Lucinda Hawksley, great great great daughter of Charles Dickens, reveals how Charles Dicken’s journeys influenced his writing and enriched his life. Although Dickens is usually perceived as a London author, in the 18402 he whisked his family away to live in Itay for a year, and spent several months in Switzerland. Some years later he took up residence in Paris and Boulogne where he lived in secret with his lover). In addition to travelling widely in Europe, he also toured America twice, performed onstage in Canada and, before his untimely death, was planning a tour of Australia. Besides far-flung places Dickens also travelled the British Isles including the Isle of Wight.