4 ms·

The article’s a bit of a troll piece, so I’m going to ignore it. One of my favourite pastimes in London was picking somewhere on the map I’d never been and just

The article’s a bit of a troll piece, so I’m going to ignore it. One of my favourite pastimes in London was picking somewhere on the map I’d never been and just walking there. Sometimes just the centre of a borough I hadn’t been to before. Sometimes more than 10 miles in one go. Canal routes, hidden pathways, a new park, busy high streets. Lots of time to think or just watch. I’ve been doing quite a bit of walking in Istanbul recently, but I’m running out of options. Maybe someone can suggest some interesting, out of the ordinary routes.

telesilla 6y ago
When in a new city with plenty of time to see how it works I pick someone who looks interesting and follow them, until they get on what is clearly commuter transport. Or, in a city like London, Amsterdam or Berlin you can follow someone on the bicycle for extra long rides to new places. Another thing I've done is look for a cafe on the other side of town and go exploring. Of course, keeping safe means always being aware where you are. As a woman it's always been heightened not to find myself out after dark on foot for example.
- Tomte 6y ago
  > Of course, keeping safe means always being aware where you are There is also the other side of the coin: if you do this, make sure you aren't noticed. Especially with women. Especially especially in the dark. It's not nice to make other people feel threatened.
- tkgally 6y ago
  Once, around fifteen years ago, I had a day free at the end of a short business trip to Seoul. I decided to explore the city randomly. I got on the subway, rode a few stops, and went up to ground level and walked around. I repeated this several times. Each area turned out to be interesting in a different way, and I encountered things—a wholesale textile market, a maze-like residential neighborhood—I never would have seen if I had been following a guidebook.
- hippira 6y ago
  Are you not afraid of coming across as a stalker ?
  - telesilla 6y ago
    In a busy city there are so many people. I don't think I ever felt I was doing it in a way that was obvious and I never followed anyone home.
odiroot 6y ago
> The article’s a bit of a troll piece, so I’m going to ignore it. One of my favourite pastimes in London was picking somewhere on the map I’d never been and just walking there. Sometimes just the centre of a borough I hadn’t been to before. This is how I approach travelling in general. Worked for me very well in Milan, Barcelona and Rome. Probably wouldn't work so well in less dense cities. The best thing is casually stumbling upon something with a historical significance.
fnbr 6y ago
Especially London, which has to be one of the world’s great cities to walk in.
- thinkingemote 6y ago
  It really is a great city to walk in. Often walking is quicker than taking the tube I've found. One route (slower than the tube this time) I liked was walking from the Thames near Charing cross to kings cross (or was it Liverpool Street) following the line of an underground river. It's remarkably quiet and not that long, maybe an hour? At one point you can put your ear to a manhole cover and hear the river beneath!
  - jpcooper 6y ago
    Was it the Kings Cross and the River Fleet? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Fleet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Fleet
    - thinkingemote 6y ago
      That's the one!
dominotw 6y ago
> One of my favourite pastimes in London was picking somewhere on the map I’d never been and just walking there. You would prbly have been dead by now if you did that here in chicago.
drewcoo 6y ago
> The article’s a bit of a troll piece, so I’m going to ignore it. It's what we call "humor," actually. Ignorance of humor acknowledged.
- dTal 6y ago
  I read it with an increasing series of delighted chuckles; it's a fine example of the kind of cultural observational humor that Bill Bryson is so famed for. And now I think I shall go for an aimless walk...
- Veen 6y ago
  Actually, we call it "humour".
Footkerchief 6y ago
Some semi-formal methods for this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9rive https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9rive
- jpcooper 6y ago
  Nice link. Will Self wrote a book called Psychogeography. Haven't read it yet, although it sounds interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography_(book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography_(book).
nicbou 6y ago
You can start further out!
hn_throwaway_99 6y ago
You may be surprised that the article pretty much agrees with you. That is, it states that walking is an excellent way to get to where you want to go, or to explore new things. It's basically just arguing that "circumambulation for circumambulation's sake" is dull and boring.
bartread 6y ago
I don't know if it's that much of a troll piece (remember, it's talking about the UK specifically). Going for a walk to somewhere is fine. The article is bemoaning not really going anywhere at all, which has been the substantial reality if you've stuck to the rules of not going outside your "local area" (whatever the hell that has actually meant this entire time). I live on my own and my bubble friends live about 12 miles away, because that's the reality of living in what's basically a dormitory village and working/socialising in town. I meet them about once a week for a walk, but options are limited because the county I live in isn't exactly known for its extensive network of public footpaths. The whole "local area" thing is doubly ludicrous because I have to drive more than 5 miles to get to a supermarket. There is a shop in the village but, whilst it's OK for bits and pieces, it's not sufficient for a full grocery shop. Nobody's ever stopped me or challenged me for leaving the village, which is overall a good thing because if they ever tried I doubt I'd be very kind to them. I've stuck to the rules for the last 12 months willingly enough but I'm getting seriously fed up of it. I haven't seen my family since October, including my nephew who recently celebrated his first birthday: you don't get that time back. Not forever will I tolerate living under rules that infringe basic freedoms to a level that I doubt have been seen in Europe since before the Iron Curtain fell, whatever the situation with the virus or the vaccine might be.

