A walk without a destination

A useful walk does not need a landmark at its end. Choose a modest loop that can be completed without checking a map, then pay attention to one kind of detail: doors, paving, trees or the spaces between buildings. Limiting the subject makes it easier to notice variety.

On the first circuit, simply look. On the second, stop at two or three places and record what changed. A doorway may catch the afternoon sun while the pavement remains shaded. A busy corner may become quiet between passing buses.

Keep the route short enough to repeat. Familiarity is not the opposite of curiosity; it gives small changes a background against which they become visible.