The one way to visit a city

I love cities. I'm a true city girl and although I love spending time in nature as much as possible and I'm addicted to the peace and serenity nature offers, there is something about cities that I find irresistible. The long history of inhabitant, the centuries of development and changes, the footprints of people of long ago and the mark they left. The soul of the city.

That is way there is only one way for me to visit a city.

Many people visit cities as tourists, meaning they are focussed only on visiting the most important monuments and places of the city. But they are not aware that by doing so, they are missing on discovering the most interesting characteristics and essence of the city.

So, how can we discover a city without being an obvious tourist? 

There is a simple answer - on foot.

My family and I always prefer to see, to take in the city on foot. It can be tiring because there is quite a bit of walking involved (yes, no buses, no metros if possible or if not necessary needed, just walking). But it is absolutely worth it, as we discover little places that we would normally not see if we would be focused only to visit the obvious landmarks. 

Visiting the city (or any other place) on foot gives us the opportunity to stop at places we would otherwise pass and we can, for at list a tinny moment, experience the the city life and every day life of the people who live there.

And that is for me the really city. No the monuments, not the sightseeing attractions, the every day pulse of the city and its habitants.

One great thing to visit a city on foot is that we can enjoy, not only the the real people of the city on their way of their normal life, but also we discover some amazing street art or simple details like street lamps (love those) that we wouldn't see if we would only follow the tourist paths. And aren't those pigeons in the main photo art of themselves?

I highly recommend that next time you visit the city on foot at leas for some part. You'll take home some amazing memories that you wouldn't usually experience on the turist tours. 

And please, it's a secret - don't tell anyone.

All the images are from Paris.