Traveler & Tourist

Gilbert K. Chesterton's: "The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see." perfectly sums up my traveling.

I do not inform myself much about a destination before embarking on a trip to a previously unknown place. That, however, does not mean that I do not know anything about the place for I have read about it, heard about it, often seen pictures of it. Differently put: I come with pictures in my head.

When visiting Brasília for the first time, I had lots of pictures in my head of the fabulous architecture of this exceptional city. What I however did not have on my radar was the fact that "my" hotel was, although close to the airport, pretty far from everything else.  Also, the neighbourhood did not look very inviting, a lower middle-class environment it was not.

Nevertheless, I ventured out, found a bakery and a supermarket, and on my way back discovered a flower that so far I had never seen.

Brasília, 2 March 2026

I'm somewhat glad that I involuntarily discovered a Brasília I would not have seen had I not mistakenly ended up in this neighbourhood where I saw what there was to see: unremarkable housing, small industries, and a wide open sky that invites you to see your life in perspective.