Visita a Tudor Place, o el guía como trovador
(English version below) 🇬🇧
El aplastante calor de ciénaga que sumerge a Washington en julio y agosto no pudo franquear la puerta que se cerró a mi espalda. Courtney, nuestra guía en la visita a Tudor Place, esperaba sentadita detrás de una mesa. A la hora en punto, comenzó la visita para el grupo de unas doce personas. Acondicionadores de aire portátiles, espesas cortinas en los ventanales, y techos altísimos aseguraban una temperatura agradable.
Tudor Place, un lugar que ningún visitante de Georgetown debería perderse, fue diseñada por William Thornton, el afamado arquitecto del primer capitolio. Fue un encargo de Martha Custis, nieta de George y Marta Washington, que pagó la construcción con dinero recibido en herencia de sus abuelos. Las líneas arquitectónicas están claramente inspiradas en las ideas de Paladio, tan en boga en aquella época. Las obras del edificio principal terminaron en 1816, y desde entonces, hasta la muerte de su último miembro, ha estado en manos de la misma familia.
Courtney nos iba llevando de salón en salón, desgranando incontables detalles sobre la casa, la familia propietaria, con sus pasiones y desavenencias, los esclavos que la habitaron, los avatares durante la guerra civil…Cada mueble, cada pieza decorativa, cada rincón desencadenaba un interesante relato. La estrecha relación entre lo que veíamos y la historia de Estados Unidos añadía una dimensión solemne al recorrido. En pocos minutos, olvidé completamente que estaba en Washington, en pleno siglo XXI, y me vi transportado a un mundo que ya hace mucho tiempo que ha desaparecido.
Claro que la visita a tan hermosa mansión es interesante en todo caso, pero los relatos de Courtney marcaron toda la diferencia. Su entusiasmo, su conocimiento, y su capacidad de despertar la imaginación convirtieron una visita turística más en una experiencia absolutamente memorable. Aún después de terminar el recorrido, que se extendió por bastante más tiempo del inicialmente previsto, sus sugerencias me guiaron en la visita al jardín, y me ayudaron a comprender la forma en la que la mansión se engarza con su barrio en Georgetown.
Los guías son, a fin de cuentas, juglares. Repiten historias, evocan sentimientos, buscan inspirar a los visitantes. Courtney no es una experta académica. En su narrativa pude detectar algunos errores menores. Pero esto es lo de menos. En mi trabajo, también de cuando en cuando he deslizado datos equivocados, y constantemente me veo enfrentado a preguntas cuya respuesta desconozco. No se trata de defender un examen ante un tribunal hostil, sino de evocar las imágenes necesarias ante un colectivo que está claramente de tu parte.
La tecnología ha facilitado enormemente la extensión de las audioguías. Ya no son necesarios los armatostes de antaño: los smartphones, conectados a una red wifi gratuita, ya cumplen esa función perfectamente. Una visita a un museo es por lo general mejor con audioguía que sin ella. Sin embargo, nada puede sustituir a un buen guía de carne y hueso. Mientras las dispositivos repiten el contenido enlatado sin atender a ninguna circunstancia, los guías podemos ajustar finamente la narrativa, de acuerdo con variables como la composición del grupo, las noticias del día, el clima…obviamente también podemos responder preguntas, o dar un carácter más interactivo al recorrido. Aunque las funciones más básicas de la guianza pueden ser automatizadas, la capacidad de narrar historias adaptadas a cada audiencia no lo puede ser, al menos de momento.
Al contratar un viaje, se está contratando muchas cosas: transporte, alojamiento, alimentación…. pero sobre todo la expectativa del cumplimiento de un sueño, de un anhelo. Un buen guía, con su narrativa, puede ayudar a acercar la nuda observación de un lugar concreto, a la imagen esperada en el sueño. Contexto, información, evocación….estas son sus herramientas. Todo lo automatizable se automatizará, pero un buen trovador nunca podrá ser sustituido por un sintetizador de voz.
🇬🇧 English version
Visit to Tudor Place, or the guide as storyteller.
