Cities in Europe

This new series of blogs will be personal but not too autobiographical I hope. Ishall write about cities that I have either lived in or visited. There will be more than forty of them.

We shall not be trying to vie with the travel agencies or holiday brochures. There will be no advice on where to stay or how to travel. We shall leave that to the professionals. In keeping with the purpose and theme of Euroresidentes, I want to bring to life some of the diversity and fascination not only of Spain’s great cities but of other European ones as well.

I shall be writing as an enthusiast who loves the countryside as a diversion and refreshment, but who is happiest in the cut and thrust of city life, stimulated by all its advantages and mostly able to withstand its considerable deficiencies.

I have lived in cities for most of myworking life, and whereas some may find them intimidating, even hostile, they have been my home and I have found myself there. It is estimated that almost half the world’s population now live either in cities or within a city culture, and that the massive increase in urbanliving accomplished in the last century is likely to continue. Our dependence on the media – which is essentially metropolitan – increases that urban consciousness.

Next time, a bit about the origins of the City and then our first stop, which will be London.

Bryan