[Matt Landau]

This week in a NYT travel article I learned the word Flâneur. Here's some of my fav quotes:

A flâneur is an idle stroller who wanders aimlessly and lets 'accident' be their guide: one of the best ways to explore a destination is not with goals or itineraries but by following your senses

To walk a city led by your senses rather than a destination is to awaken to the city and, possibly, to yourself.

It’s an opportunity to expand your capacity for wonder, to discover and delight in things you might have missed had you been aiming to get somewhere.

A Flâneur's aimless strolling is conducive to savoring, to finding joy in the moment, a practice that some social scientists have found can be cultivated and may help lead to a more fulfilling life.

Flâneurs open themselves more to the unexpected, to the little surprises that sometimes turn out to be the best part of a day, or an entire vacation.

In addition to savoring the moment, strolling can be a way to begin to understand the cities we visit.

A certain romance, an air of freedom and a desire to pursue a slower, looser way of experiencing a city — if only for an afternoon. Eventually, you return to your hotel. You’ve strolled unfamiliar streets and tried new things. If you’re lucky, you’ve seen something beautiful or tasted something superb. Maybe you’re feeling grateful, or you’ve rekindled some joie de vivre.

Have you ever been a Flâneur and a great vacation memory happened?!

I wanted to start a discussion so everyone can share their own Flâneur moments (I will kick it off below)! BONUS POINTS if you encourage flâneurism with your guests!

 

[Matt Landau]

OK so I'll kick it off...I was visiting Montevideo with Stuart and Tammy and we had a double flaneur kind of evening:

1. Walking in the streets one night we heard this distant drumbeat .. followed our ears .. and eventually found this incredible parade of women drummers and dancers called Candombe. We joined them for hours. It was unforgettable.



2. After that, walking home, we were hungry and bumped into a wine shop owner we had met earlier. He said nothing was open at this late hour EXCEPT for a korean restaurant inside a pool hall accessed only through a hidden door in the back. We went and you just have to watch the footage for yourself...

 

[DavidJacoby]

Do I have a doozy when it comes to "unplanned"...

Summer 2021, our house was being remodeled and we had to leave, so we planned to spend all 10 weeks of the kids' Summer break in Ecuador; me, my wife, and our two kids (ages 8 and 9). Why not!? We do lots of research and have all our flights, destinations, vacation rentals, nanny, etc lined up. Even co-living for six weeks with some other friends!

So we get to the airport and they won't let us board our plane. Our kids' passports were valid for the entirety of our trip, but that wasn't enough; they had to be valid for 6 months from time of entry. With all the Covid testing and requirements we had to jump through, we missed the "normal" requirements. Rookie travel mistake for us experienced travelers!

Long story short, we go back home and look into countries with less strict requirements. I leave an urgent message with a customer, Nick Halverson from Osa Property Management in Costa Rica. He calls me back immediately because he's thinking that something is badly wrong with Hostfully, lol! I tell him my situation and he saves us by hooking us up with a sweet deal for a beautiful property that was available for a couple weeks.

We book new tickets and the very next morning we are on our way to Costa Rica. We have a place to stay for two weeks and we'd figure the rest out once we get there!

Of course, things could have been a lot worse having to pivot to Costa Rica! Needless to say it was an amazing adventure, most of it "on the fly", and I really can't imagine it having been any other way.

 

[Sallie]

Bo and I are waiting for our Sunday lunch to be served at a cliffside restaurant in Todi, Umbria in Italy. The outdoor terrace is filled with families dressed in church clothes, all talking and dining. We’re the only foreigners.

I heft my camera bag over my shoulder and slip between the tables toward the railing so I can photograph the view (this is before cell phones with cameras). I take several shots, turn around, and wind my way back toward our table.

I spot a large dog lying beneath a table with ten people. It looks like three generations of a family. The dog is dozing at the feet of the grandmother. Emboldened by my year’s worth of Pimsleur Italian lessons, I stop and catch the grandmother’s eye.

"Scusi signora, posso accarezzare il tua cane?” I ask (Excuse me madam, may I pet your dog?).

“Si, si! Prego!” she answers, beaming at me.

I crouch down and stroke the dog’s head and ears. In Italian, I tell the grandmother the dog is beautiful, and ask its name and age.

