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| Paris skyline at night |
It's funny how people perceive and prioritize things when traveling. For some, a posh hotel with fancy fittings in the bathroom and a suited concierge is non-negotiable and for others a good meal in good company with a few cheap drinks is living it up. Personally, I had the best time in Paris because I got to spend two days with a lovely friend of mine. While we had a blast seeing some of the sites, I think we could have had just as much fun going to a yarn museum or walking around non-famous parts of the city. I'll have some reflections on Paris at a later time but that will take a bit of research to put everything I experienced in the wider context.
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| Warschauer strasse at night |
So far Berlin has been great. I made friends with a super cool Estonian girl on my walking tour of street art. Despite some challenges in coordinating without a phone, we managed to meet back up and walk to this really nifty place full of bars, a skatepark and even a massive climbing gym. We had a few cheap beers and enjoyed the lovely swing music while discussing all manner of topics. Dare I say, I doubt it will be the last time we cross paths.
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| A lovely piece by Alice (2013?) |
From my perspective, it's all about who you meet and making connections with people. It seems to be, the more I travel, the more I find independent, adventurous inquisitive ladies that are wandering the world for enlightenment and excitement. Oddly enough, I hear the same story constantly from them. People are forever surprised to meet solo female travelers. Yes, it is the 21st century. Yes, all of these women I've met so far are from developed countries where women play basically equal roles in societies. And yes, these are almost all educated, motivated ladies doing their own thing back home...So why the surprise? How long is it going to take for global cultures to recognise the solo female traveler as a "normal" and important part of the travelers' community?
