Becoming a flaneuse

My project over the summer is to walk a lot. I am stuck in England because I am involved in acting /dancing in a play and we open in Bath on 23rd July - I will be out of London while the Olympics are in full swing.
Londoners are being brainwashed into walking anyway, as during the Olympics, with millions of visitors, our transportation system will come, more or less, to a standstill. London Underground is already overcrowded, but with the extra passengers it will be impossible to get into a station without ending up feeling claustrophobic.
But being away from London will also mean that my routine of classes will be disrupted. So walking is going to be my past time and will help to keep fit. Oh, I am always available for one or two shoots while staying in Bath!
Anyway, I started my walking programme in earnest a couple of days ago. I did not top up my Oyster card and that acted as a deterrent. Yesterday I compromised - I used busses but I also walked around while doing errands. This morning I rushed to a meeting using the tube but on the way back I walked and was halfway through when it began to pour and I had, as usual, no umbrella. I had to run and get a bus. I will try and walk again in the early evening.

I aim to get up early every morning and go on a brisk walk. Apparently I live in an area of London that is historic and scenic, with various gardens tucked away where you least expect it - I checked on the Ramblers website. So it is a question of donning a pair of comfy shoes, take an umbrella - I always forget that - and my iPhone to google locations and listen to music, and that's it, really.
And my camera.
I am not an early riser so this will be a bit of a struggle but I am determined.
Are you a keen walker? Do you have any tips for me?
But let me explain the title of this post. Flaneur (feminine flaneuse) is a French word that literally means stroller, so to some extent it explains my new walking activity. But it is more than that, somehow I could not resist the association. The Baudelairian flaneur is "a gentleman stroller", however later the flaneur became a trope of modernity, through the flaneur's observation and participation in street life.

Susan Sontag applied the concept to street photography and the act of going about observing and taking photographs.

We all turn into flaneurs when on holiday, wandering and observing. I'd like to get into that state of mind even when not officially on holiday.

I hope my photos will reflect the attitude.


( Photo taken by Korrigan and modelled by Alex B. )