Between 1940 and 1945 the network of concentration camps in annexed Poland known as Auschwitz Birkenau killed an estimated 1.1 million Jews, Poles, Roma and Soviet prisoners of war. The camp was a machine of death, its name now synonymous with torture, gas chambers and the Holocaust. In 1979 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is visited by an estimated 1.4 million people a year (number taken from 2011 estimate.) I've visited a few different Holocaust memorials and each time I'm struck by the way that each person around me experiences it. As I walked through the Mémorial de la Shoah's Wall of Names in Paris' Marais district, I noticed people running their hands along certain names, lingering slowly to let the realization of the horrors committed sink in. Others calmly walked by, noting the names but ultimately moving further inside quickly.

We Must Remember

The idea of a memorial as a tourist "attraction" feels odd to me. I love learning the history of a new place, connecting its now to the good and bad of its earlier years and soaking in the context. As I stood in line to enter the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam I remembered the scenes from "Nuit et brouillard"(Night and Fog), the 1956 French documentary by Alain Resnais that looked at the abandoned grounds of Auschwitz and Majdanek a mere 10 years after their liberation. It's black and white depictions of the scene of so much horror is sobering, emotional and ultimately unsettling. The monochrome shots tear at your soul, urging you to examine how these atrocities could have occurred in a so-called modern society.

The pieces that always stick with me are the personal stories and recollections of survivors. They lived through hell and their words carry a weight that should cut through eternity. These memories must be remembered. Seeing the actual diary of a young teenage girl who was sent to her death at the age of 15 for simply being Jewish brought me to tears. I stood in a line of English, German and Dutch tourists viewing her writings and barely a word was spoken. As soon as we left the tiny house, each one sparked up conversations about nationalism and anti-Semitism in each others own country. The house of remembrance had done its job.

Tourist vs. Pilgrim

My wife leads a pilgrimage each year for incoming college students to London and Canterbury that aims to connect them with the roots of the Episcopal/Anglican faith. The students walk through Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey seeing the formation of their faith tradition come alive in front of their eyes. A pilgrim's eyes see not with wonder but discovery. They search for meaning, connection and context to inform their present lives. That's how these sites of remembrance must be approached. The Santayana quote "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," should live in our hearts. Simply visiting sites of remembrance and not letting ourselves be changed by their sobering realities is a disservice to our own selves. See not as a tourist looking for beauty, but as a pilgrim craving meaning and discovery. In that meaning, you'll see a deeper beauty, one that can change your worldview.

Being a bit of a gear head, it's hard for me to leave all my cool camera stuff at home. It's the perfectionist in me that wants to frame everything correctly and have just the right lens to capture the light perfectly. Well, the thing is, I don't always have my Nikon D750 with me. It's kinda bulky and when I walk around all day it can become a burden if filming wasn't what I intended to do. You know what's always with me? My iPhone. This short video from Wang Yao exploring Tokyo shows that you don't always need the perfect equipment to capture memories. With just an iPhone, Yao harnesses the beauty of Japan's capital city. Colors pop and streets come to life with people all in front of the little camera lens. Is it the best footage ever? No. But it gets the job done and makes a beautiful cinematic travel memory. Tokyo seems like a magical place to me, a delight to the senses. This travel video captures that and more. So next time that you're out and about, remember that any memory worth having is one worth capturing.

The first time I saw Paris was on a bus. It was 2007 and my mom had come to visit me while I was traipsing about London and on our itinerary was a quick day-trip to Paris. We hopped on the Eurostar and in a few hours we were aboard a private bus tour. It was air-conditioned, lovely and honestly, a bit sterile. We were experiencing one of the most beautiful cities in the world from behind glass and with no way to do what we wanted. Sure it was a quick trip but there had to be a better way.

Jump On The Big Bus

If you haven't been to a city before, the best way to experience it is by walking its streets. If you're pressed for time, an open-top bus is the next best thing. I've taken the Big Bus Paris Tour a number of times, including this past June, and have never been disappointed. It's a quick, fun way to get your bearings in Paris and plan where you want to visit with your remaining time. My wife and I have used Big Bus Tours in London to keep a group of high school pilgrims awake on their very first day in the country. In Rome, we hopped on a Big Bus to maximize a poorly planned trip (totally my fault) and see the highlights.

