The muffled sound of my shoes on the polished stone blocks lining the street rose into the cold winter night as I meandered my way into the heart of the old city. I pondered childhood memories as my breath rose like mist into the evening air, momentarily taking shape before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. I paused within the almost deserted street as the golden rays of the street lamps bathed the surrounding buildings in an aura of subdued gold. The elegance and sophistication of a bygone era caught my imagination as manifested in the splendid architectural facades that lay before me.