Open love letter to my cities

It's no surprise that the urban life - in some cities in particular - is one of my biggest sources of inspiration.

If only I believed in other past lifes, then I think I was a city. When people talk about that - you know those superstitions bla bla - I never think I could have been "something" except a city. The way some cities can thrill me, get me immediately connected to a place and its people - completely strangers - is something that is beyond me! The feeling that "I belong here and I could start living here without even think about my people and my stuff somewhere else" happened to me only in two places in this world: Lisbon/Cascais - where I lived for 4 months and Wien - where I've been only for a weekend. This intimate feeling is so immediate and intense that I can feel it from the moment I step into that place (the case of Wien yes). The more I get to know the world and myself, I begin to understand better this feeling of belong - not only to a place but with people as well. 

Nonetheless, the other way round is absolutely legitimate too. I've lived in places I've never belonged to. I remember 4 years of my life being almost completely useless living in a place I could ever call home - I knew it from the first day I got there and cried like hell hours non-stop - and from where I was ALWAYS running from.

See? Some places got me, others don't. I know me and I know how and what I feel and where I belong to and not. Some cities steal my soul and share theirs with me. Because, you know, what is the city but the people? So probably what happens in reality is that I also feel connected with the kind of people living there.

I've never been in The Netherlands but luckily I've met some great dutch fellows and its culture and lifestyle, let's say from fashion to bicycle commuting, is something that has been attracting me for awhile now.

I found the set of photos below from Keizersgracht, Amsterdam, really beautiful and inspiring! Sometimes these are the kind of pictures I have in my mind when I think of a place I'd like to live: interesting buildings that oh! make you wonder of all the cool spaces inside and around; the mix of materials; the variety of work, food and "being" styles;  the creative class - yes, the jargon from Mr. Richard Florida; the mysterious of winter and the freshness of summer along the water canals; the bicycling-way-of-life of course; and probably a lot of other things I yet don't know...

Keizersgracht - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Photos source: GreaterThanExpected