we stopped by the city of belfort on our way from basel to ronchamp. twice, going and returning. and even on the first visit which was very short and we just wandered around the train station, i remember thinking that france is always a good idea, quoting hepburn's idea about paris. there's just this charm and aesthetic that are pleasing coming from the french cities. and of course, i'm speaking just about the physical aspect, visiting as a traveler for a short period of time.
on the second visit, we managed to go more downtown in the nicely foggy evening. aside from being belfort itself, i think mostly it was the nostalgic feeling i felt being there after having lived in paris for 3 months, that made me enjoy the city even more. the simple mundane things excited me, like i missed being in the french supermarkets, buying the cake i used to have everyday as breakfast, going to boulangerie/patisserie having the best of fresh breads or cakes, passing through flower shops and charming shopfronts, and even the french pharmacies whose reputation we all know. somehow it showed me how memories affect how we perceive a city. i'm not sure if i would think of belfort as charming if i haven't lived some good memories in paris.
