you live, you learn

europe has some pretty impressive architectural heritage. you don't need me to tell you that. but the thing is, after a while, it kind of goes over your head. sometimes, it is easy to believe if you have seen one monument, you have seen them all. which is not true, of course (phew, had to add that or risk turning my historian and architect friends into spitfires). but i am sure you know what i mean: sometimes all you have to do is squeeze your eyes tight and turn any which way and open them (so ok you might have to tilt your head and adjust the angle). you can see berlin in milan, cottbus in como...
it took me a while, but now i am beginning to understand the art of traveling. yeah sure, star attractions are star attractions. i mean it doesn't make sense to go to agra and not see taj mahal. but what i really enjoy is "discovering" the spirit of the city. i just meander around, walk into shops that catch my fancy, sit in a corner and watch people, try and taste local delicacies, go to local markets, go to a club or a pub... while impressive buildings leave me impressed, these every day activities around me help me piece together the complex puzzle of life and its dynamics. unexpected surprises, sometimes nasty, sometimes pleasant await me in every corner that i turn into.
this time in milano, i gave up exploring a medieval fortress just because it made so much sense to lie on the grass and soak up the spring sun la locals. nor does it bother me that i have been to milano but i haven't seen the last supper. oh well, i did want to see michelangelo's david in florence, but i preferred to explore the winding alleys than stand in a queue that was as long as italy.
oh yes, i do find it worth the while. in venice, i discovered this quaint little shop, away from the bustle of the touristy squares, where an old man let his imagination run wild: he was making leather venetian masks. and this time in florence, i was drawn to a shop that looked different from the chic facade of others. and lo behold, it was crammed to its last available space with most fantastic collection of shoes, handmade by this man, who was busy crafting another pair even when talking to me!
if you ask me, traveling is all about finding little gems of moments that could be stored in our memory for as long as it lasts. for me barcelona, for instance, 50 years hence will be a city of not only gaudi but also of this girl who walked with me all the way to the police station to report the theft of my laptop. perhaps i will not be able to recollect her face as clearly as i can do now, but definitely my point of reference to barcelona would be this wonderful person.