Most of my recent travels have focused on the active aspect of travel – biking or hiking adventures in really nice places, enjoying the camaraderie of others, learning new things, sharing experiences and being part of a travel community. Mostly I am with one of my clubs and we are out in nature – on bike paths or hiking trails, following quiet roads without heavy traffic, visiting smaller cities and towns.

WHERE TO GO? WHAT TO SEE?

For the more distant places that require flights, I spend time researching interesting things to do in our arrival and departure cities. These are often large cities with iconic attractions (such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris), which shouldn’t be missed. These are easy to find and there are usually lots of people offering tours and transportation to a particular site. I like to see those kinds of places too. I think I would regret travelling so far, being at a place where there is something “not to be missed”, and missing it, especially if I don’t know that I would be back. But I enjoy finding some alternatives as well. I seek out opportunities to make each trip unique and special, to invite conversation and sharing. My preferred activities and events are those that allow us to connect with local people and learn about their history and culture. Signing up for food tours is one of my favourite things to do in a city. You walk, eat and chat for a few hours. What fun! I find them very informative and entertaining. Plus – you eat! There are new things to try, local cuisine that you might not otherwise even know about.

PRETEND TO BE A LOCAL

I also check out concerts, plays and other entertainment venues. This lets me pretend that I am a local, doing things that they do in their lives, sitting in seats that are part of their history and their culture. People in our groups have gone to a tango show in Buenos Aires, a fado show in Lisbon, and a Passion concert at Easter in Amsterdam. I look for nice parks to walk through. Often there are interesting fountains or statues in parks, or there are activities going on that you can participate in – maybe you can join in a yoga session. Often the gardens in public parks offer amazing floral and botanic displays, in any season. Before I go to a place, I research the museums, the important buildings, and other local infrastructure that is “not to be missed”. In really large cities, you can’t get to everything so I make a list of places that have something unique to offer, such as a time-limited exposition. Depending on where you are going, buying tickets in advance might be mandatory, which is so easy these days. I always have a list of options.     Sometimes information might come to me in some random way. On one of my biking trips we detoured to Spreewald in Germany, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where the Spree River divides into an extensive network of small channels, forming a large inland delta. It was incredibly beautiful and peaceful, and everyone loved it, all due to a short article in a magazine that I happened to look at.         I study a map and look for what is close. Maybe we can hop on a train for a day to see something special. On a ski trip with one of my clubs to the Tyrol region in Italy, we took the train to visit Ötzi the iceman, a natural mummy of a man from ~5,300 years ago whose remains were discovered in 1991. The museum was fascinating – among other facts they know that he was murdered, and they know what his last meal was. They had his hat on display. I just loved seeing that hat – it looks like something you would buy in a store today! What a treat it was to see this aspect of human history.         Sometimes you get lucky. One time our group was in Switzerland in early summer, where the tradition is to take the cows to high pasture for the summer, where there is more grass. The herders never tell people when this is going to happen, because they don’t want to encourage tourists on that day. We happened to be there that day, and what a show we had! All the cows were being herded through the streets of this small town. Sometimes the cows went where they were supposed to go, sometimes they didn’t. They might wander off to eat somewhere, or lie down in someone’s garden for a rest. It was a bit scary – cows don’t necessarily walk in a straight line up the road, and at one point I ducked into the grocery store to put a door between me and the cows. I understand why they wouldn’t want tourists to participate in this semi-annual cow-run event. What an amazing day we all had!

WANDERING THE STREETS TO SEE WHAT I CAN SEE

Sometimes I just wander the streets. It’s amazing what you see – things that might not be big enough for a day trip, but always add flavour to your trip and provide insight into the local culture. The street art in Santiago, Chile is astounding. Sometimes cities have art competitions on, and I am always utterly amazed by the people’s creativity everywhere, especially when they all start with the same template. I find doors really interesting. A lot of cities now have murals on their buildings, and some offer mural walks. There are so many things to look at that provide insight into a city’s style and values.       And, some of the best times are just hanging out after a full day of biking or hiking. Many people come with a deck of cards tucked away in their suitcase. Euchre anyone? So yes, touring is an important part of all my active travelling adventures. It is not the focus, but it is an important part of the journey that helps to make a trip unique and memorable. Touring helps you become a master storyteller as you will have experiences not possible from watching a show or reading a book. Invariably as I am leaving I reflect on what I have seen, and also what remains for when I come back.