The Grand Tour – Walking Around The Bay
I began this blog in 2009, and decided I would walk around the Bay. I knew I couldn’t do it continuously, and I recall quickly deciding that while I would often walk along the Bay, it became just as often a springboard to discover places inland of interest. But at the center of it all, and never far away , was the Bay. Here’s what I wrote in the Spring of 2009.
In the last millenium, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries, young English of some means would embark on a tour of the Continent. It usually focused on traveling the classical world- Italy and Greece, and could also include visits to France, the Alps, Germany, and the Low Countries. Newly unemployed as result of the economic meltdown; I thought it the perfect time to embark on a Grand Tour of my own, except for that damn ‘of some means ‘ part. So I adjusted my sites lower, and I have embarked on a tour of the Bay Area. Instead of the canals of Venice, the ones in Foster City would have to do. In lieu of the ruins at Delos- , the post-industrial sculptures of the Albany Bulb. The only rule : every place was to be accessed by public transit- no cars (I don’t own one). And where there was no transit , I would walk, and in some cases, as it has turned out, walk, and walk, walk. And I would chronicle this as part of my blog: Urban Ambles. At the outset, this tour would circumnavigate the bay, places where the natural and man-made intertwined, often in fascinating ways.
The purpose of these treks were multiple. First, while increasingly busy with various projects at home, it was a way to get out of the house. Second, it would be great exercise. And third, many of these places I had wanted to explore in greater detail, or had never been to, and yes, I had the time. I have since discovered others who enjoy these types of ambles. Several friends recently introduced me to the work of the English author Will Self, a noted “psychogeographer” He once walked from Kennedy Airport to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. Here’s a Times article on him and that episode:
At times , I am not sure if there is any point to all of this- am I wasting time that I could spend getting more paying work, or finding one of those allusive architecture jobs I hear rumors about? Or is this ultimately taking me somewhere unforeseen,like the places themselves- am I discovering a-here-to-for unknown passion. I have no idea. At any rate- I had planned to do about 20 or so hikes, and this is the chronicle to date. To read all the previous entries , click on the Grand Tour link under Categories at the right of the Page. You also can now subscribe to my blog (see the upper right corner), to get updates on this or any other amble rambling I may do.
