“A person who has returned from afar may lie.”
In Sicily, enjoyment and leisure,
In Normandy, diversity and splendor,
In the Peloponnese, a glimpse of powerful fascination and solitude

Is this what a writer's journey is like? A dulling of sensibility with age, a diminishing sense of humor, a lukewarm expression even when encountering something new or novel.
But writer Kim Mi-ra seems to be an exception.
Based on his uncorrupted sensibility, author Kim has written a truly excellent travel book.
To paraphrase the expression in this book, 'the Sicilian travelogue that I thought would be fun is twice as fun.
The Normandy travelogue is a concise yet intelligent interpretation and thoughtful reflection on art and culture.
And the Peloponnese travelogue, which I expected to be somewhat touching, is quite touching.'

"If it's not about life and death, what's the big deal? Live slowly, leisurely, lightly!", "Travel, how far have you been?" Kim Mi-ra's travelogue, which doesn't forget to include provocative phrases here and there, brings a subtle smile to our faces and touches our hearts at times.


Kim Mi-ra, a longtime broadcast writer who has overseen numerous programs, has shared her travel experiences with listeners on the "Traveler's Notes" segment of KBS Classic FM's "All Music in the World," and now she's unveiling a travelogue entirely in her own voice.
The places chosen by author Kim, who has traveled to many countries and cities, are Sicily, Normandy, and Peloponnese.
Places that would have been ordinary if someone had visited and written about them were transformed into more beautiful and special places when a writer with a sensitivity several times greater than others visited them and told their stories.
And the author, with his extensive knowledge of the humanities, adds stories of music, movies, art, and history related to each travel destination.
Perhaps it's a kind, unpretentious knowledge transfer, like the friendly chat of a friendly neighbor? And music! QR codes are placed throughout, allowing you to enjoy music perfectly selected by producer Jong-ho Ahn of "All the Music in the World" to suit the mood.

I sat on a bench on Via Umberto and watched Modica slowly become dark.
I put a piece of chocolate in my mouth.
Somehow, it seemed as if life could be condensed into the scenery of this moment.
An old but beautiful daily life, a journey with a little sweetness and rustling, and a bittersweet aftertaste that lingers for a long time.
The evening in Modica ended meaningfully, like a page of a book with its corner turned.

--- p.34 From “First Check-In”

Back to the observatory again.
Looking down at Ragusa Ibla, perched on a canyon, I feel like I've gained a new perspective on the world.
It's like 'two minutes before the plane lands', and if God were to look down on the human world, it would be like this.
It's a shame I didn't get to see the evening fall in Ragusa.
You should have seen the twinkling lights filling the Ibla Canyon.
Well, if there are no regrets, it's not a trip.
I was so captivated by the beauty beyond beauty that I couldn't leave the viewpoint in Ragusa for a long time.

--- p.38 From “Second Check-In”

There are often times when loneliness and hunger are indistinguishable.
So when you feel lonely, you should take yourself to a delicious place and feed yourself.
In Sicily, I realized anew that when life gets tough, you have to take care of yourself.
I often miss the days I spent in the 'Kitchen of the Gods', from the pasta and pizza I ate every day, to the mussel stew full of the scent of the sea, to the 'calamari' that was on a whole other level.

--- pp.56-57 From "The Third Check-In"

Sicily had its own way of solving problems.
Perhaps because they were people who had been baptized in the sun, they knew how to handle heavy things lightly.
Whenever something difficult or upsetting occurred during my trip, the Sicilian people were easygoing and easygoing in solving the problem.
If it gets resolved, that's fine, if not, then forget about it, he was relaxed and at peace with that attitude.
That's probably why I felt 'completely recharged' after returning from Sicily.
Sicily made me feel lighter every day.
okay.
If it's not about life and death, then what's the big deal? Live slowly, leisurely, lightly! Live with the occasional lightening of your mind, lifting the weight of uselessness!
--- p.64 From "The Third Check-In"

I went into one of the few restaurants that were open.
We ordered salad, pasta, and fried seafood, and drank white wine to wash down the heavy weight of our memories.
I lightly clinked the glasses covered in droplets of water.
It seems like there was a lot of conversation this evening, but it doesn't seem like there was a lot of conversation.
Memories are always so flawed.
Of course, memories are more beautiful because they are vague and ambiguous.

