Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have our guest, author and travel writer, Mike Gerrard.

Mike is an expert on Greece, which he has visited every year for almost thirty years. Mike also has written about vineyards in Greece and New Zealand, brewery tours in Belgium and Britain, as well as restaurants in Paris.

Good day Mike and thank you for agreeing to participate in our interview.

Norm:

Mike, could you tell us a little about yourself and why you have pursued the career as a travel writer and author?

Mike:

I never planned to be a travel writer, but I think that applies to most of the travel writers I know. I did always want to be a writer, and I sold some general articles to newspapers and magazines, all written in my spare time. Then I took the risk and went full-time freelance, and began to specialise in home computers, writing for papers and magazines. I met one or two travel writers and, like everyone, was curious about it as it sounded an enviable life. But they put me off by telling me how competitive and poorly paid it was. It turns out they were right, and it meant I didn't try doing any travel writing.

Well, not until one time when I had a holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes. I had a good time, and thought of an angle for a piece, wrote it on spec, sent it to a newspaper, and they bought it. I then sent them something whenever I went anywhere on holiday, and the travel editor bought them. I asked her how I could get into doing all these free trips we all hear about, so she told me to send her some ideas of things I'd like to do, and why, which I did and she commissioned one of them. I thought this was all pretty good, as anyone would, and I worked hard at selling my stuff and at becoming a full-time travel writer, which I managed to do.

If you love travel and you love writing, what could be better? It is competitive and it isn't well paid, but here I am, about twenty years on, still doing it. I guess there's just no cure for wanderlust.

Norm:

As you are an expert on Greece, and as our readers are always interested in romantic destinations, could you tell us in your opinion five of the most unique romantic destinations in Greece, and why do you feel they are romantic?

Mike:

There are romantic places all over Greece. It depends what turns you on.