Practical suggestions to the American tourist visiting Europe for the tourist time - Softcover

Reseña del editor

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1881 Excerpt: ... XXIII.-Spirit of the Tourist. Before starting on a visit to Europe, the tourist should have a clear idea concerning what he proposes to accomplish, for he should not travel in uncertainty of purposes. If he goes for no one special object, but to note what he may, he should classify his purposed observations in some good order, so as not to enter upon his tour without some general lines about which to associate the individual objects that shall pass his view; it will be far better to have a poor classification than none. For instance, under the idea of general observations, suppose the tourist arrange something like the following classification: Hotels; the poorer classes of people; the wealthier classes; forms of government; railways; steamboats; methods of doing business; natural scenery; fine art; industrial art; comforts of life, the so-called luxuries; amusements; wages for labor; state of education; state of religion; street scenes; holiday scenes, and the like. With some such classification, every thing seen will have some line of association, and travel will be far more profitable. Aimless travel is complimentary neither to the human intellect nor to the works of the Creator. The tourist should have well-established habits of observation, by which is meant that he should have the vigorous and normal use of his senses which should be constantly on the alert for whatever new impressions may chance along. To travel in a strange country amid ever-passing novel scenes, is to be constantly subject to marked and sudden impressions, thoughts and feelings, which arise because the scenes beheld are unfamiliar. These new ideas are precisely the measure of the difference between what is familiar and what is strange, The value of travel is to be estimated, not by...