tI would like to celebrate with you my travels (and yours):
The first 20 people who comment on this post will receive a promo code for Full Version of one GPSmyCity, one of the popular iOS and Android apps that feature self-guided city walks in over 470 cities around the world allowing you to explore on foot the best of the city at your own pace.
There are those places where you go, no matter if for some months, some years or some days, and you’ll miss them like home forever.
This aspect is not related to the fact that those cities are ‘beautiful’, but to the peculiar energy they can, for some reason, give you.
There are places able to make you feel a part of them, like if you’ve lived there for a while or forever in a previous existence.
I’ll tell you something about some of this kind of places, where I was lucky enough to live for a while, or where I just had an intense travel experience that was worth more than a period of life.
I’ll try to go over my personal experience as far as I can. When I can’t, please bear with me! “Nothing personal” is definitely not my motto.
I just hope that, after I tell you something about the magic of these places, you’ll go there and feel a bit inspired too, more eager to perceive what can go far beyond architecture, bars and cafès, museums and discos.
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I lived in this Maltese area for some months, when the island was still a bit different than today, a little farther from Europe (no Euro yet but Maltese Lira, still old cars and the old public transport system etc…).
Walking along the coastline from Sliema to Saint Julien (where some friend of mine lived) was a time consuming and tiring activity. Every time I started walking I forgot how far it was.
It was tiring also because of the strong sea wind!
But that wind gets into your veins time after time and you won’t forget it anymore.
I also walked from Sliema to Valletta: the absolute, absurd beauty of the promenade made me forget it was about 5-6 km and that it takes about an hour if you are a fast and hard walker!
I said to myself everytime I wouldn’t do it again… and everytime I failed in this purpose.
Another thing that really slowed down my pace of life (if you live in Malta you can’t help doing that) was working in Birkirkara and going there by bus. At that time it took 30 minutes and it was amazing just staying there and looking out the bus windows. But ‘once upon a time’ (2007) I didn’t have a smartphone and so it was easier (read compulsory) to keep your head up and watch out.
Hard worker in Milan
Can you imagine a more strange life passage than going from the Maltese slow pace of life to the fast and furious Milan? I don’t. Well, maybe NYC or London would be more extreme, but believe me, once you are in Milan you must run.
Run after trams, run after buses, run after time.
But Milan by tram, at night, can be so quite and so still, like-Falling-in-Love-Björk.
If you can, walk and tram around Milan at night. It will surprise you! It will calm you down. It will be a constant companion of some (many, in my case) sleepless nights.
Prague and love
If I could choose where to fall in love, I’d choose Prague. If you walk along Karlův Most at dawn/sunset you can’t go back and live like you used to.
Your idea of beauty, of walking, of sunset and dawn, of observing won’t be the same anymore.
Try, and then tell me.
I did it with the snow, alone. In the sun, in good company. At sunset, alone. At dawn, in good company.
Even my idea of walking alone and walking in company has changed in Prague.
If you feel like to, read also
Why Prague is
like the sugar cube
in a black coffee
Antibes and my novel
Have you ever heard of Antibes? Well, after I first bumped into that small city in the French Riviera, I wrote a (still unpublished) novel, called Antibes.
One day, maybe, I’ll try to send it to some publisher as I did with my third novel but for now this is just a city that I wanted to be a part of my life. As everybody knows, writing stories is the best way I have to take something into my life and, at the same time, to get free from them.
Over than its intrinsic beauty, Antibes is a place where you rest and live in peace.
London and my first solo travel
I have to go to London at least once every 5 years.
Despite the rain.
Despite the costs.
Despite my reasonably wise attitude to spend what remains of my money after I pay the loan and taxes to visit a new country or at least a new city.
I do that because London taught me to be independent, to travel solo like Aphra Behn, the VERY FIRST woman who earned a living by what she wrote (popular theatre comedies and the very first novel of the history [yes, before Defoe’s bourgeois Robinson and Richardson’s boring but virtuous Pamela]. She wrote Oroonooko, an ANTISLAVERY novel, describing a woman TRAVELLING SOLO TO SURINAME – Aphra herself -. Aphra Behn’s women were all but boring and virtuous, they were free! So she was boycotted by the postumous male and puritan critics, who wanted to erase her from history even if, while alive, she was as famous as Shakespeare.