The crushing, swampy heat that plunges Washington in July and August could not break through the door that closed behind me. Courtney, our guide on the visit to Tudor Place, was waiting sitting behind a table. Exactly at the hour, the visit mansion started for for the small group of about twelve people. Portable air conditioners, thick curtains on the windows, and sky-high ceilings ensured a pleasant temperature.
Tudor Place, a place no visitor to Georgetown should miss, was designed by William Thornton, the famed architect of the first US Capitol. It was commissioned by Martha Custis, granddaughter of George and Marta Washington. She paid for the estate with money received in inheritance from her grandparents. The architectural lines are clearly inspired by the ideas of Paladio, so in vogue at that time. The main building was finished in 1816, and since then, until the death of its last member, has been in the hands of the same family.
Courtney was leading us from room to room, revealing countless details about the house, the family that owned it-- with its passions and quarrels-- the slaves who inhabited it, the vicissitudes during the civil war ... Every piece of furniture, every small item, every corner in the house unleashed an interesting story. The close relationship between what we were seeing and the history of the United States added a solemn dimension to the visit. In a few minutes, I completely forgot that I was in Washington, in the 21st century, as I was transported to a world that has long since disappeared.
Certainly, the visit to such a beautiful mansion is interesting in any case. Still, the stories that Courtney told us made all the difference. Her enthusiasm, knowledge, and ability to awaken the imagination turned a touristic visit into a memorable experience. Even after completing the tour, which lasted much longer than originally planned, her suggestions guided me through the garden tour, and helped me understand how the mansion fits its neighborhood in Georgetown.
Guides are, after all, troubadours. They repeat stories, evoke feelings, seek to inspire visitors. Courtney is not an academic expert. In her narrative I could detect some minor errors. But this is not important. In my work, also from time to time I have slipped wrong data, and I am constantly faced with questions that I cannot immediately answer. It is not a matter of defending an examination before a hostile tribunal, but of evoking the necessary images before a group that is clearly on your side.
The technology has greatly facilitated the extension of the audio guides. Complex devices are no longer needed: smartphones, connected to free Wi-Fi networks can perfectly fulfill that function. Granted, a visit to a museum can be much better with audio guide than without it. However, nothing can replace a good guide of flesh and blood. While the devices repeat the canned content without attending to any circumstance, the guides can finely adjust the narrative, according to variables such as group composition, news of the day, climate ... obviously, guides can also answer questions, or give make the visit more interactive.
Although the most basic functions of guiding can be automated, the ability to narrate stories tailored to each audience cannot be, at least for the time being.
When booking a tour, customers naturally expect that the basic aspects will be delivered: transportation, lodging, food .... But above all, what travelers book is the expectation of the fulfillment of a dream, a yearning. A good guide, a good narrative, can help bring the naked observation of a specific place, to the dream imagined by the visitors when they researched the destination. Context, information, evocation .... these are the guides’ tools. Everything that can be automated will be automated, but a good troubadour can never be replaced by a voice synthesizer.
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| Courtney, en Tudor Place |
Tudor Place, un lugar que ningún visitante de Georgetown debería perderse, fue diseñada por William Thornton, el afamado arquitecto del primer capitolio. Fue un encargo de Martha Custis, nieta de George y Marta Washington, que pagó la construcción con dinero recibido en herencia de sus abuelos. Las líneas arquitectónicas están claramente inspiradas en las ideas de Paladio, tan en boga en aquella época. Las obras del edificio principal terminaron en 1816, y desde entonces, hasta la muerte de su último miembro, ha estado en manos de la misma familia.
Courtney nos iba llevando de salón en salón, desgranando incontables detalles sobre la casa, la familia propietaria, con sus pasiones y desavenencias, los esclavos que la habitaron, los avatares durante la guerra civil…Cada mueble, cada pieza decorativa, cada rincón desencadenaba un interesante relato. La estrecha relación entre lo que veíamos y la historia de Estados Unidos añadía una dimensión solemne al recorrido. En pocos minutos, olvidé completamente que estaba en Washington, en pleno siglo XXI, y me vi transportado a un mundo que ya hace mucho tiempo que ha desaparecido.
