How to Do Your Log Entries

No matter what kind of excursion you undertake, some basic information should always be noted. Certain details may seem trivial at the time, but when you reread the notes you took five years earlier or try to find the location of that historic landmark you so appreciated, you will be happy to have it readily on hand! A logbook or excursion notebook is also a great way to develop a keen sense of observation.

Since an excursion notebook is a sort of diary, dates are always essential. Depending on the degree of detail you want to include, you can specify the time of day, the hour and minutes. This is up to you, but never forget the date! You should also describe the weather in relation to the date. The best way to do this is to remark on the weather and temperature. Sunny? Cold? Humid? Windy?...

Then, note your position. If you are in travel, state your point of departure and your destination, as well as all the stopovers between the two points. The more specific you are, the better your excursion logbook. Try supplementing the geographic positioning by including scenery descriptions articulated around the cardinal points.

Continue by describing the environment: the flora, the fauna, the geology... Then don't forget the whereabouts! Names and descriptions of villages, towns, cities, the architecture and monuments, the street scenes... And finally, the people themselves. Look at them with the eye of an ethnographer and you will discover that we live in a world of many fascinating cultures, customs and languages.