“Walkers are 'practitioners of the city,' for the city is made to be walked. A city is a language, a repository of possibilities, and walking is the act of speaking that language, of selecting from those possibilities. Just as language limits what can be said, architecture limits where one can walk, but the walker invents other ways to go.” ~ Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking
caminar. (De camino). R.A.E.
1. tr. Andar determinada distancia.
2. intr. Ir de viaje.
3. intr. Dicho de un hombre o de un animal: Ir andando de un lugar a otro.
4. intr. Dicho de una cosa inanimada: Seguir su curso.
5. intr. Dirigirse a un lugar o meta, avanzar hacia él.
As I strolled around Saint Petersburg for the first time today, I listened to the sounds of the city, the heartbeat of the streets, the undecipherable messages uttered by city dwellers in a language that still appears impenetrable. The air sounded nostalgic in its farewell to summer breezes; the waters of the River Neva danced with the local fishermen catching the last smelt [korushka] of the season, with the boats of tourists describing the marine glory of the city with crackling sound.
Walking allows you to draw your own map of the city, paving the streets with your own experiences, navigating with the compass of your curiosity. The mosaic of human interactions that take place in a city fascinates me. Walking to me is going on a journey (ir de viaje) of endless destinations, with the only intention of discovering, encountering the unexpected.
We often walk motivated by the need or desire to reach a point, to advance toward an end. On this Sunday morning, I was not in a rush. I do not remember the last time I was not in a rush. I experienced a soothing sense of timelessness. I simply walked and listened... and I did not feel alone, the city was walking with me.
1. tr. Andar determinada distancia.
2. intr. Ir de viaje.
3. intr. Dicho de un hombre o de un animal: Ir andando de un lugar a otro.
4. intr. Dicho de una cosa inanimada: Seguir su curso.
5. intr. Dirigirse a un lugar o meta, avanzar hacia él.
As I strolled around Saint Petersburg for the first time today, I listened to the sounds of the city, the heartbeat of the streets, the undecipherable messages uttered by city dwellers in a language that still appears impenetrable. The air sounded nostalgic in its farewell to summer breezes; the waters of the River Neva danced with the local fishermen catching the last smelt [korushka] of the season, with the boats of tourists describing the marine glory of the city with crackling sound.
Walking allows you to draw your own map of the city, paving the streets with your own experiences, navigating with the compass of your curiosity. The mosaic of human interactions that take place in a city fascinates me. Walking to me is going on a journey (ir de viaje) of endless destinations, with the only intention of discovering, encountering the unexpected.
We often walk motivated by the need or desire to reach a point, to advance toward an end. On this Sunday morning, I was not in a rush. I do not remember the last time I was not in a rush. I experienced a soothing sense of timelessness. I simply walked and listened... and I did not feel alone, the city was walking with me.
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