Introduction
Begin: Random starting pointEnd: The nearest métro stationTime: Should be of little importance and not the determining factorIntroductionAt its best, a guidebook may transform the way you experience a new place, accelerate your knowledge of a city, and fill you with insight that would otherwise take decades of experience to accumulate. For example, you learn how to navigate a labyrinthine old section of Paris, where to stop for an unforgettable treat, which lesser-known museums are worth a visit, etc. In short, a good guidebook can be an expert travel companion, always ready to help you get the most out of your trip. And that is precisely the problem. Sometimes, even the best of companions—especially the experts—get in the way. Sometimes the very thing meant to bring you closer to a “new” city might be the one thing separating you from it.A problem with guidebooks is that they don’t teach you how to get lost. And you will never really know a city until you have been lost in it—a statement true for any city but doubly so for Paris. Getting lost in Paris is a disappearing art form. Most tourists are too worried about not getting lost to ever categorize such moments of disorientation as desirable. (Instead, their anxiety leads them to purchase guidebooks and tickets for open-air bus tours.) Meanwhile, guidebooks, with every step neatly mapped out for you, are complicit in creating a culture limited to purposeful wandering, checklists, and itineraries. Let’s face it—most guidebooks want nothing more than to spend time with you in a blissful state of codependency. But what if guidebooks were a little less needy? What if they aimed to foster a healthier attitude about the uncertainty of travel? What if they told you, in a tough-love sort of way, to get lost?Depending on your attitude, the “Anti-Walk” Walk will either sound like a soul-replenishing adventure or a parental punishment (No TV for a week!). If it sounds like punishment, and you want stick with all the other guided walks in this book, there is nothing wrong with that. However, if you’re up for a very different walk experience, leave the book at home this time and follow these easy-to-remember steps:1. Choose a random starting point.2. Be a flâneur.3. When you’re ready to stop, find the nearest métro station. (The beauty of the Paris Métro is that there is always a stop nearby, so you never have to remain lost unless it’s by choice.)4. Repeat this walk as many times as you would like.
The End
After the WalkTake a few moments of solitude and write down your impressions and thoughts from today’s walk. If you liked being a flâneur, dedicate a notebook to this purpose. When you repeat this walk, it will never be the same.And after traveling and visiting Paris, you will never be the same, either.
