I tried posting this through travelfeed but for some reason it never came up in my posts? Weird. So.... I'll post this in my blog and hope it isn't a duplicate from somewhere else.

I'm a long time Hive user and most of my recent travel blogging has been done though my main account @terganftp with Actifit.  However, that's more a "how did I get my steps blog" than a reflection on travel so I thought this space might be a better place to put this post :D

Now I'm from the Vancouver area of Canada and I'm currently in Murcia, Spain.  My wife and I send back pictures to family and my wife absolutely posts her best photo's on Facebook and through reels.  

But here is something that every traveller knows and every would be traveller overlooks.

Travel isn't all sunshine and rainbows

Sure there are cool pictures like this one of the coliseum in Cartagena.

Or perhaps you like the idea of wandering through the hidden staircases of ancient castles.

Or maybe you find the idea of sitting in a little restaurant halfway across the world chatting with a friend over food you have never eaten before?

And Yes, I quite enjoy these new experiences. Yes, they make travel fun. Yes, they make nice blog photo's.

But a lesser known part of travelling is seeing other places as a place people live, work and do their everyday life. Sure I could take pictures eating tapas on a cool little cobblestone side street in Spain but honestly this was today's breakfast.

Cream cheese on a bun. Well, plus granola and yogurt. Not exactly travel blog fare. But for me? I enjoy going through the Mercado (supermarket) and seeing what is on the shelves. That bun? 0.09 EUR which is incredibly cheap bread. Taste wise? Much softer and tastier than I expected. The cream cheese? Half the price of what I would expect in Canada....and Canadians love their cheese. But NOTHING like the Spanish (if their market shelves can be believed).

My drink this morning? SO Fresh. A totally unremarkable 0.45 EUR flavored water beverage. Here is the thing though. It is low calorie, tasty, has electrolytes, and is something that just isn't available in Canada. Sure we have zero calorie flavored water but its carbonated and bitter. Yes we have Gatorade but it is much sweeter and more electrolytes. So this simple can is something I've never had before...and apparently an everyday thing in Spain.

In Crawley (UK) we took a picture on an average street where people are living and doing these thing. Just houses .. but they are brick. Where I live all the houses are wood. It's not exactly blog worthy but interesting as a traveller.

Or how about this?

A big comfy two seat couch for sale in a second hand store. Nothing remarkable about it. Except walking through their second hand store gives a glimpse into everyday life. What did people have? What did they give away? What prices are they paying for things? Plus of course there is the clientele which isn't the same as you would find in upscale tourist places.

It wasn't a tourist mall. It didn't cater to upscale clientelle. It wasn't about charging maximum dollars from people travelling through. Just regular stores for regular people at regular prices. I had a great interaction with a local who was collecting for charity. I loved his accent and he thought mine was interesting. A non curated interaction across cultures--so cool.

Or simply waiting at a train station for the next commuter train to go through.

Or seeing the silly plastic cow they have in front of the ALE-HOP store which is kind of a souvenir, kitsch kind of shop, not too sure how to describe it other than there have been many along the way and my wife loves going into it :)

Walking down regular city streets (This one is a little more picturesque than some but still)

Perfectly ordinary street signs showing that Lego is everywhere (and 33C is still hot)

And yes, even going to a public bus station to take a 5 EUR city bus from one town to another. Making me wish we had a similar service where I live in Canada.

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There is a lot to see without getting the curated tourist experience

Lots of people go on vacation and want their photo perfect facebook pictures. Lots of people want to see the must see historic sights. Of perhaps they want the fully catered all inclusive beach experience. Or maybe the thrill of new experiences offered on day tours.

I personally enjoy going through the supermarkets, going through the thrift stores, taking the subway, tram, bus and just walking the streets. Seeing how actual life in actual countries works for actual people. Sure it doesn't make the best instagram or facebook posts but I do think it lets me take a stroll in another person's shoes and give just a brief glimpse into the culture of another place.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows

but it doesn't have to be for an interesting cross cultural experience

So by all means, enjoy the iconic sights.

Like this fancy ballroom at the Casino in Murcia.

Or the majesty of its cathedral which dates back well over a thousand years.

But sometimes it is just taking a ride on a public scooter through streets that are actually made for people to enjoy them on their way to work.

Thanks for reading :)