Wouldn’t you know it?! We made plans a couple of months ago to go to Prague this weekend, and some of our favorite walks popped up at the same time! We are still going to Prague, but we’ll tell you about the walks we would like to have done.
The local Netherlands club, WSV De Grenslopers, always has very nice walks starting in the nearby town of Schinveld. The routes usually cross the border and go into Germany and sometimes go through the German town of Gangelt. This week the club will start the routes from the Rathaus in Gangelt. This is an unusual twist that we have not seen. With any luck, the routes will still go near the glider field and through the pastures with the Scottish Highland cows. This is a very nice event that we will hate to miss.
Of course, the history-loving part of Bob would really like to be in Houmont, Belgium, for the 17th Airborne Division walk. After walking through this history-laden countryside, you could visit Bastogne to go to one of its museums or restaurants.
Another history-related walk will be the event in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg. This walk usually stays near the river and is flat, but many clubs change the routes from event to event, so you might be in the hills this time. After this walk, head to the National Military Museum in Diekirch. Bob has often said, if you can only visit one Battle of the Bulge museum while in Europe, it needs to be this one.
If you want to stay close to the Kaiserslautern Military Community, the walk in Mölschbach is very close. It is not offering a prize this year, so you’ll only receive IVV credit.
Another walk that is not too far from Kaiserslautern is in Hottenbach. We’re not surprised to see that the prize is a stone mounted for display, since Hottenbach is located near Idar-Oberstein.
A bit farther away, the walk in Oberdachstetten is close to the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. You could walk in the morning and visit Rothenburg in the afternoon.Rothenburg has a permanent walk, so maybe you could do two walking events. No matter how you do it, this looks like a good combination.
The event in Ebernhahn has also been a good one. Located just off the A3, north of Limburg, it offers routes ranging from five to 50 kilometers. The prize is a pair of coffee cups with spoons for the shorter routes and a colorful patch for the marathon distances. Kids under age 16 can walk for free.
It’s hard to describe the prize at the walk in Pettenbach, Austria, in just a couple words. It’s a small ceramic stove that holds a tea-light candle. On top is a tea kettle for aromatic oils. When heated, the oil’s fragrance will spread through the room. Pettenbach is a long way to go for this prize, but if you are passing through the area, it might be a nice event to stop for.
These are just a few of the walks on tap this weekend. We hope you find one to enjoy. We’ll be thinking of the good walks we’ll be missing while in Prague.
Thanks again to the following contributors for going out of their way to send us fliers: William Castro and Maureen McHugh-Castro, Michael and Michelle Connor, Cath and Rob Floyd, Bob Gambert, Richard and Donna Glenn, John and Evelyn Golembe, Wayne Henry, Tim and Luchi Lynch, “Pat” and Cheryl Patterson, Richie and Young Sook Reeder and Rick and Wanda Sciascia.
A final note…this week marks one year since this column was switched to the on-line format. It has taken some adjusting on everyone’s part, but I think we have come through the transition very well. Thanks to all of you who have hung in there and adjusted along with us. We cannot do this column every week without your support and it has remained steadfast. Again, thanks.
E-mail volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09752.
