Finding Your Spot!

I bet your imagination wandered when you read the story title! You probably thought to yourself about what spot I am referring to! After all, I have been known to ask similar questions in my blog stories like “Are You Regular?” and also to get a bit provocative as in “Nude in the Sauna.” But this story isn’t like that. However, I hope the title captured your attention so you read on!

The idea for this writing topic germinated from a question about how I relax during my explorations. It occurred to me that I find relaxation in places… spots. In my travels, I have written about some of my spots. I often return to them. Sometimes I seek solitude and other times I embrace having people around me at my spot.

The “spot” for this story is a physical place… a place to go (maybe even a secret one) where relaxation becomes very real. For some, that spot is on a golf course, while for others like myself, that spot creates frustration and exactly the opposite of relaxation. If you haven’t seen it yet, Robin Williams describes the frustration of golf perfectly (click here to enjoy the YouTube video).

Some find peace at home in their gardening spot. My Dad’s favorite spot was Kooser State Park or at our cabin near Hooversville, PA. Based on an examination of photos on my Facebook page, the spot for many is anywhere with their family! Among my FB friends, the beach might be their most popular spot.

In Vienna, Austria, Stadtpark is my hands-down favorite spot… there you can watch people of all ages, listen to music, feed the ducks, contemplate, or stroll in a beautiful municipal park. I have blogged about Stadtpark a few times. I also have written about other parks including the solitude and aromas at the park at Melk Abbey in Austria or “Parque La Muralla “ in Mijas Pueblo, Spain.

At Parque La Muralla your senses explode with joy! There is a commanding view of the area surrounding the pueblo and the Mediterranean Sea. It is incomparable at dawn’s first light as the cool mist on the mountainside begins to lift, sounds emerge from the running stream, and one can enjoy the fragrant blossoms.

 

Parks and secluded natural settings seem to be my favorite kind of spots for unwinding relaxation. But I have also found that sometimes the bustle of a noisy cafe like “Kafec” or “Coffee Bar Meet Me” in Brno, Czech Republic, or “Let’s Coffee” in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, become good spots… maybe that’s because of the outstanding coffee and great company I have found there.

In Zagreb, Croatia I never found my spot. I don’t mean to say that Zagreb was a problem or that having a spot is essential in every one of my adventures. But having one provides a sense of reassurance from knowing that it is there even if you are not visiting it at the moment.

Meanwhile, I may have found my spot (see photos above) in Ljubljana, Slovenia! As recommended by Cheri Groom from FB (whom I have never met) “Le Petit Cafe” serves a superb “five star” coffee as I anticipate my Sunday morning breakfast of Eggs Benedict and caffè latte.

You know when you find your spot… everything else cluttering your mind just disappears. And that mind-relieving experience is evident at Le Petit Cafe just as they open for business and before the crowds arrive.

I end this story with a question. Where is your spot and what makes it so special for you? Please leave a reply in the space provided below for comments. Thank you for reading and commenting.