adina

One of my favorite things to do when travelling is just go for a long walk around a nice neighborhood-- looking at houses, people working in their gardens etc... How many of you do that and what are your favorite places? I especially liked Hampstead Heath in London and enjoyed walking around Trondheim and Tromso in Norway.

Patrick

I agree that all of England is a winner, mainly because people are tending their lovely gardens so often and they love for you to stop and ask about the flowers or plants. A real surprise was Athens. We found the residential neighborhoods to be lovely, and very shady and quiet -- quite a difference from the traffic infested, polluted city I was led to anticipate.
So many cities in Europe are so apartment oriented that the best walks tend to be in smaller towns.

elvira

In Paris, the 14th arrondissement - "villas" (little usually-dead-end streets with townhouses in different styles) near the Cite; the 16th near the Bois du Boulogne. In London, Swiss Cottage. In Barcelona, sort of near the Picasso Museum (don't ask specifics; we got lost on the way back from the museum and loved the 'hood). In Athens, that little area that's below the looooong walk up to the Acropolis. In Venice, on the walk from the vaporetto stop at Fondemente Nuovo to St Mark's Square (again, no specifics, we got lost) and in Chioggia, away from the main square and bridge from Sottomaria. And in Valleta (Malta), just about anywhere off the main drag.

david west

A couple of winners near where I live are:

1) Wimbledon village, 15th century village in london, especially around the common

2) Richmond, the old part

3) Kew especially strand on the green

frank

Glasgow - West End, ie area round Kelvingrove park, University, Byres Road,Dowanhill,Hyndland, Kelvinside.Get there by underground to Hillhead. (oldest in world)