To me, the most friendly city I’ve visited in Europe has to be Amsterdam. The people are genuinely welcoming and don’t seem annoyed that every year, millions of tourists invade their beautiful city. Sure, they get us back by zinging past us on bikes with a mere ching of the bike bell as a warning, but in general, you couldn’t ask for a more accommodating people.
While I travel a fair amount, I don’t always feel a kinship with the places I go. But sometimes, there’s just this jolt, this realization that this place is somewhere magical. Somewhere I could be. San Luis Obispo (let’s just call it SLO, shall we?) is one of those rare places for me.
If you ask me what one city you should visit in southern France, I’m going to say Nice. It’s a beautiful coastal town, metropolitan without being overwhelming, and full of things to see (and eat).
Welcome to my friend, Gibi’s, mountain retreat. It’s an hour hike from the town that captured my heart years ago, Saorge. If you’re hardy enough to make the climb, he’ll welcome you with a glass of homemade grape juice or wine that he toted in his backpack on one of his jaunts up the mountain.