I agree with everything in your comment (and what a fantastic word to describe the evening - velvety indeed). I will confess I do also enjoy walking with headphones on; I'm not always up for a conversation and I do find the music and landscape heighten my experience of each other. Particularly great when one is feeling fragile or vulnerable. But then you do lose that aural experience of the neighbourhood which has a lot to offer too, when you're ready to receive it.

But there is so much to drink of when travelling by foot. For anyone who loves plants it's a no brainer of course.

The caveat is walking along awful, car-centric stroads like Bell Street or Nepean Hwy - ugh. Or some of the outer suburbs with boundary to boundary houses and nary a tree. Those can be actively stress inducing.