James Arthur, Traveling

James Arthur, whom I have the pleasure of knowing, won the Amy Lowell Traveling Scholarship, and has been on the road most of the year. Turns out he's a very good travel writer, and his journey most interesting.

http://www.jamesarthurtravel.blogspot.com/

A snippet:

Because I'm heading north into Turkey, I bought a warmer coat while I was in Aleppo. My new coat is corduroy and has broad lapels of artificial fur.

My last stop was Qala'at Samaan, a ruined basilica built around the pillar of St. Simeon Stylites. St. Simeon Stylites was a 5th-century monk who lived on top of a column for 37 years, preaching and meditating. An interesting side note is that when St. Simeon was 16, he was ejected from a monastic order because his excessive fasting was a source of worry to his superiors.