A young teenage girl sitting across from the grandmother says, in English, “It’s not her dog, it’s ours. Her name is Bella, and she’s five years old.”

The grandmother touches my forearm, then opens the purse on her lap. She pulls out a worn photograph and shows it to me.

“Questo é il mia cane,” she says. This is my dog.

“Molto bello,” I say, smiling at her.

“This dog died three years ago,” the granddaughter says. “My grandmother keeps his picture in her purse. She loved him very much.”

This brings tears to my eyes. I open my camera bag and pull out a photograph of our two golden retrievers, and show it to the grandmother.

“These are our dogs,” I say in Italian. “This is Bogie and this is Ella. Bogie is five years old and Ella is two years old.”

The grandmother studies my photo and smiles at me, her own eyes teary. The granddaughter asks me, in English, if I’m from the United States.

“Si,” I answer, then add, in Italian, “Your English is very good, including your accent!” She beams, the grandmother beams, and the rest of the family beams.

“Piacera e grazie,” I say to the grandmother as I touch her forearm.

“I love you,” the grandmother says in English.

The granddaughter looks startled and quickly tells me, “She means she’s pleased to have met you too.”

I give the dog one last pat and wish the family a good day. They certainly made mine unforgettable.

Ten years later, when I hosted guests at our Mexico property, I remembered how gratifying this exchange felt. I encouraged our guests to learn a few words in Spanish and greet people in our friendly village. "They understand it's important to practice a new language, and appreciate you making the effort. They may want to practice their English with you." I also kept an English-Mexico Spanish phrase book and an English-Spanish pocket dictionary in our casa.

 

[RuthM]

I take for granted that people want to do cool things on vacation in our little village of Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy. I am happy to send people to our favorite restaurants and call to get them a reservation. Especially appreciated on those time when everywhere is booked but I can get a spot as a “local insider” for our guests. I’ve sent guests to harvest grapes, organized private guided tours with a fabulous American/Italian couple who live and guide locally. Two of our best experiences:
1) we saw our guests on the terrace from our terrace (we were staying at one of our two apartments) and invited them over for a drink. Kids played, parents talked, lovely evening!
2) guests wanted to do a pesto making class and asked about a local one. I had heard it was good but had never done it. Asked if they would mind if we did it too: my husband and I did the course with our guests (and 10 other travelers) and it was fantastic! Enjoyed the class, enjoyed getting to know our guests and have sent so many happy/grateful people to that class.

 

[Will Franco]

The thoughtful touches at each of the following rentals awakened my inner flâneur, providing the perfect prompts for leisurely, unplanned wandering.

In Charleston, a complimentary bicycle from the Vendue Inn unlocked the city's hidden corners and sun-splashed side streets. In Ravello, the fridge was stocked with ingredients like fresh mozzarella and vine-ripened tomatoes, along with a tip on where to buy some lemoncello - fuel for meandering walks through hillside villages. On Useppa Island, an eight-seater golf cart came with the property, ideal for spontaneous island roaming.

The hosts at each place provided just the right amount of nudging without laying down rigid plans, allowing for aimless adventure in the spirit of a modern day flâneur.

 

[BobG]

We definitely introduce guests to one another, at our weekly pizza party where guests get to meet up and we all make pizza together (not this year of course) - taking it in turns to roll out the dough, top it with ingredients, cook it in the outdoor pizza bread oven and share it with fellow guests over a glass or two of wine. We have done over 250 of these parties and they are mentioned as the highlight of the week by so many guests.

After the party, usually at the beginning of the week, friendships are formed and people of then go off to do other things together during their stay. After the holiday it is not unusual for people to stay in touch and meet up back at home. We even have groups who co-ordinate their next stay with us so that they can enjoy another holiday together.

This serendipity works so well and usually gets quoted in the reviews and is often one of the reasons people return. I can vouch that it works. Of course it is a free event. We put it down to cost of sales and it is very cheap. We love it too because being with guests is the best part of our job.

Here is an old slideshow from 8 years ago that captures some of the atmosphere.

 

[davidliedl]

I like control, or rather the allusion of control, so I'm naturally a trip-planner. I want to have all the details of the trip spelled out; where are we staying? Where will we eat lunch? Where will I stop for a 945a London Fog w/ oat milk (I joke...?) Recently, I've been spending time in prayer meditating on the idea of "open hands", being open to receive what comes away and recognizing it as a gift as opposed to my normal mode of operation - white knuckle it, and if that doesn't work, do better. (Have you tried trying harder?)