While it's not everyones preferred method of seeing Paris, there definitely are advantages to the Big Bus Tour. If you're using a Paris Pass, its included in the price and is a great kick off to seeing la Ville Lumière. It's hop off/hop-on feature lets you take your time when visiting museums or sites. So if time is of the essence, a Big Bus Tour is definitely the way to go.

Intimate Paris in a Citroën

cedric paris tours

If a bus isn't your thing, then maybe a private car ride around Paris with a local Parisian guide might be. On our honeymoon, my wife surprised me with a jaunt around Paris with Cedric of Cedric's Paris Tours and his 1982 Citroën 2CV "Thelma", complete with champagne. The tour was tailored to us and skipped the St. Germain de Pres area, since that was where we were staying, and focused on areas a bit further out. Cedric was beyond amazing and explained everything about the car, Parisian history and quirks of the city as we passed by the Arc de Triomphe and through the tiny streets on the Île Saint-Louis.

The tour was so great that we even sent our parents on it this past June for an anniversary present. Cedric and his drivers are all local Parisians and they have a few different cars and options to choose from to help tailor your tour to your taste. On our honeymoon we opted for a two-hour night experience with Champagne and photo opportunities behind Notre Dame. You can even book a tour with a photographer and visit all the best Parisian photo spots.

Life On Two Wheels

One of the most hilarious experiences that I've ever had in Paris was taking a Fat Tire Paris bike tour that snaked in and out of traffic, through crowds and in parks. We "dominated" lanes while drivers honked at us and thought we'd never make it back to the office, but we did and it was a blast. We took the Paris Day Tour but the real excitement came with the Versailles Bike Tour. Most people head out to Versailles and only experience the Chateau and a little section of the impressive gardens, but there's so much more to see. With Fat Tire you get transportation from Paris To Versailles and a truly magical ride around the massive palace grounds.

Did you know that Marie Antoinette had a small hamlet built away from the main palace to escape life as a French royal? Well, this tour takes your right up to the hamlet, complete with farm animals and a unique look at life in the time of Louis XIV. For lunch you get to shop at the local market and have a memorable picnic at the far end of the Grand Canal, with many great photo opportunities along the way.

Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet at Versailles

However you see Paris, make sure you wander a bit. That's where the magic in the city really comes out.

I'm never lost. Like, seriously never. No matter where I am, my trusty iPhone is at my side and ready to find exactly what I need or where I need to go. It's a huge relief to always know exactly where I'm headed even when I'm in a foreign country that I've never explored before. The problem is, it also strips me of my sense of wonder. I used to wander around cities and find the most amazing things. Hidden bookshops, cafe's and sights to behold. Now with my digital map, those things become harder to just stumble upon. I don't even plan trips like I used to because I know I'll have my digital guide with me when I get there. That sense of freedom quickly turned into complacency. I'm starting to feel that a form of digital free travel might be what I need to reclaim some of that wonder.

Wandering in Florence

First off, Florence wasn't my favorite part of Kim and I's honeymoon. I don't know if that was because of bad preparation or just a not good experience, it just wasn't the best. On our second day in the Firenze, we ventured across the Arno to just wander. Our iPhones were firmly tucked into our pockets but we had decided to just let the streets take us wherever they would. After trekking up a few streets (in the hot June sun) we desperately needed a rest stop. It looked like there was something ahead of us so we ventured on, eventually stumbling upon Forte di Belvedere right outside of Palazzo Pitti and the Giardino di Boboli. I hadn't read anything about this beautiful fort and never would have found the entrance if not for stumbling upon it. The view was magnificent.

You could see the top of the Duomo jutting out from the red-tiled roofs all over the city. The juxtaposition of the flat portion of Florence by the river and the hilly regions behind it made the history of the city come alive. There was even an art exhibition being hosted at the fort that featured sculptures of bodies laying in different shapes representing movement over time. The image was surreal.

Stumbling Into a Movie

inferno

Next we wandered around, not through, the Boboli gardens and somehow found ourselves surrounded by dogs and their owners. It seemed like a big park that wasn't really taken care of very well and was full of big white vans and trucks. Turns out, it was the back entrance to the Liceo Artistico Statale di Porta Romana e Sesto Fiorentino and those vans were there for a reason. While trying to sneak in to see some of the artwork inside, a person that looked suspiciously like a production assistant told us it was "a private school hosting an event." What she really meant was that the school was the staging ground for that days filming on the new Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones movie Inferno.

