Two Great Walking Stories

I expect that there are a great many stories about walking. Here are two I've recently enjoyed.  Although one is a novel and the other a movie, and each is placed in very different geographies (UK and Spain), they have some remarkable elements in common.  Both are pilgrimages that involve journeys of self-discovery which help to heal wounded family relations.  I found both to be touching and well worth the journey.  I hope to discover more gems such as these.

Walking through Toronto's eastside

An eye-opening walk for those who don't know Toronto is a trek through the city's downtown districts on the eastside.  The Google Earth image below shows the route walked as recorded by a GPS trace.  The path winds through a number of contrasting districts including Old York, the Distillery District, Corktown, West Don Lands, Regent Park, and Cabbagetwon.  These spaces exhibit a wide range of historical and ongoing processes and outcomes of urban transition.

Students in Laurier's 4th year urban geography seminar undertook this day-long expedition to Toronto in mid-March.