Travelogue : Places I’ve been

I’ve been extremely lucky to travel to most corners of the world, especially in the Northern hemisphere (the closest I have come to crossing the equator is The Maldives. Thinking about where I still want to go is a short list (New Zealand and Brazil) but there are still places I have been that I would like to go to some other time.

Literally, some other time. I have been able to visit some of the greatest cities on Earth but I was less than impressed with them. If I had the chance to revisit them I would love to see them at a different time, perhaps during a period that shows of their quality.

As usual, in no particular order, here is my temporal travel list.

Paris in the Belle Epoque

Paris is one of Mrs G’s favourite cities (after New York I would say it is her #1) but I’ve never warmed to it. I have only ever visited as a tourist during the busiest times of year and been crushed by crowds at the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Perhaps if I had been to Paris during the Belle Eopque I would have been entranced, being able to stroll along the Seine without masses of people with their cameras would see me fall in love with la Ville Lumière.

Rome at it’s peak

I had the same problem with Rome, it was too full of those with DSLR’s and people dressed as centurions. This was the centre of an empire that stretched across the Mediterranean and now it is an open air museum. I would like to be there at Rome’s peak to see the chariots and togas, take part in the panem et circenses and see the grandeur of the Eternal City.

Florence in the Renaissance

Florence also has history, if not as many iconic buildings as the Italian capital, instead it’s history is more in the names of Medici, Dante and Da Vinci. As a result you don’t get to see what made Florence great, the people. This is why I would love to be there at the hight of the renaissance to see these great people help bring Europe into a new era.

Luxor with the Pharaohs

When I was younger I wanted to be an egyptologist, and I’ve been lucky enough to see both Cairo and Luxor. Both seem a pale shadow of their former glories and are now just a collection of columns surrounded by people looking to extort money from you for a picture with a camel. To have been able to witness pharaohs with their gold glittering would have been something to behold, and I’m sure none of them looked like Gerard Butler.

Beijing in the Autumn

I went in the summer, it was around 100f, in October it is much cooler. This seems like a nice time to go.

Tell us about the top five places you’ve always wanted to visit.

Source: The Wanderer