by Vickie Austin
We’ve come a long way from that old song refrain, “If it’s Tuesday, this must be Belgium,” reflecting the chaotic journey of American tourists going frantically from country to country in a 1960s musical.
For the more discerning traveler, enjoying the sights doesn’t involve multiple train trips and daily packing. The upper crust are picking a place where they want to not just visit but actually live, staying longer and looking for authentic local experiences. They’re looking for depth and quality versus a smattering of tourist stops that may entertain but often exhaust the traveler.
To market, to market
Thanks to the internet, it’s easy to “shop” for a spot that intrigues you. Reserve that Irish cottage for a 10-day visit, then spend time getting to know the little town you selected. This doesn’t mean you can’t venture out to see the sights. Rather, being in the same place allows for some familiarity.
Whether you’re in Ireland or Italy, you get to know the barista at the local café, and the owners of that quaint pub may begin to welcome you by name. You’ll get to nest in one place, making meals if that’s your choice or wandering down to a restaurant to enjoy the local cuisine.
Doing your own shopping at the market can be an experience in and of itself. You can wander through rows of canned goods, glass jars and condiments you didn’t know existed. The fresh produce may astonish you.
Stores just for cheese or exclusively for wine from nearby wineries proliferate, lined up on narrow streets. Get to know the hours and the rhythm of your town: do shops close at a certain time of the day, only to reopen later and stay open long into the evening? By not flitting on to the next country, and the next, you get a full experience of the town.
Rest & relaxation
If there are nearby museums or relics to visit, by all means do so. Just know that you have a home base and that allows you time for rest and relaxation. You aren’t there to put another notch on your belt of destinations worldwide. Or maybe you are, but you get to do it in slow motion, giving you time to breathe. You can absorb the beauty of the landscape while taking your coffee on a balcony you’re calling home for the next two weeks.
This may seem like an indulgence for only the affluent, but the same could be done on a budget without straying too far. Whether you choose to book a hotel in the middle of Mexico City or reserve a cabin in the woods, far away from the madding crowd, your visit may not include sightseeing. Just being is your only priority.
