Nassim Nicholas Taleb @nntaleb 2021-07-30
Flaneuring cities in non-fancy, non-touristic streets, getting the neighborhood spirit Σ’ αυτή τη γειτονιά:
Naples (#1 by far)
Beirut
Athens
Istanbul
Palermo
Belgrade
Bucharest
Non Med, non-post-Ottoman cities (“North Atlantic”) are too self-conscious abt hanging laundry…
2021-07-30
Actually, forgetaboutnature: flaneuring in Belgrade or Palermo beats any trip into space.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb @nntaleb 2021-07-31
- Perhaps my best flaneuring was with @sez_dss in Tripoli whenISIS was still present in some neighborhoods where stores soldISIS flags.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb @nntaleb 2021-07-31
- ODORS
In Patrick Süskind’s Perfume, the wet nurse returns an orphan, repulsed at his lack of smell.
You get the same w/cities of the North, or those with large avenues, as if there was a truncation into lower dimensions.
Did Jane Jacobs discuss the odor of neighborhoods?
Nassim Nicholas Taleb @nntaleb 2021-07-31
- Flaneuring is an all day thingy, not just a 4PM aerobic walk for an hour while listening to a science podcast. The route MUST be unpredicted.
I once dragged the unsuspecting @stevenstrogatz on an 9 hour flaneuring episode in Manhattan. He has refused to talk to me since.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb @nntaleb 2021-07-31
- The only nonrandom aspect of the walk with @stevenstrogatz was the Brownian Bridge of squid ink restaurants in Manhattan.
2021-07-31
The pasta with squid ink was unforgettable that day! cc @nntaleb x.com/stevenstrogatz…
Chas Lutz @chaslutz 2021-07-31
Would think Nicosia makes this list
Nassim Nicholas Taleb @nntaleb 2021-07-31
Too small, no? I flaneured with @spyrosmakrid in Athens in 2008 but never got the “feel” in Nicosia, otherwise extremely pleasant.
Atrin Assa @AtrinAssa 2021-07-31
Have you done the big cities further east?
Nassim Nicholas Taleb @nntaleb 2021-07-31
Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, H-K, Singapore… of these Tokyo is paradoxically the best for flaneuring. Others are too dominated by buildings.
César Campos @cesarcampos67 2021-07-31
Lisbon. Laundry hangs profusely.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb @nntaleb 2021-07-31
Became too touristy.
Terrance @exitmultiple 2021-08-01
Can attest, Istanbul is a top 10.
Proc Marco @procmarco 2021-07-31
Given that you like Palermo and Naples, you may enjoy Catania if you haven’t visited
Ivailo Gaidarski @IRevoltBulgaria 2021-07-31
Bucharest in the list surprised me. An awful city.
Diobosco @diobosco 2021-07-31
I don’t like it. But beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
✌🏻
gorsan99 @gorsan99 2021-08-02
if we lived in space everyone would say did you hear about belgrade etc its amazing there theres cafes, people walking around
Ahmad Ali Farhoodi @aafarhoodi 2021-07-31
When will you try Tehran?
Julia Rived @PreferNobody 2021-07-31
As a Neapolitan-born, I concur. Catanzaro is up there too, though probably too small to make the register.
Velina Tchakarova @vtchakarova 2021-07-31
We can do Sofia next year.
Ravi Mruthyunjaya @ravi_m 2021-07-31
Gracia in Barcelona? Narrow streets, outdoor cafes, laundry drying everywhere, people hanging out on balconies and squares …
Thomas Long @thomas_long 2021-07-31
What about French Med towns / villages?
Toulon, Fréjus, Bormes Les Mimosas, etc.
CocoaBärchi @cocoabaerchi 2021-07-31
I would add La Valetta as well
mahesh kulkarni @mak007kulkarni 2021-07-31
Please visit Pune and Mumbai
Vix Khalifa @zoagfresh 2021-07-31
Thessaloniki should make it’s way to that list.
Sami Gülgöz @sgulgoz 2021-07-31
Unfortunately these cities too are losing their charm and becoming alike, so sad
Diocletian @orodreath_xx 2021-07-31
Barceloneta balconies in Barcelona, they tend to be full of hanging clothes as well
andy_yc_chan @andyycchan1 2021-07-31
Tbilisi definitely has some charm and some taste-tastic soup and local eateries. Maybe a little bet internet?
Mark Wylie @MarkKWylie 2021-07-31
Agree with your list for sure. I’d add Taipei and Hanoi as a vote from Asia (and I’ve lived here in Asia for quite a while). And tbh, any Bavarian town is good for me as it will at least end in a great beer
Anurag Baveja @AnuragBaveja 2021-07-31
Come over to New Delhi, Nassim
Dorjan Hysi @thedoridori 2021-08-01
Maybe some other near Mediterranean gems could make it into the list, say Arles and Avignon in France, Amman in Jordan (though I did miss alcohol there) and I am gonna go ahead with Tirana in Albania as well since we are looking for the neighborhood non touristic spirit 😉
Susie Van Ptok @PtokVan 2021-07-31
Kraków!
Zeina @zeinakt 2021-07-31
Not Astoria, Queens
Stephen Kovacs @KovacsStephen 2021-08-01
Marseille
Genova
Giovana não, Giuliana @GPavaneli 2021-07-31
I’ve learned something today… Am I a “flâneuse”? I like my city’s arborized streets with old houses.
ghjuvancarlu simeoni @diankarlu 2021-07-31
Bastia
Irish Gunner @CTA_Alpha_Bet 2021-07-31
Flaneuring is for literary types in need of exercise,they should do it in flannel just for fun.
drciocirlan.ro @CiocirlanMihai 2024-06-08
Med and North Europe.
Sren @sren1337 2021-07-31
Contenders from NL: Haarlem, Leiden
Rajesh Nathani @nathanirr 2021-08-01
Have you done Mumbai? The non-touristy Mumbai? It will be a revelation!
Pawel Silverfan @Pawel65731458 2021-08-01
Visit small town of Parga in Greece near Albania. Its one of the most beautiful places on the planet. So as Kamakura
FS @Fraismacaw 2021-07-31
Naples #1 by far!! Yes!
Lapg @Lapg32231003 2021-07-31
Time for you to flaneur in Latin America. There’s so much Med migration during the XX century that all these images would look very much in place there
Saturn Smith (Сатурн Смит) @velkp94 2021-07-31
Don’t let them know about Београд. :/
Alex Ionascu @alexandrionascu 2021-07-31
5 from this list checked and I agree so much. People find it strange I’m not thrilled to visit Paris or London.
Filippo Veneri @bitpest 2021-07-31
Luckily tourists are Pareto distributed: 90% of them visits 10% of places
Guy Phillips @gajush13 2021-07-31
Catania - spirit of the Med
Dan Ramsden @d_ramsden 2021-07-31
When done, there’s also this: Invisible Cities
Maurice Massaad @MauriceMassaad 2021-08-05
I won’t mess with anyone in that street ;)
cristiano carchidi @lonniearl1986 2021-07-31
Siracusa
Michael @newmarketwizard 2021-07-31
You would love Chios City on Chios Island Greece - August 1-20 for Flaneuring - June July for a med escape. The land of Mastiha with perfect scents and weather in August. Nothing like it. Next summer - I’d love to show you around. Its most Eastern Med of Greece. The Anti-Mykonos