Introductions

[kake]

Hello flaneurs! I thought we could start off this community by finding out a bit about each other and our interests. I don't have any fixed ideas about how I want the community to be used, and am happy to let it evolve in response to its members' desires.

So, if you feel so inclined, please leave a comment below! Here are some suggestions for you to copy/paste and fill in, but these are all optional — feel free to use just the ones you want to answer, or even to forget about them entirely and write something freeform.

<strong>My preferred name (if it's different from my username):</strong> <strong>My last urban ramble/adventure was:</strong> <strong>My next urban ramble/adventure will probably be:</strong> <strong>Favourite type(s) of urban environment:</strong> <strong>Favourite type(s) of constraint (for those who like putting constraints on their rambles):</strong> <strong>Cities/towns I've explored (and how):</strong> <strong>Cities/towns I want to explore (and why):</strong> <strong>Three things I tend to notice when I'm wandering through a city:</strong> <strong>Anything else relevant:</strong>

Comments

[foxfinial]

My preferred name: Alex

My last urban ramble/adventure was: Barcelona, last weekend

My next urban ramble/adventure will probably be: Hmm. I'm going to Oxford in a couple weekends' time, but I expect most of that time will be spent gazing lovingly at the Herakles to Alexander exhibit at the Ashmolea, so that's more of a museum-ramble.

Favourite type(s) of urban environment: I love markets, unusual architecture,old architecture, places where religion meets urban life, parks (I'm a country girl at heart)... lots, really!

Cities/towns I've explored (and how): London and Brighton (among other UK places), Prague, Athens, Istanbul, Venice, Barcelona, New York, Denver, Ottawa, Singapore, Perth (WA), Broome, Darwin, Alice Springs, Coober Pedy, Melbourne, Sydney, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, a lot of places on the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City route, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kuala Lumpar, Manila, Baguio, Ulaanbaator, Beijing, Xian, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turfan, Urumqi, Kashgar, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer. I walk a lot. When that's not possible, I'll take the most useful public transport.

Cities/towns I want to explore (and why): This would be a long list. Ones hovering around the top of that list are St Petersburg, San Francisco, Rome, Alexandria, Edinburgh, Lhasa, as well as a bunch of ancient ruins (Persepolis, Merv...).

Three things I tend to notice when I'm wandering through a city: Old buildings, curious shops, just some of the city's minor details.

Anything else relevant: My heart belongs in equal parts to cities and countryside. I think the most beautiful place I have been was Mongolia, yet I love throwing myself at a new city.

[kake]

Gosh, you've been to a lot of places! Do you think there's a common thread between the cities you've liked the most?

[foxfinial]

I was able to take time out and travel last year, hence the Australian and most of the Asian cities. =)

Do you think there's a common thread between the cities you've liked the most?

Hmm. It's hard to say, beyond the generic 'interesting' - I like old architecture, but I can love a city without it; I like markets, but I can love a city with uninteresting markets; I like some mostly because I had wonderful experiences there, like Ulaanbaator. Cities are such different creatures, I don't think I can pin down one consistent trend.

How about you?

[kake]

I think for me it's probably public transport! I was excited about going to Glasgow last year (and in fact went up the day before I needed to be there) because of its subway system. I should probably write a post about the subway walk I did there.

I would like to visit Singapore one day and explore along the routes of the MRT. I nearly went to Rome a while back (though didn't make it in the end) and was equally excited by the idea of exploring the Metropolitana di Roma.

Oh, and I'm moving house to Croydon soon, where there are TRAMS, which makes me very happy.