Travels with shoes. And a shovel.

Come, tell me how you live
by Agatha Christie Mallowan


From the title and brief description, I thought it was going to be more archaeology and less travelogue. That might have been nice, but this was just great! Ticklish funny--and sometimes hilarious about the shoes--it's the story of Christie's travels with her husband on a serious of digs in Syria. When she mentions their finds, it's limited to listings like,

"two beads, a rim of pottery, and a bit of obsidian."

So I don't know if they were after artifacts alone or the advancement of historical knowledge. But that's not important--it's a splendid travel tale.Here's a funny--I'll try not to ruin it--during her baggage inspection by the Turkish customs officials,

Why, they ask me, have I so many pairs of shoes? It is too many. But, I reply, I have no cigarettes, because I do not smoke, so why not a few more shoes?

The explanation is accepted and they move on to the bug powder, which looks even more suspicious.  The real funny comes later, as she then proceeds to buy more shoes and decides not to return through Turkey. It's like one of those mildly humorous scenes that get funnier the more they're repeated.

Here is part of her description of packing for the trip with her husband, Max.

[Archeologists] ....decide on the maximum number of suitcases that a long-suffering Wagon Lit Company will permit them to take. They then fill these suitcases to the brim with books. They then, reluctantly, take out a few books, and fill in the space thus obtained with shirts, pajamas, socks, etc.

Looking into Max's room, I am under the impression that the whole cubic space is filled with books! Through a chink in the books I catch sight of Max's worried face.

"Do you think," he asks,  "that I shall have room for all these?"

The answer is so obviously in the negative that it seems sheer cruelty to say it.

At 4:30 P.M. he arrives in my room and asks hopefully: "Any room in your suitcases?"