Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
Inspired by the arrival post of @FedeVenezia, who mentioned the part of Venice they (and other locals) live in.
Are there any normally touristy places you've been, that you've especially liked somewhere beyond the normal range of tourists, where you get more of a feel for the normal culture / lifestyle.
For me:
Amsterdam, beyond the museum quarter (which many guides suggest is the furthest tourists would want to go away from the centre). Places like PC Hoofstraat for relatively upmarket untouristy shopping, Vondelpark (which does see tourists, but also very popular with locals), and beyond for a quiet leafiness that has a lovely relaxed feel. Plenty of other places in the city's suburbs that have a more relaxed charm, and lack the bright lights and (all too often brash) bustle of the centre.
Pogerola (Amalfi Coast). My first visit to Italy, was to Ravello, and that's a place of great charm, but tourism continues to encroach ever more over time (I noticed a few years ago, that the local butchers had been replaced by a Murano glass shop. Ugh!). One year, we had a holiday with two bases, one in Ravello, the other in Pogerola a mere 3 miles away 'as the crow flies', but maybe 7 miles by road. Definitely our shortest transfer between bases. It was a really interesting contrast. Pogerola has similar altitude, but lacks the very special scenic views Ravello has. As a result, barring a hotel a mile down the hill (whose residents don't appear to explore upwards), it's a village that is still occupied by local people, albeit I'm sure some/many support the tourist trade. Its two restaurants are simple local trattorie, basic, unfancy, but relaxed. A modest supermercato (but with locally smoked mozzarella, my first taste of that) and a daily(?) veggie van serviced the village. Stuff to see? There was a short & basic 'nature trail', a small square by the church, plus still very decent views over the coast. That's about it, though it did have the typical wonderful network of paths, plus if you needed the bus, it wasn't overcrowded with tourists. Would I recommend it? Not to the casual tourist. Would I return? Possibly, again as a way of giving a 2 paced holiday, seeing two different sides to essentially the same area. I'm glad we stayed there, in an apartment block that AFAIK housed no other tourists. Coming back to it after visiting somewhere else, felt like a return to normality.
Other thoughts... I really like Melbourne as a city centre, but a shout out to the way its suburbs have established their own identities. They have a distinct character, such that people may travel specifically to them, and that very much includes the city / other suburb residents venturing there.
Are there any normally touristy places you've been, that you've especially liked somewhere beyond the normal range of tourists, where you get more of a feel for the normal culture / lifestyle.
For me:
Amsterdam, beyond the museum quarter (which many guides suggest is the furthest tourists would want to go away from the centre). Places like PC Hoofstraat for relatively upmarket untouristy shopping, Vondelpark (which does see tourists, but also very popular with locals), and beyond for a quiet leafiness that has a lovely relaxed feel. Plenty of other places in the city's suburbs that have a more relaxed charm, and lack the bright lights and (all too often brash) bustle of the centre.
Pogerola (Amalfi Coast). My first visit to Italy, was to Ravello, and that's a place of great charm, but tourism continues to encroach ever more over time (I noticed a few years ago, that the local butchers had been replaced by a Murano glass shop. Ugh!). One year, we had a holiday with two bases, one in Ravello, the other in Pogerola a mere 3 miles away 'as the crow flies', but maybe 7 miles by road. Definitely our shortest transfer between bases. It was a really interesting contrast. Pogerola has similar altitude, but lacks the very special scenic views Ravello has. As a result, barring a hotel a mile down the hill (whose residents don't appear to explore upwards), it's a village that is still occupied by local people, albeit I'm sure some/many support the tourist trade. Its two restaurants are simple local trattorie, basic, unfancy, but relaxed. A modest supermercato (but with locally smoked mozzarella, my first taste of that) and a daily(?) veggie van serviced the village. Stuff to see? There was a short & basic 'nature trail', a small square by the church, plus still very decent views over the coast. That's about it, though it did have the typical wonderful network of paths, plus if you needed the bus, it wasn't overcrowded with tourists. Would I recommend it? Not to the casual tourist. Would I return? Possibly, again as a way of giving a 2 paced holiday, seeing two different sides to essentially the same area. I'm glad we stayed there, in an apartment block that AFAIK housed no other tourists. Coming back to it after visiting somewhere else, felt like a return to normality.
Other thoughts... I really like Melbourne as a city centre, but a shout out to the way its suburbs have established their own identities. They have a distinct character, such that people may travel specifically to them, and that very much includes the city / other suburb residents venturing there.
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