Ida Pfeiffer travelled alone in an era when women didn't travel. She commenced her journey alone, without companions, but fully prepared to bear every ill, to bid defiance to every danger, and to combat every difficulty. That this undertaking should have succeeded may almost be looked upon as a wonder. Every evening, though often greatly exhausted with heat, thirst, and the hardships of travel, she never failed to make notes in her diary. A Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy is the translation of her diary.