Sunday Post : City

When I was 18, all I wanted was the city.  And what a city it was!  London- fun, fashion and the centre of my universe.  Jakesprinter has reminded me of that, with his theme for the Sunday Post this week, City.

Covent Garden, where the entertainment’s always good

The Fan Museum in Greenwich, such an unexpected treat

The skyline with it’s newest addition, The Shard, climbing upwards

As I grew older, it didn’t seem the place to raise a family.  I returned to my northern roots.  But the city was never too far away, whether I needed culture, or just a place to crane my neck to look up at the sky.

Note Newcastle’s moody northern sky

Still, you couldn’t want a finer cityscape than Gateshead’s Millenium Bridge

A city with more serenity- Durham, clad in its Autumn colours

But not lacking for a spectacular, and cultural event- Lumiere 2011

Life can be quixotic, and for me this came in the form of my Polish family, rising from the embers of the past.  The cities it brought me to explore were survivors, and especially beautiful for that.

Coach and horses in Krakow’s mighty Rynek

All of Krakow’s history is on display on Wawel Hill

Talking of survivors, where better than Warsaw’s Stare Miasto?

Or the Rynek (market square) in Wroclaw

Wroclaw has cultural humour too, with its army of gnomes

I don’t truly consider myself a city person any more, but just sometimes I lose my heart to a city.  (You knew there was a song in there, bursting to get out, didn’t you?  Yes, I always did want to see San Francisco, but I haven’t made it there yet)

I expect you know the city I’m talking about.  I’ve talked about nothing else since I got home.

It’s a city full of colour

Beauty

History

Life

Trams

Boats

Character

Amazing churches

And azulejos, of course

So yes, I have lost my heart to a city by a bay, but it’s not San Francisco.  It’s Portugal’s fine northern city, Porto.  As usual, I have Jake to thank for allowing me to share these memories, old and new.  What does a city mean to you?  Jakesprinter’s bound to have lots of great examples.  Follow the links or click on the flying dragon logo to share.

70 comments

  5. I always loved living near the city (Sydney in my case), so many opportunities for visiting galleries and museums or participating in festivals and major events, plus the variety of cafes and restaurants was awesome. If I can’t live close by then I at least want to be able to get there in a couple of hours, it is why I wish I could live in Europe for 12 months and spend my time travelling to different destination every week, the 27 hours it takes is too hard and too expensive to do often 😦

    Like

    Reply

    1. Yes, I’d like to come “Down Under” for a while, Sam, but it’s not going to happen, sadly. (I can hear my mother now- she’s been dead for many years- “be content with what you’ve got!” I try, but not hard enough according to the husband)

      Like

      Reply
  6. Pingback: Sunday Post: Cities…A Good Place to Raise Children? « Positive Parental Participation

  13. Nice post of the cities, Jo. I think you have some more winners here. Someday we could compare notes (We have been to San F several times but then that is in the U.S.).

    Yes, we are in London for three weeks. I’m not sure where else except Dubrovnik (Croatia) next weekend and perhaps Southampton and we have some friends in Northampton to see.
    ..

    Like

    Reply

  14. Although I was brought up in a city, I’ve never had the yearning for the bright lights to want to live in one in adulthood.
    I like to visit, to look at the old buildings, and the history that is attached to a city though.
    You have some beautiful photos there 🙂

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks Vicky. I’m very ambivalent. I don’t like crowds- in fact, I don’t even like people very much (shush, don’t tell!), but I do like the energy of a city. But as you know, I love wide open spaces and moorland too.

      Like

      Reply

    1. Ahh, there’s an admission! I shall sing my response, Andrew. “When I fall in love, it will be forever, or I’ll never fall in love…” I hope you’re joining in?

      Like

      Reply

  17. A beautiful display of this city. You did it proud and drew us into its magic and beauty. Thank you for taking us on yhis wonderful tour.

    BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.