Favorite Places

In this, my final column as The Incidental Tourist, once more, I thank you for allowing me to take you on a flight of fancy. I want to bring you with me as I visit specific locations at my favorite places that remind me why I enjoy traveling so much.

There’s a spot in London’s Trafalgar Square. It’s at the top of the stairs in front of the National Gallery, gazing through the square, past Admiralty Arch and on toward Buckingham Palace. For me, no place captures London better.

Anyone who has visited Paris will undoubtedly include it on their favorite-places list, and it makes my cut as well. Yet, despite all the wonderful and romantic spots in the City of Lights, my favorite place is the Carnavalet Museum, because it represents what a museum should be. If you go, you will lose yourself in the numerous periods in Parisian life represented in this thoughtful and very down-to-earth museum.

I love visiting Switzerland, so picking a favorite place in this country is difficult. But the top spot goes to Larpin & Fils, a winery not too far from Lausanne. Clearly, this is influenced by the very personal nature of my visit, as Pierre-Andre Larpin invited me into his home and regaled me with tales of his fine wines, and plied me with excellent local meats and cheeses, and desserts made by his mother.

This is a relatively new favorite, but pictures of Hong Kong’s Peak bring back a flood of memories from my first big trip to Asia. I know it’s terribly touristy, but the less commercial view toward Lantau Island transports me to this exotic locale.

When I’m in San Francisco and food comes up, my mind wanders to Belden Place. With a great collection of restaurants, all on a pedestrian walkway that’s more European than Californian, I always carve out time to pay a visit.

Having family fortunate enough to actually live on Catalina Island means that I have been there more times than the average Southern Californian. And one of my favorite spots on the island is in front of the Inn at Mt. Ada. The Inn itself is amazing, and the view from in front of it is truly life-altering.

On the opposite end of the United States, pretty much any place in New York evokes memories for me. But Central Park, entering about 80th Street and Central Park West, reminds me how amazing an asset this park is to New Yorkers. In the midst of one of the busiest places on earth, you can find peace and quiet.

In the Midwest, Chicago is one of my favorite places to visit. And Millennium Park represents all that’s good about the City with Big Shoulders. It’s big and busy, yet intimate and tranquil. And for some reason, I get a huge kick out of watching people react to the photo-montage fountain that features giant photos of people appearing to spew water on waders in the pool.

I will always have a soft spot for Door County; it was one of the few places my parents could afford to take me as a kid, and I have been a nearly annual visitor as a semi-adult. My favorite spot is Eagle Tower in Peninsula State Park, in the fall. There’s no more spectacular view of the autumn foliage in this “Cape Cod of the Midwest.”

Last, but certainly not least, one of my favorite places is nearly in my own backyard. It’s Lake Harriet, early in the morning on a cool summer morning. Picture mist rising from the water, with the trees around the lake featuring the light-green foliage that marks the first days of the season. Sailboats bobbing on Harriet’s glassy surface.

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I want to close with a heartfelt thank you to Twin Cities Business magazine. I have had a great time writing the Incidental Tourist for the past two years, and I hope that those of you who have read this blog have enjoyed it, too.

To quote Bill Bryson, one of my favorite writers and favorite people (yes, I have met and spent time with him): “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”

I wish every one of you safe, enjoyable, educational, fulfilling, enriching, memorable, evocative travels.

What Travel Has Taught Me

This is my second-to-last column as the Incidental Tourist, and I hope you will indulge me yet again by letting me share a few thoughts about what I have learned from my travels over the years.

1. People are the same. It has been soothing to learn that, no matter where or how people live, they have certain things they need and want: security, food, shelter. We’re all in this together.

2. People are different. Yet, each culture, each country, each neighborhood has its own foibles. Perspective is a good thing.

3. If we knew more about other people, we would be better off. There’s so much richness in cultures around the world that if we learned to appreciate it, we could avoid many of the conflicts that happen every day.

4. Embed yourself. Rather than stay at a fancy resort, I seem to get the most out of my travels when I’m wandering through farmers’ markets, visiting local shops, or talking to natives . . . or attempting to.

5. Less is more. A corollary to No. 4 is that some of my most memorable travel experiences didn’t cost me next month’s rent. Sitting at an outdoor table at a cafe in Paris’ 16th arrondissement, spending two euros, I have enjoyed some of the best people-watching on earth.

6. Try something new. When you’re visiting a place you have not visited before, give something new and different a shot. This can apply to small towns in Minnesota or Hong Kong.

7. Focus on the destination, not the consternation. These days, travel is hard, and it’s easy to get bogged down by the details. Avoid doing so. Know that you’re going to a different place and that you can always gain from new experiences.

