if I can find a cheap enough ticket. You're definitely providing me with some motivation to keep looking.  And BTW, congratulations on finishing that novel!