A View
Life is beautiful, seek that beauty.
When I travel, I try to embrace the culture and lifestyle of the places I visit. Most of the time, I fall in with locals and experience life as an insider. However, not every trip is like that. Sometimes I roam through the streets alone, looking for a quiet cafe, someplace with history and atmosphere. When I was in Serbia, I wanted to eat along the Danube. The "An der schonen baluen Donau" or "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss II was my inspiration for the idea. If you think the Blue Danube sounds familiar, I assure you you have heard it before. I walked to the city edge of Belgrade, Serbia. I sat on the shore of the Danube, had a fantastic meal, and watched the sunset as I drank a glass of Rakia while the Blue Danube played softly in the background.
In Tbilisi, Georgia, we rode the Funicular (gondola) to the top of Mount Mtatsminda, where we ate at an old Soviet-era restaurant. It was built in 1938. Its architecture gives off a posh USSR vibe. We sat there eating authentic and delicious Georgian wine and cuisine. We imagined Stalin rolling over in his grave from having American and Ukrainian Captilists eating in a restaurant that was probably once reserved for party elites.
The view in an area allows me to travel back in time and think and live in history. In Giza, I would wake up early and have breakfast with the Great Pyramids every morning. Having breakfast and later watching the sunset with these monoliths that had withstood the sands of time for over 3000 years was mind-boggling to me. I was sharing a space where history's titans had once passed.
There is a dark side to some of the views that I've visited. The Pyramids of their dark historical times. I've sat in other places that were ruled by despots as recently as the 80s and 90s. Where people were murdered for their beliefs or for no reason at all. At the time that I visited, prosperity and peace had come to those places, and the youth were one generation away from not having any idea of the nightmares that their parents or grandparents had to live through.
A good view always allows me to reflect on how lucky I have been in this life. Lucky to have been born into the family that I have. Lucky to have survived the things that have happened in my life. Lucky to have crossed paths with so many fantastic humans.
With spring on the way, take the time to appreciate these views. So many of them are free, and you'd be surprised how many are nearby but left unexplored by you. Maybe go back to a favorite of yours or someone you are fond of and missing. A view is a good place to visit with a close friend, stranger, or long-lost friend. Have a nice drink, or bring your own. We have this one life to live, and I hope that you take in as many views as you can in this life.
Breakfast with the Pyramids.
Dinner and a drink on the Danube in Belgrade, Serbia.
A Saigon Special at a roof top bar in DaNang, Vietnam.
A Czech beer with the roof tops of Prague.
