Flâneurs

Today's Adventures

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 04:29:05 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Today we went up to Champaign-Urbana for the Middlefork Markets event Middlefork at the Mall at Lincoln Square Mall. This is our favorite flea market, born from the ruins of Gordyville, which fills most of the wide aisles at the mall. The market runs Sunday too, but not as late in the day.

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rain rain 2

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 04:24:05 GMT

Posted by: radiokomorebi

I should add a disclaimer that this is not just one day's walk but across a few days, that being said this is my usual route.

( open for images )

It upsets me how much the 'metro construction' takes over a public space like this.

incidentally, i ran into this game about going out on a walk!

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rain rain

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:12:16 GMT

Posted by: radiokomorebi

I found an excuse to walk up to a nearby restaurant to order some takeaway to have along with my rice and rasam (a type of stew).

I love sitting around and waiting for my order as it's a little used detour by the otherwise busy traffic and it's a calm pocket in the locality.
A few of my clicks while I was waiting around:
( expand for pictures )

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Nine notes on touristing old South Wales

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:42:43 GMT

Posted by: spiralsheep

Cymru, recent notes at my journal. Enjoy!

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Photos: Tuscola Winter Window Walk Part 2

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:46:50 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

This is the second part of the Tuscola Winter Window Walk. Begin with Part 1.

( Walk with me ... )

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Photos: Tuscola Winter Window Walk Part 1

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:44:23 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Monday we visited Tuscola so I could take pictures of the holiday window paintings. These were done by Libby Neathery of Libby Jo Art Studio and there are 22 in this year's batch. I did not find quite all of them but I came close. Despite changing the camera batteries right before we left home, I barely got through the two sides of the block with Flesor's Candy Kitchen before the batteries died, so we had to stop and get new ones. I did manage to finish photographing the rest of the windows we found. I love seeing local artists do things like this, because it encourages people to get out and look for them. A little slice of Terramagne! (Continue with Part 2.)

( Walk with me ... )

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Today's Adventures

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 04:52:21 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Today we went to the Autumn Fest in Marshall. It was an evening event, and the day had cooled off considerably, so it was quite pleasant. We were lucky to miss the rain there -- it rained a bit at home and we drove through several showers. This event continues on Saturday and Sunday if you want to catch it, and it is well worth attending if you're in Illinois this weekend looking for something to do.

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Today's Adventures

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 02:36:04 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Today we went to the Broomcorn Festival in Arcola, Illinois. This is a big harvest festival, well worth catching, and it runs the whole weekend if you want to check it out. The weather was beautiful, cloudy and mild, couldn't ask for better weather.

Arcola is a nice town with several favorite shops that we like to visit. The old buildings are colorful with beautiful architecture. Most of the streets along the festival are still brick. There are benches along the sidewalks. Several places had picnic tables set up for the event, too.

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Today's Adventures

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 04:39:32 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Today we went to the Tuscola Family Fun Day and the Arthur Amish Country Cheese Festival.

Amusingly, I'm wearing a goldenrod-yellow T-shirt with a corncob and the caption "This is my crop top." (It's full length.) I got at least half a dozen compliments on it. :D I bought it earlier this year at another event, definitely a good choice for fall festivals.

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Today's Adventures

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 03:39:10 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Today we visited several places in Tuscola, Illinois.

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Today's Adventures

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 02:32:48 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Today we went out to Mattoon, Illinois in search of evening farmer's markets.

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Flanage within Conwy's medieval town walls

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 16:04:38 GMT

Posted by: spiralsheep

I walked first left turn then second right turn then first left &c [not June challenge III. (d) ], beginning from the highest and most landward gate of Conwy's medieval town walls: flanage report at my journal, with architecture and edification, and a bonus quick guide to Conwy.

"DEUWCH O'R NEILLTU, Y MAE I CHWI CROESO,
YR IEUANC I DDYSGU, A'R HEN I ORFFWYSO."

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June challenge III.(c), part two: from 1490 to 1858 by feet, map, and giant raccoon

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 16:24:24 GMT

Posted by: spiralsheep

June challenge III.(c), part two: flanage report at my journal again, to a bridge via an Oblique Strategy and a giant raccoon. How could you possibly resist? Enjoy!

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June challenge III.(c): from 2002 to 1490 by bus, feet, and time machine

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 10:59:32 GMT

Posted by: spiralsheep

June challenge III.(c): flanage report at my journal, with a list of grey things and links to antique wall art. How could you possibly resist? Enjoy!

