I love walking. Actually this is one of my favourite things that I enjoy doing most. Of course, everybody knows that walking is good for you, especially if we are talking about the health benefits, but what never gets mentioned is that walking opens a whole new level of exploring things around you. Things you will never notice if you drive a car or take a bus or a train. Walking takes you to so many places that would go unseen otherwise – small shops, parks, cosy little cafes – all of them are there for you to discover.
When I used to live in Sydney, almost every Saturday and Sunday I would wake up in the morning and go somewhere I’d never been before, feeling excited about what I was about to see. Sometimes I’d go to the places I knew very well, but still every single time I would discover something I had not noticed before.
My walking routine would look something like this. I’d have a cup of coffee in one of those little cafes on a cosy leafy street in Kiribilli, then walk across the Harbour bridge and stand there for a few minutes just to admire the splendour of Sydney. Walk to the beautiful Eastern suburbs through Darling Harbour, Botanic Gardens and Woolloomooloo to have lunch in one of the cafes in Paddington. Then finally walk along the famous Oxford Street, that I love for its diversity straight to Bondi beach, where I would go for a swim on a hot day….
At the moment I live in the most beautiful place in the world (subjective, I know :), but I miss the weekends in Sydney when it seems like a whole town is outdoors somewhere, having a BBQ, and I have the whole place to myself.
So, I have been asking myself this question for a while now, how can someone combine the love for country living and the desire to be a part of a big city life, especially if both are equally enjoyable? No answer found yet :)
P.S. All these beautiful pictures of Sydney have been taken by a companion of all my walks, Ted . Have a look at them, don’t you love Sydney already?
