Archive: June 2009

Our journey has begun. In chats among ourselves, we can sense in each other the kind of nervousness that characterizes big trips. It’s an energy in which you just know something inside you will be transformed forever. Our trip, however, has an additional variable: we sincerely – and modestly, we might add – aspire to transform something in everyone we meet. Yes, ExperienceLess has arrived to Paris!

The site chosen for our initial representation of ExperienceLess is Champs d’ Elysees, smack dab in the center of Paris, right next to a tourist information stand. No sooner do we set up our poster (see photo) that a gawking group of curious onlookers congregates around us. They must’ve wondered: Why is that young man clamoring for help to live this city when there’s a tourism stand just 10 meters away? Many of the more reticent onlookers never get an answer to the question. However, a fair share of those less shy step up to find out more about this thing called ExperienceLess.

We explain that our aim is to discover those must-see places that anyone wanting to live Paris cannot leave without experiencing. A couple of hours later, our Moleskine is overflowing with places to visit and things to do.

Armed with numerous suggestions, we set off poster in tow for Camps de Mars, following the advice of Laurence, a local urban photographer. She eagerly had told us about a screening near the Eiffel Tower that night of “Home”, a documentary on climate change. Lots of young people were supposed to be there. We couldn’t think of anything more appropriate to do on World Environment Day, so, we went. Well, she was right. Thousands of cool, environmentally-concerned people showed up to snack and down a few beers two hours before the film began. Thanks, Laurence!

We’d like to extend a warm thank-you to all those who stopped to inquire what we were up to and those of you who filled out our questionnaire with wonderful suggestions and, lastly, to those who supported us with a smile. Every little bit helps.

We wanted a Zeppelin and we got it. Now, we’re ready to seek for experiences all around Europe.

ExperienceLess Video 1 from trourist on Vimeo.

If you look up ExperienceLess in any on-line dictionary, you won’t find its meaning. For now. We say “for now” because sooner or later, someone will have to come up with a way to describe those of us who yearn to live real, genuine experiences whenever we travel, but, more often than not, come up empty-handed.

This is the premise under which ExperienceLess is born. Our goal is to become a movement whose sole purpose is to ask the advice and cooperation of people residing in a given location in order to live the greatest number of real experiences possible there. Why? Because these experiences which we crave to live are the ones that make traveling so special.

We cannot foretell the success of this movement, but we can promise you that we’ll do everything we can to take this idea to the limit. This coming Thursday, June 4th, we will embark on a one-month long tour of Europe’s hottest tour spots, during which we will spend a good portion of our time telling locals that we do not want to be mere visitors to their cities; instead  we want to see places that are invisible to the casual visitor and experience the kind of offbeat fun that is usually hidden to people just passing through.

Our planned itinerary – we use the term “planned” loosely because any trip should have an ample dose of marvelous improvisation – will take us to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Istanbul, Dubrovnik, Ljubljana  and  Barcelona. We will keep a diary of our experiences and accompanying thoughts as they happen and post them during the various stages of the trip from each port of call. Stay tuned.

If you know any of the above-mentioned cities where we plan to live our experiences, we invite you toshare your thoughts by writing us on our blog or trourist.com website.