Problem is we don't know how much he saw. A couple of those Cities he could have just entered and not really walked around its entirety. The Dunmer Thief screens has him in one city, then we have a screen of Whiterun which looks awesome, Markarth is nothing like those others I mentioned, and the trailer shows that place with the big overarching rock structure. All are very distinct.
Agreed, I think he may have just used the carriage to get between them, the ft point is probably out side the main walls and he just looked at the city from there then got straight back on the carriage, this or some may have been locked as stated in a different playthrough, so he couldn't enter. Beth said they wanted it to have a Nordic feel so if all the architecture is samey at a glance but as intricate as it looks in the screens I think they will have done a good job, I think the cool locations will do alot for the towns.
On another note I'd say it was a spectral mountainlion. It's likly Beth has done spectral versions of all the appropriate creatures since they have the originals to convert, it be kinda boring if there is only one type of spectral summons.
Unless that's what summoning nirnian creatures looks like and only summoned deadra appear in the flesh now?!