I haven’t done a little travelling in my life and even less tourism. Most of the trips I have taken have been to do something not to see the sights. So, recently after a two week work trip to Germany I thought I would tack on another week and see Paris & London. The big question in both cities was “what do you want to see?” I find castles, museums and cathedrals interesting and enjoyable but they don’t leave me feeling like I’ve experienced the city. What is a more authentic British experience? Watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace or sitting in pub with some locals hearing about their life while enjoying a pint? It’s a tough call or maybe not since one involves sitting, talking and laughing while the other involves being a spectator.

On the return flight I read an article in the Air Canada in-flight magazine, Enroute. The article was called the New Simplicity and in it the author, Timothy Taylor, writes about resisting the temptation to plan. He calls his approach to travel experientialism. He suggests an ultrasimplified mode of travel: no guidebooks and no planning. It’s about letting life just happen. His delightful experiment includes even following someone who he thinks looks interesting and seeing where he goes. The result was discovering a side of Tokyo that he would never have encountered through following a guidebook.

On returning home I discovered that most people wanted to know what I saw. My list was rather short for both places. Of course I saw the Palace in London and the Tower in Paris. But I spent a lot of time in both places in cafes and pubs enjoying good food and good times. I may not have seen the Queen but I did eat a chip butty and that’s an experience I won’t forget soon!