This morning, as I was reading the news over freshly-squeezed orange juice and pain au chocolat, I chanced upon The NY Times Frugal Traveler’s fascinating blog. His latest entry  caught my interest, as he is about to embark on a 12-week tour of Europe, following in the footsteps of the aristocratic youths of The Grand Tour.

What is The Grand Tour, you may ask? It was originally a travel itinerary across Europe which was undertaken between the 1660s and the mid-1800s by all young aristocrats as a practical finishing school. Traditionally, the journey would commence in Dover (England) and take these priviliged individuals across to Calais, Paris, Geneva, Turin, Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, Berlin, Vienna, Holland and Flanders (phew..!) The purpose of this trip was to observe, learn and open up ones minds, encouraging these developing noblesse to appreciate the beauty in everything from fine art to archaeology. Although they indulged in wild  souvenir shopping sprees wherever they went, picking up fabulous trinkets such as Canaletto’s delightful paintings, what was so refreshing about this initial breed of tourists was their inquisitive spirit.

Their trip would take months, and time was dedicated to looking into the smallest of Renaissance paintings. Travelling was not an expression of consumerist preferences, but a personal, inner journey. Today, all of us can book a cheap flight, tick all the ‘must-see’ boxes and come back home armed with souvenirs that scream ‘Look where I’ve been!’. But few of us can really step outside of this tourist-circuit circus, and look at things from a different angle. This does not mean that you shouldn’t go to, say, Venice or Paris. But what you really should be doing is taking the time to stop and savour the moment. Dare to be different and look beyond the Colosseum or Tour Eiffel-driven hype.

This is exactly what I love about the Frugal Traveler, who is out to explore cities that have been visited before, but experiencing them in whole new, unconventional ways. So watch his video, and prepare to become a new tourist with a soul.

Image © Rita Crane Photography

Filed under: Travel