Perhaps we have to think like the French to see Paris in a different light. There’s recently been a revival of a French philosopher called Guy Debord, who warns of ‘The Society of the Spectacle’. In essence, Debord says we become so obsessed with living a life that looks like what we’re told we need, that we forget to engage in real human experience. (ie All we need to be happy, is that next: sofa/computer/Sky Box” – we all do it). If ever there was an example of ‘The Spectacle’ it’s certainly the idea of the romantic weekend in Paris.

So what does Debord suggest as a solution?

One of his strategies was the derive, (which means ‘a stroll’ – but with a difference); a way of being ‘constructively playful’ in a city. Instead of following a map or must-do-list for the day, rather make up a random set of rules to follow. For example, when you see a woman with a dog, turn right; a man in a red coat, turn left. If you see a baguette in a window, find some stairs to climb. The idea is that by embracing random events you have real experiences rather than pre-imagined versions.

‘Oh a-Deriving we will go’

On our first day we sat outside the Louvre having fun mapping out our rules, aware that the sheer weight of the museum’s reputation should have drawn us in. To the woman and the dog and man in red coat rules, we added the wildcard that if we got too hungry all bets would be off.

In truth, is Paris is a very logically laid out city, so if you stay within the confines of the centre (i.e. Paris St-Germain and up towards Sacre Ceur in Montmartre), no matter what the rules, you’re not likely to stumble across a modern-day Rimbaud setting fire to his own chest, or be stabbed in one of the dire residential ghettoes on the outskirts of Paris.

We chose the Seine and Notre Dame as a starting point, as it really is the heart of tourist Paris. Our clues came hard and fast and within an hour we had obeyed five separate commands. It is tougher than you might think. Sometimes the rules take you places that are bland and decidedly un-fun but that’s the good part; these now are ‘your’ places.

In truth, we had to stop following rules after dark and followed our stomachs instead. However, the game had done its job. We were released from the belief that our next guidebook destination would make us happy.  Over the course of the weekend, we ended up in a shop that sold antique Indian masks, at an exhibition where we felt what it must be like to be inside a large book, playing pool in a football supporters’ bar and eating at the best Tapas Bar in the world. But not once did we stress about where was next.

Conclusion: Find your own Paris

Instead of penning the sort of travel feature where we lovingly describe places and experiences for the reader to replicate, on this occasion we prefer advocating a ‘derive.’ Find your own Paris; by your own rules!

Not ‘must sees’ but ‘maybe sees’

We did visit two things that were cool enough to share… just saying.

Centquatre (www.104.fr) Is a literal ‘creative centre’, where you’re as likely to see hiphop crews learning their skills as cutting edge art shows or street level French food. It’s all very youthful French, democratic and laid back.

Tape Bar ) This graffiti saturated bar is in an area that has just enough grime to take the edge off all that Parisian perfection. 21 Rue de la Roquette, 75011.

Beginners Guide to Deriving

Derive v. (literally: to drift”) A playful-constructive journey that turns the city into a playground of the mind, enriching your experience in unforeseen ways.

1. Invent a game that introduces not just’ random’ motives for moving (i.e. turn left when you see a child crying) but rules that challenge your idea of your place in that city. For example, when you see a seagull, find the highest point you can see within 300m and climb it. Or when you hear a siren, walk for the next three blocks with your ears blocked.

2. Be conscious of how these moves enhance your understanding of your place in the city, or simply how they make you feel.

3. Have fun, be playful and don’t take yourself too seriously.

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With her striking dark eyes and and engaging presence, Tanya herself is of British, Dutch and Indian heritage. As the starters appear, she effortlessly encourages us to tell our stories of home and food. Veronica Dick, a nutritionist who researches how food assists healing in severely ill people, has prepared us a beautiful meal of salmon packets and pea bruschetta starters. Amongst the guests, there’s a Jordanian recently moved to London, a Spanish-Irish Australian and a professor of sociology from Goldsmiths (who researches how smell affects our sense of geographical place). I’m Zimbabwean, of South African, Dutch-Jewish and Welsh heritage.

