Viewing City Life One Step at a Time

Most of the time, while driving, I whiz past familiar landmarks without a chance to see what they really look like. I prefer keeping my eye on the road, and the idiot who is driving in front or behind me. Walking gives a new perspective. One of my favorite walks is along Embassy Row, that stretch of Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., in Washington between DuPont Circle and the National Cathedral. Leafy boulevard, beautiful homes, and a great variety of embassies and diplomatic stations. By walking, rather than driving, I get to see up close the atomic clock in front of the Vice-President's residence at the Naval Observatory, see the completion of the iron security fence at the Iraq Embassy, talk with the guy who for years has stood outside the Vatican Embassy to protest against priestly pedophilia. On Massachusetts Avenue, I see the tiny diplomatic outposts of Pacific Ocean countries, the gutted interior of the to-be-refurbished Brazilian consulate, the shuttered embassy of some Middle Eastern country (probably Iran) out of diplomatic favor with the U.S., and deer munching placidly on greens as they emerge from the Rock Creek underpass.

But then, there is the seamier side of on foot exploration: Rockville Pike, that stretch of ugly commercialism north of the Beltway extending toward Rockville and beyond. It is now undergoing major construction, making its unending stretch of big box retailers, storefront ethnic restaurants and tanning salons even more banal. I did a 10-mile walk up Rockville Pike on Saturday; it was most unpleasant. Noisy, full of traffic, honking horns, and assaults on the senses. After 10 miles, I took the metro subway home, happy to be back in leafy, even relatively quiet, upper Northwest Washington. I can't wait for the English countryside, without a hint of Jersey barriers.

I partially listened to my friend Katherine, who suggested to prevent blisters, I bandage up my toes before walking. Katherine has done the Hadrian's Wall walk a few years ago, and I trusted her judgment on such matters. For the first time, I'm wearing my new hiking boots for a fairly long walk, 10 miles. Trouble was, I wrapped my little toe, but didn't wrap the tip of it, and after more than 21,000 steps, it formed a blister. Maybe I'll be a little more careful next time. Still need to face the critical question: can I walk 10, 12, 14 miles, day after day. Stay tuned.