telesilla 6y ago

When in a new city with plenty of time to see how it works I pick someone who looks interesting and follow them, until they get on what is clearly commuter transport. Or, in a city like London, Amsterdam or Berlin you can follow someone on the bicycle for extra long rides to new places. Another thing I've done is look for a cafe on the other side of town and go exploring. Of course, keeping safe means always being aware where you are. As a woman it's always been heightened not to find myself out after dark on foot for example.

Tomte 6y ago
> Of course, keeping safe means always being aware where you are There is also the other side of the coin: if you do this, make sure you aren't noticed. Especially with women. Especially especially in the dark. It's not nice to make other people feel threatened.
tkgally 6y ago
Once, around fifteen years ago, I had a day free at the end of a short business trip to Seoul. I decided to explore the city randomly. I got on the subway, rode a few stops, and went up to ground level and walked around. I repeated this several times. Each area turned out to be interesting in a different way, and I encountered things—a wholesale textile market, a maze-like residential neighborhood—I never would have seen if I had been following a guidebook.
hippira 6y ago
Are you not afraid of coming across as a stalker ?
- telesilla 6y ago
  In a busy city there are so many people. I don't think I ever felt I was doing it in a way that was obvious and I never followed anyone home.

odiroot 6y ago

> The article’s a bit of a troll piece, so I’m going to ignore it. One of my favourite pastimes in London was picking somewhere on the map I’d never been and just walking there. Sometimes just the centre of a borough I hadn’t been to before. This is how I approach travelling in general. Worked for me very well in Milan, Barcelona and Rome. Probably wouldn't work so well in less dense cities. The best thing is casually stumbling upon something with a historical significance.

fnbr 6y ago

Especially London, which has to be one of the world’s great cities to walk in.

thinkingemote 6y ago
It really is a great city to walk in. Often walking is quicker than taking the tube I've found. One route (slower than the tube this time) I liked was walking from the Thames near Charing cross to kings cross (or was it Liverpool Street) following the line of an underground river. It's remarkably quiet and not that long, maybe an hour? At one point you can put your ear to a manhole cover and hear the river beneath!
- jpcooper 6y ago
  Was it the Kings Cross and the River Fleet? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Fleet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Fleet
  - thinkingemote 6y ago
    That's the one!

dominotw 6y ago

> One of my favourite pastimes in London was picking somewhere on the map I’d never been and just walking there. You would prbly have been dead by now if you did that here in chicago.

drewcoo 6y ago

> The article’s a bit of a troll piece, so I’m going to ignore it. It's what we call "humor," actually. Ignorance of humor acknowledged.

dTal 6y ago
I read it with an increasing series of delighted chuckles; it's a fine example of the kind of cultural observational humor that Bill Bryson is so famed for. And now I think I shall go for an aimless walk...
Veen 6y ago
Actually, we call it "humour".

Footkerchief 6y ago

Some semi-formal methods for this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9rive https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9rive

jpcooper 6y ago
Nice link. Will Self wrote a book called Psychogeography. Haven't read it yet, although it sounds interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography_(book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography_(book).

nicbou 6y ago

You can start further out!

hn_throwaway_99 6y ago

You may be surprised that the article pretty much agrees with you. That is, it states that walking is an excellent way to get to where you want to go, or to explore new things. It's basically just arguing that "circumambulation for circumambulation's sake" is dull and boring.

bartread 6y ago

I don't know if it's that much of a troll piece (remember, it's talking about the UK specifically). Going for a walk to somewhere is fine. The article is bemoaning not really going anywhere at all, which has been the substantial reality if you've stuck to the rules of not going outside your "local area" (whatever the hell that has actually meant this entire time). I live on my own and my bubble friends live about 12 miles away, because that's the reality of living in what's basically a dormitory village and working/socialising in town. I meet them about once a week for a walk, but options are limited because the county I live in isn't exactly known for its extensive network of public footpaths. The whole "local area" thing is doubly ludicrous because I have to drive more than 5 miles to get to a supermarket. There is a shop in the village but, whilst it's OK for bits and pieces, it's not sufficient for a full grocery shop. Nobody's ever stopped me or challenged me for leaving the village, which is overall a good thing because if they ever tried I doubt I'd be very kind to them. I've stuck to the rules for the last 12 months willingly enough but I'm getting seriously fed up of it. I haven't seen my family since October, including my nephew who recently celebrated his first birthday: you don't get that time back. Not forever will I tolerate living under rules that infringe basic freedoms to a level that I doubt have been seen in Europe since before the Iron Curtain fell, whatever the situation with the virus or the vaccine might be.