ST201906

W

alkinginthecityis,formostof

us,aboutgettingsomewhere:

somethingtobeenduredtogetto

wherewewanttobe.Asa result,

wetendthinkoftheactivityof

‘walking’assomethingtosave

fortheweekend,fora countrylaneora coastalpath.

Whichisa shame:thereismuchtobegainedfroma

strollthroughthecity,particularlyif wewalkthere

slowlyandmindfullyandif thedestinationis

somewhereofsignificance.Makea pilgrimageacross

a cityandit beginstorevealitself.

A citypilgrimbecomesanactiveobserverofplaces

andpeople.Thingsthatshoppersandcommuters

passbywiththeirheadsdown,youwillnotice.An

architecturaldetailabovea shopfront;ivypushingits

waythrougha crackina wall;a faceata coffeeshop

window:asyoumoveforwards,thesceneryconstantly

shifts.Itcanfeellikewalkingthrougha filmset.And

thebestthingisyoucandoallofthisanonymously:

noonenoticesyouina city,butyoucannoticethem

enroute.Youbecometheobserver.

A NEIGHBOURHOODPILGRIMAGE

Youdon’tneedtobeina citycentretoexperiencean

urbanpilgrimage.Ifyouliveina townorinthe

suburbs,walkingthroughyourownneighbourhood

worksjustaswell.Headforsomewhereyouhaven’t

beenbefore– a church,perhaps,ora wood– andmake

it thefocusofyourpilgrimage.Asyouwalk,lookatyour

surroundingsasthoughyouarenewtotheareaandare

seeingthemforthefirsttime.

LUNCHTIMEPILGRIMAGES

Thetemptationtograba sandwichandeatit atyour

deskishardtoresist:butinsteadofsittingdormantin

frontofyourcomputer,considerplanninga mini-

pilgrimage.Choosea placethatyoucanwalktoand

A pilgrim in the city

A MINDFUL WALK IN AN URBAN SPACE IS AS CALMING AS IT IS

ENLIGHTENING, SAYS CLARE GOGERTY. COMMUTING IT ISN’T!