As he walks onto the deck of a ship headed for Tarsus, the gentlemanly poet looks forward to a proper adventure. It will be one with infinite possibilities, bound only by the limits of his own imagination...

Phineus Puckett escapes from his dreary job as associate professor of antiquities at a small college not quite worth naming, and his dreary past full of peers who never appreciated his potential, by traveling the world through his daydreams. His knowledge of ancient languages, historical events, and classic literature help him craft his dream self, an eighteenth-century man exploring modern-day Europe. Confronted with unusual characters and unfamiliar landmarks, Phineus never knows what lurks around the next corner, but his travel log reveals a man who maintains his good-humored spirit whatever the situation.

A daydreaming Don Quixote, Phineus remains forever convinced of his own legacy, and in his dream world, he can be the distinguished, graceful gentleman he always believed he was. His stories highlight what has changed between the modern and ancient worlds, what has been left behind and abandoned, and the kind of honor and wisdom found in the depths of an explorer.