Take the street you never take

I had saved twelve places to visit in a city I would only be in for a day. Then my phone ran out of battery.

While it charged in a café, I wandered around the block. There was a tiny bookshop, a courtyard full of vines, and a workshop with the door open. None of them were on my list.

Sometimes a good route leaves room for a wrong turn.

I still make plans. But now I leave one afternoon unplanned, keep the address of where I am staying, and choose a direction.

The best part of a place is often what happens between the places you meant to see.