Anytime I see a List of places to visit in 2023 or something similar, I know those are the places to avoid. Yahoo Lists are hopeless written by people who have never travelled, LonelyPlanet have their own agenda and New York times List would make the place crowded..CNN or WSJ or Blomberg.. you can keep their lists as their readers have very little in common with my travel interests, I presume.
There are two magazines that i have great faith in and rely upon them for news and analysis. The Economist from London which I have been following since my high school days and Monocle the magazine out of Zurich/London/Tokyo.
I like Monocle magazine lists of places to live and visit and also small cities which are attractive around the world .
Today I was reading Monocle's Small City Index. 20 small cities around the world and 5 honourable mentions. I have marked 6 cities i want to visit in the coming 24 months, and I request a local guide or a person to go along with . Here is the list
1 GIRONA
2 TOULON
3 BOZEMAN
4 TRIESTE
5 GEELONG
6 ONOMICHI
7 SAN SEBASTIAN
8 GUIMARĀES
9 SEOGWIPO
10 LAUSANNE
11 TAITUNG
12 BESANÇON
13 AALBORG
14 BURLINGTON, VERMONT
15 BOLZANO
16 EINDHOVEN
17 GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA
18 PATRAS
19 AACHEN
20 LOJA, ECUADOR
Of this list I have visited
Geelong, San Sebastian, George Town MY but I would not mind revisiting the three ..
I would like to have a local guide/travel companion to
Trieste
Besançon
Aalborg
Patras
Loja
Getting to Loja itself is very interesting as Ecuador is a mountainous country and the airports and roads to the airports lie in higher and geographically challenging altitudes
Fly to Quito. I have visited this city and it is a lovely city, with lots of colonial buildings. Fly to Cuenca (visually more beautiful than Quito or Guyaquil, in my opinion) and from there by bus to Loja. In that way, on one visit you get to see three lovely places ..The best times seem to be June to November ..
Besançon is a rapid 2 hour TGV from Paris
Trieste is the most intriguing with convoluted history. Part of Italy but surrounded by Croatia and Slovenia. You can reach Trieste very easily by bus or train from Venezia. so nice to combine both. I have visited Venice once during the carnaval and it was such an aesthetic experience .
Aalborg is a university town has a new airport and can be reached from Amsterdam and Copenhagen and also from other cities, London-Sanstead, Malaga etc.
Patras is easily reached by bus from Athens and there is also a combination Bus-Ferry transport
Honourary mentions were given to
CADIZ
HELSINGBORG
TARTU
BENTONVILLE
STELLENBOSCH
Of the five I have visited three: Cadiz, Helsingborg and Stellenbosch. the wine and food at Stellenbosch was memorable, Helsingborg reminded you of Hamlet and Cadiz the ancient port of the Phoenicians. I would not mind revisiting them
A small city to visit in my horizon is Tartu in Estonia
Tartu can be reached by bus from Tallin, the capital or Riga the capital of Latvia. thus a nice combination trip ..
In returning the favour, I can be your guide
Miami
La Habana
Buenos Aires
Leticia and the Amazon
Merida Mexico
Doha
Haifa
and definitely Cochin, Kerala where I can give you a very nice historical tour..
and some other places ..Siem Reap where I can double as the guide to the temples as well.. KL as long as you like to eat local makan/tucker..
Inside a bus in Cochin, Kerala.
