Grantourismo & how we came to be going on a grand tour in 2010

Terry and I have been dreaming about doing a grand tour of sorts for a few years - since way back when we wrote the Grantourismo blog for Charles and Marie. We started to seriously develop the idea of a reincarnation of Grantourismo about a year ago, but we hadn't yet begun to think about how to fund it. Our original plan was to stay in one destination for a month at a time, and to really try to get beneath the skin of the place, to get to know the locals, learn as much of the language as we could, to learn some things unique or special to the place, and to write a book about the project. We were over the moon when we discovered that HomeAway Holiday Rentals had a similar marketing exercise in mind, their idea being to send a couple of travel writers around the world to explore a more enriching and authentic way of travel that was possible through holiday home stays, rather than hotels. It was a godsend that they believed our project would fit, and we were happy to compromise a little (two destinations a month instead of one) to be able to make it work together. I'll tell you a little bit more about Grantourismo in coming posts.

Musings on Mallorca: part 3

Of course experiencing local culture is not high on every traveller's list of priorities - as we were often reminded in Mallorca. Some people simply want to lie in the sun and read a book, others just want to have fun with friends, and they don't care where they do it. But when I write, I write with a different audience in mind - one for whom experiencing local culture, language, history, art, and cuisine and so on are just as important than lying by a pool. Unfortunately, Mallorca has for too long focused its sights on promoting sun and sand - or bucket and spade - tourism. And through its efforts to make the holiday experience for sunworshippers cheap and easy, the island has lost much of its culture and destroyed some of its coastline in the process. I'm talking about the wall-to-wall high-rise hotels, the once-pretty coves now backed by ugly concrete apartment blocks, the menus in four languages and featuring beef stroganof and fish and chips, and an abundance of tacky souvenir shops, Irish bars, British pubs, betting shops, and lap-dancing clubs. This is what I don't like about Mallorca. Mass tourism in its ugliest form. And sadly, it can be a challenge to escape it. It's not a handful of towns that have given over to package tourists, as is the case in Cyprus, but a whole stretch of coastline west of Palma, another in the north, and dozens of other spots in the east and south. And don't think Mallorcans are happy about this. Most we met are not - especially the younger generation - but they seem powerless to do anything about it and admit they've lost control. Why? Because much of the development is foreign-owned. Mallorca makes a great case study for how not to develop tourism. But on a positive note, it's also a brilliant candidate for an experiment in sustainable tourism and how to turn a destination around.

Off-season travel: Cyprus

I’m reminded of how appealing traveling off-season can be, as we travel around Cyprus updating a guidebook. There’s something about clambering across archaeological ruins devoid of tourists, hiking along an empty nature trail through silent scenery, or sitting at an al fresco café by the sea on a cold, windy day, the wild sea crashing on the sandstone sea walls of the port. Generally seen as a summer destination for English tourists, the little island of Cyprus is undergoing a travel revolution of sorts. In the south in Greek-speaking Cyprus, there are chic new boutique hotels, fine dining restaurants, fascinating new shops, and stylish cafés and bars. While some beach resorts are closed for the winter, it’s a great time to book into a boutique hotel such as the Londa Hotel or more plush accommodation such as that of the Four Seasons, and experience the island’s urban delights with the locals – and without the masses of tourists. The south is also home to some truly spectacular countryside, from the pine forests of the Troodos Mountains to the isolated Arkamas Peninsula (pictured), the former of which we’ve criss-crossed half a dozen times during our research, often not seeing another car for hours, and the latter which we hiked early one morning last week. In the north in Turkish-speaking Cyprus, a welcoming trend is toward eco-tourism and sustainable travel and in the village of Buyukkonuk, near the Karpaz peninsula, Lois and Ismail Cemal offer guests at their small B&B a chance to experience the everyday life of this working village. You can take a walk with a shepherd as he takes his sheep out to graze on the lush grasses under the olive trees, go on a walk along the ridge of the craggy limestone mountain range and pick wild herbs, or learn how to bake local olive and halloumi bread with one of the village bakers. It’s a fabulous time of year to simply hire a car and make your way around the small island at your own pace. The weather is mild, the air crystal clear, and the light crisp and clean, defying the fact that it’s winter.