Doing the original Grand Tour
Read this newspaper article and match the subheadings with the paragraphs.
A couple from Odcombe, Somerset, have just completed a remarkable journey following in the footsteps of Thomas Coryate, a 17th century traveller who pioneered the Grand Tour.
1.
Odcombe is a small village in the south of England with only one claim to fame. In 1608 Thomas Coryate, the vicar’s son, walked from Odcombe to Italy. His account of that journey became a guidebook for hundreds of wealthy young men who took what became known as the Grand Tour. Chris Worledge and Michele Roberts grew up knowing all about Odcombe’s famous son, and decided to pay tribute to him by undertaking the same journey. They followed Coryate’s original route as closely as possible, walking through France, over the Alps and across Italy, and arriving in Venice four months later.
2.
Thomas Coryate was born in Odcombe in 1576, son of the parish priest. On his father’s death, Coryate moved to London and joined the court of Prince Henry, eldest son of James I. Known for his wit, he became a kind of unofficial jester and was friends with many of the prominent people at the time, including William Shakespeare. Tiring of life at court, in 1608 he set off on his first epic journey, to walk to Venice and back.
3.
Coryate walked over 2000 miles and visited many of the most important cities in France, Italy and Germany, an incredible feat, but one that would probably have gone unnoticed if he hadn’t written a detailed journal on the way. Back in Britain, Coryate had problems getting his book published, but in 1611 ‘Coryate’s Crudities’ finally came out. It was a big success. London’s elite were interested in all things Italian, and Coryate’s accounts of life in Italy was read avidly, especially his descriptions of the use of table forks, unknown in Britain at the time. Young men of means began copying his journey, using ‘Crudities’ as a guidebook, doing what became known as the Grand Tour of Europe.
4.
By 1613 Coryate was restless again. He had grown up on tales of the mysterious East, and decided that this time he would travel on foot through Asia. He headed to Greece, and then by ship to Allepo. His route took him through Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, eventually reaching India after more than a year and 10,000 miles of arduous travelling. He had planned to continue to China, but the journey had taken its toll on his health, and he died in 1617, after a final 400 mile walk to the port of Surat, where he had booked a passage back to Britain.
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