Travelling Sketches

‘Travelling Sketches’ were written by Trollope for the Pall Mall Gazette and then gathered and published by Chapman and Hall in 1866. These brief benevolent pieces on the Englishman and woman abroad are of historic value but also ring true of the modern tourist – ‘If I may venture to give two words of advice to those of my fellow-countrymen who travel frequently during their vacations and who feel on self-examination that they have not hitherto in reality liked their tourings in those two words I will advise them both to affect less and to perform less.’ The sketches are written with Trollope’s light touch and wry sense of humour and are full of his gentle wisdom mocking but kindly and well-meant and therefore more acceptable.