8. The world is smaller than it has ever been. I continue to be fascinated by the fact that I can get on a plane in Minneapolis this evening and be in London or Tokyo tomorrow. And in terms of what you gain from expanding your horizons, the costs are relatively modest.

9. Stay flexible. “The best-laid plans . . .” has become my mantra when I travel. Things will go wrong, so find a way to solve problems and not have your objectives torpedoed by something that, in the grand scheme of things, is not that big a deal.

10. I’m not as smart or important as I think I am. As we live our daily lives, it’s easy to think about all that we have going on in our lives, and how integral we are to the fabric of life on this planet. Travel has taught me the valuable lesson that I’m really quite small; the collective “we” is big.

Next week, I’ll wrap up what has been a great run for me with a few of my favorite places that I hope all of you will have a chance to visit.

(P.S. I apologize that this week’s post is all prose and no pretty pictures.)

Green London

I have been spending more than my fair share of time in and around London lately, and I have had the chance to appreciate the city’s efforts to set aside public green spaces. In typical British fashion, and unlike in the States, parks in London tend to be well-defined—no meandering borders allowed.

Yet, many Americans don’t realize that, particularly in the central part of the city, London’s parks offer a wonderful conduit for making your way to several interesting areas.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the iconic Hyde Park, which has the benefit of being adjacent to Knightsbridge (where Harrods is). But for me, it’s so large that it’s a bit intimidating. I do recommend a visit to Speakers’ Corner, though, as people still go there, plunk down a milk crate, and rant. Not as often as they used to do, but it’s still great fun.

One of my very favorite park walks is along The Mall, which is the Queen’s ceremonial route from Buckingham Palace and also serves as the finish line for the London Marathon.

Depending on your perspective, The Mall begins at Buckingham Palace on the west end and finishes in the east at Trafalgar Square. With the palace at your back, you’ll walk by a collection of anachronistic—yet lovely—government buildings, and the street itself is tree-lined. Your last steps on The Mall will take you under the Admiralty Arch and into Trafalgar Square.

Directly north of the palace, Green Park is bordered by Constitution Hill, Picadilly, and Queen’s Walk, and can trace its history to the 16th century. It’s one of the more peaceful spots in the bustling city and borders Mayfair, a gorgeous and well-to-do neighborhood that features outstanding residential architecture.

Or wander through St. James’s Park, the oldest Royal Park. It offers many different routes, taking you to entertainment, shopping, or architectural history. A can’t- miss spot is the Blue Bridge, where you get excellent views (and photo ops) of Buckingham Palace, the Horseguards Parade Ground, the London Eye, and more.

After exploring the parks, if you end up at the northernmost corner of St. James’s, take a side trip through the Leicester Square area. It’s jam-packed with bars, clubs, restaurants, theaters, and other forms of entertainment. A solid choice for a meal in that area is Wagamama—there are a number of them in London. It features tasty, speedily delivered Japanese food at reasonable prices.

For a more formal sit-down meal, I stumbled upon Maison Touareg last time I was in London. The food is Moroccan and Lebanese, and I recommend the mezze, which basically means, “sampler plate.” You can try every thing from falafel to mousakaa. Along with the sauces, all of it was interesting, and most of it was delicious.

Also, despite the fact that the countries from which the restaurant draws its culinary influence are mostly “dry,” they do have an ancient wine-making tradition. Maison Touareg carries some fine examples of Moroccan and Lebanese wines that demonstrate the renewal of their craft.

After a pleasant meal, consider a stroll through a London park to round out your day. The parks remain vivid and active late into the evening. They’re safe and they’re lovely, even in the dark.

Parking in New York

For the next couple of posts, I’d like to focus on urban oases in a couple of my favorite places, and I’ll start with New York. Everyone knows about Central Park—I have walked or run the entire length and breadth of it myself—but how much do you really know? Here are a few fun facts about this iconic green space:

• It features 250 acres of lawns, 26,000 trees, 150 acres of lakes and streams, and 130 acres of woodlands.

• Horticultural staffers install hundreds of thousands of plantings annually, including bulbs, shrubs, flowers, and trees.

• Other crew members maintain 9,000 benches, 26 ballfields, and 21 playgrounds. They also preserve 55 sculptures and monuments, as well as 36 bridges.

• Still others remove graffiti within 24 hours and collect more than 5 million pounds of trash a year.

Within Central Park, each summer you can enjoy some wonderful entertainment. There’s the SummerStage. Celebrating 25 years of delivering an eclectic mix of entertainment, the 2010 schedule features everything from hip hop to gospel, as well as acts from all four corners of the world.