 |
| Tudor Place, Georgetown |
Los guías son, a fin de cuentas, juglares. Repiten historias, evocan sentimientos, buscan inspirar a los visitantes. Courtney no es una experta académica. En su narrativa pude detectar algunos errores menores. Pero esto es lo de menos. En mi trabajo, también de cuando en cuando he deslizado datos equivocados, y constantemente me veo enfrentado a preguntas cuya respuesta desconozco. No se trata de defender un examen ante un tribunal hostil, sino de evocar las imágenes necesarias ante un colectivo que está claramente de tu parte.
 |
| Tudor place, Georgetown |
Al contratar un viaje, se está contratando muchas cosas: transporte, alojamiento, alimentación…. pero sobre todo la expectativa del cumplimiento de un sueño, de un anhelo. Un buen guía, con su narrativa, puede ayudar a acercar la nuda observación de un lugar concreto, a la imagen esperada en el sueño. Contexto, información, evocación….estas son sus herramientas. Todo lo automatizable se automatizará, pero un buen trovador nunca podrá ser sustituido por un sintetizador de voz.
🇬🇧 English version
Visit to Tudor Place, or the guide as storyteller.
The crushing, swampy heat that plunges Washington in July and August could not break through the door that closed behind me. Courtney, our guide on the visit to Tudor Place, was waiting sitting behind a table. Exactly at the hour, the visit mansion started for for the small group of about twelve people. Portable air conditioners, thick curtains on the windows, and sky-high ceilings ensured a pleasant temperature.
Tudor Place, a place no visitor to Georgetown should miss, was designed by William Thornton, the famed architect of the first US Capitol. It was commissioned by Martha Custis, granddaughter of George and Marta Washington. She paid for the estate with money received in inheritance from her grandparents. The architectural lines are clearly inspired by the ideas of Paladio, so in vogue at that time. The main building was finished in 1816, and since then, until the death of its last member, has been in the hands of the same family.
Courtney was leading us from room to room, revealing countless details about the house, the family that owned it-- with its passions and quarrels-- the slaves who inhabited it, the vicissitudes during the civil war ... Every piece of furniture, every small item, every corner in the house unleashed an interesting story. The close relationship between what we were seeing and the history of the United States added a solemn dimension to the visit. In a few minutes, I completely forgot that I was in Washington, in the 21st century, as I was transported to a world that has long since disappeared.
Certainly, the visit to such a beautiful mansion is interesting in any case. Still, the stories that Courtney told us made all the difference. Her enthusiasm, knowledge, and ability to awaken the imagination turned a touristic visit into a memorable experience. Even after completing the tour, which lasted much longer than originally planned, her suggestions guided me through the garden tour, and helped me understand how the mansion fits its neighborhood in Georgetown.
Guides are, after all, troubadours. They repeat stories, evoke feelings, seek to inspire visitors. Courtney is not an academic expert. In her narrative I could detect some minor errors. But this is not important. In my work, also from time to time I have slipped wrong data, and I am constantly faced with questions that I cannot immediately answer. It is not a matter of defending an examination before a hostile tribunal, but of evoking the necessary images before a group that is clearly on your side.
The technology has greatly facilitated the extension of the audio guides. Complex devices are no longer needed: smartphones, connected to free Wi-Fi networks can perfectly fulfill that function. Granted, a visit to a museum can be much better with audio guide than without it. However, nothing can replace a good guide of flesh and blood. While the devices repeat the canned content without attending to any circumstance, the guides can finely adjust the narrative, according to variables such as group composition, news of the day, climate ... obviously, guides can also answer questions, or give make the visit more interactive.
Although the most basic functions of guiding can be automated, the ability to narrate stories tailored to each audience cannot be, at least for the time being.
When booking a tour, customers naturally expect that the basic aspects will be delivered: transportation, lodging, food .... But above all, what travelers book is the expectation of the fulfillment of a dream, a yearning. A good guide, a good narrative, can help bring the naked observation of a specific place, to the dream imagined by the visitors when they researched the destination. Context, information, evocation .... these are the guides’ tools. Everything that can be automated will be automated, but a good troubadour can never be replaced by a voice synthesizer.
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