Walking and Architecture (A Beautiful Combination)

In past issues we have discussed the subject of walking as it relates to staying fit. There’s so much more to share relating to this subject and it was certainly highlighted upon our return to Thousand Oaks for the holiday break, where the extent of our walking was to head upstairs for bed at night.

I would imagine that those that live in places such as New York City or San Francisco would think that this is a mundane account, but for a California family that lives in the suburbs, the experience of walking extensively on a daily basis is a new thing to us. There will be many things that we will surely miss when we leave Italia, as for myself, walking will be at the top of the list. Beyond that of aiding in digestion after a long meal and providing the obvious additional cardio activity, walking is a way of absorbing the city, its history and its people that can not be matched when driving in a car. It’s a way of life here in Florence as we know countless Florentines who not only don’t own a car, but don’t even know how to drive!

In the US, suburbs like ours are not set up for walking. Of course we could take a stroll after dinner in our neighborhood, or walk to lunch and back during the work week. The question is, why don’t we then? Anna and I feel that the answer is simply that there’s nothing to look at! Dare we say, “Its boring”? This is the exact feeling that raced through me when we returned home for the holidays. I recall driving from shopping center to shopping center in Thousand Oaks while running errands and being lulled to utter boredom by what was an endless supply of esthetically unappealing structures filled with mass produced proprietors. I will never forget the day in December that I drove down Thousand Oaks Blvd and noticed that a brand new strip mall had been erected. Candidly, as far as strip malls go, this one was quite nice, but the inaugural proprietor to set up shop was none other than Subway, how depressing! This has become the magic and even addiction of walking for both of us. The architecture of Florence is so stunning that it is literally “Eye Candy” every time we venture into the city’s labyrinth of cobblestone streets. Every time we walk in Florence we notice a new detail on a building that we have passed a dozen times before, another monument of history on a street corner or a proprietor who has a store with unique items. There are no shopping centers, strip malls or 7-11’s to make one stop shopping a reality THANK GOD! This is precisely what makes walking an activity that is at the heart of the cultures fabric.

A simple stroll on the way to picking up a loaf or bread or to drop a pair of shoes to Leonardo for polishing at his little shop (that is the size of our walk in closet at home!), can reveal countless enjoyable moments. One day you may see an old woman dressed to the “9’s” waiting for the bus, while the next day may provide the unveiling of a new street corner whose architecture is so stunning that it causes you stop dead in your stride.

There is something much more however, that walking creates. There is an indescribable energy that exists within the cities streets that can only be brought about by interacting with others. As our friend Tracy Tyoran says, “I literally get a buzz when I walk in the streets every day. There is a sense of a “Village” that exists where people are meeting and interacting with one another.”

This is surely a subject matter that is difficult to describe and ever do justice. Perhaps some of these photos will assist you in understanding our passion and love for this pedestrian behavior…