May

Walking New Zealand

by Joyce McGreevy on May 29, 2018

Glenorchy in New Zealand’s South Island is a gateway to many spectacular hiking trails.
© Joyce McGreevy

The Wordplay of Pathways

Everyday English reflects the wordplay of pathways. We speak of “getting off track,” or taking “the path of least resistance.” We express disappointment as being “led up the primrose path.” We tell new friends, “I’m glad our paths crossed.” For me, however, while walking New Zealand, I learned an entire new vocabulary.

Glenorchy’s wooden pathway leads into the wetlands and is a treat for visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Glenorchy’s boardwalk takes birdwatchers into the wetlands.
© Joyce McGreevy

In New Zealand, a walker’s paradise, pathways crisscross language and the land like skeins of light. Ancestors of the Maori walked the entirety of the country naming landforms and waterways. Today, walking is the Kiwi way, from short local bush walks to the 1,900-mile Te Araroa (“Long Pathway”).

Kiwis Walk the Talk

Here, walking is no mere footnote. Surveys show that for New Zealanders of every age and ethnicity, walking is the most popular recreation—by ~~a mile~~ kilometers.

Walking pathways around Waiheke Island’s beach and bush are a treat for visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Waiheke Island offers serene walks through bush and beach.
© Joyce McGreevy

The origin of the word path is itself a kind of path. It begins, as many pathways do, with clear signposting: “Take Old English back to Old Frisian, then hang a right at Middle Dutch and keep going until you reach Old High German.”

These early words for path evoke footsteps: paþ, pæþ pat, pad, pfad. But the ultimate origin for path has disappeared into the forests of time.

A walking pathway in Mangawhero Forest Walk in Tongariro National Park is a treat for visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Mangawhero Forest Walk in Tongariro National Park meanders through
Rimu, Matai, and Kahikatea trees.
© Joyce McGreevy

Step Right Up

Let’s go wandering through the present. From the mainlands of North Island and South Island to smaller islands like Waiheke, pathways beckon.

A short path says, “Come on in! Plenty of views, no waiting.”

Walking pathways in Devonport’s Victoria Hill are a treat for visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Devonport’s bucolic walks are just a 10-minute ferry ride from the city of Auckland.
© Joyce McGreevy

A steep path says, “Not so fast. Good things happen in steps.”

Steep wooden steps along a walking pathway in Queenstown challenge visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Queenstown’s topography is truly on the up and up.
© Joyce McGreevy

Urban pathways are keen to get you where you’re going. “Hurry along! Hurry along!”

Island pathways are more laidback. Sun warms them, breezes ruffle their grasses and your hair. They whisper, “Wherever you’re headed, here’s nice, too.”

Grassy path toward Waiheke's Te Motu Vineyard is a treat for visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Waiheke’s Te Motu Vineyard is a gentle 20-minute stroll from Onetangi Road.
© Joyce McGreevy

Sometimes you meet the perfect companion, and if you’re lucky, you’ll walk the same path for a while. As people in New Zealand like to say, “Sweet as!” (Sweet as what, you ask? Just “sweet as.”)

A friendly Paradise duck takes a step along a path in Te Anau inspiring visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

At Lake Te Anau in NZ’s Fiordland, Paradise ducks and other birds tag along with hikers.
© Joyce McGreevy

The “Ara” Variations

The word for path in Maori is ara, and New Zealand’s first people have many other names for pathways. There’s ararātā, the path of native Rata trees, and ararimu, if the trees are Rimu. Or you may come to two paths, ararua; a blocked path, arapuni; or the pathway’s end, arapito.

In New Zealand’s mountains or along its coasts, one may encounter the sacred path, or aratapu.

A stone plaque at Queenstown Hill inspires visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Queenstown Hill is known in Maori as Te Tapu-nui, “the mountain of intense sacredness.”
© Joyce McGreevy

Some paths possess deep patience. After a long solitude, they welcome a lone hiker with birdsong.

A walking pathway in the New Zealand bush invites visitors who are walking New Zealand to listen to the bird songs. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Put away the earphones. Even when you cannot see native birds, you’ll hear their songs.
© Joyce McGreevy

Some paths begin gently and rapidly become challenging. A Maori proverb says, “If you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.”

