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Flânerie: The Art of Aimless Strolling

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Re: Flânerie: The Art of Aimless Strolling

#21

Post by mym1990 »

dhzhzjsbevs wrote: post #8
ComputerCat wrote: post #3

This nearly induces a panic attack for me - I need routes, a plan, a map, a goal/end location, and a task. Aimless walking stresses me out big time!

Listen to an audible book while you do it. Treat it as meditation time. Treat it as exercise. Use the time to call your mum or dad. Lots of things can be done while aimlessly walking.

One of the most amazing things about aimlessly walking is the opportunity to let your mind wander freely! Not to say that you can't multitask while walking, just a thought :)

Re: Flânerie: The Art of Aimless Strolling

#23

Post by throwawayarnty »

ComputerCat wrote: post #3

This nearly induces a panic attack for me - I need routes, a plan, a map, a goal/end location, and a task. Aimless walking stresses me out big time!

What works for us when you’re in a city is to pick a restaurant you want to go to, then walk in the general direction there. Allow spontaneous detours in corners you find interesting.

This allows one to flaneur but still have a destination.

On vacation, one can literally eat lunch, then wander about the city until it is tea time, then repeat until dinner. Beautiful way to spend the day and explore the city.

Re: Flânerie: The Art of Aimless Strolling

#24

Post by bruce343434 »

praptak wrote: post #16
ComputerCat wrote: post #3

This nearly induces a panic attack for me - I need routes, a plan, a map, a goal/end location, and a task. Aimless walking stresses me out big time!

For me it's the plain old mind daemon screaming "Why aren't you busy?! You are certainly missing some super important obligations!". Curiously, it doesn't activate when I'm actually wasting time. It's the aimless walking that activates it.

But not the aimless scrolling on HN?

Re: Flânerie: The Art of Aimless Strolling

#26

Post by drewzero1 »

FredPret wrote: post #4
Nihilartikel wrote: post #2

This is probably one of my favorite activities in foreign cities - walk or take public transportation aimlessly for a few hours. Buy a snack that catches my eye, or find a cafe or pub to linger at long enough to see the ebb and flow of foot traffic. Directed tourism is fine, but seeing a few randomly sampled slices of a culture and place gives the experience 'roots' for me in some intangible way.

Great idea... in a safe city

Is there really such a thing?

Re: Flânerie: The Art of Aimless Strolling

#28

Post by kokanator »

This seems similar to the difference between hiking ( trailing walking ) and off trail trekking. The later is more of an overland pursuit where any number of surprises await from geological formations to stands of vegetation to a vast array of creatures.

It is the unknown just around the bend of the ravine, or inside the stand of trees, or over the next ridge that causes me to disappear into a more natural world as often as possible.

Wouldn't you say the flâneur has very strong parallels to the wandering and discovering our ancestors made?

Re: Flânerie: The Art of Aimless Strolling

#30

Post by neodypsis »

Nihilartikel wrote: post #2

This is probably one of my favorite activities in foreign cities - walk or take public transportation aimlessly for a few hours. Buy a snack that catches my eye, or find a cafe or pub to linger at long enough to see the ebb and flow of foot traffic. Directed tourism is fine, but seeing a few randomly sampled slices of a culture and place gives the experience 'roots' for me in some intangible way.

Done this, take random walks and find somewhere to eat/shop!
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