Over the next two days we ran into the film production crew no fewer than three times and even watched a bunch of scenes being filmed at the Battistero di San Giovanni right in front of the Duomo. Of course I placed myself directly by director Ron Howard so I could see the camera work in action, which was incredible. Inferno, which opens today, is apparently getting some pretty meager reviews, but we'll see it anyways, just to relive those precious moments together on our honeymoon.

Like I said before, Florence wasn't our favorite but every destination has its warts and beauty. For us, that was wandering aimlessly and running upon a film crew incessantly.

Unplug and Remember

Next time you're exploring someplace new, try putting your phone down and relying on the map you have in your head. One thing I've learned is that digital free travel really helps you prepare more and try to connect with the place you're exploring. On my last visit to Amsterdam I would do some research on the places I wanted to see while in my hotel room and then leave my phone in my pocket to see if I could find them on my own. The sense of accomplishment when I arrived at the Anne Frank House was more than I expected, considering it was in a city I'd never been in before. Did I get lost a few times? Well, maybe. Then again, that's how I've stumbled upon some of my greatest adventures.

Putting your phone down while on vacation can be a really empowering moment. Use it to help jumpstart your creativity and wonder and let yourself be immersed in the world that you find yourself in. Who knows what lies around the next corner. It could be something spectacular.

Paris is expensive. Even with the current exchange rate, Paris is expensive. But that doesn't mean there's not lots to offer a budget conscious traveler. On my last visit to Paris we were able to maximize what we did (think great food) by doing some of the free things the city has to offer.  

paris

Trocadéro and Parc du Champs de Mars

There's nothing quite like your first look at the Eiffel Tower and for me, the best way to get that view is coming up from the Trocadéro Metro stop and seeing the hulking mass of the Tower from the viewing deck above the Jardins de Trocadéro. The steel beast looms large over the Seine and your first glimpse from this angle will endear its girded frame to you forever. Partner that with a quick walk across the Seine and a picnic at Parc du Champs de Mars for a perfect afternoon. If you make the trip at night, you may even get to see its famous sparkle.

Basilica du Sacre Cour - Paris

A View of the City From Montmartre

For the most part, Paris is flat. That is until you visit the northern section and it's crown jewel, Montmartre. Seen from anywhere in the city, this district is spotlighted by the Basilique du Sacré Coeur at its highest point. A modern building when compared to Notre Dame and other churches in the city, Sacré Coeur offers a Byzantine-esque style architecture not seen anywhere else in the city. After perusing through the interior, make your way to the observation deck and through the ever-present souvenir sellers and street performers for a unique view of the city. Looking out towards the heart of the city, you can spot all the famous landmarks that Paris has to offer, and even a little bit of the Eiffel Tower, on a clear day.

The Marais - Paris

Rue Mouffetard

During our last stay in Paris we called Rue Mouffetard home and this little cobblestoned street is easily one of the best in the city. A simple stroll down this market street will give you access to pretty much any type of food that you can imagine. On Saturdays, the street is closed off to traffic to form an open air market. Walk through and smell the gourmet cheeses, breads and sweets freshly made by artisans.

Cimetière du Père Lachaise - Paris

Cimitière du Père Lachaise

French philosophers like Foucault and Descartes loved to taklk about death so why not read some of their work while perusing some amazing funerary architecture in Cimitière du Père Lachaise. Located in the 20th Arrondissement, here you'll find the graves of The Doors singer Jim Morrison, Marcel Proust, Honoré de Balzac and Oscar Wilde. My first few times in Paris I avoided Père Lachaise  in favor of the smaller Cimitière du Montmartre so that I could see the grave of French New Wave film director Francois Truffaut. While also a great place to spend an afternoon, Père Lachaise is by the far the better option.

Notre Dame - Paris

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris

No trip to Paris is complete without a stroll through the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris. Positioned at the literal heart of the city, Notre Dame is a gothic sight to behold. Inside, tourists walk along its outer edges taking in the art and history while local parishioners and Catholics from all over take part in the church's host of daily services. Make sure to walk along the backside of this medieval marvel for a beautiful look at its flying buttresses from the bridge over the Seine.

So grab a quick-lunch from a food stand and stroll at a leisurely pace along the Left Bank. There's so much to offer in Paris for free, you'll wonder why you hadn't gone there sooner.