Currently, there are two things that characterise me as a traveller: I like to revisit places twice and I’m a park and garden enthusiast. The first goes to say I love visiting nice places twice or more let it be a country, a city, a restaurant, or a park. My park & garden enthusiasm means in every urban setting – after eating regularly – I’m most eager to go and find a park or a garden.
Parks and gardens are the city oasis. In some way they reveal the essence of the city too. Besides, usually you find locals at parks and gardens. And a good sign for me as a tourist on any trip is the ratio of locals. Then it is more likely to be something I might enjoy too. A kind hint to all those visiting Finland during winter: you don’t see many locals dipping in the sea or lake via a hole in the ice although it is said to be something very Finnish.
I stayed in Trento, Italy, for few days due to work and this trip made no exception in my park & garden spotting. Time will tell if I visit the nice North Italian town again, but at least I found a park and visited it twice. This park via Via Livio Marchetti and Vicolo San Marco has a peculiar air to it, as it has been there for a while. Moreover, the worn-down benches and cigarette butts are a valid proof of high use of the area. In addition to flowers and trees, it has a kitchen garden and this gives the park a very practical feeling. The area is not very big. A garland-covered brick wall and two old three-storey houses create cosy cover from passers-by. And yes, it had mainly people from Trento with their crossword puzzles and shopping bags, just popping in on their way to somewhere else.
Eeva Houtbeckers 