Another sign of summer in New York is the return of Shakespeare in the Park, which calls Central Park’s Delacorte Theater home. This year’s schedule features A Winter’s Tale and Merchant of Venice. It’s probably the best deal in New York theater, since tickets are free—although hard to come by.

Finally, for the sportier types, you have lots of options. For example, not many people know that you can actually go horseback riding in Central Park. It gives you a whole new perspective on the place, although be warned: The company that manages this program will put you through your paces before allowing you anywhere near a horse!

And, at the very northern end of Central Park is Harlem Meer, a small lake. There, you can practice catch-and-release fishing, with the park providing all the gear and bait you need to wile away a peaceful hour or three. It’s great fun for families, and you might catch a largemouth bass, sunfish, or, unfortunately, carp.

I also enjoy visiting the following green spaces very much:

• Unofficial center of New York University, Washington Square in Greenwich Village is one of the best people-watching bases in the city. With students, musicians, chess players, and loonies galore, you certainly won’t be bored.

• For a slightly more refined experience, I enjoy Bryant Park, which is in midtown Manhattan and features genteel activities all day. No doubt due to its proximity to the New York City Library, despite being an outdoor space, Bryant Park even has a reading room.

It’s difficult to limit my writing to such a cursory look at New York’s parks when there is something like 1,900 of them on offer. But I always try not to be a bore, and exceeding 500 words on the Web is akin to posting War and Peace. So, let me conclude with this request: Next time you’re in New York, wander through the nearest park you can find. There’s bound to be one close by.

A Tiny Sliver of Tokyo

First of all, let me say that Tokyo is daunting. With a population of more than 12 million, one of the highest urban densities on the planet, the city covering more than 2,100 square kilometers, the language being so different from Western languages, and English speakers being relatively sparse on the ground—it’s easy to be overwhelmed.

Please, don’t be.

Embrace the experience. Revel in the excitement. Immerse yourself in the city. And wear comfortable shoes.

One way to get a feel for a city is to visit its shopping districts, and Tokyo is no different. The city’s historic shopping mecca is the Ginza. These days, it features mainly the big names in luxury retailers, so it doesn't necessarily stand out. But I wanted to see it in person, so I took it upon myself to figure out how to get from my hotel to the Ginza via subway . . . on my own, and at night.

I spent most of my time on the Ginza in Mitsukoshi, Tokyo’s oldest department store. It was fascinating to see how Japanese retail works. I particularly enjoyed the food hall on the lower level. It was loud and full of unrecognizable smells, and I tried a bit of everything (seemingly), with mostly good results. (Stay away from the bean-flavored candy.)

In Tokyo, it seems that people generally are in a hurry—especially on the subway—and they go, go, go, fast. Being a slow American—although, fortunately for me, rather oversized—I held my ground in the first subway station I entered. Despite being buffeted about a lot, I managed to find my way, albeit with a few bumps and bruises, and many Japanese “excuse me’s”—at least, I hope that’s what they were saying.

On the language, one vital word you will use a lot is hai (pronounced “hi”). Basically, it means yes and, apparently, you must use this word at least six times when completing any transaction. Taxi drivers, in particular, like to confirm your destination several times and ensure that you understand how much you’re being charged. I managed to limp along with just a couple of other key words: Konnichiwa (hello), sayonara (goodbye) and domo arigato (thank you).

When I made my plans for Tokyo, I didn’t realize how close my hotel was to the Imperial Residence, until I went for a wander one morning. It’s a shock to the system, seeing such a tranquil and sylvan oasis in the middle of a sea of concrete and glass, but a welcome one.

The palace buildings and inner gardens are not open to the public, although you can set up a guided tour in advance with the Imperial Household Agency. Yet, the Imperial Palace East Gardens are open throughout the year, except on Mondays and Fridays. They truly are lovely, and I kept thinking: I can’t imagine another royal household where the great unwashed may wander unmolested through the grounds!

I stayed at the Tokyo Dome Hotel, which was very clean and well-organized, and the location and price were excellent. The only challenge is that it has a lot of restaurants, and finding out which one is serving what, and when, posed a bit of a challenge.

As its name suggests, the hotel is adjacent to the Tokyo Dome, which is home to the Yomiuri Giants baseball team. If you have never experienced baseball in Japan, it’s a hoot: They feature cheerleaders and highly choreographed chants.

This approach to life is part of the fabric of Tokyo—organized chaos. Wade in and become part of the fabric yourself.