Don’t you just hate it when several nice walks fall on the same weekend? And when they are so spread out so you can’t do them all?
This weekend there are walks in Stavelot, Belgium, Consdorf, Luxembourg, and Orschollz and Wiesbaden, Germany, that we would like to attend. However, several months ago we made plans to visit Clark Soeldner and walk in the Aviano, Italy, area, as well as to visit Venice. We will have a great weekend with Clark and put the other walks on hold until they show up next time.
Stavelot always has nice, hilly routes through the historic area. We enjoy visiting the World War II museums in the area as well as the little brewery in the nearby town of Bellevaux. One of the prettiest walks we have ever done is around Consdorf. Go and find out why the area is known as “Little Switzerland.” It is not just the hills, but also the caves and rock formations that make this an unusual walk. Then add all the plants and flowers that will be in bloom and it should be even better.
We have never done an IVV walk in Wiesbaden, but have always wanted to. We went to a wine festival there a couple of years ago and really liked the city. Sunday they are hosting a walk starting at the police academy on Schönbergerstrasse in the Kohlheck district. You can start the six- and 10-kilometer routes between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. If you want to walk 20 kilometers, you must start before 1 p.m.
Good luck and happy trails to members of the Heidelberg International Wandering Club as they head to the volksmarch in Orscholz, Germany, on Saturday. This is the area where the Saar River makes a dramatic 180-degree turn. After the walk they will be heading to the town of Mettlach for the outlet stores.
This is also the weekend of the “culinary volksmarch” in Oppenheim, Germany. If any of you head to this event, please drop us a line and let us know how it was. As a reminder, this is not an IVV-sanctioned event, so there will be no IVV stamps available.
• From Italy, Clark Soeldner sent us the following news: You can choose from an assortment of prizes at the Ambivere event. “The folks in Porcia always put on a good walk, and they really appreciate the Americans who participate,” he wrote.
We will be at this walk along with Clark and some members of the Aviano Roadrunners, so be on the lookout for us as we do our first walk in Italy.
Finally, we had to shorten the town name “Pieris di San Canzian d’Isonzo” in the attached walk chart to “Pieris” so it would fit.
• With the Ramstein Roadrunner’s spring walk coming up May 7 and 8, the call has gone out for volunteers. The Roadrunners sent us the following message. “The walk will be held at the Mehrzweckhalle Miesenbach (Am Kiefernkopf 20, 66877 Ramstein-Miesenbach for those with GPS). This year we are offering four trails of five, 10, 15 and 20 kilometers. There are opportunities for everyone to help since we will need to cover all the normal functions found at a volksmarch, both indoors and outdoors. Contact either Lynne Crandall or Donna Glenn (ramsteinroadrunners@yahoo.com) for more information. You can also volunteer for a spot at the walk through our club website (www.ava.org/clubs/ramsteinroadrunners). If you won’t be available to help during the weekend, we are also soliciting donations of cakes or other baked goodies.”
• We really enjoyed the walk in Eijsden, Netherlands. We have walked there before, but this time the route took us past some new attractions. First was Kasteel Eijsden, a castle built in the 1600s that is still a very beautiful structure. There were two tree-lined lanes that led to and from the castle. We can only imagine how much more beautiful the area will be when the tree buds are in bloom. Then, after a brief walk through a cow pasture — and now that the cows are out of the barns for the summer, make sure you watch your step — we went along a stream that had three mills with waterwheels. They weren’t turning when we went by, but they looked functional.
All along the route there were flowers blooming. We stopped and took so many pictures that it took us a lot longer to complete the walk than we expected. But that’s OK, because we had a really nice time. We can’t wait for a return trip to Eijsden.
• Thanks to the following people for sending the fliers that make this column possible: William Castro and Maureen McHugh-Castro; Cath and Rob Floyd; Richard and Donna Glenn; John and Evelyn Golembe; John, Mary and Tess Laub; Tim and Luchi Lynch; John and Patty Marsh; “Pat” and Cheryl Patterson; Rick and Wanda Sciascia; and Bob Gambert and Wayne Henry.
E-mail volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09752.
