Beyond the obvious

‘The best part about being with a new woman is the exploration, it's 
like being in a new city.’

Rob and Mitch were best of friends but proof that opposites attract, Mitch liked to think of himself as something of a ladies’ man, a womaniser; not a particularly successful womaniser but a womaniser nonetheless. He’d never keep a woman for long and would often go long periods of time without any, but often like wickets at the cricket, one brought two, brought three.  Rob on the other hand had been in a steady relationship since his first year at university. Not always the same woman mind you, but he fell from one steady, stodgy, middle-aged relationship straight into another, and now he was not only virtually married but also playing father to someone else's kid.  The pair were drinking beer and discussing Mitch's latest unsuccessful affair.

 ‘Don't they all look the same?’

‘Women or cities?’ 

‘Cities of course.’ 

‘See I think that's bollocks, that is what people say but it is a lazy cliche, yes they all have Mcds and KFCs and Zara's and HM, ok they all have cars and buses and trams, yes they all have the same film posters and the same trendy posers 
but... but you tell me Prague looks like Budapest looks like Paris looks like Tokyo and you are wrong.’ Rob felt suitably chastised but Mitch wasn't finished.  ‘Cities are like women you have to look below the superficial, ignore the obvious, explore more carefully. They all have different corners and you never know what's around the next one, and whatever it is, it won't be the same as the last one. There’s different sights, sounds smells - there's always something that will take you by surprise… exactly like women. 

‘Okay you've made you point but what went wrong with this one? Not Paris enough for you? Too Leicester?’

Mitch smiled at Rob's attempt at humour. 

‘Well when you explore a city it’s sometimes it's great to get lost so that you can find yourself and… and sometimes it’s great to find yourself so you can get lost again. You see things and find things that go beyond the obvious. But… but she… she was in a hurry.’ Mitch took a sip of beer to let the idea sink into his friend’s mind.

‘She wanted to take short cuts, go straight to the guide book sights, 
to eat in burger king rather than find a nice local place, you know?’ Rob nodded tentatively not entirely sure he was following. ‘She didn’t want to explore the side streets and take a chance.’ Mitch continued.

‘I see... I think’ said Rob glad that Mitch had spared him the gory details but wondering if the analogy was all a bit too opaque and also wondering what was wrong with just walking the same streets of a city you love.