Different Slants

2004080929, originally uploaded by richard_munden.

One of the things we love to do when traveling is to explore the places we unexpectedly come across. We were on a bus returning from a day at Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany when we spotted this pedestrian street. We jump off at the next stop and spent an hour or two just walking along and enjoying all the interesting little shops and cafes.

Our style of travel involves a minimum of planning. I usually reserve my hotel the day we arrive at an overseas destination because I know I will be too tired and jet lagged to think. I may also plan our departure so there is no hassle getting to the airport on time. Everything in between is part of the adventure of travel.

On this trip we knew our arrival date in Amsterdam and our departure date from Salzburg, Austria six weeks later. I also had a date for a speaking engagement in Belgrade, Serbia. The rest of the trip was extemporaneous. Sometimes we would use the web to research accommodations one stop ahead. Other times we didn’t start looking until we got off the train. It always worked out and we met great people everywhere - although less planning seemed to result in meeting more people.

So, this column’s advice is, “Take your time and don’t over plan your trips”.