Yesterday I went to a meeting in Brisbane with Bear and our friend, Ann. Thanks to clear roads and brilliant weather, we arrived with an hour to kill in a part of the city we’d never explored. So we locked the car and went for a wander.
There’s something rather wonderful about exploring a city on a Sunday morning. It’s strangely quiet and peaceful, and the only people around are locals on their morning run or making a quick nip out for coffees before the day starts.
It’s a serene time to see a place that is usually jammed with cars and people making quite a racket.
Life in Brisbane is so different than my life on the farm, and I find it quite fascinating to mosey along streets lined with towering apartment buildings, smart cafes closed for the weekend, and billboards featuring items I grow a few meters from our back door.
Hidden among the swathes of concrete are tiny gardens and clusters of trees, potted palms and precious stretches of real grass. Seeing them is like spotting old friends in a crowd of strangers. They make me smile.
At last we find a restaurant that is open. It’s housed in a rather grotty hotel whose dining area is a baffling mix of faux Turkish detail and Dr. Seussian Christmas decor. It’s ghastly and I love it. It feels like I’m traveling again, especially when the European girl serving us can barely speak a word of English and thoroughly messes up our order. I’m so delighted I can’t stop smiling and Bear just shakes his head in wonderment at me. Thankfully the decor and service is no reflection on the food. My latte is perfection and the hash browns delectably crisp and piping hot. I’m a happy camper.
I find it inspiring to go places I’ve never been before, to see different ways of doing things. It jolts me out of my comfort zone and makes me think about why I do what I do. I wouldn’t choose to live in the city, but I do like visiting it. Very much indeed.
How about you? Are you a city person? What is your favorite city to visit?
It’s refreshing to see a city visit in your blog, though I miss your charming farm 🙂 I think it’s beauty is nothing compared to the city. But still, it’s good to see you travel and have a cup of great latte!
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
I am not a city person at all! However, I love visiting cities and cannot wait to go back to Paris 🙂
I was so waiting for a photo of the hash browns. When orders go wrong I sometimes get the urge to laugh and try to compose myself – I think it is a much healthier way than getting uptight about it. 🙂
I am a city person with a country heart… I live in Canberra, have done all my life and love it too… it’s getting busier nowadays, as it grows. I couldn’t live in a larger city like Sydney or even Brisbane… the traffic would drive me insane. But it is nice to explore. Glad to see you found a coffee! xo
One of my coworkers used to live in Brisbane! How you describe it is exactly how she describes it. 🙂
I feel much the same way when I cross the bridge over Lake Washington and venture into the ‘big’ city of Seattle. I wouldn’t want to live there, but it does make me feel like I am traveling. It is always fun to visit a hotel coffee shop or sip a glass of wine in a hotel lobby bar or even go to lunch at a hotel restaurant — it really seems like I am on a trip of much greater distance than the 30 minute Metro bus ride!
When I’m visiting a new city, I also like to explore it on a Sunday as it’s less busy and frantic and you don’t feel you need to rush. Lovely photos of Brizzie xx