I feel I am the type of person who can find something positive about pretty much any place, person, thing or situation. Sometimes it is merely a speck of something…but I try to always look for it. It might be a physical attribute, a feeling it imparts, some way that it helps me or a lesson it teaches me. I find this way of being is quite helpful in having a positive outlook, and on not dwelling on negativity.
I’ve definitely never thought of myself as a “city person,” and so far on my travels, this has been confirmed. This is absolutely not to say, however, that I have not experienced pleasure and awe in the cities that I have visited so far. I have walked for miles in Girona, Barcelona, Paris, Negombo and Sydney. One day in Barcelona in fact, my iphone told me that I logged over 46 thousand steps, about 28km! I question the accuracy of that, but I did walk for almost 8 hours that day!
While the transportation options in these cities are plentiful, I really prefer to explore a city on foot. I find there is a lot of detail to be missed while sitting on a train or in a bus. Like smelling the bread baking, reading the menu board offerings and hearing snippets of conversations at the sidewalk cafes or the random dude playing the trumpet in a narrow alleyway. Travelling by taxi or Uber can be helpful, and is insightful if the driver is chatty and you are able to communicate. But there is nothing like wandering the streets to fully experience a place with all of your senses.
I was only in the cities for a very short time and , having never been to any of them before, I did want to get a glimpse of the famous landmarks. Most of these definitely did not disappoint. Many of them were absolutely mind blowing. The Segrada Familia in Barcelona for example….there is no picture and there are no words to properly describe this insane architectural feat. The Louvre is absolutely way more enormous that I ever imagined, and the Notre Dame cathedral…well you just can’t NOT be staggeringly impressed, even if churches aren’t your thing. I do have to say that I was somewhat disappointed by the Eiffel tower. I hope that is not some sort of faux pas (and I would never risk saying this to a Parisian while in their city!). Perhaps if I had visited at night or as part of some romantic fling I would have felt differently. If you have been there, I would love to hear how you felt about it.
Sydney, Australia is a relatively new city, and so after experiencing the rich history and ancient architecture of Europe, I found Sydney to be rather run-of-the-mill. The best part of Sydney was being reunited with my daughter Madeline after almost a year! What I did notice about Sydney was how clean it is and how user-friendly and efficient the train system is. Also, I’m not sure if all big cities have botanical gardens, but Barcelona and Sydney both do, and visiting them is such a literal breath of fresh air. It’s a lovely way to take a break and unwind from the intensity of exploring a city, and I felt in both of them that I could have spent many days there and still have discovered something new.
Negombo, Sri Lanka will get it’s own post, because it was such a novel and mind-altering experience (and no , psychedelics were not part of the tour 😉
I think my favourite thing about being solo in a foreign city (aside from the plethora of food and cultural opportunities) is the way that you can be anonymous without being alone. Most if the time, crowded, noisy places elicit anxious feelings for me. There is something oddly satisfying however, about sipping a beverage alone and anonymously in a cafe or bar amidst the buzz of lots of people, conversations, music and general social cacophony. It’s like you get to absorb the vibe without having to engage, so it ends up being energising rather than depleting. I wonder if this is an introvert thing. Please let me know if you have ever had a similar experience!
