The Welcome of European Cities and Towns

V. Reference Points

Amongst the maze of city streets, it is sometimes hard to know where you are.  Many cities have landmarks that act as reference points.  It helped me orient myself to an unfamiliar place.  It also gives each city its own identity.  Landmarks have often captured the imaginations of writers and artists.

Eiffel Tower

Paris is supurb in this aspect.  The experience of driving down the grand boulevards of Paris and watching the Eiffel Tower grow from a point on the horizon to a tower above you is unforgettable.

Big Ben

London's Big Ben clock tower works in much the same way as the Eiffel Tower.  I couldn't help looking for Peter Pan and Wendy standing on the hands of the giant clock.

National Academy from the Louvre

The planning of Paris is set up so that long boulevards lead from one important building or monument to another.  Even the archways of the Louvre line up with the footbridges across the Seine River which then line up with the National Academy.

Stockholm steeple

Churches are a very common reference point.  They were often built on a high point and their steeples reach above the other buildings.  I could pick them out as I wandered through the streets, because in small villages they were often in the center.

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