The first thing I do each time I check into a hotel is to check out the view from the window. This is particularly interesting when I am in a city or airport hotel – as the variety is so great. In Peru, the first of our hotels was literally just across four lanes of traffic from the Lima Airport so I was happy that my room actually faced the parking lot on the city side and not the actual airport. (Although I have to admit that it didn’t really matter as I spent very little time in this room!)
One of the things that I’ve noticed about many cityscapes worldwide is that many countries have not yet abandoned the billboard the way that we have here in the states, although I don’t think I’ve EVER seen anything like the giant six-pack of Coke that was in my view. The other thing that is very common is posters plastered around business entrances. In Peru, the zoning laws are spotty so you can have business and residences crowded together, making it likely that you’ll be looking at posters for all kinds of goods and services as you approach your home.
The other noticeable difference is the large numbers of stray dogs that roam around many of the cities in Peru (although not as much in Lima). Most of the dogs I saw seemed not only well-fed but well-behaved. And very nonchalant about their lifestyle. You could find dogs sleeping in all kinds of places where you would think they would be skittish. This dog decided to plop itself down to snooze among a group of Japanese tourists in the train station – as if he were just part of the luggage:
Tell me about the view from your window!
Trail Baboon 
Morning. Oh I agree checking out the view is one of the first things.
I hadn’t thought about the preponderance of dogs or billboards in other places before. Although I do know Rochester is fairly restrictive on their usage and you only notice the lack of them when you get someone and are bombarded by them. Makes me think someone actually had to think about that and make an ordinance to prevent that and sometimes the Government CAN help!
I’ve had views of the sides of other buildings, lots of parking lots, streets, with the occasional good view of the Duluth Lift Bridge or something.
Outside my window this morning is just cold and snow.
My family has gotten in the habit of doing a group text in the mornings. Started by mom just to let everyone know she’s ok. This past Sunday I asked for everyone’s views. Mine was of light fixtures as I was 25’ up in a genie lift focusing lights for a rehearsal.
One person was at the Vikings game and the view was a lot of other fans with the game waaaay down there, two were of stocking feet in recliners with the game on the TV, and one was of a Christmas tree lighting ceremony out in Pennsylvania.
Today I head for Norcostco in Golden Valley for, ironically, snow machines.
Tis the season!
Stay warm y’all!
LikeLiked by 3 people
And no, I don’t mean Rochester is restrictive on dog usage. 😉
Although the pound is restrictive on how many kennels the townships can use! (Politics! Grrrr)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like the group text idea, Ben…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our hotel room in New York overlooked Broadway in the Time Square area. Entire buildings we constantly lit up with moving ads. Outside my office window is the practice field of the local college football team, with buttes in the distance. I also can see a senior living facility, the football stadium, the high school and an elementary school. When my window is open I can hear screaming children during their recess
LikeLiked by 3 people
Rise and Shine Baboons,
My window frames a lovely pink sunrise that moved from delicate pink, to day-glo pepto bismol to icy sun dogs and blue sky and grey clouds. I love our east-facing view each morning. I also see tree tops and chimneys that are releasing steam from warming furnaces. On our front door, I notice that Jack Frost visited last night with a few icy crystals here and there. The Bing daily photo often sports a little button that allows you to frame the photo with such crystals, which can be fun when the photo is a tropical topic.
Thankfully, there is no giant six pack of coca cola pictured anywhere in this view. What an eyesore! If I step out on the deck, I can see the Costco sign lording itself over my town.
We have lived in this house 22 years. Almost every morning I am grateful for this magnificent view.
LikeLiked by 4 people
PS, the dog behaviors remind me of the small town in Iowa in which I lived as a very young child—dogs wandered from houses to businesses to friendly neighbors, joining us on the school playgrounds, too.
LikeLiked by 4 people
My apartment window overlooks a McDonald’s drive-through restaurant. Plus I have a good view of a busy intersection, an intersection that is noisy and full of flashing lights because so many fire trucks and ambulances roll through it.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Uffda!
LikeLike
The view out my patio doors is of our grape arbor. Chickadees are hopping around scoring frozen purple grapes. Out our front living room window I see houses and the Butte two block east of us.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Second floor office looks out over my backyard and a few neighbors and Kenyon Rd, a “main drag” of sorts to get from our end of town to the road that takes folks to I-35.We don’t get as many emergency vehicles as Steve does, but I always seem to watch them speed past by if I’m not too busy. I always wonder about the people they’re racing to help and hope nothing too serious happens.
I get to watch the seasons progress as we have lots of big old trees around as well as my wife’s gardening efforts. Faces south which is good and bad–passive solar heating in winter, but one of the hotter rooms in summer because it’s on the SE corner of the house and gets more sun than any other room.
Chris in Owatonna
LikeLiked by 4 people
Back when I was still milking cows, there was a window on the East end of the barn in the lean-to, plus the main door into the barn and milk house was right there. I spent a lot of time sitting on that step or leaning out that window. It looked across the fields and valleys with Silver Creek in the distance and crops or cattle in the fields. It’s a view that I don’t imagine had changed much in the last 125 years since my Great Grandfather had come there. (besides trees coming and going).
It was always my peaceful spot.
It also was right next to the barn cleaner so there’s that… but that just helped keep me grounded because everyone poops and so much of life just has to be dealt with somehow. 🙂
I can still wander down there anytime, it’s just not the main focus like it used to be.
LikeLiked by 3 people
My Oregon apartment had a beautiful view. Just in front of the window was a sizable glade surrounded by conifers. Although a swimming pool lay just beyond, all I could see was natural. It was a perfect setup for a seed bird feeding station and a hummingbird nectar feeder. Almost every species of bird there was exotic to me, as there is a nearly total division of bird species, east and west. It was glorious looking out at the changing cast of avian characters, many of them brightly colored. I saw towhees, chipping sparrows, fox sparrows, juncos, varied thrushes, steller’s jays, scarlet tanagers, vireos and scrub jays. While Minnesota has but one type of hummingbird, Oregon is blessed with six, all looking like they were painted by someone on LSD. I never had so much fun watching birds.
LikeLiked by 5 people
That Coke thing ought to be illegal.
Like Steve, our view when we lived elsewhere was lovelier, but now that it’s December, what we see out our windows is at least colorful, thanks to a few neighbors. My mom has a great view of the river bluffs from her apartment. If we’re willing to walk 3 blocks we have the Mississippi, so I don’t feel like I can complain.
There are several proposals in the works for downtown Winona, including a big hotel… I just hope whatever goes in doesn’t completely block some of the river views that we have currently.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I have a fairly typical city neighborhood view. Neighboring houses reasonably close and not much to look at. Martha enjoys looking out the front window, partly I’m sure because her perch is atop the radiator, but she also likes to see who walks by. She recognizes the mail carriers and doesn’t get alarmed when he or she approach the house, but if anyone else does, and she makes a quick retreat to the bedroom.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Lovely view of the moon last night!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And a sweet pink sky this morning. A neighbor a few house to the west, has a large white pine in their front yard. It towers over everything, and it’s the first thing I see in the morning when I pull the shades in the dining room. Grateful for the many large trees in the hood.
LikeLike