Are There Other Themes?
So far, we have been talking about a one-day or extended weekend theme experience — Past Themes.
But what about seven days or more?
Surely, there are no themes that will cover those. Well, there are. And stop calling me…
The Grand Tour
In the 1700s, wealthy young Englishmen began taking a trek through France and Italy before starting college. These would last for months or possibly years.
The “idea” was that they would soak up art, culture, and grasp the roots of Western civilization. They were also expected to perfect their language skills and make contacts with Europe’s old families.
These took place in a time before you could upload the Mona Lisa, or download Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in g minor, with a flick of a phone. So this had a “theme” running through it, even if the young men, and later women, didn’t learn much.
I guess you could go back to the world’s first Cruise Director. Noah’s cruise went more than 40 days with the theme of survival and re-population. That was a Love Boat.
Today.
You will want to look for other themes that will hold your interest for seven days. For most people, seven days of museums would be too much. I find three hours is about the maximum in any one museum for my groups.
I know people who have spent the better part of 3-4 full days trying to see all of the Hermitage, Louvre or Vatican Museums.
You could do the Napa Valley for seven days, but you might need an additional week at Betty Ford afterward.
Mae West commented that too much of a good thing is wonderful. But seven days of any one thing might be too much.
So maybe we are looking for a broader theme. Do those exist?
Wright in Your Own Backyard.
Frank Lloyd Wright – You can spend a week in Chicago viewing the 22 structures of his still standing. Many include interior visits. Or you can make it into a road trip beginning or ending in Chicago.
For instance, Minnesota has two properties, Wisconsin nine. There is a trail of properties stretching from the Windy City to the Zimmerman House in Manchester NH. Some are seasonal, and some are not open to the public. What other themes can your dream of involving Mr. Wright?
Or you can apply it for another architect, an artist, beds George Washington slept in, etc.
Look at other dreams for a long weekend. Maybe your “other themes” is just a more extended version of your weekend trip.
Instead of doing 100 miles of route 66, do 500 over seven days. Instead of only driving Oregon’s coast, add Washington state’s as well.
A Beautiful Island in the Sun.
The other themes are numerous. The Florida Keys, California’s Channel Islands, Washington’s San Juan Islands, North Carolina’s Outer Banks, or Casco Bay in Maine offer something different.
Where is “Thousand Islands” besides the salad dressing aisle at your grocery store?
There are more than 1800 islands in the St Lawrence River making up the Thousand Islands. Here you can tour historic sites, castles, take boat tours or stroll quaint towns.
In the spring, the maple syrup is dripping, and in the fall, apple everything is on the menu. There are more than a dozen wineries, breweries, and distilleries taking advantage of the micro-climate. You should sample them all. And see if you can figure out where the salad dressing originated. That falls under other themes.
Great Lakes have Great Islands
Many people have heard about Mackinac Island, but did you know all the Great Lakes have islands? More than 35,000 of them, although only a minority of them have a human population.
And at less than four square miles, Mackinac is one of the smaller ones. The state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario have the most significant number of islands “open” year-round.
You can find communities with Irish, Dutch, German, Polish, Finnish, and many other old country ties. There are islands with nothing more than a store, an old inn, and a few houses. At the other end, there are islands with amusement parks on them.
A theme of islands, lighthouses, and wineries would more than fill seven days. Fishing, shipwrecks, island life, history, natural settings are other ideas.
Alaska has more than 2600 islands. If you go on an Alaskan cruise, you will probably be stopping on at least one.
Our 50th state also has islands. Eight islands, seven of which are inhabited, plus numerous smaller islands, atolls, reefs, and islets.
What other themes involving islands can you dream up?
Distant Shores
Beyond Hawaii are the islands of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. The Indian Ocean has Seychelles and the Maldives. All are antidotes to civilization. There are still a few Bahamian and Caribbean islands that are not shopping malls, yet.
Japan has more than 6,800 islands, the Philippines more than 7,000, and Indonesia more than 17,000.
In Northern Europe, little Estonia has over 2,300 islands; The United Kingdom has more than 6,200 and Norway 55,000. They don’t even come close to Finland with 188,000 and Sweden with more than 221,000.
The Mediterranian has Spanish islands and French ones. There’s Sicily, Capri, and other Italian Islands. Italy has over 350 sea islands. The Dalmatian Coast has more than 70 islands and around 500 islets adding to its charm.
