I don’t know who said that “the window is the eyes of the house,” but I would add: sometimes the view from the window is half the vacation.

There are people who choose a hotel based on price or breakfast. I choose based on the view. I’m ready to give up breakfast — but not morning coffee on the windowsill with an open horizon.

The best view in my life was in Portugal. A small room on the roof of an old house. From the window — the roofs of other houses, the ocean somewhere far away and seagulls that land right on the railing. I sat there for hours, wrapped in a blanket, and thought that happiness is just looking and not rushing.

In Istanbul, I had a room with a view of the Bosphorus. At night, the city lights were reflected in the water, and during the day I brewed Turkish tea and listened to the horns of the ships.

In Budapest, there is an old mansion with a view of the Danube and the Chain Bridge. I specifically went to bed so that in the morning, when I opened my eyes, I could immediately see the river.

Someone will say: “Why pay for a view if you can walk?” But for me, it is important not just to go look, but to wake up and fall asleep with this frame.

When I choose a new city, I always look for hotels or apartments with large windows. It does not matter, a balcony or just a wide windowsill - the main thing is that you can sit with a cup of coffee and become part of this view.

After all, later I do not always remember museums or restaurants, but I always remember what I saw from the window. This is my little way of collecting cities inside myself.