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Posted on by Debbie

Hodophile: a lover of roads (and travel) #SundayStills

Word of the Day: Hodophile

Life’s funny sometimes isn’t it?

Earlier in the month I shared the photo below from our trip into the NSW Bago Forest on my blog’s Facebook page, with the caption –

Word of the Day: Hodophile – lover of roads

Why did I share that photo? Mainly because my word of the year is Explore and we were out exploring with family over the Easter weekend. Plus our weekly family photo challenge had Back Roads as the prompt for that week – and believe me getting there is along lots of back roads. The photo is also evocative with the curve disappearing and that shaft of welcome sunshine.

This road view took my fancy for many reasons and then I discovered the word hodophile which means lover of roads (and travel). Hodo comes from Greek ‘journey’ and phile for love or affection. I just had to share it!

And now Roads, Paths and Streets, is the prompt for Terri’s Sunday Stills 🙂 I love the synchronicity of all these connections!

Road trips

We love a road trip and living where we do, in the back blocks of NSW, we have at least an hour’s drive to get anywhere of note. Some of the many road trips, both in Australia and other parts of the world, can be seen in this gallery from my archives.

A great drive acorss Crown ridge in New Zealand
Crossroads
A classic Australian road sign
Heading off road to Iga Warta
Danger sign for horses and wombats
road trip in Iceland
Road sign in Cornwall
Snowy roads

People don’t take trips, trips take people.

John Steinbeck

Looking down at the road below

I love this shot which I took from a hot air balloon, looking down over the Arboretum in Canberra. What an adventure that was!

The National Arboretum from above
The National Arboretum from above

Paths and Streets

We love finding paths to explore, for both walking and riding – here’s a small collection from my archives.

shadows on the path
Mown path through the green green grass of home
Cycling path in New Zealand
Croatia path
Red flowering gums in Melbourne
A shared path on the Strawberry Line
Riding the railway path
Public footpath in Somerset
autumn colours
London street

Previous Posts about Roads and Paths (or trails)

On the road again…otherwise known as taking the road less travelled
Posted for Sunday Stills on 11 November 2018 with the prompt On The Road
What path are you on at the moment? Is it smooth, bumpy or non-existent?
Posted for Sunday Stills on June 16 2019 with the prompt of Path

The best path (or trail) is our Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail – in my opinion anyway – as we’ve been very involved with it.

A guide to riding the Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail – read all about it here!
A great path for walking, riding, running…

One of the biggest challenges I’ve ever done was walking the Kokoda Track, a path of sorts!

A Wanderlusting traveller
Walking the Kokoda Track – what a path!!

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge

Thanks to Terri, from Second Wind Leisure, who hosts Sunday Stills photo challenge each week.

The prompt this week is Roads, Paths and Streets which is right up my alley (another word for path 🙂 ) I’ll link to Terri’s post here Views from the Road – all 3400 miles. She’s a lovely blogger who responds to all comments and shares everyone’s posts! Feel free to join in, it’s a fun challenge open to everyone with a different prompt each week.

Have a great week!

Remember – don’t follow the path, blaze the trail!

Don’t follow the path. Blaze the trail!

Jordan Belfort

Deb x

All my Sunday Stills posts can be found here – I’ve been doing these for a while and enjoy the challenge it gives me each week!

Sunday Stills photo challenge
Sunday Still weekly photo challenge

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Debbie - mother of a 40 year old

Everyone has a story to tell! Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. She never imagined being Granny Debs would bring so much joy to her life! You can read more of Deb’s story here

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30 Replies to “Hodophile: a lover of roads (and travel) #SundayStills”

  1. Such a great post and I learned a new word too. I love a photo with a winding path or road leading to….where…and thanks for your suggestion to add my post this week from WWandPics to Terri’s SStills.
    You are about to have so many more adventures too…go girl. And how good is the world from ‘above’? Loved those pics from the hot air balloon.
    Denyse x

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    Reply

    1. Thanks Denyse, I love learning new words and this was a very timely one. I have great memories of my balloon ride over Canberra and this was one of my favourite shots from the trip. Lots more adventures coming up – yay!! Packing got underway today I’m happy to say ✈️

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  6. Pingback: Sunday Stills: Views from the #Road, All 3400 Miles – Second Wind Leisure Perspectives

  7. I love this word hodophile and I can’t believe I didn’t already know it, Debbie, thanks for the edu-mu-cation! I saw your links and realized how road trip prompts I’ve scheduled in a few short years. I can’t imagine you not traveling or taking to the road in some fashion–exploring is in your blood! You also found some great quotes, too. Love the shot from the air–such a great perspective. And gotta love that road sign with all the interesting names! Great to see your SS post and enjoy your week–I know you’ll be busy reading WBOYC posts 🙂

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    1. Thanks Terri, it’s always good to learn new words and it seems not many knew this one, so I’m happy to educate everyone! I do think exploring and road trips are in our blood, and we intend to keep on blazing the trail for as long as we can!

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  9. Oh, I’m a hodophile and didn’t know it! When we moved to a suburb, I knew I was missing something. It took me a bit to realize it was just driving along country roads. There’s just something about a country road, isn’t there? And, a hot air balloon ride…that sounds like something to explore (for me and the husband since you’ve already done it)!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. Thanks Marsha! The hot air balloon ride was amazing and something I’d wanted to do but was scared to for some reason, maybe my heights phobia played a part, but it was so good up there and I felt secure. It seems many of us are hodophiles without realising there was a word for it!

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  10. Pingback: This week’s small pleasures #333 – Thistles and Kiwis

  11. synchronicity — totally!! New word, loads of amazing photos and your usual WOTY spin. Happy travels! I am also going to hit new roads but it’s down a winding river — wonder if there is a word for that?? Take care. Bernie PS I am a backroads kind of person as well.

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  12. I love the word – it’s a new one for me, and your pictures are stunning, Deb. Thanks for sharing! You’ve inspired me, but I have nothing to match your talented shots! 🙂

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  14. There’s something magical about a road or a trail disappearing around a curve. Where does it go? What’s around the curve? In other words, the call of adventure. And it looks like you’ve had lots of adventures!

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  15. Pingback: #DickensChallenge Novella #2 – The Chimes – Marsha Ingrao – Always Write

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