A travel day from Ghent, to Brussels, and on to Barcelona. Hours on trains and planes… it’s had to kick off with a final run and some early photos in Ghent. Once again, I followed the tramlines to the rowing centre, knowing that I was guaranteed a flat 2k course out and back for my session. I love how quickly unfamiliar surroundings become familiar!
Wherever I am in the world, I love observing the little things that give a window to the way people or communities work, and what we can learn from them. First-time experiences and visiting new places sends my radar into over-drive and I end up with a phone filled with photos of quirky observations. These are then randomly pulled out when some thread of connection appears at another time, in another place.
As a travel day, I had time to reflect on the trip so far and pull out some of the randomness that I’ve collected along the way. So, in no particular order…
- Convenience solutions for time-poor consumers. A fresh bread vending machine (yes, fresh loaves!) because the bakery doesn’t open early; fresh veggie & sauce meal packs in the supermarket… challenging ‘Hello Fresh’?; and a pharmacy in a vending machine.
2. Helping us get the waste right. Forget pictures, show real rubbish; Paper, bottles & cans, the rest!
3. Getting priorities right in small spaces. Cars and charging infrastucture on the street; a garage in the unit block for bikes.
4. Mobility. Call buttons with a map of the intersection 👍🏻, a raised light that screams ‘I’m the button!’ 👎🏻, and an actual button that’s so unintuitive it needs a pointer 🤔; cobble stones and suitcases, bikes, prams, wheelchairs don’t mix well.
5. Giving back via blood donation. Brussels – tucked away and behind bars; Brugge – prime high traffic real estate overlooking a park and the main entry to the train station.
Ahhh… the power of the design of everyday things!
We finally arrived in Barcelona this afternoon. After navigating a complex airport and sitting in traffic we were dropped into the middle of the Plac de Catalunya in the La Rambla district. After our time in Ghent it was big, busy and hot, making a pretty overwhelming entree to Spain.
Apartment found, suitcases dropped, first anchovies consumed. Can’t wait to get exploring this city in the morning!
Love M & BB x
Comments are closed