I Spy: Sidewalks

OK, actually I don't spy sidewalks. At least not many of them. One guy from Britain had a theory that this meant you were just supposed to drive everywhere, but we (and most people) disagree. There are paths worn into the grass where a sidewalk might go, and most people have little fences or hedgerows ~1-2 metres from the road, creating a public pathway. When it rains it gets a little messy, but that's not too often.

...yes, the boat in the photo is ours...

The other interesting thing about walking here is the existence of short-cuts everywhere. I think Sydney expanded and developed before there was ever any real development plan, so consequently there's not much rhyme or reason to the streets - no grid system at all. So sometimes it can be harder to get from point A to point B than you'd think. But if you're a pedestrian, there are all these sidewalks (yes, sidewalks) that cut between houses and connect streets. There are also parks and nature trails that work as shortcuts, too. We're discovering new shortcuts all the time, so it makes walking and running a lot more fun. It's also changed the way we look at maps.