What do I do when I go to London? I go to the theatre, I pay my visit to the National Gallery, I go to the grave of Aphra Behn and lay a flower on her stone as Virginia Woolf once recommended me (and all women who write for living and live for writing).
As if I was a timeless londoner woman who lived the history of theatre, of feminism and literature.
Every woman who studied theatre and literature and every feminist can’t help being a londoner.
NYC and Sandy
NYC
Do I miss New York? Well… I miss the feeling I had the very first time I was there. I miss Sandy, my hurricane friend who taught me much about life, the sense of waiting for things to come (back) such as light, power, normal life, love, water, electricity, sleep, happiness.
If you go to NYC, well, wait for a Hurricane. And then you’ll tell me if after some years you won’t miss all this, even the fear of tornadoes.
Lecce and Salento, because peripheries matters
Have you got any idea of what it feels when you live in the ‘outskirts’ (south Italy, south Europe, South Puglia, South of the world) like Lecce? You feel that the ‘center’ of the world is highly overrated.
You understand that peripheries are more than you need to be happy and self sufficient. Such an amazing periphery teaches you that there’s only one way of being at the center of the universe: being the center of the universe yourself. Be the absolute protagonist of your life, of your way of making things turn all around you because your happiness is what matters.
Peripheries rock! Even more so… if they are close to an amazing sea and winter lasts for no more that a couple of months.
Barccelona and its patchwork mood
I miss Barcelona every spring time. I miss this city in mid seasons, when I start missing summer but I’m eager to live Xmas period, when Winter is almost over and I don’t want to stop lighting my fireplace and, meanwhile, I can’t wait for summer to be back.
I miss Barca everytime my patchwork mood is back. When it’s too early for tomorrow and too late for yesterday and you stay there just a place in between a well defined color.
If you ever live a patchwork mood, Barcelona is the right place to be.
You can also enjoy: 4 ways Barcellona can change your life
+1: Melbourne and my family
Well, for me Melbourne is not just a matter of travels.I have part of my family there, at the very other side of the world. That’s why when I had the opportunity to go Downunder I wasn’t that interested in ‘visiting as many places and regions as possible because who knows when you’ll have the chance to go there again’. The only thing that mattered was to spend as much time and share as many possible moments and memories with them, my family.
Maybe this gave me the opportunity to live Melbourne as a local, with locals, and that’s why I miss it like home.
By the way, you can also learn more about my Top 6 Wild and interesting things to do in the state of Victoria, Australia
Now it’s your turn: which city/place do you miss more?
The first 20 comments will receive a code to download for free the Full Version of GPSmyCity
of one of the cities available: choose here your map and city guide!
41 Comments
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Dariece
I love this post so much! Your writing takes me on a journey, and I feel almost as if I’m missing those places with you. There are definitely cities out there that will always have a little piece of my soul. <3
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Sabrina - In My Suitcase
I’m so glad when someone feels like I do after reading my post! Thank you so much! Can I make you a present with a full GPSMyCity map of Melbourne?
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Mar Pages
I love your +1 bit. 😀 Once country I cannot get enough of, Japan! It feels odd not to have a trip planned to go, its become a norm. Definitely a fan of repeated visits!
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Dave Briggs
I wouldn’t say I exactly miss any city, but one I never get bored of returning to is San Cristobal de las Casas. I always make a point of visiting whenever I am in Mexico, and find it a really relaxing place.
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Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Dave, can you tell me if your device is IOS or Android? So that i can have your free code generated?
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Trisha Velarmino - P.S. I'm On My Way
Don’t you think we are so fortunate to be able to choose any country/city that would suit out mood? Interesting roster! I especially enjoyed your descriptions of the smaller towns by the ocean. It all seems so ideal for long term trips!
I would REALLY love to visit Malta and see what the Maltese has in store since I hardly know anything about the country and their culture.
Have you ever had the same feeling of longing in an Asian country?-
Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Trisha, I’ve never been to Asia unfortunately, but I’m eager to see what I’ll miss more of those places. Wishing you to visit Malta very soon, I’ll send you next Saturday the code to download a free Valletta full guide. Maybe that’s a sign it’s high time for you to go there! Thank you so much for your impressions!
