A Travel Tribute to the Paths of Least and Most Resistance

When we travel, we are usually trying to get to a destination, one we plan on reaching or one that is spontaneous. Regardless, we travel by way of plane, train, car, boat, or foot to get there. After that flight or train ride, you seek out the landmarks, the attractions. You fumble to find that piece of paper with the addresses of restaurants, bars, or shops friends have recommended. You are looking for streets, paths, avenues, boulevards, drives, or any road to give that direction to a place.

Throughout my travels I have found those paths to be more of destinations. Those streets that lead to the Eiffel Tower are often overlooked. We become so intent on reaching something great, we fail to stop and look at the path our feet cover.

I have complied some of those streets I tried to not overlook in my travels. Each of these represents a place that the destination doesn’t obviously lend. Some of them you don’t know where they could be. They really could lead anywhere, but the fact that you have traversed them is worthy of notice. Without roads leading to Rome or streets to get lost on with those walking boots, the landmarks, those destinations, would be next to impossible to reach. Sure, someone at a point in history created the road. People paved their own paths so that we could all reach somewhere, some point. I guess what I’m getting at here is that I am grateful for these paths. Otherwise, travel would be even more of a challenge than just battling body scanners and lost luggage.

Positano, Italy

It is probably pretty obvious why I picked this street. The bougainvillea flowers that the road looks up at create that perfect picture worthy of a frame. I’m jealous of this street. All day long, it gazes up at fuchsia flowers with subtle hints of the sky peeking through small spaces of light.

Taormina, Sicily

This street, if it can be called one, is named Vicolo Stretto. That translates to “The Tightened Alley”. I would walk by this “street” daily, watching people take pictures barely fitting in between the opening of its path. I guess some do stop to appreciate this street, proving that size doesn’t matter in this case.

Tecklenburg, Germany

While this could really be anywhere, I made my way to Tecklenburg as my grandfather did, in search of Guese relatives and some sort of ancestral connection. While that is another post in itself, this opening led into the small village of Tecklenburg. I thought at some point a gnome could head across the bridge above, but no such sighting occurred.

Volcano National Park in Hawaii, USA

So many streets and roads disrupt nature. As the song goes, “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot”. Here though, I’m not so sure. Due to all of the volcanic eruptions, a road that led down closer to shore became covered in lava. In this case, nature disrupted the road.

Florence, Italy

My roommate and I called this tiny street “Sketch Alley”. It always did seem mysterious, just off of Via Della Vigna Nuova, probably the busiest fashion forward street in Florence. When the tourists would crowd narrow and tiny Via Della Vigna Nuova, I would take this road. It served as a break from the chaos that can be Florence. Normally you wouldn’t see a soul while explains my gaping mouth of happiness expression here.

Scivu, Sardinia

Earlier this week, I divulged my three best-kept travel secrets. This road led to one of them, Scivu Beach in Sardinia. This was my view heading into the unknown. The road really did appear as if it would drop off into the sea. Not knowing if it would or not, I continued, but in a low gear. I love to swim, but not by way of a rental car boat.