Heh, I love the compression analogy!

Reading this post reminded me of something a famous mathematician said in the 19th century or so: that his best ideas come from “the bed, the bath, the bridge, or the bus.” All places that are in some way suspended from the day to day busyness.

I’m with you regarding avoiding crowds, even before COVID. I like to vacation off the beaten path, go to the smaller museums and more obscure tourist destinations. Sure, I went to Notre Dame when I was in Paris, but the things that stand out in my mind are the intereiors of St Roch’s Church that was a block from my hotel, and the afternoon I spent hanging out on the Champs Elysee reading and eating crepes. 🙂