LOL!

But there are so many 'angles' that need to be explained in life, Oldun. And I have never learned the art of doing that briefly in writing. [img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Three out of four of our family are talkers. Leki Daughter 1 missed out on the talking gene. More likely it was squeezed out of her when she was a tiny tike because there was just no room for another voice.

When she started putting her hand up as a child round the dinner table because she had something to contribute, and because there was never enough space in the conversations to allow her to do that politely -- we suddenly woke up what it must be like surrounded by the three of us. She still has to do that to this day if all three of us are really wound up and firing on all cylinders.

Never a dull moment, Oldun. Even uphill. And no need to worry about Mr Leki: he can talk underwater -and- uphill.

Now that should be illegal! [img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

I'm actually the quiet one of the three: and that's a fact. [img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Hi Leki. Lovely to have a family atmosphere around. I miss all the noise and scampering feet. With them all grown up and my wife on that big walk-about in the sky, the house is very quiet. I've got two large speakers for my HiFi and I blare out music all day long. Leaves a lot of time for walking.

Ahh, hugs to you, Oldun.

Music is magic, tho', isn't it? The best curative out there.

[img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

We'd better get back on topic here-- or we're gonna get slated. [img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

So.

Daily walking distances.

Switzerland.

Do you walk every day over there? And would every walk involve hill climbs?

(My memory of the terrain is that the only real valley of any substance is that between Switzerland and Austria (blighted by all those darned power lines that are so unsightly) but I haven't seen all of the country by a long shot, and am trying to visualise a typical day's walk there.)

Hey Leki. Where I live in the French speaking part of Switzerland (shaped like a finger poking into France), there are no flat places. My closest town is Lausanne, which starts at the lake height (Lac Leman/Lake Geneva) at 342 mts alt, and rises up to the rear of the town at 800 mts alt. To get from the lake to the back of the town is a distance of about 4 klm, so you can imagine that trekking around town to do shopping can be quite puff taking. If you imagine standing on the lake side looking south across the lake to France; immediately rising out of the water opposite you (stretching out to the right) are the French Pre Alps with alt. approx 2800 mts. Mont Blanc (France) is hiding behind them at 4807m. Stretching out to the left are the Swiss Pre Alps, with the Matterhorn, Eiger, Jung Frau, etc., hiding behind them (up to 4500 mts approx). Behind me to my extreme right (on my side of the lake), stretching out to behind my left shoulder, are the Jura Mountains (more like earthy rocky hills) with a highest point of approx 1790 mts. The Jura is like wide wilderness spine running between Switzerland and France, and is my training ground for trekking, cross country skiing and snow-shoeing. The area between the Jura and the Pre Alps is called the plateau, at heights ranging from 500 mts to 1000mts. It's a range of rolling pasture land that stretches back into the German speaking area, where the main population and industrial areas are, and is the flattest part of the country. Over the Swiss Alps to my SE are Italy and the Italian speaking parts of Switzerland. Further to the East is the Grison, the old Romanch speaking part. There are many valley's there, high in the Alps stretching into Austria, and each valley has it's own version of a language that seems to be a cross between Italian, German and old Roman (from the Roman regiments that settled there).

A day’s walk in the Pre Alps for me would typically involve an altitude gain of about 700 mts and a distance of between 20 to 35 km. Walking in the Jura would be about the same distance, but with an altitude gain of around 400mts. If one wants to trek up the Jung Frau from 1800mts to 4200 mts, one is at liberty to do so. Part would be on snow shoes. Some people trek across the mountains on skis…this gives one a wonderful sense of freedom and silence, with nothing between you and outer space, just dark blue sky.

There are hundreds of walks marked out all over the country, carefully graded according to difficulty...like yellow marked trails for family weekend strolls, or red and black ones for the more adventurous. Every Spring several people walk from here to the South of France, which takes about 3 months. There are walks all over Europe that follow the pilgrimages of St. Jacques de Compostelle. The one I would like to do before I fall off the perch, would be from here to the Spanish border.


[This message has been edited by Oldun (edited 16 March 2005).]

I have been pouring over maps following your post, Oldun.

I have you spotted fairly precisely, I think. [img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif[/img] Gorgeous setting. (Went there one summer in a beloved old combi van from England. Had a ball, except for around Baden Baden, where our rusty old van-home was severely frowned upon by the diamond dripping inhabitants. We hightailed it out of there. [img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif[/img])

Now, is this site I have found representative of those pilgrimages of St. Jacques de Compostelle walks you referred to?
http://www.peterrobins.co.uk/camino/Caminos.html

And is the walk you want to do the Le Puy route?

Or...?

And how long would that take?

We really need two lives, don't we?

[img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Hi Leki, your a clever girl finding that site. Le Puy is the route that I was thinking of, but didn't know the exact name.
You have wetted my apetite now, so I am going to do some digging about what is involved. I always prefer these walks where I can start on my feet at my front door. It becomes expensive when you must fly here and there.

Leki, try this site for the Le Puy/Santiago walk:

www27.brinkster.com/relenberg/santiago/meine_e.htm

The guy took 58 days to walk 1568 klm (980 miles)

I've done a quick calculation of the distance from Lausanne to Santiago in Portugal and it straight lines at 1442 klm (901 miles), or by road 1918 klm (1198 miles). This means with an average walking day of 24 klm (15 miles), it would take somewhere between 60 to 80 days to cover the distance (without mishaps).

I've read that during these very long walks peoples sense of reality changes and they are never quite the same people they were when they started the walk.

About 4 years ago a businessman suddenly walked out of his Geneva office, took off his tie and started walking to the south of France. All he had with him was his credit card. He bought stuff on route and never went back to Geneva. That must have been some bust-up.

Maybe it would do the world good if we all said "sod it", and went walk-about.

Perhaps I need to do a very long walk.

A change of personality would probably do me a lot of good.

Is everyone else actively encouraged to go walking on their own by their wife/husband/partner?

I think that's the Arles route he took -- more southerly than the Le Puy (which is practically out your front door, Oldun).

I loved his diary. I loved his broken English.

When he missed out on accommodation it was because: "unfortunately the landlord did not want to dress a room" or another "hotel was still in hibernation".

And on the sights: "I saw a shitting old peasant at a farm nearby the way." Maybe he meant sitting, or maybe he meant shitting. And "the church on the mountain is closed because of dilapidation".

And his weather descriptions: "Modest weather."
Or: "The day began with grey heaven..."

On his physical well being: "I am hobbled along with pain..."
And: "I had lost the balance and felt into the mud."
And: "I not felt well. I believe the lamb roast has done the evil."

Which was probably the cause of his 5 kg weight loss, enroute.



Every step would be a joy, Oldun. But 'ware the lamb roast! I am now worried it will do the evil on you.

[img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif[/img]



There are books written on this. The Odyssey for one. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier for another. Good stuff.

I love what this fellow concluded in his journal:

"During the way there to Santiago de Compostela something inside will be dying but with the way back the actual renaissance takes place."




Now -that- could be turned into a movie. Great scenario.





Many people who need to do exactly that, though, often take just that little bit too long to come to that realization, Oldun.

But yeah, walkabout is good for the soul.

[img]http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif[/img]



[This message has been edited by leki rulz (edited 18 March 2005).]