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It's June challenge time again

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:00:10 GMT

Posted by: spiralsheep

Anybody else planning to squeeze in a June challenge attempt before the end of this month? Or later? Or perhaps you calmly and coolly thought ahead and have already completed a flan that you can't wait to share with us?

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Finnegan's walk

Sun, 22 Dec 2024 14:05:29 GMT

Posted by: spiralsheep

I also did a walk based on the instructions generated by squirmelia from the novel Finnegan's Wake. I was under starter's orders at The Greyhound pub in Worcester. Report here:

https://spiralsheep.dreamwidth.org/643773.html

Well the hare she led on just as swift as the wind
He was sometimes before her and sometimes behind,
He jumped on her back and held up his ould paw -
'Long live the Republic', says Master McGrath.

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Finnegans Wake Walk

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:07:48 GMT

Posted by: squirmelia

I decided to use Finnegans Wake by James Joyce to lead me on a walk. I extracted all the lines in Finnegans Wake that had “left” or “right” in them to use as a basis for the walk. If in the text the next line had “left” I would take the next left and if “right”, I'd take the next right.

I ate a croll in the most dangerous street in London, found the location of a bunker where there is now an orchard, ate Christmas cannoli ice-cream, walked up Bob Marley Way, and discovered a video tape in the little free library that had "old Top of the Pops video" written on it.

Full write up and photos here: https://squirmelia.dreamwidth.org/595502.html

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August penguins in Worcester

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 11:18:52 GMT

Posted by: spiralsheep

If anyone is looking for a venue for an August walk then Worcester will have a penguins trail through the mostly pedestrianised city centre and along the river (which has pedestrian footbridges). The canal towpaths are also, of course, pedestrianised and meet both the river and the city centre. A very walkable small city and not expensive by UK standards. /I don't actually work for the local tourist board, honest

Penguins: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c51ngvklj5no

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June challenge III.(c): an A-Z of failing better

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 11:33:12 GMT

Posted by: spiralsheep

Having had to switch days, and towns, due to this year's first attempt being nobbled by balloonists, it will come as no surprise when I reveal that I partially failed again. This time it was due to the new cafe, chosen by the person I was meeting, being closed on Mondays, lol.

Report at my journal.

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Sabotaged by an impromptu balloon festival

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 11:41:17 GMT

Posted by: spiralsheep

Having partially failed at theme III.(c) in 2011 and 2012, then failed to attempt the June challenge at all from 2018-22, I have today completely failed at theme III.(c). I was beaten by an unexpected balloon festival. No, rly. Might try again on Monday. /end report

I hope you're all having fun!

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June Challenge II. (c) - A history hike on Hounslow Heath

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 20:05:00 GMT

Posted by: squirmelia

Hounslow is a place I think of more as somewhere to start an adventure (by getting a tube from there to Heathrow airport), as opposed to somewhere to have an adventure, but for a Flaneurs June challenge, I went to Hounslow. This perhaps isn’t the adventure you’ve been waiting 4 years to read about, but I will tell you about it anyway, and there are highwaymen.

My real motivation for going to Hounslow was because I wanted ice-cream, specifically unusual ice-cream flavours. I chose two fruit flavours - chickoo and custard apple, and ate them as I walked towards the start of the walk from Hounslow Station.

Hounslow has a heath! I found this out from the local council's website, as when I searched for walks, two appeared - Hounslow Heath history hike and Hounslow Heath wild walk. Hounslow Heath walks and trails.

( Read more... )

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June 2019 flaneurs challenge III. (c)

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 13:31:29 GMT

Posted by: bob

Yesterday I went and did flaneurs challenge III. (c) by visiting random good beer guide pubs by using the random action on RGL

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June 2019 flaneurs challenge I. (c)

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 12:56:11 GMT

Posted by: bob

On Monday I did flaneurs challenge I. (c) with an n of 6.

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June challenge II.(a): A railway line walk from South Bermondsey to London Bridge

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 10:00:48 GMT

Posted by: nou

Challenge II.(a) asks you to walk outwards from a railway terminus for a specific length of time, following the railway line as closely as possible. I’ve been doing a modified version of this in stages for a few years, walking from West Croydon to London Bridge.

Two years ago I reported on an earlier stage of this, and now I have finally finished it. Here’s my map. I find it quite interesting to see how closely I could stick to the line in some places, and how much I had to detour in others.

( A few photos below the cut. )

I also took many many photos of railway bridge identifiers, which I seem to be collecting.

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2019 flaneurs challenge III. (d)

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 20:58:46 GMT

Posted by: bob

On the 15th of June I did flaneurs challenge III. (d). I started at West Norwood station and ended up in Norbury.
I found an interesting manhole cover

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