Walking pathway in Queenstown Hill’s rugged terrain challenges visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Queenstown Hill is a steep, demanding, and ultimately rewarding hike of several hours.
© Joyce McGreevy

“Basket of Dreams,” a public sculpture by Caroline Robinson’s graces a walking pathway and delights visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Persevere until you reach the “Basket of Dreams,” a sculpture by Caroline Robinson.
© Joyce McGreevy

Mindful Walking

A path can be metaphorical, even when it’s literal. What’s better than a long walk for sorting things out in one’s mind?

Wild mushrooms growing along a forest pathway on Queenstown Hill symbolizes mushrooming troubles that visitors who are walking New Zealand can consider and even resolve on mindful walks. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

If troubles seem to mushroom . . .
© Joyce McGreevy

A tree stump by a walking pathway on Queenstown Hill symbolizes problems that may have visitors who are walking New Zealand stumped. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Or you’re totally stumped . . .
© Joyce McGreevy

Tree roots on Queenstown Hill symbolize how visitors who are mindfully walking New Zealand think through issues and get to the root of a problem. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

. . . a mindful walk in the woods can help reveal the roots of an issue.
© Joyce McGreevy

A tree branch on Queenstown Hill serves as a symbol to visitors who are walking New Zealand that they may be grasping for the wrong things. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A path may drop hints: “You’re grasping for the wrong things.”
© Joyce McGreevy

Other Pathways

The path along a mountain ridge is called arapae, a path for the brave. But not all pathways are on the land. The horizon is a path for the eye, the sky a path for imagination.

A view down Lake Wakatipu to The Remarkables mountain range in Queenstown Hill is a treat for visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Hikes in The Remarkables mountain range offer tranquil views of NZ’s longest lake, Wakatipu.
© Joyce McGreevy

Shadows and the rays of rainbows form pathways, too. And then there is aramoana, the sea path.

A view of a vintage sailing ship seen from a walking pathway on Devonport’s Victoria Hill is a treat for visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The views from Victoria Hill above Devonport in NZ’s North Island are pure storybook.
© Joyce McGreevy

What Pathways Do You Walk?

We’re all on some kind of path. We may choose it, stumble upon it, change it, or create a whole new path.

And oh, I see now, after the beauty of walking New Zealand, if we keep our eyes open, whatever path we’re on can become aratoro—the path of discovery.

In the wordplay of pathways, it happens one step at a time.

A view from a walking pathway toward Glenorchy Lagoon is a treat for visitors who are walking New Zealand. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A walk to Glenorchy Lagoon is the surest way to inspiration.
© Joyce McGreevy

Special thanks to Cleone Blomfield and Annette Caswell for their insights and hospitality in Queenstown and Glenorchy.

To explore New Zealand on foot, start here.

Comment on this post below.

Joyce McGreevy 9 Comments

Language & Culture/Nature Discovery/New Zealand/On Foot

Mar

Street “Seen”!

by Joyce McGreevy on March 6, 2018

A mural in a street in Glasgow, Scotland shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Street art is big in Glasgow, Scotland.
© Joyce McGreevy

Seeing the World One Step at a Time

When was the last time you took a walk just to see what you could see? What discoveries did you make? Sometimes seeing the world comes down to a stroll around the corner.

French photographer Robert Doisneau wrote, “The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street.”

So, put on your favorite walking shoes. Let’s meander from street to street.

Footfall and Snowfall

Here we are in Malta on a sunny Mediterranean spring day. As we wander the narrow, baroque streets of Valletta, we turn a corner onto St. Paul’s Street and . . . What’s this? A snowstorm?

Why, the entire street is covered in—oh I see: confetti! Everyone has come out to play.

A festive street scene in Valletta, Malta shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Confetti—and time—fly in St. Paul Street, Valletta, Malta.
© Joyce McGreevy

We wade in up to our knees. A marching band plays, crowds cheer and sing, children lark about, and confetti cascades from balconies. A young man graciously explains what the heck is going on.

This is the grand finale to the Festival of St. Paul—a street-centric celebration. Beyond this street, all is business as usual, so most visitors to Valletta never notice this happy hoopla.

Oh, I see: Wandering leads to wonders.

Perhaps you’d prefer to walk somewhere quiet? I know just the place: the Bath.

Bath, England, that is.

A street sign in Bath, England shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Oddly enough, Quiet St has a sound map, the creation of 19 artists.
© Joyce McGreevy

Animal Tracks

Now then, how do you feel about cats? Wherever we wander, we’ll see many a feline local.

