Most folks that write have never experience what they write; I have in most everything I’ve ever written, experienced it first, in one way or another. Here are the Top Ten Most Unique Cites of the world. When somebody writes about something, they got to know where they are coming from, because the writer is always biased. CNN did a review on the best places in the world to live a year ago or so, and I reviewed it, and did my own. Why? Because the person, or persons doing the review were limited in experience to do a proper review. Why do I say that, because they picked out Geneva, as the best place to live in his world? Their criteria were whatever it was, but Europe is no safer to live nowadays, than America, or New York City was in 2001. Geneva is prone to terrorist attacks just as much as New York City was, or any city that has a United Nations in it, or some form of world Government.
Another thing is, it is very expensive to live there, I’ve been to Switzerland, and it is not cheap. Plus, the weather is not all that hot or great, the Mantaro Valley of Peru is much better, likened to Arizona, safer and cheaper to live, with a good hospital near by Huancayo. I could go on, but my point is, their selection was bogus to me, simply a way to advertise Geneva so people would go there. So to be honest about what you write you must experience it. I’ve traveled for 38-years, over 700,000-air miles, to 60-countries, and 46-states. I’ve been on seven of the so called, eight continents (the eighth being the South Pacific Islands, I yet to go to Antarctica, then I will have been to all of them.
Hear is my list of cities:
1—Paris (France), yes I’m also biased, that is my prerogative though. Paris is my city, not necessarily its people, if indeed I could put Londoners into Paris, and kick out the Parisians, it would become even a greater city in my eyes. But here is a city, deserving or not, that has all the monuments, all the great museums, where all the great writers came, and painters, poets, cultures, and so forth and on, and on. Victory Hugo lived here was senator. Where Gertrude Stein open her doors to the US Military Men; where Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Joyce, Picasso and Dali, came to paint and write, experience. Notre Dame, perhaps the most grandest church in the world resides here, and the Arch of Triumph remain to be seen, to those of us who can feel victory over war. And of course the renowned Eiffel Tower, which played a part in the 1880s World Fair. I’ve also been to Paris four times. It surely is a city of lights, as New Orleans is a city of Night.
2—New York City (USA) I’ve been to NYC four times, it is to me, the city of bulk, took my breath away when I first saw it. And Battery Park, looking out into the bay, to the Statue of Liberty, is a humbling thing. Walking down 5th Ave, and through Central Park, onto Times Square, and down to the Empire State Building, is a unique experience. Manhattan: engulfs, and traps you. And I found it as safe, if not safer than Athens, Rome, or London.
3—Istanbul (Turkey)—it is a unique city near the Black Sea, and its streets, and Mosques (especially the Blue Mosque), Cathedral, and its towering walls that stretch up and down the straight, are marvelous. Here you can shop in the world's largest Bazaar (open Market), be careful, you can get lost. The food is good in Turkey, and the people are warm and friendly, be careful if you travel outside of Turkey, not every city is as friendly as Istanbul. I have only been here once, but would come back a second and third time, if life and money permits. And very few cities do I ever return to.
4—Valetta (Malta) in the heart of the Mediterranean, it is unique among all the islands. I been to many islands in the world, and the only other one that can compare to this island is Easter Island. The island has its caves and archaeological sites, which seem to be in the backyards in residential areas. The city is a great walled city, and plays a historic roll in the times of the Crusades, as well as WWII: it has more churches on it than Rome I believe. Called the Maltese, which it has three connecting, I also went to Gozo. But the city is a gem. My wife would love to come back here.
5—San Francisco (USA) it is where it all started in the 1960s, and I was there for a year, 1968-69. It was the city by the bay. With its Golden Gate Park, and its Golden Gate Bridge, and it was a time of music, and a freedom never duplicated since. It is the most quaint and unique City on any coast, of the world. And it, like Paris, has its landmarks to see. And smaller than New York City, it has a sense of bulkiness. The Ocean sweeps into your hands almost, and the turn of the 19th century remains in the city a bit. It is where all the musicians go to, come out of, remain. I lived here a year.
6—Lisbon (Portugal) it has it history, its great Castle on the hill, its iron tower, which I went to a half dozen times, Eiffel, made it, yes, the very one who made the tower in Paris. The city has its parks, and its monuments, and is liken to Malta, in the since, the city is almost on top of the Ocean. It was devastated by an earth quake a hundred years ago or so, and was a world trade port at one time. You can see its uniqueness in its architecture, like Havana, Cuba.
7—Kyoto (Japan) City of the Geisha, city in the middle of Japan, so it seems; and a unique city at that; it has its monuments, in the form of temples, and its historic section called Geon, which I walked down, and was treated very well by the folks in the guest houses. It has an old aqueduct and a great tower also in the city. When I think of Kyoto, I think always of the best city in Japan, not huge, but clean, with all the taste of Japan rolled up in one city.
8—Sevilla (Spain) this is the city of Hercules, where legend says he was born. And where legend says, Columbus is buried in its cathedral. Here is where there are bullfights, and a great night life, singing and playing guitars in the larger clubs. The food is great here, and the plazas are picturesque. It is a peaceful place, with a unique richness, freshness, and it has its canals in the city liken to Burges.
9—Burges (Belgium) The greatest medieval city in Europe, what more can I say, as my wife said when she says it: it looks like a fairytale city. Other than that I’m lost for words, but take a ride in a boat around its channels (like Venice).
10—Cusco (Peru) Peru in general is the Egypt of South America, but much friendlier than Cairo, for I’ve been in Egypt, and Cairo, and would never return. When I was in Egypt, and Cairo, I always felt guarded, or needed to be, in Peru, the folks love you there, and I really never feel the need to be over guarded. I was to Peru 9-times, to Cusco once, to the Mantaro Valley four times, to Lima, nine. I’m not sure where you start, to bring out the glory of my trips. It is the land of the Inca, and in the Mantaro Valley, the land of the Great Warriors, the Wanka. They have the coast, or ocean by Lima, and Cusco, has the Andes, and Machu Picchu, and world monument. But wherever you go in Peru, are monuments. To the north of Lima, is the famous and deadly Amazon, which I’ve been down. So you got a city in the mountains, called Cusco, surrounded by a world called Peru, a unique place, like Cusco.
2nd Place:
Venice, Italy (City on Water)
Havana, Cuba (City of Architecture)
Glastonbury, England (City of the Tor)
Stockbridge, Massachusetts (Norman Rockwell’s city)
Rome, Italy (Regal City of the World)
Athens, Greece (City of Thesus)
New Orleans, USA (The city of Night)
Augsburg, Germany (Old Roman Compound)
Beijing, China (City of the Forbidden City)
Buenos Aires (The city of Eva Peron)
Jaipur, India (the Pink city)
By Dennis Siluk Ed.D.
