idle gaze 054: the plight of the vibe tourist

in a recent “places to visit ” issue of the curation newsletter Perfectly Imperfect, Delia Caidescribes an ideal Berlin trip:

I find solo trips to be a delicate art—there is nothing more freeing than setting aside an entire week to wander around aimlessly, anonymously. But you do have to factor in a few hours a day for some inevitable existential mo

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This contributes to what Agnes Callard coins the “locomotive” character that has pervaded modern tourism:

“I went to France.” O.K., but what did you do there? “I went to the Louvre.” O.K., but what did you do there? “I went to see the ‘Mona Lisa.’ ” That is, before quickly moving on: apparently, many people spend just fifteen seconds looking at the

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