As I set off on my journey, alone, from Antibes to Saint Maximin la Sainte Baume for my Mary Magdalene mini-pilgrimage, all my lofty musings (Traveler, Tourist, Pilgrim) splatted on me like so much sea gull poop. Turns out, I’m a Touron. When my parents lived in St. Simons Island, GA, residents had a term for the tourists who flooded the island during high season—driving slowly, getting lost, and generally clogging up the place in their oblivion. “Touron,” a portmanteau of … [Read more...]
Je m’appelle Tourist, Traveler, Pilgrim
Though my travel documents--and our travel agent--list me as a tourist on this vacation, I've always wanted to think of myself as a Traveler. I like to think I am present in a new place but the reality is that I cling to my comfort zone, like a tourist, having fun the same way I would at home but with a more exotic backdrop. Surely traveling is different now, in the time of Covid; we packed tests, masks, more sanitizer than usual. Fingers crossed we stay healthy to enjoy the trip even … [Read more...]