I think the surest way for me to get captured by a city is seeing it in leisure. Every city has a place where people congregate, where locals bring strollers and picnic baskets. It doesn't matter if its not picturesque, sometimes the unlikeliness of a place adds to its character. In München it was the Isar River, in Roma the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps).
But hands down Barcelona takes the cake. So many spots, I haven't even begun to explore the city and I'm writing this after my fourth night. Yesterday I saw old kids playing petanque, young kids doing tricks on boards, blades and bikes. Inside cool kids gathered around Warhammer tables and playing Magic over coffee. Outside playing ping pong, football and basketball. Singles strolling and couples with strollers. Tourists peddling on bikes and paddling on boats. Bums on the beach and nudists with boners. Joggers and jugglers, cool cats and dog owners. Lovers making out and drum circles making music.
As for myself, mostly just people watched. Shot hoops for a few hours with a local named Julio and took an ill advised path down a condom littered trail on Mar Bella, the nudist beach. Was strongly considering nuddying up but the water was too frigid. Will save it for when I am fully game to go in. I haven't stuck to my 1am rule, have been largely on my own, yet to meet many locals (guapas or otherwise). Yet I am loving it, endangering my other rule of 'playing no favourites'.
It really sells the city, as a traveller you're always in leisure mode but to see these places buzzing on a casual weekday knowing its not populated largely by tourists. It makes you believe that people are just living.
Here are a selection of
other people's photos:
Isar River, Munich
Spanish Steps, Rome
Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona
