"This is Port of Spain to me, a city ideal in its commercial and human proportions, where a citizen is a walker and not a pedestrian, and this is how Athens may have been before it became a cultural echo"
- Derek Walcott
About this Quote
This quote by Derek Walcott talks to the charm of Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. Walcott paints an image of a city that is perfect in its business and human percentages, where citizens are not just walking, but actively engaging with their environments. He recommends that this is how Athens may have been prior to it became a cultural echo, suggesting that the city of Port of Spain is a location of vibrancy and life. Walcott's words stimulate a sense of fond memories for a time when cities were dynamic with activity and culture, and his admiration for Port of Spain is clear. He celebrates the city's unique character and encourages us to value the charm of the everyday.
"A great city, whose image dwells in the memory of man, is the type of some great idea. Rome represents conquest; Faith hovers over the towers of Jerusalem; and Athens embodies the pre-eminent quality of the antique world, Art"
"My sisters and I were fortunate to travel through Asia and Europe at very young ages. We confronted extraordinary beauty in Athens and unspeakable poverty in India"
"So, we went from being an Athens band to being a Georgia band to being a Southern band to being an American band from the East Coast to being an American band and now we're kind of an international phenomenon"
"It was appointed by law in Athens, that the obsequies of the citizens who fell in battle should be performed at the public expense, and in the most honorable manner"
"Being in America isn't old-hat - it's where we're from - but I get excited to be in other parts of the world like Athens and Croatia, which were quite cool. I'm a sightseer. I go see the sights and museums. I'm into that kind of thing"
