A twisted alleyway
This is an impulse post. I was posting some of my older pix to Flickr. When it occurred to me one little, unimportant lesson living here has taught me. There have been many times when I've been reading some historical fiction or sword-and-sorcery tale and the characters get lost in "the twisting alleyways" of some ancient city. I never got it. I grew up in Chicagoland--a modern metropolis built on flat ground and having a regular grid of wide streets. I thought it ludicrous that someone could get lost like that. Even in Seattle, where streetgrids are more likely to yield to hills and waterways, it's pretty easy to keep your bearings. But here, in this ancient land, I finally understand. I've finally had an opportunity to traverse a narrow street, closely lined with buildings. I've had that street subtly turn direction and have found myself completely clueless as to which way I was going. If I was running from city guards or murderous assassins, I would have been in big trouble.
posted by John @ 7:04 PM
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