One Book, Dozens of Pubs, and a Life-Changing Journey
About this episode
Michael Balter shares his life-changing journey across England, sparked by a chance bookstore discovery.
What starts as a European trip in 1987 turns into a quirky quest across England after a chance bookstore discovery, and eventually becomes something far more meaningful than anyone expected. Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy are joined by award winning mystery writer Michael Balter, who shares how stumbling upon a coffee table book listing historic pubs across England accidentally launched him on an unforgettable pub crawl adventure. What began as "let's see if we can find these places" became a journey crisscrossing the English countryside, visiting tiny villages, atmospheric taverns, and discovering stories in every corner. But Michael's 1987 trip wasn't just about pubs. Along the way, he experienced a life-changing reunion with his long-lost biological father in Berlin, proving once again that travel has a funny way of revealing what you're really searching for, whether that's a perfect pint in a centuries-old pub or missing pieces of your own story. The conversation weaves between colorful English pub tales, practical travel lessons learned the hard way in an era before Google Maps and smartphones, and the deeply human side of international travel. How being far from home can…
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