Simon finally fessed up in London that he’s no good with maps.
This is not a new thing, apparently, so not a sign of dementia. The silly thing is, he’s always been the navigator when we’ve had to get around an unfamiliar place on foot. This is partly because of his tech skills and commanding presence/natural leadership skills, and also because he’s male and bossy. The number of times I’ve stood there on a footpath watching him as he spins round in a circle, trying to figure out which way his phone is pointing, is laughable in retrospect.
You know that thing where you look at a map and mentally marry it up with what you can see around you? He just can’t do it. This confession has made it much easier for me to take over when needed. For example, yesterday while following the walking tour around Lisbon, there was a marked reduction in tetchy interchanges once I took charge. Well, that’s the way I see it, the other two may not agree.
I’ve never been to a city that has retained so much of its cobblestoned footpaths and streets. I suspect it’s due to a lack of gentrification (I.e. money) over the years. It looks fabulous but hell for high heels.
The traffic here has to be seen to be believed. The narrow, windy, hilly streets, the tuk tuks, cable cars, and cars, and the rain, make for some really stupendous traffic jams. People don’t hold off tooting their horns, either. You’re almost always better off to walk everywhere, which suits me.