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Meg Jerrard
If I could choose one city which I absolutely fell in love with it would be Prague too. I don’t know what it was about the city, but there was something truly magical about it. Very bohemian and I loved it!
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Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Dear Meg, can you tell me if you have IOS or Android and your e-mail address? SO that I can have the free code generated and send it to you! 🙂
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Kathrin
I think I have the same feeling for London as you have. Because it’s just – London. London taught me to be independet, taught be to think bigger, taught me that I’m enough but that I am capable of doing whatever I want to. I lived in London for two months right after I graduated from school – imagine this 18-year old girl from the German countryside in one of the biggest and busiest cities of the world. This place will forever have a special place in my heart!
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Hugo
I’ve been to a few places that I think about going back for more. I’ve even repeated them more than once.
From your list, I’ve also been to a few. London was one of them, and now live here!
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Lotte
Excellent list:-) I lived in Barcelona and London and also miss these awesome cities and their vibe… Malta is a place I would love to visit, as is New York!
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Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Malta is a Must see! So if you’d like to go there I’ll send you next saturday a full city guide for Valletta 🙂
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Dana
We liked Antibes and have visited a couple of times. I keep hearing about how much people love Prague and can’t seem to get of the city. I can’t wait to finally visit there myself.
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Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Goo Dana, I’ll be so happy to send you, next Saturday, the code for the full guide of Prague 😉
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Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Great, Next Saturday I will send you the code for the full city guide of Porto, so it will be closer 😉
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matteo
Nice writing (and travelling!) 🙂
My next trips will be in Paris and Berlin. And I dream a little dream of Dublin.-
Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Great Matteo, so next Saturday I will send you a promo code for the full cityMap of Paris, and you’ll tell me if you find it useful (you can make me a review of it!!!!)
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Lottie Reeves
Apart from my home town (London) I really miss Toronto, Canada. I lived there for just over two years so it really felt like home. Its such a great city to live in with an awesome vibe. I think once you have lived somewhere it is hard to go back as a visitor!
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Sabrina - In My Suitcase
I’ll be happy to send you, next Saturday, the promo code for the full city guide of Toronto. Hope you’ll enjoy it
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Annick
New York is absolutely my favourite place in the world. You can feel life everywhere, by day, by night. You can see people with every types of clothes. People from every country. You can hear several languages, so many you cannot count. And everything is perfect together. It is a harmony. A secret harmony. That’s why I love that place.
PS: If I win a guide, I’d like to get a London guide. -
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Roberta
Thank you Sabrina for this great plst 🙂 I really felt nostalgic a little bit! I’m visiting Vienna in august, can’t wait! xx
adventurousmiles.com-
Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Great Roberta, Vienna is amazing. Next saturday I will send you the map code for Vienna 🙂
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Anna
I miss Prague, Amsterdam, New York and so many other places I’ve never been.
After I read your description I miss Prague more-
Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Great, so next Saturday I’ll send you the code to download the full city guide for Prague. Thank you Anna <3
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Antonio
I really miss Edinburgh and Prague, in the sense that I was there pretty long ago and I’d like to get back and give a look around…the one city I still haven’t been to and wish I did is definitely Melbourne!
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Isabella
I lived this post! Sabrina, I love the way you write!! I’d love to go to Seville soon!!!
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Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Thank you Isabella! I’ll be so glad to send you a free guide promo next Saturday to thank you for your support!
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Giorgia Sherbet
there is a city that i miss soo much…
this city is Dublin
I have loved everything of this town…in a melancholic atmosphere you can find people so expansive , good beer , art everywhere…
the memory makes me cry !! :’-)-
Sabrina - In My Suitcase
I miss Dublin too! Always! Let’s cheer up and choose your next destination! Give me one of these cities and I’ll send you your free code next Saturday! http://www.gpsmycity.com/user/static_sfg.html ❤️❤️❤️
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Carmen Everywhere
the one city I miss so much is London! I lived there for three and a half years and absolutely loved it apart from the rush and the stress but if you like city life and things to do and see, plus nightlife then London hast it all!
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Sabrina - In My Suitcase
Oh I can only imagine how you can miss it after you lived there for so long!
To thank you for being active on this blog, I wish I can give you a code to download for free a city map-guide to choose among these cities:
http://www.gpsmycity.com/user/static_sfg.html
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trip advisor
Enjoyed the whole article but i missed the promo code. :'(