Pandemic Induced Popularity of Google Street View

[mspath]

Are you eager to get away and briefly explore new routes? Sophie Haigney in The New Yorker of February 6, 2021 describes the current
Popularity of Google Street View via various Webs "allowing users to become explorers in an uncanny virtual space".

If such an exploration as evoked by Haigney appeals and by chance your ad hoc journey is over the Aisne D1003 route near our farmhouse on the Marne River do plan to stop for a bit. Masked and socially distanced we might camino chat outdoor in early spring sunshine. However you will need to leave before the evening curfew. From 6pm to 6am all France must stay in or pay a fine.

Buen (virtual) camino!

 

[igailfh]

Are you eager to get away and briefly explore new routes? Sophie Haigney in The New Yorker of February 6, 2021 describes the current
Popularity of Google Street View via various Webs "allowing users to become explorers in an uncanny virtual space".

If such an exploration as evoked by Haigney appeals and by chance your ad hoc journey is over the Aisne D1003 route near our farmhouse on the Marne River do plan to stop for a bit. Masked and socially distanced we might camino chat outdoor in early spring sunshine. However you will need to leave before the evening curfew. From 6pm to 6am all France must stay in or pay a fine.

Buen (virtual) camino!

@mspath, hello! I’m having fun exploring caminos & trails I haven’t walked in real life. I have tried several different virtual websites but found google street view somewhat irritating & time consuming. I’ve changed to walking4fun.com now & have walked several of their trails. I definitely like that photos are provided for the kms walked each day, about 3-4 pics per km.
I’m walking the Chemin le Puy to St Jean Pied de Port atm so it’s good to know about the curfew, thanks. I keep a mask in my pocket for quick donning.
Bonne Façon!

 

[Lexicos]

I have found quite a few walks here in Victoria and NSW that would please any walker. 400 km, 300 km, 500 km ... take your pick. The Great Ocean Road, Mount Kosciusko, Wilson’s Promontory, the Saphire Coast of NSW and so on. If you like nature, and solitude, they’re perfect. However, if you like meeting and talking with other ‘pilgrims’ forget it, you’ll see very few. If you like historical buildings and cathedrals, don’t go there, you’ll see none. If you like cozy coffee shops buzzing with pilgrims, keep dreaming. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore our National Parks, they are second to none. And yes, you will meet some good people along the way. A few. But oh my dear God where are the people, where is the willingness to share, to be together, to laugh and cry when the priest blesses you, a lone passing pilgrim. Where is all that? Small wonder we yearn for the Camino.

 

[Lexicos]

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I’m not talking about virtual walks. These are real walks that I have done recently, in part or in full. It’s the real deal. I can’t get into the virtual walks. I don’t have the patience. I prefer the real thing. !!!!!

 

[Lexicos]

Why don’t you all come over here?? It’s safe, COVID wise, and I’ll take you on some pilgrimages that’ll blow you out of the water.

 

[igailfh]

@Lexicos, in April I’m going to walk from Caloundra to Noosa in Queensland along the coast. It’ll be reminiscent of the Caminho Português, Coastal route. It’s not long so I’ll stretch it out to 5-6 days, then walk in the Noosa National Park & visit the Everglades, before walking back to Caloundra.

 

[Lexicos]

I just looked on the map Gail. That’s 66km. That’s a decent walk. I don’t know that part of the country, not at all, though I have heard a lot about Noosa. Well, it’s not the Camino but it sounds pretty good. I did the Portuguese in 2019 with my wife, though we did the inland route. I liked it heaps. Your walk sounds good to me. Gotta do somethin. Y’go nuts otherwise. Enjoy!!

 

[Theatregal]

Are you eager to get away and briefly explore new routes? Sophie Haigney in The New Yorker of February 6, 2021 describes the current
Popularity of Google Street View via various Webs "allowing users to become explorers in an uncanny virtual space".

An interesting article! I've lived and worked in a lot of different places across Canada and recently I've been "dropping in" via street view to look at the neighbourhoods that were briefly my home at one time - to see how they've changed (or not!). Same with my travels - it's been fun to revisit places I've been and may not see again. Street view is also a useful planning tool for future travels - especially for navigation through cities!
But.. it sure would be nice to have a non-virtual chat outside that farmhouse on the Marne River

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Why don’t you all come over here?? It’s safe, COVID wise, and I’ll take you on some pilgrimages that’ll blow you out of the water.

If you are not already in Oz or ANZ then it is a little difficult to get in! Otherwise sounds great

 

[Lexicos]

I’m sure borders will open and flights will resume soon enough.

In the meantime, my offer stays open!!

 

[igailfh]

I just looked on the map Gail. That’s 66km. That’s a decent walk. I don’t know that part of the country, not at all, though I have heard a lot about Noosa. Well, it’s not the Camino but it sounds pretty good. I did the Portuguese in 2019 with my wife, though we did the inland route. I liked it heaps. Your walk sounds good to me. Gotta do somethin. Y’go nuts otherwise. Enjoy!!

Yes, just a short one but adding several days stay in Noosa to walk in the national parks there before walking back to Caloundra should make it about two weeks.
I walked the Caminho Português Central in 2017, Porto to SdeC, & the Coastal/Senda Litoral in 2019, Lisbon to SdeC. Loved Portugal!

 

[Lexicos]

You’ve walked a few more than I. Yes, Portugal is interesting and in its own class. I loved my hike there too. I hope to go back some time soon and do another walk there, perhaps the coastal next time. The ‘next time’ that seems to be so far away as we speak today!

 

[Richard of York]

I've been doing the Camino Frances on Streetview for the last couple of weeks. I started in SJPdP and took the low road to Roncesvalles, then clicking through to where I am now, just past Asturgas as I type this.

It is compelling. It makes a great distraction from work, I just click to the internet and I can click through some more countryside while I drink coffee or whatever. I'm probably doing it for at least an hour each day.

Obviously not the whole route can be shown, hence avoiding the Napoleon route over the Pyrennees, so when you can see the route coming to an end because it gets too narrow for the Google car, I just switch to satellite view to trace the path until it turns blue again and I can land Pegman where I left off.

As well as following the yellow arrows I have the Brierley guide to help me, and I am always encouraged by spotting pilgrims frozen forever in time walking their camino in whatever year the camera drove past them. I think that's rather lovely, I wonder if anyone has found themself on Streetview this way.

Very occasionally the streetview image is a bit old and the route has changed due to a new road being built or whatever, but that just adds to the fun, I can travel 4th-dimensionally as well, spotting different sections of route depending on the year.

Where the route splits, I can do one route, then fly back and do the other when I meet the rejoining point. There's a long section just after Leon like this - both look interesting, I wonder which I'll choose when I do it in real life.

I do get lost sometimes, but its easy to fly back to the last place I knew I was on track and click a bit more slowly to make sure I spot all the arrows.

When I finish I'm going to start again in Le Puy, Lisbon, etc.