Thursday 25 March 2010

I am a mapaholic

I think I need to join OS Anonymous, if there is such a thing, I am hooked on Ordnance Survey maps. 'My name is Ilona and I am a mapaholic'. I have just bought three more, well they were on offer, buy two get one free, so I had to take advantage of that.

I have a total of nine now. I like the newness of maps. When I open one I imagine a journey of discovery, like I am the only person who has ever been there. I gently tease out the folds, taking care not to tear the paper. Then I spread them out on the floor and search for interesting places to visit, lakes, rivers, hills, mountains, forests, woods, railways, nature reserves, castles, churches, they are all there on the map, so much to see.

I spend hours just reading maps, I even read them in bed, planning where I am going to go next. Give me an OS map and I am happy. Is there no hope for me!

6 comments:

  1. I'm a mapaholic too - or is it, maybe, a cartophile....? Ive got piles of the things, including quite a lot of the old 1 inch maps.
    But a new map is the best...

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  2. my resident poet is the same way, he likes the topographic maps we have here in the US and wants to get one of every place he's been and every place he wants to go. Sometimes I have to reign him in as they are rather pricey.

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  3. I like to read maps, too. As soon as the nicer spring weather starts I shall look at my maps again to pick routes for cycling outings, and then I also like to pick some walking routes when on weekends away in the campervan. Mind you, I`m not quite such a serious hiker like you. I love to explore the coastal paths round where I live.

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  4. My OH loves maps too, he can spend hours loooking at maps of any decription.

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  5. Thank goodness I am not alone. Mike, I also have a lot of old OS maps, but am gradually replacing them with new. When I was driving I bought street maps every time I went somewhere new. I have over 300, some of them must be useless because a lot of towns have been rearranged, can't bear to throw them out though.

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  6. I think your love of maps are symbolic of the freedom you are enjoying, they open limitless opportunities for you. I will have to do with 'rambling' vicariously through your blog as I'm chuntering away at debt and need to keep working very hard, but I still love reading about your walks

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