Challenges--To see or Not to see at all
Bringing the Challenges back to my blog, please welcome Laura from Ciao Amalfi!
Maybe it’s my Type A, list making personality, but when I travel to a new destination I want to see and do everything. When I was younger I would wear myself out while travelling, coming home with sore feet and thousands of photos. I thought that was how travelling worked, until one day I realized that by trying to see everything I was missing out on something very important. That sense of place that makes each city, town or village unique is not something that can be captured at a breakneck pace. Over the years I’ve learned to slow down while travelling.
But the challenge isn’t as easy as just slowing down sometimes, especially when it comes to a weekend getaway or short holiday. How do you make the most of a short stay in a new travel destination while still trying to capture the sense of place? How do you balance seeing all the main sites while not at the same time overwhelming yourself?
Laura on the top of the Duomo Photo Credit
My recent trip to Florence brought up many of these travel challenges and questions in my mind. It was my first visit to Florence, which meant long mental lists of museums and churches, but I didn’t want to leave without having really experienced Florence. Here are a couple of ways I overcome these travel challenges when visiting a new place.
Do Your Research …
Before leaving, or on the plane or train journey, read as much as you can about your travel destination. I start a trip journal before leaving where I note down what sites are absolutely must-sees and what sites I’d like to see. Think about what you absolutely can’t leave without seeing, such as Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence or the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris. Jot down opening hours, phone numbers and other useful information, which might help you leave those heavy guidebooks behind on outings and daytrips.
Reflection of the Badia Fiorentina, Photo credit
Pace Yourself …
With your list of must-sees, plan each day and pace yourself so you don’t waste valuable time during a short stay getting lost or wandering in circles. Just be careful not to plan your travel days so full that you forget to stop and enjoy the sounds, smells and tastes of daily life. I try to mix sightseeing with time relaxing, time getting lost taking photographs and time just following where my heart leads me to discover in a new place.
The more you travel the more you’ll find the right balance between checking off those must-see sites and time discovering the real heart that makes each place in the world unique. I know I’ll be back to Florence someday soon to check off more of those museums!
Irises in Florence, Photo credit
Laura Thayer is an art historian and freelance writer living on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy. She writes about travel for MNUI, a travel insurance company, and blogs about life on the Amalfi Coast at her own site Ciao Amalfi.
* All photos in this post are copyright, Laura Thayer, Ciao Amalfi!
Posted by katerinafiore at 12 Aug 2010 
Categories: Florence, Challenges
Tags: Challenge series Travel guest post
Categories: Florence, Challenges
Tags: Challenge series Travel guest post
Love it, Laura. Cecil's post this month was similar, he talked a bit about slowing down and enjoying your vacation, too.
I was like you when I was younger, though ... go, go, go, run, run, run ... had to go home to REST from my vacation!
It's hard to make that mental change, but so worth it once you do.
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