squirmelia | Entries tagged with alternating travel

For the Flâneurs June Challenge with the theme of Doing Something Different, I used the instructions for III.(d), but with modifications. I decided to start at the very centre of London, and to take the first left, and then the first right, as opposed to the second.

I got to the roundabout near Charing Cross that is supposedly the centre of London. (Or at least, where distances are measured from.) There was a statue of a man on a horse there - King Charles I. Bagpipes were being played nearby. It seemed chaotic, tourists in every direction. Which was the first left? I didn't know. I walked around in circles, around the statue, at least three times.

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I vaguely attempted Alternating Travel again and ended up in South Park eating my lunch in the rain, staring at the misty spires. I also walked past a road marker stone that said "Here endeth Oxford Milehy Way 1667".

Current Location: Oxford,UK

This lunchtime, I decided to try the Experimental Travel technique, known as Alternating Travel, from my work place. I turned right, I turned left, I ate some blackberries, I saw a silver spoon lying abandoned in the meadow, and also a man with a microphone. Was he recording the sound of crickets or the sound of lawnmowers, or something else entirely? I continued onwards, and ended up on a path I have walked down a few times before. This time proved more dangerous. Not only did my legs get very stung by nettles, but also my nose. Ouch. Perhaps I should eat my lunch at my desk in future, like everyone else.

I tried Alternating Travel yesterday, but that ended quickly, even after retracing my steps a little and heading underneath low dark bridges. I then decided to instead follow the river and wandered across fields, through a lot of mud, past cows, and ended up at a shimmering lake, full of reflections of Autumn leaves. I found a deserted playground and started swinging, watching the treetops and looking up at the sky, and that made me happy.

Today I've been attempting NaNoWriMo, although have already managed to injure myself while chopping up a pumpkin, whose smile was just too sinister, and I very almost lost consciousness.

My text adventure so far is set in a town where it hasn't been Spring for 3 years. This is mostly because when it gets to Spring in the UK, it will be a year and a half since I last experienced Spring. I am still confused about seasons. I thought I saw snow today even, which sort of makes sense if it is Calan Gaeaf today, the first day of Winter, according to Welsh culture.

Current Location: Wales

Alternating Travel was used as a method today to attempt exploration of North Melbourne. After you leave your house, you turn right, and then take the first road on the left, then the first road on the right, and so on.

The first thing I noticed was the smell of blossom before I headed down the first laneway that I found, which had writing that said, "life is here now". I passed a strange looking church, picked up some peeling bark and purple leaves from the ground, and then got stuck in a laneway that had no left turn. I decided to head home, but noticed an old sign painted onto a wall, advertising brandy.

I was almost home again when I heard a guy singing, "I know why." When home, I decided to try again, this time turning left after I had left my house. I found some birds without heads stenciled onto a wall, as well as a few mushrooms, but then found myself stuck down the same laneway again!

I gave up and went to the park, and found the billabong actually had water in it, and many birds were gathered there. (Billabong! Billabong!) I also found trees which were shedding their bark. Some seemed still tangled in the remnants of their bark, but others seemed to have shed it all.

Current Location: Melbourne, Australia

This week's tactic for adventures is: Experimental Travel.

The Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel collects together details of experiments, such as travelling somewhere blindfolded, choosing a destination using a dice, or wearing a horse's head.

My first attempt at Alternating Travel (taking the first road on the right and then the road on the left, etc) was conducted inside the building where I live and ended abruptly when I found myself outside Flat 52.

Deciding to be a little more adventurous, I stepped outside and headed right and then left, right and then left. The first time I was unable to turn left, I found myself outside Southampton Central Station and watched a freight train go by. Next time someone wants directions from my house to the station, I'll easily be able to direct them!

After that, I cheated just a little to avoid dead ends and took a path instead of a road and discovered revealing messages on scraps of paper from other travellers, such as, "I feel that protocol will pay you from tomorrow". After getting into the true holiday spirit of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, travelling right and left, right and left, I eventually ended up back at my house, which was quite a coincidence really.

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Skyberries and Voidmelons or Voidberries and Skymelons

Entries tagged with alternating travel

Doing something the same

Spires

Alternating Stings

Alternating Travel, Swings, Pumpkins and NaNoWriMo

Alternating Travel

Alternating Travel

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