And then there is Greece. More than 6,000 islands and over 225 of them have people living on them. No wonder some people don’t realize Greece has a mainland as well.
Most of the islands fall into one of six groups:
Ionian – off Greece’s north-west coast in the sea of the same name.
Saronic – are in the Saronic gulf near Athen’s port of Piraeus.
The Cyclades – A circular group of islands in the central Aegean Sea.
Sporades – Are a small group just off the east coast of Greece.
North Aegean – is a loose group of islands to the north-east of Greece.
Dodecanese – A long string of islands off the Turkish coast.
And then there’s Crete. The fifth-largest island in the Mediterranian and with a mood of its own. You could easily spend seven days in just one of these groups of islands or on Crete.
So island hopping or hiding are other themes you can use.
Eat Your Way Through.
In America, it seems like we have the cuisine of every nation available. And yet, most people don’t know the joy of fresh pasta or real feta cheese.
We have the cuisine of the northeast, the midwest, the south, Texas, California, the Pacific Northwest. So many people do not realize other countries have regional cuisines.
You know Maine is the place for lobster, rather than steaks. Unless you’re along the Gulf, seafood in Texas is not going to compare to their meat on the grill. Gumbo tastes different in New Orleans than it does in Chicago. Most countries are the same. Chinese and Japanese are not the same. Even Japanese from the south is different than from the north of the country. Europe is the same way.
In France alone, there are 11 distinct culinary regions just on the mainland. Germany has five, Spain has six and Italy has 20. Mainland Greece has at least four. And the islands, well, remember me saying there were over 200?
Meal Planning
So how do you do a cuisine theme? You can spend 2-3 days in the south of a country. Then enjoy the rest of the week in the north and see the dramatic differences. For example, the Provencale of Southern France in contrast to the cuisine of Normandy.
Or something more subtle, Start in Torino (Piedmont) Italy and slowly move east to Milan, (Lombardia) Parma, (Emilia Romagna) and then Venice (Veneto.) And with your lunch and dinner, you should sample the local wines.
Order 2-3 things and share. Don’t eat whole entrees by yourself. And do like the locals, walk a lot.
Along the way, go truffle hunting. Do a pasta making class here, a winery visit there. See how they make Parma cheese. Taste REAL Italian balsamic vinegar.
Visit the Slow Food University and hotel, located in a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Bra. Have an Italian meal you will not forget any time soon. And if you need a museum, pre-arrange a visit to their Wine Museum and wine bank.
Google “Cuisine of _______”. You may surprise yourself at what you learn. There’s more to Italy than spaghetti, Greece does not live on gyros alone.
Trying to take in one country’s history, art, traditions, cities, and towns, plus the cuisine in two days is overwhelming. In eight hours before sailing to another country, well, that’s just downright mean.
Other Themes
Visit as many UNESCO World Heritage sites as you can. Italy has 54; China has 53, Spain 47, France and Germany both have 44. That’s a lot more than you can cover in a week, so there’s planning for your next 5-6 trips.
Greece has 18 sites, and in visiting the country for more than 20 years, I am still missing 3.
I am even more ashamed to say that I have not visited all 23 UNESCO sites in the United States. I am nine short. Three are in New Mexico, one of two states I have yet to visit. What is my excuse for the other six?
Other themes might include locations from books or movies. Maybe you would like to read a play by Shakespeare where they took place.
Following in someone’s footsteps, a biblical person, say Paul. Follow an artist like Van Gogh who went from the Netherlands to the French Riviera during his life. How about a historical figure like Alexander the Great? Their travels can be a great way to tie a tour together.
Other, Other Themes
How about the mode of travel as a theme? Just some options include biking, hiking, train, hot-air balloon, lake steamer; there are many other themes using transportation. Half the fun is getting there.
Are you able to look at planning a trip a little differently now? What do YOU want to get out of the travel? What experiences do you want to have?
If you can’t find a program that checks off your boxes, create one that will.
Taking the first step is usually the hardest part of a trip.
What would make you travel? Hopefully, this article has opened a new window.
What would your “theme” be?
“See Rome Italy” Continued on Page T8. “Thessaloniki Wine” Continued on T14
I would like a train ride from Paris through the Italian Alps to Venice. What sites would I see? It would be a real adventure.