If you’ve ever spent more than ten minutes talking to me, you almost certainly know I spent a semester living abroad in Spain. I’m annoying about it- I’m definitely the “this one time when I was in Spain” kind of guy. So bear with me, while I tell you about this one time, while I was living in Spain…
I was in Toledo. It’s your perfect Spanish tourist city. It was, like many medieval cities, built on a hilltop, so as to be defensible. It has cool old walls, a fantastic cathedral, a Roman palace that was rebuilt after being destroyed in the Spanish Civil War. The streets are typical narrow, cobbled European walkways, lined with shops, bars, and cafes. I loved it there, and I strongly recommend to anyone who happens to be in Madrid to go there and visit, if you have an extra day to kill. While I was in Toledo, I spoke with a person who complained about “touristy” areas. We were in a great restaurant (which I will unfortunately never remember the name of), and this person commented on how they were glad to be somewhere less touristy. They liked to see how the locals lived, what people in Toledo did for fun. Which is totally natural, right? Except, the way that person used the word “touristy” graded on me. He said it like it was a mark of shame, that being “touristy” was the worst thing a place can be! The problem is, if you like to travel, you cannot avoid “touristy.” If you walk through Pike’s Place Market, Time’s Square, Montserrat, Banff, or the Colosseum, there will be people trying to sell you junk, rude tourists blocking views and taking selfies, and huge tour groups that you always seem to get stuck behind. But why? Because those places are interesting! If you are there, it’s because you have heard of it before, right? You chose to go there just like everyone else. You are the “touristy”. I would encourage everyone to seek out local experiences and touristy spots. Miki and I once ate pastries at a deserted bakery on a rainy morning in Paris and it was beautiful. Later that same day, we visited Shakespeare and Company, the most touristy bookstore in all of Paris, and that was wonderful too! But when you do go somewhere cool, and you describe it to someone as “touristy”, please don’t use that word as a swear word. Because it's ok if it’s touristy! Touristy means incredible sights and excellent food (seriously, places with lots of tourists have the best restaurants). Touristy means people making money, earning their livelihood. Touristy means thousands, even millions of people before you have visited a place and enjoyed it enough that word of their enjoyment has reached you, and spurred you along. Miki’s family used to road trip a lot when they were kids. Her dad wore a one-strap bag that he got for free from the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, filled with water bottles, which he called his “European satchel”. He’s also been known to cut quite the figure in his camouflage fishing hat and stuff disposable water bottles in the pockets of his cargo shorts. Miki and her sister would always tease him, saying “Dad, you look like such a tourist.” He’d always respond, “I am a tourist.” If you visit somewhere new, cool or exciting, remember that you are a tourist. You are the reason the place is touristy. And that’s never a bad thing.
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Miki & BobWe're an adventurous couple that travel internationally and travel nationally in our RV. We have a corgi named Sophie that comes along on our adventures. Our goal is to encourage others to travel and show genuine travel over Instagrammable travel. CategoriesArchives
April 2020
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