--- pp.97-98 From "The Fifth Check-in"

If you think, 'I want to go,' you will often end up going someday.
The moment we hold a place name in our heart, a pin indicating our destination is placed on the map in our mind.
You may not be able to visit every place you have in mind, but those who have a 'pin' to visit at least once in their lifetime are more likely to eventually travel there.

--- p.156 From "The Eighth Check-in"

The evening walk was nice.
The Seine River on an autumn evening seemed to take us back to the most beautiful and most loving times, no matter how old we were.
Of course, even if the Seine River were to cast its magic and take me back to that time, I would decline.
I always like now.
And traveling is the perfect way to live in the present.

--- pp.190-191 From "The Ninth Check-in"

If you want to know if someone or something is really liked, just put the adjective poor in front of it.
Poor lover, poor student, poor writer, poor researcher, poor traveler.
I liked the word 'poor' that came to mind at the Sorbonne.
Because it's like a litmus test that clearly shows what is truly precious.

--- pp.213-215 From "The Ninth Check-in"

If you need time to be alone, if you need a place where the scenery will comfort you endlessly, if you want to reach a state of mind where you feel like you're crying without crying, then a trip to the Peloponnese is the perfect choice.
Of course, if you want to elegantly boast, "How far have you traveled?", a trip to the Peloponnese would be perfect.
Who would travel to a place like this where there is nothing?
--- p.229 From "The Tenth Check-In"

The Hammering Man, which symbolizes the 'nobility of labor and the loneliness of modern people,' reminded me of the 'hammering of the soul.'
Just as one hammers to smooth out rough metal in a blacksmith's shop, I thought that journey was like hammering to smooth out the rough sorrows and wounds of life.
That day, I wrote in my notebook, 'One journey is one hammer blow.'

--- p.240 From "The Tenth Check-In"

Travelers are people who have many misunderstandings.
Many of the memories and romance of travel are made up of beautiful misunderstandings.
There are many times when I go there and wonder, 'What did I see?'
So what? It's a trip! I feel like a traveler.
There are many things in the world that are true but not true.
But for travelers, there are quite a few things that are not true but become true.
It is the charm of travel and the privilege of being a traveler.
“A person who has returned from afar may lie.”
--- p.251 From "The Tenth Check-In"

I did nothing, but somehow it felt like I did everything.
I saw the sunrise at dawn and watched how darkness caressed this old village.
I also felt deeply how the scenery could comfort a person's sorrow.
Just because something is old doesn't necessarily mean it's worn out, and I could feel a little bit that things I thought were old suddenly acquired a new beauty.

--- p.259 From "The Tenth Check-In"

There is nothing useless in the world.
There are all kinds of festivals and all kinds of lists, and people traveling to unfamiliar places often get excited about such lists.
I am willing to be completely fooled.
It's fun because when you're so enchanted that you enter a place you didn't plan on going, it feels like your trip suddenly has wrinkles.

--- p.265 From "The Eleventh Check-in"

Anywhere is a prison.
I liked that this place wasn't just full of sweet things.
It was nice to be able to let out my sadness in between moments of joy, and to have appropriate awakening seep in between moments of comfort.
It was nice to be able to swim leisurely among the precious things spread out between the sky and the earth.
Above all, it was nice to be able to face my empty self from time to time.

--- p.292 From "The Eleventh Check-in"

Sometimes I feel like a Sicilian umbrella seller.
Like someone selling umbrellas in a country where it never rains.
What about travel? Traveling has transformed me from an "umbrella seller" to an "umbrella buyer."
I met myself buying an umbrella that wasn't sold in a country where it never rained, and cherishing that moment.
He bought me an umbrella as if he were giving me a house as a gift, and met me happily walking down an unfamiliar street.

--- From "Epilogue" pp.308-309