'Travels Through France and Italy' is a travelog by Tobias Smollet chronicling his journey across France and Italy after the tragic loss of his daughter. Smollett's keen observation, wit, and critical eye make for an entertaining read, as he describes in detail the natural phenomena, history, social life, economics, diet, and morals of the places he visited. His lively curiosity and quick eye enable him to foresee the potential of Cannes as a health resort and the possibilities of the Corniche road. However, Smollett's acerbic style often leads to quarrels with innkeepers, postilions, fellow travelers, and even entire cultures, as he holds many foreigners in contempt and derides many French and Italian customs. A classic work of travel literature, Smollett's 'Travels Through France and Italy' provides a fascinating glimpse into the past and a rich account of his adventures.

Observations and Reflections Made in the Course of a Journey through France, Italy, and Germany, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Hester Lynch Piozzi

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic imposed immobility on large sectors of the world’s population, with confinement becoming an everyday reality. The lives of those who previously enjoyed the privileges of being ‘fast castes’ ground to a halt, while at the same time the displacement of more vulnerable populations along well-established migration corridors has been radically reduced. The result has been a recalibration of the scale of journeying, with travellers slowing down their journeys and readjusting their relationship to the proximate and nearby. This situation has provided an opportunity for those who study travel and travel writing to rethink their objects of study and approaches to them. This volume explores and historicizes the phenomenon of ‘microtravel’, designating slower journeys within a limited radius which allow, and sometimes necessitate, new forms of experiencing the world.