Broadening the Mind
July 21st, 2010 by Michelle Diener
I recently went on holiday for a week. The picture in this post is part of the view from the balcony of the house we stayed in. And you wouldn’t think on my trip, which was to Western Australia’s South West region, that I’d come away with new insights into my historical series, which is set in the 16th century, at the court of Henry VIII, but I did.
First of all, I found a meadery, where they create mead using the medieval method. As my characters swing back mead a time or two, it was great to sniff, swirl and see this. (I didn’t taste it, because I’m allergic to alcohol.) They also made ice cream using honey as the sweetener. I chose the rose and almond flavour, thinking it was the most medieval / Renaissance of the flavours (not that they would have made ice cream in the 16th century, but this was more a spirit of the thing moment).
I also got to look at some real, honest-to-goodness ambergris. My heroine clubs someone with the pomader hanging from her waist at one point in the first book, and it is filled with ambergris and cinnamon. It is incredibly rare these days, since the ban on whaling, and I only saw it because they have converted an old whaling station into a museum and whale conservation awareness centre, and had a huge jarful of ambergris left over from the bad old days. Fascinating stuff!
Western Australia in the 21st century can still give me insights and research opportunities into 16th century London. Who would have thunk it?
What has been your most bizarre find while on holiday, whether it sparked a story or related to a story?
8 Responses to “Broadening the Mind”
What a fun thing to do on your holiday! I can’t think of anything bizarre on my holiday, though we got lost and ended up driving on a dirt mountain lane barely wide enough for one car, with a drop off into air just outside the passenger window and mountain outside the driver’s window. Thank God we didn’t run into a car going the other way until it leveled off and there was ground on both sides of the dirt road.
Though we have lots of memories from our trip to Arizona, that’s our most vivid one. That whole time, we were completely present in each second, our attention never wandering.
Sounds like you had a terrific time, Michelle. Best of all, this could be a tax write off (if Australia allows that) since so much what you saw was direct research.
I always try to check out period areas when I go on vacation. Its fascinating to see how things used to be. I was just thinking of the town of Port Macquarie North of Brisbane. It was a charming area and had a real old world feel to it.
Michelle, love your discoveries! I love finding inspiration where ever I am too, especially on vacations. We didn’t go this year, since we always go to the Gulf area. But, I spent a pleasant day with hubby yesterday, exploring a few towns over. We were on a, Used Truck Hunt.
Well, I’ll tell ya, just encountering quirky characters in my daily life is food for my soul. And boy did we ever find some. Oh, and hubby found his truck too.
After reading your post I came to the conclusion I haven’t had a holiday in way too long. LOL
I did take a four day weekend with my dad last summer and we visited Lake Joesph. The park we stayed at had a herd of very tame deer. They’d walk right up and let you pet them. They were all bucks, several years old with antlers covered in velvet. And petting those antlers was the highlight of my trip. They were so warm, like touch a heating pad, but as soft as velvet. Just an incredible feeling. YOU could almost feel the blood pulsing beneath your fingers. It was just cool and creepy at the same time.
I imagine you were pretty focused, Edie, LOL. What a great memory.
I haven’t been to the east coast of Oz yet, Liz, but if I do, I’ll remember that titbit.
That sounds like fun, LaD. You got your people watching in, hubby got a truck. Win win.
Ooooh, T. That sounds very weird, but something good to have experienced. Reminds me of the deer that save the heroine in Dean Koontz’s Intensity. Loved that book.