Street cats in Greece and Turkey show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Turkish cats rest on roofs and walls. Greek cats catnap on cars and motorbikes.
© Joyce McGreevy

An inquisitive cat in Howth, Ireland has a way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Irish cats can be very inquisitive.
© Joyce McGreevy

Look out for lions—they’re the “pride” of many major cities.

Statues of lions in cities show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up.(Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Lions in Vienna (left), Chicago (center top), Bodrum (center bottom), and Athens (right).
© Joyce McGreevy

And on some streets “here be dragons”!

Dragon statues in Aarhus, Denmark and Santa Fe, New Mexico show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left to right) Dragons are fired up in Aarhus, Denmark and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
© Joyce McGreevy

It’s a Mystery

In beautiful Budapest, we walk from the Jewish Quarter and then cross the River Danube to Margaret Island. Along the way, we admire Art Nouveau architecture and statues of famous poets and politicians. Then, we turn a corner and see…

American TV detective Columbo.

Wait, whaaat?

A statue of Peter Falk as Columbo in Budapest Hungary shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

What’s TV detective Columbo doing in Budapest, Hungary?
© Joyce McGreevy

Sure enough, a life-size bronze statue of actor Peter Falk stands before us, complete with rumpled trench coat and cigar. Columbo’s basset hound, “Dog,” is here, too.

Suddenly we’re on the case, Columbo-like, with “just one more question.”

But our best clue turns out to be a red herring. Yes, the street is also named after a Falk. But that Falk was a 19th-century Hungarian author, and no evidence exists that he and Peter Falk are related.

Nevertheless, in 2014 a statue of Falk as Columbo was unveiled to great fuss and fanfare. We question a local witness, who proudly informs us that the canine model for the basset hound attended this event “in person.”

As for Peter Falk? Alas, he was a no-show, having passed away in 2011.

Hmm…Maybe the Columbo and Dog statues should set out for the Big TV in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A giant TV sculpture in Santa Fe, New Mexico shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

David Rudolph’s “Big Picture TV” sculpture invites creative interaction.
© Joyce McGreevy

The Weird . . .

Some statuary we’ve seen is surprisingly animated:

Statues and mannequins in European cities show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Clockwise) Mannequins “rule” in Budapest; a diver demurs in Oslo; a character climbs in Greece.
© Joyce McGreevy

. . . And the Whimsical

And don’t forget these lively knights in Vienna.

A whimsical street scene of statues and a worker in Vienna, Austria shows why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Things are looking up in Vienna, Austria.
© Joyce McGreevy

Scene in the Streets

Who knows what sights we’ll see as our wandering continues?

Ancient streets and modern streets.

Street scenes like Aghia Ekaterini Square, Athens, and the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin, Ireland show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left) Aghia Ekaterini Square, Athens, Greece. (Right) The Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin, Ireland.
© Joyce McGreevy

Busy streets and quiet streets.

Street scenes in Istanbul, Turkey and Bruges, Belgium show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left to right) Friday night in Istanbul, Turkey; Sunday morning in Bruges, Belgium.
© Joyce McGreevy

Sunny streets and snowy streets.

Street art in Santa Monica, California and a snowy street scene in Evanston, Illinois show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left to right) Sunmery street art in Santa Monica, California; a snow-covered street in Evanston, Illinois.
© Joyce McGreevy

Streets by night and streets by day.

Street scenes of Millennium Park, Chicago and Telthusbakken, Oslo, Norway show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

(Left) Millennium Park, Chicago. (Right) Telthusbakken Street, Oslo, Norway.
© Joyce McGreevy

And always the promise of fascinating street scenes just around the corner.

A street scene of Plovdiv, Bulgaria show why walking is a great way of seeing the world close up. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

An evening stroll in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
© Joyce McGreevy

Tell me, what streets are your favorites for seeing the world on foot? What discoveries have you made?

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy Comments

Art of Travel/Discoveries/On Foot/Worldwide Sites

Dec

A Very English Holiday Ramble

by Joyce McGreevy on December 12, 2017

For Revelers with Wanderlust

Albemarle Street, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Albermarle Street in London inspires holiday wanderlust.
© Joyce McGreevy

On a cold December morning, the London sky is gray, the sunlight as stingy as the fire in Scrooge’s counting-house. But the air is fresh, our hearts are filled with festive wanderlust, and we’re off on a Very English Holiday Ramble. Come join us in search of “Oh I see” moments, magic, and a seasonal surprise.

