It might be pushing it to call Ponce de Leon a vagabond since he was a career soldier, but in terms of dreams and adventure, certainly he fits the bill as someone who not only traveled broadly, but was foolish enough to chase the fountain of youth.
Category: Historical Travel
Ibn Battuta – Moroccan Vagabond
The greatest adventurer of all time for me is the Moroccan vagabond, Ibn Battuta. He not only traveled everywhere in his known world, but he wrote about it in ways that no one before him had. Ibn Battuta’s journey lasted 29 years, so by Moroccan standards, my wife should be understanding of this current journey I’m on.
Greedy Vagabond – Conquistador Hernando Cortez
He conquered an entire empire. Sure, it was shitty for Montezuma, but for Cortez? It must have been cool.
Herodotus – The Father of History (and all Vagabonds)
Not only the father of history but of anthropology, and one can equally (but not so forcefully) argue he is the father of all travel writers and vagabonds.
Silk Road Vagabond – Marco Polo
Going around the world hasn’t always been as easy as it is today. In fact, the great explorers of the past often suffered great hardships to see distant lands. One such extraordinary vagabond was Marco Polo.
Nomad Vagabond – Genghis Khan
Traveling round the world doesn’t usually involve conquest of foreign lands but for Temujin, also known as Genghis Khan, conquest was probably just a means of travel.
Rome, Italy – Hostels and Boutique Hotels
Rome is filled with dumpy hostels and dive hotels – here are some of the best and a few of the worst.
Exploring Amarillo, Texas
Who knew this stunning site was hidden below ground level in the panhandle of Texas!
Meeting Marzipan Men and Hanseatic Sailors in Lübeck, Germany
Designated a free imperial city in 1226, it became the capital of the Hanseatic League, a powerful confederation of 200 city-states banded together against pirates and warring nations to protect their trade in the Baltic.
Ferrara, Italy – From Castello Estense to Cappellacci di Zucca
Ferrara, Italy is well off the beaten path of most visitor’s travel plans when they come to Italy – and that contributes to exactly why you should take the time to stop in this charming cobble-stoned Northern Italian town.