Travel Here and There

Zelman is a widely published travel journalist whose contagious enthusiasm for the places she has visited around the globe whets an appetite to follow in her footsteps. In a frontispiece she speaks of the formidable research and preparation (primarily literary) that is the keystone of her success. As this collection of essays demonstrates, her expectations are rarely disappointed, and even when they are--as in one memorably ""grim itinerary"" through Borneo and environs--she enlivens it with humorous self-deprecation. Lighthearted, witty and yet informative, the essays take the reader on a highly personalized journey onto byways of unusual interest. In ""Traveling Jewish,"" Zelman recalls encounters with Jewish sights, both intentional (a ""Rabbi Loew and the Golem tour"" in Prague) and serendipitous (the Mogen David badges worn by Portuguese policemen). Although perhaps more inclined to tours and well-established routes than others, Zelman conveys both a seasoned traveler's practical experience and the excitement of the trip. (Feb.)