Vancouver, BC, Canada
How can I not start with the city I call home? Vancouver is an incredible human-sized city where I’ve been dreaming of living since I was a kid; there’s not a day, I don’t wake up and don’t smile because this is the place where I live, one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
About the song: the worst part about travelling has always been to go back but since I call Vancouver my home, I’m always looking forward to come back.
3 Things To Experience
Stanley Park
The Sea Wall
Deep Cove
Paris, France
I’ve always seen Paris as an ugly prison until I left and came back after a long time abroad. It is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet and its quirks are integral parts of its charm. It’s not a city I could live in because it would be like living with my parents but like with my parents, it’s a place I always look forward to visit and cherish every minute I can spend in its company.
About the song: very few can put in words how the city of lights is filled with ghosts from the past like Alain Souchon has; it’s an ethereal Paris that is easy to miss if you don’t stop to pay attention to it.
3 Things To Experience
Les Champs Elysées
L’Île de la Cité
Freshly baked goods
Seattle, WA, USA
In many ways, Seattle is the place where I’m re-born; I owe it so much of who I am and what I have been able to achieve. I have spent some of the happiest years of my life in that city and when I moved, I left a piece of my heart in the Emerald city.
About the song: Nirvana embodies the Seattle I know; musically, it’s my generation and it’s a song that’s very dear to my heart.
3 Things To Experience
Snoqualmie Falls
Bumbershoot
Lake Sammamish
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona has seen me growing up every Summer and I wish, I could have spent more time there. It reminds me of my grandparents and of holidays, so I’m always super excited to go there and experience a very delightful life.
About the song: she’s married to a player from FC Barcelona and her kids are born close to the Camp Nou; as far as I’m concerned, that makes her mi hermana Catalana.
3 Things To Experience
La Barcelonetta
Platja d’Aro
Churros
San Diego, CA, USA
The most Mediterranean city on the Pacific coast; San Diego has an art-de-vivre that is second to none; between the sound of the ocean, the waves, and the gorgeous Sun; it’s hard not to feel good in this surfing paradise.
About the song: more than just a place; it’s a special song that reminds me of a special time, in a special place, with a special someone; all at once and difficult for people who weren’t part of that moment to understand.
3 Things To Experience
La Jolla Shores
Comic Con
Coronado
Venice, Italy
I must have lived in la Serenissima in a previous life; Venice is a place where I never feel lost; especially in San Marco. I always wander around at hours when tourists are already asleep or not yet awake; when the city becomes an out of time experience.
About the song: the sinking city is trapped in modern world that will see it disappear and that will only leave us with memories; like a song dedicated to a soon-to-be-gone friend.
3 Things To Experience
San Marco at night
The Carnival
L’acqua alta
Yellowknife, NWT, Canada
Yellowknife, particularly its Aurora Village, is one of the biggest culture shock I’ve experienced; it feels such like an alien planet so far from home yet so familiar. I love the wilderness and eerie quality of the place; it gives me a feeling of belonging to this planet whereas big cities can sometime make you feel disconnected from the world you live in.
About the song: the mix of cultures and influences in that track reminds me a lot of what I experienced up North; a mix of things that sounds disharmonious on paper yet feels so natural and symbiotic.
3 Things To Experience
Aurora borealis and stargazing
Dog sledding on a frozen lake
The Midnight Sun
Brisbane, Australia
I don’t need much to be happy; the ocean, a beach, the sun; Brisbane has it all and there’s a chilled vibe from the people living there and always makes me feel like I’m at the right place.
About the song: probably the song that was getting the most plays while I was there; the right vibe for the perfect mood.
3 Things To Experience
South Bank
North Stradbroke Island
Kangaroo Point
Tokyo, Japan
Can’t make a list of places I adore and not mention Tokyo and more specifically Akihabara which is pretty much the most awesome shopping place in the world when it comes to electronics, consoles, anime, and a bunch of things I totally love.
About the song: everything about Japan is quirky and weird yet so unexpected and fascinating.
3 Things To Experience
Super Potato Retro Game Store
Gachapon
Gotokuji Temple
Casablanca, Morocco
I only have to mention that my mom is born in Casablanca to have people smile and treat me like family. It’s a city that might be far and that I don’t think about as often as I should but when I think about it; I can feel that the white house will never treat me as a stranger.
About the song: in a time where a few act as gatekeepers of culture, most of us understand that culture is about sharing; I grew up listening to many musical genres like Rai and Zouglou, when people share what they love and create something together, the result is always an invitation to join in and celebrate.
3 Things To Experience
The Old Medina
Hassan II Mosque’s Hammam
Couscous Royal
