Visitors to Wales can stay in any of 18 renovated cottages, farmhouses and unique historic buildings year-round through Under the Thatch, an organization dedicated to rescuing historic buildings.

For example, a 2-night midweek stay in a Gypsy caravan (wagon sleeping two) runs £125-£169, depending on the season.

Contact Under the Thatch (Felin Brithdir, Rhydlewis, Llandysul, Ceredigion, SA44 5SN, Wales, U.K.; phone +44 1239 851 410 or visit www.underthethatch.co.uk).

The Viking Ship Museum in Ros­kilde, a 20-minute drive from Copenhagen, Denmark, offers interactive programs, demonstrations and exhibitions, including five original 11th-century Viking ships excavated from Roskilde Fjord. Visitors also can explore Museum Island, which has a boatyard where period vessels are reconstructed.

The museum is open daily year-round, and admission ranges from DKK55 to DKK95 (near $11-$19) per adult, depending on the season. Visit http://vikingeskibsmuseet.dk...

 “Kiwis Might Fly” by Polly Evans (2007, Bantam Dell. ISBN 13978038533994 0 — 309 pp., $13).

In her second book, following her witty and engaging tale of cycling through Spain, “It’s Not About the Tapas,” Evans takes on New Zealand, this time from the back of a 650cc motorcycle.

The best travel books take you where you want to go and help you “see” the experience more fully, and this book does that well. From sheepshearing to geyser gazing or from jetboating up the Waiatoto...