… boots and elegant winter scarves; multiple facial piercings on twenty-somethings; the ubiquitous spaghetti marinara on plates and menus; crisp mornings with a welcome stillness in the air; café trottoirs and restaurants with outdoor gas heaters; generous servings and warm service; vibrant city centre abuzz with an eclectic mix of people; single red rose sellers in restaurants; night-lit buildings and an eerie green glow of old trees;

… food lovers who have cast the waif-starved look with flashy flesh exposure in favour of more rotund figures; tight narrow lanes that are open to traffic; helpful locals ready with a smile and a sense of humour; decadent shopping arcades with European flair; long strips of eateries vying for business by soliciting for patrons not unlike here and enticing customers with free bottles of wine with dinner;

… a calm stretch of water where the sea meets the sky in a powder blue finish that locals call a beach; preservation and restoration instead of demolishing and modernisation; skinny leg jeans tucked into stylish long boots; caked-on foundations on pale skins of young pencil-like figures; patrons huddling around tiny square tables; outdoor smokers and smokers in open air dining;

… redefining the cosmopolitan label with young men in white shoes, numerous Kwik-E-Marts and a lot of Indians, authentic Italian restaurants with Lebanese owners, and foreign accents such as Italian, French, Greek, Indian and overheard alongside English; small cafés that are licensed for alcohol; perfect lattes but no white sugar; cyclists, cars, pedestrians and trams cohabiting the streets; free wifi hotspots and more…

Thank you.

16 Comments to “To The City Of…”
  1. gboy says:

    Oh… I was gonna say Adelaide!until I read free wifi hotspots :P

  2. Zen Wizard says:

    Well, you didn’t mention the Rastafarian with the guitar on rollerskates, or I would have guessed, Venice, California.

  3. Die Murane says:

    You must be talking about Zurich ;)

  4. Essentially Me says:

    Where is this place and how soon can I move there?

  5. Casey says:

    This was a very nice post.  Sorry I’ve been a stranger lately, things happen.  Love letters to geographical characters inspire me for some reason.

  6. Josh Williams says:

    Indiana.

  7. Cléa says:

    I love how people think it’s their city :)

    Gboy: Every city should have free wifi hotspots, so convenient when you carry gadgets Like I do.

    Zen: They’re into boots and scarves there? I thought they roller skated in short shorts.

    Die Murane: I wish!! I’d love to go for a proper visit some day.

    EM: You’d find it warmer than your city but it can get cold. Mind you, there is heating everywhere!

    Casey: Thank you. And good to see you. I understand when stuff happens. I hope the Cléa Bot didn’t scare people away. As for talking to geographical cities, I tend to do that a lot in my head.

    JW: As in Jones? :P I kid. They’;re into facial piercings too?

    I will name the city soon, or I may post some photos in the gallery.

  8. Casey says:

    I call California “motherfucker” at least eight times a day when we chat.

  9. Josh Williams says:

    Indianapolis to be more specific. Hell Indianapolis is known as the facial piercing capitol of the world. If you took all of the piercings out of the locals it has been estimated they would fill twenty Coliseums!

  10. Cléa says:

    Casey: A term of endearment no doubt. I’m sure she replies by calling you sweetheart.

    JW: Whoa, that sounds incredible! To be honest, it’s painful to look at their faces. But like any art form or body art, each to their own. Personally I draw the line at earrings.

  11. egan says:

    You gotta love Hobart!

  12. Cléa says:

    Egan: You seem well informed when it comes to cities of cold weather!

  13. egan says:

    Yep, that’s my specialty

  14. Cléa says:

    Egan: Seattle can get very cold.

  15. peefer says:

    I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’ve been there a number of times.  In the old days before wifi though.

  16. Cléa says:

    Peefer: The fact that it sounds so familiar to many makes me think of when cities start to look the same. I should upload some photos soon. As for free wifi, it should be mandatory everywhere… where do bloggers get their fix? ;)

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