Walking hurriedly through the city square, I skirted the narrow walkway dodging the pedestrians while simultaneously glimpsing the diversity of their facial expressions, something which never ceased to amaze me. The smell of cigarettes and croissants, mingled with the aroma of coffee and sound of traffic as the city stirred from its slumber. Suddenly, I found myself standing by a riverbank looking yonder towards  the old city.  A myriad of vibrant colours illuminated archaic buildings with beautiful facades created a truly picturesque scene, manifesting the creative splendour of the Renaissance.