"I was glad I hadn't known about this beforehand. If I'd stuck to my usual method of over-preparation, I would have read all the details about [Montmartre and its] view. I would have seen professional photos. I would have heard the dissenting voices bemoaning the crowds and those pesky kids with their soccer ball. I...

"This is the travel platitude to end all travel platitudes: it's not about the place, it's about the people. Agreed. So let's not forget that even on the tourist trail -- especially here, come to think of it -- you can meet all kinds of people who are interesting and worldly and not at all...

"But where's the fun? Where's the adventure? It's not just "If it's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium," it's "If it's seven o'clock, this must be the Café Le Petit Obsessive-Compulsive, this wine must be the Pinot Noir that I read about on Wines.com, the server must be Yvette, who got high marks on TripAdvisor, and...