The idea of "open hands" melds with a less structured and more "open" approach to travel plans. When we try so hard to control we get tunnel vision and we often miss the simple beauty of life, especially when traveling or visiting different areas. I experienced this recently on loosely planned trip to NOLA. I was traveling with my dad to help consult on a STR investment project for work and had some structured meetings I was obligated to attend, but generally was open to seeing NOLA. This unplanned-ness (that's a word right?), allowed me to be more curious and dive deeper into learning, tasting and exploring things I would've otherwise blown right by.

Stop and smell the roses, you might find more joy in the journey.

 

[Matt Landau]

This unplanned-ness (that's a word right?), allowed me to be more curious and dive deeper into learning, tasting and exploring things I would've otherwise blown right by.

it was an amazing adventure, most of it "on the fly", and I really can't imagine it having been any other way.

I give the dog one last pat and wish the family a good day. They certainly made mine unforgettable.

LOVE THESE!!!

 

[SScurlock]

While giving a tour to a couple we visited the barn and the young woman was holding and cuddling a baby goat when she began to cry. She said it brought back memories of her growing up in Italy and visiting her grandmother's farm and goats. She went on to explain that her grandmother had passed away months before, and this experience made her feel closer to her grandmother, and brought closure for her in accepting her death.

 

[Tom M.]

We try our best to just "meander about" or some say "meander around" at home and when travelling with only shoe leather between us and the ground. It is truly amazing what one can experience when simply paying attention when meandering.

A few years ago on a long drive to Florida a PBS radio show interviewed a leading thinker. They used the term "continuous partial attention". It has stuck with yours truly since.

Simply paying attention can enhance one's life when meandering. Perhaps Hosts would take some time to meander both physically and virtually, thinking like the persona of their guests, and share their experience?

 

[LindaS]

Susan and I were flaneurs in Amsterdam and we had such a wonderful time. We had no idea where we were going and where we would end up. As we wandered the city, we stopped in a few coffee houses, visited a museum, strolled through the red light district, went into interesting shops, and knew we would find our way back to the hotel when we were ready to go. It was truly a memorable day, pretty stress-free because we weren't trying to find something; "something" found us.

 

[LindaS]

We definitely introduce guests to one another, at our weekly pizza party where guests get to meet up and we all make pizza together (not this year of course) - taking it in turns to roll out the dough, top it with ingredients, cook it in the outdoor pizza bread oven and share it with fellow guests over a glass or two of wine. We have done over 250 of these parties and they are mentioned as the highlight of the week by so many guests.

After the party, usually at the beginning of the week, friendships are formed and people of then go off to do other things together during their stay. After the holiday it is not unusual for people to stay in touch and meet up back at home. We even have groups who co-ordinate their next stay with us so that they can enjoy another holiday together.

This serendipity works so well and usually gets quoted in the reviews and is often one of the reasons people return. I can vouch that it works. Of course it is a free event. We put it down to cost of sales and it is very cheap. We love it too because being with guests is the best part of our job.

Here is an old slideshow from 8 years ago that captures some of the atmosphere.

I hope I can come stay and your place one day and have pizza.

 

[Craig]

I'd love to be a Flaneur, but I'm married to a PLANeur...

 

[davidliedl]

We definitely introduce guests to one another, at our weekly pizza party where guests get to meet up and we all make pizza together (not this year of course) - taking it in turns to roll out the dough, top it with ingredients, cook it in the outdoor pizza bread oven and share it with fellow guests over a glass or two of wine. We have done over 250 of these parties and they are mentioned as the highlight of the week by so many guests.

After the party, usually at the beginning of the week, friendships are formed and people of then go off to do other things together during their stay. After the holiday it is not unusual for people to stay in touch and meet up back at home. We even have groups who co-ordinate their next stay with us so that they can enjoy another holiday together.

This serendipity works so well and usually gets quoted in the reviews and is often one of the reasons people return. I can vouch that it works. Of course it is a free event. We put it down to cost of sales and it is very cheap. We love it too because being with guests is the best part of our job.

Here is an old slideshow from 8 years ago that captures some of the atmosphere.

Pizza, wine, this sounds simply divine! Where are your properties located Bob?