Ep 96: Author Dave Seminara in the Footsteps of Roger Federer

I am joined by Dave Seminara, author of the entertaining new book Footsteps of Federer: A Fan's Pilgrimage Across 7 Swiss Cantons in 10 Acts. We talk about how Roger Federer is typically Swiss (and how he is not), how his Swiss admirers differ from his legions of fans elsewhere around the world, and how the Swiss network of small-town clubs sets the country apart. Dave also shares the stores behind some of his quests to track down sources for his tennis articles--it turns out that finding a 60-year-old Togolese Davis Cupper can be just as tricky as getting Federer to open up about his past. As we are fellow travel buffs, we venture into that territory as well, talking about tactics for budget travel in Switzerland, how Switzerland compares to Norway, and just how far some people will go to check a destination off their list--the topic of another of Seminara's books, Mad Travelers, due out this summer.