We have been to Europe three times, each time on an escorted tour. That means that we have been with a group and had a specific agenda for each day. There is usually a period each day that we have had free time. When traveling, especially with a guided/escorted tour, it is very important to stop and check out the flowers (I avoided the cliche, if only barely).
I like tours because it makes sure that we get to see a lot of each area. I like the idea of hitting highlights wherever we go. My wife is usually lagging behind the group, taking photos of buildings and flowers. She helps me to remember that even during a hectic tour of a foreign country, it is very important to stop and notice the little things. I think that we tend to gloss over the little things when we are at home because we get so busy that we just go all the time. So this is a lesson that I should bring home from our trip: stop once in a while to notice the little things. There is always time to catch up to the group.