May 13th blog entry
Tours inspired by literature and film are a unique way of exploring a new destination. With the release of Angels & Demons, Rome stands poised to be the latest recipient of "pop culture" tourism.
A couple of years ago, friends and I took the Sex and the City tour of New York thinking it would be a unique way to see the sights. As the bus pulled away from the curb, we were greeted with, "Alright who's a Samantha...who's a slut?" A stop at a cupcake bakery, which was featured in an episode I had never seen of the HBO hit show, was the highlight. The tour guide didn't mention a thing about New York City, but rather taunted us to be "dirty" and demanded to know how many Cosmos we were going to have at the end of the tour.
Half-way through the tour we were directed to line-up with three other busloads of people to take a photo on the stoop to Carrie's apartment; the four of us took charge like Miranda, left the tour and went to a local pub.
That particular tour did not go as planned, but in retrospect, we actually did have a great New York day.
By following in the footsteps of your favourite characters, not only are favourite stories brought to life, but they can give you a familiar framework in which to digest an otherwise overwhelming amount of new sights, sounds, and experiences.
Angels & Demons focuses on some of the most well known monuments and attractions (as well as a couple lesser known churches) in Rome as Tom Hanks' character, Robert Langdon, races to the "four altars of science" in an attempt to prevent the murder of four cardinals.
There are several tour companies that promise to follow in his footsteps:
-- $90 per person
-- $90 per person starting at Santa Maria Del Popolo Church
The idea of taking such a tour is not a bad idea, however, a few things to bear in mind to ensure it meets your expectation:
1) How much does it cost? Try and figure out if it's really worth taking the tour versus doing it yourself. These type of tours ride the same waves of popularity as the books and movies they are based on and are priced accordingly.
2) Does the tour only go to destinations shown in the movie or described in the book or will it include other sites as well? I sure wish I had seen more of New York than just the sex boutique where Charlotte's "rabbit" was purchased.
3) Do you want your tour guide to be knowledgeable about the "story and characters" or the destination. Hopefully you'll get both.
4) Ask what sites from the book or movie are included and which are not?
5) Find how many people will be on the tour and how many tours do they operate at the same time. You may find yourself on a full bus of 40 people and waiting in line behind other similar sized bus-loads. The beauty of doing it on our own is you can avoid the crowds.
