I don’t have to tell you what an adventure it is to travel on a houseboat or live in one. That 1958 romantic comedy with Sophia Loren and Cary Grant must have inspired me subconsciously to weave in a houseboat scene in my novel. I actually experienced a journey down the Murray River in South Australia (Thanks to the South Australian Tourism Commission). Well, needless to say, I didn’t want to leave the boat.
Nowadays, houseboats come in all shapes and sizes, some old and some new (even condo-looking ones with an installed jacuzzi and a barbecue stove even). In fact, I had tried to stay on a houseboat on the River Nile during my stay in Cairo. Alas, there were complications, but the idea is definitely fascinating…. and a dream for some.