An Airbnb flat in Elephant and Castle, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

We begin our ramble in Elephant and Castle, a vibrant, hardworking neighborhood named for a long-gone tavern. The tavern’s name, in turn, was a playful tribute to La Infanta de Castile, who was once engaged to Britain’s Charles I. Good to know if we’re ever in a pub on “Trivia Quiz” night.

For the festive season, exploring on foot is a must. Why? It’s positively Dickensian. Charles Dickens often walked 20 miles a day, exploring London in detail, then recreating it on the page.

Besides, walking reveals charms we’d otherwise miss:

Red Cross Way Garden, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A sign in London offers inspiration during an English holiday ramble. (Photo © Joyce McGreevy)

A window display in Southwark, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A ghost sign in Southwark, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

This is a sign, pun intended, that we’re approaching London’s oldest food market. Borough Market has been serving the people of Southwark for 1,000 years including “the best of times and the worst of times.”

A produce shop at Borough Market, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Fresh lemons at Borough Market inspire wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Yes, Borough experienced tragedy in June 2017. But on this cold and brightening morning, Borough is a place where . . .

Children caroling at Borough Market, London inspire onlookers during an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Handmade fudge at the Borough Market inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Crossing London Bridge, we catch sight of the Bank Station Underground. But don’t hop on the Tube yet, because we’re only a stroll away from another festive sight. See if you recognize it:

Leadhall Market inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A view of Leadenhall Market, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

On to the mighty, muddy Thames at Southbank. “Ooh, what’s down there?”

Pop-up shops under Millennium Bridge in London inspire wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

“Oy! Save us a hot cuppa and a waffle, will ya?”

What’s next on our holiday rambles list? We could . . .

A pop-up igloo at Southbank, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A pop-up ski-lodge themed bar at Southbank, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Oh look, there’s a Foyle’s bookshop. Come on!

Southbank, London in December inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Wanderlust turns to book lust when we see Foyle’s Books for a Year table. Lucky gift recipients receive a brand-new book every month, each chosen for “its must-haveness or unputdownability.”

So many books, so few suitcases.

Fortunately, there’s room for a seasonal treat, a poetry pamphlet series called “Instead of a Card.” Candlestick Press of Nottingham publishes these charmers “not only for people who already love poetry, but also for those who will love it but perhaps don’t know that yet.” Sales also benefit charity.

Poetry pamphlets from Candlestick Press, Nottingham offer inspiration during an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Suddenly we hear bells! Reindeer? No, the “mobile.” The caller says, “If you miss this, you’ve missed a marvel!” She’s quoting a theatre review.

Quick—to the West End! (Yes, by Tube. Sorry, Charles.) But first, sustenance. We’re in luck. Street Food Union is right around the corner. Mmm, what’s this?

Yorkshire Burritos on Rupert Street, London inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Our new BFF (Burrito-style Favorite Food) is braised pork shoulder cooked in cider and herbs, served with sage and onion stuffing, rosemary roast potatoes, spinach, and applesauce, wrapped in a giant Yorkshire pudding. Jolly good, amigos!

The Gielgud Theatre inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

When we exit the theatre, night has fallen, yet it’s 4:30 p.m. All the better to see holiday lights!

Angelic decorations over Regent St, London inspire wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Tropical decorations over Carnaby St, London inspire wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

There really is magic in the air, a sense that holiday spirits could suddenly whisk us off to . . .

The English Market, Cork, Ireland inspires wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Yet our Very English Holiday Ramble continues. Launched in 1788, Ireland’s English Market is considered one of the ten best food markets in Europe.

Oh, I see: It wouldn’t be the festive season without a surprise! I guess you just never know where holiday wanderlust might lead.

Vendors at the English Market, Cork, Ireland offer mince pies that inspire wanderlust for an English holiday ramble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Why just envision sugarplums? At Heaven’s Cakes, in Cork’s
English Market, Laurie and Cíara serve tasty mince pies.
© Joyce McGreevy

Click on the links to find out more about Borough Market, Leadenhall Market, Foyle’s, Candlestick Press, Yorkshire Burrito, Cork’s English Market, or Heaven’s Cakes.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 2 Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Discoveries/England/Ireland/On Foot

World Views:

Topics

Category Archives: On Foot