This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
Rise and wake to the ray of sunshine appearing through the Venetians, it is the dawn of a Saturday morning in a European settlement yet explored, give me a day, tops, and I promise to be able to self-navigate you across a city to the best coffee and communal areas in town – I swear.
One thing my fiancé had to get used to, when we travelled, was my love for getting out to our immediate surroundings by foot, experiencing the roads less travelled and getting out of those tourist zones.
It was almost treated like a “well-being run”, to make sure we wouldn’t fall into any trouble down the track.
No headphones, just a smartwatch with a semi-reliable GPS.
The accents of the locals, listening to them arguing over who’s entitled to the morning delivery of milk and bread, the small transit trucks backing into position around sunrise before the buyers come through for their daily fish intake…
Find the rising light, head east, loop around for a good 15-20 minutes before navigating your way back to the booked accommodation.
Odour, sometimes pleasant but often little. Never to worry, two steps of a run and you are past that drain anyway. More times than not, there’s the aroma of crisp baking or a fresh pot of coffee coming from some kitchen as soon as you hit suburbia.
If you are coastal, the seaside can be visually pleasing. Perhaps you live by some hills: aim for a dip in the distance to the trees on the other side. Landlocked? Try to plan a route through an outer city main street to a local park.
Target an art gallery as a turning point, or a museum perhaps.
Take note of graffiti, different vegetation, street signs, even how people dress and walk.
All entirely fascinating.
If you are travelling abroad (or even to a different place in your home country) and feel like temporarily getting immersed as a local with zero expense, I encourage you to lace up.
Map a way about town that you can show your travel companions, so you can collectively take in the back streets competently and enjoy your weekend cityscape through a better lens.
As I write these words, I sit back dreaming of the next chance to get down some unfamiliar streets. Until then – my local river will do!
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