From ‘A Migrant’s Tale’ photo by Tanya Houghton

Whilst we’re all quite different, what’s immediately obvious is that sharing a meal is a good way to open up; there’s an easy generosity in a shared nourishment ritual. Each person has their own narrative, but equally we all seem to share a few universal needs attached to food: love, community, family, well-being and belonging.

“When I first got to London, people would invite me round just so that I could make them my mum’s chocolate mousse,” says Fernando Berry from Otros Vinos who has supplied our organic wine. It seems in childhood, food and recipes bond us directly to our parents and therefore become fiercely held traditions. Recipes are imbued with a sense of family magic, mythology and memory. “Everyone always asks me for the recipe, but it took me years to wrestle from mum and it’s like my friendship super-power; something they love me for…so it’s hard to let go.”

The conversation pointed out blind spots in my own approach to food and unearthed a sadness and longing for ‘home’ that I suppress all the time. Our dominant social food ritual at home is the barbeque (or ‘Braai) but in truth, I rarely invite friends over for a braai as a way of ‘sharing my culture’ in the UK. Due to the ignominy of apartheid and recent post-colonial history, sometimes it feels easier to adapt and blend-in rather than parade the rituals of a perceived ‘aberrant culture.’ It’s much more complicated than this of course, but being able to symbolically break bread with others who listened with open minds was a powerful antidote.

It was agreed that in a geographical sense one of the most immediate benefits of immigration is how it creates fertile culinary enrichment. London is riven with little seams of international cuisine and varied produce, which serve as open interfaces between differing cultures. It’s simple; if food is interesting and tasty enough, it becomes an inclusive language of joy.

As Alex Rhys-Tailor from Goldsmiths pointed out, food and smell are intuitive and immediate. For me, this dinner was a wholly visceral experience. It was wonderful to listen, understand and find common ground with other ‘immigrants’ through food and conversation. I resolved to be more proud and share my own food heritages but also to seek out others and share theirs.

It did also make me wonder how South Africans and Zimbabweans might use food as a path to a more happily integrated future back ‘home’?

From ‘A Migrant’s Tale’ photo by Tanya Houghton

Thanks to:
https://www.tanyahoughton.com/

Gordon Glyn-Jones is an artist and writer who lives and works in London. Contact him via www.gordonglyn-jones.com

This article also featured here 

Image Credits: Tanya Houghton

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Gentle Cycle

Welcome to a bitter-sweet travel-writing moment when a future-fave is given away. Lisbon, Porto and The Algarve are typical Portuguese destinations, which is why Alentejo is so attractive by contrast. Turns out the unpopular kid at school has something to be proud of after all.

On the first day we drove through the dry, straw-coloured countryside everything just felt right with the world. We only realised why later on an eco-walk near the town of Sines, where Vasco Da Gama was born. The fact is, you can find yourself in unspoiled nature without having to battle major hordes to do so. It’s sparsely populated, understated and easy to navigate. We recommend you use a hire car for this trip. The public transport is shaky at best.

This South-West Atlantic coastline is edged by literally hundreds of miles of pristine white beaches; whilst the interior is endlessly knotted with sweeping olive groves and cork plantations. Small towns are laid out sparsely as if to give everyone enough legroom in the heat of summer. Mostly homes are painted white with yellow or blue detailing round the door and window frames.

Top Tip: Check out an organisation called Casas Brancas (casasbrancas.pt) who have committed to maintaining this vision of sustainability and natural purity. They have connected various mellow activities such as walking and mountain-biking with decent accommodation to match.

Sports Wash

Paradoxically, what most people need to clean out their mental pipes with a good flush of mega-stress. When you’re five miles above the earth, hurtling towards some seriously hard granite, you’re not thinking about what ‘Martin in IT’ said last week.

With this in mind, we visited Skydive Europe at Figueira de Cavaleiros, mid-Alentejo. The school has a good reputation, a brand new plane and instructors who make gnarly gestures like adrenalin junkies worldwide, but just in Portuguese. So what of the jump itself? Well, you are strapped onto another dude’s stomach, which is mildly intimate but not what concerns you as the engine roars, the runway drops away, and avgas fills your nostrils. Ten minutes of aforesaid instructor high-fives and whoosh! … you’re out the plane.

Recipe for cerebral rinse: Take one shocked wail of a child, a very cold flapping face and three whole minutes of reflective but exhilarating terror (‘I actually might die here’). Chuck all ingredients into the brain and blend on eleven. Before you know it, there’s a sound like your dad whipping the cover off a Ute and total silence, blissful suspension and the stunning horizon stretching out in every direction. Do it before you die. It’s that simple.

For those who prefer their adrenalin via watery tubes, you might need to know that the world’s biggest wave was recently surfed off the coast of Alentejo. Whilst you may not be quite at this level yet, it goes some way to establish the surf-cred of the area. Once again though, the real charm of surf destinations like Sao Torpes, is that it’s relatively undeveloped. In this area, you can go on self-guided surfaris and camp by the beach. Or if you’re new to surfing, join one of a smattering of friendly little surf schools whose wetsuits will ease you into Atlantic temperatures. Add just the right sprinkling of relatively new beach bars and once again its understated coastal perfection.

Top Tip: We ate at a restaurant called Arte & Sal in Paiai de Morgavel, S.Torpes. Best fresh mango, sardines and ice cream ever. We’d travel to the region just to go there again. www.facebook.com/RestauranteArteeSal

Cultural Conditioning

There are poignant connections between the agriculture of the area and the culture of the Alentejan people. For example, cork is the main ancestral crop and about one third of all wine corks in the world come from Portugal. We challenge you to find something the Alentejans haven’t tried to make from cork; try wedding dresses to handbags and even UGG boots. Each cork tree needs 25 years before it can be harvested and after that only every nine years. So whilst our guide tells us Alentejans are the butt of all the ‘lazy jokes’ in Portugal, we think perhaps they are simply very patient.

Another natural export central to the soul of the people are the gorgeous Lusitano horses. They were originally bred for Portuguese bull-fighting, which is performed mainly on horse-back. They are thus powerful beasts, with brave hearts and lightning-quick reflexes. As Portuguese bullfighting becomes more a display of horsemanship than a blood sport, Lusitanos are more often found in show jumping or dressage. We met a family who runs an Eco-hotel with Lusitano breeding program. We were treated to a display of Pamela, the hotel owner’s wife performing a dance with her chestnut-coloured long-haired steed to classical Guitar played by husband, Rui. Olive oil is another major export from the region. Next time you’re in Sainsburys check the labels – 60% will be from Portugal.

Whilst this article has praised wild Alentejo, Beja and Evora are both small cities worth visiting for at least a night each to experience local hospitality. The economy is under severe strain at the moment, so tourists are very welcome and the prices quite sensible. If you’re a history buff, engage a local guide for a truly fascinating ride. The country on the elbow of Europe has at turns been invaded by Moors, Romans and Spaniards, each culture leaving its mark on the language, architecture and religion. Some of the most famous maritime adventures were begun here in Alentejo and locals even claim that Christopher Columbus was actually Portuguese.

Top Tip: Portugal has a system of Pousadas, which are basically historical buildings turned into modern accommodation. Use them. www.pousadas.pt

Final Rinse

So our advice is to take a week at pretty much any time in the year, hire a car and build yourself a trip with a combo of chilled out, active and cultured. (Sun shines 300 days in the year) We know you’ll love it. In fact we’ll go as far as to say that if you don’t, you probably haven’t followed the clean care instructions properly.

5 Connections to check out

• Winefarm: www.malhadinhanova.pt
• City Guide: olga@alentejoguides.com
• Surf School in São Torpes: www.costazulsurf.com/index.php?lang=en
• Eco Guide: andre@sonnenkinder.org
• Mountainbiking: www.portugalbestcycling.com
  

Tailor-made Tours

Sunvil Discovery (tel: 020 8758 4722; www.sunvil.co.uk) offers tailormade itineraries across the Alentejo. Our itinerary costs from £854 pp (two sharing) including return flights (Heathrow) with TAP Portugal (www.flytap.com), seven nights’ B&B accommodation staying four nights at Naturarte Campo in São Luís, and three nights at Hotel M’Ar de Ar Aqueduto in Evora, and car hire. Activities extra — book through Sunvil. For further information about the Alentejo, see www.visitalentejo.pt.

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