This weekend is the cystic fibrosis fund-raising drive known as Deutschland Wander — Deutschland Hilft, or “Germany walks — Germany helps.” Many clubs, in coordination with the DVV, have pledged a percentage from each walker’s 1.50-euro start fee to the German Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Get out there and take a walk that is not only healthy for you, but also will improve the health of someone else.
• This weekend’s really big walk is in Fulda, Germany. There will be walks Friday evening in addition to the usual Saturday and Sunday events. If you want to do the marathon walk Saturday, you must be signed in and ready to go before 8 a.m. That’s when the last bus leaves to take you to the starting point of the walk. This weekend of walking is co-sponsored by the International Marching League.
• Saturday a group of us from the Tri-border Walking Club will take the train to Eindhoven, Netherlands, for the evening walk through the illuminated city. Eindhoven is the home of Phillips Electric Co., and once a year it hosts this event.
• Sunday we might head to the unique walk in Sibbe, Netherlands. In past years this walk has gone through some of the old mining caves in Valkenburg. Every year there is a Christmas market in these caves, so they are safe and big enough to walk through. This is not an IVV sanctioned walk, but it’s a unique event.
• Another unique opportunity presents itself Sunday: a walk along the Belgium-Luxembourg border in the Bastogne region. A few kilometers northeast of Bastogne, Longvilly, Belgium, is just on the Belgium side of the border. About 20 kilometers southeast of Bastogne is Bigonville, just inside the Luxembourg border.
Here’s a chance to walk through the hills and forests of the Belgium-Luxembourg frontier. After one, or both, of the walks, visit a museum or restaurant in Bastogne.
• Our Italian volksmarching connection, Clark Soeldner, asks: “How about a boat ride? Saturday’s 12- and 21- km trails at San Paolo di Morsano al Tagliamento include a boat ride across the Tagliamento River. You might want to bring a change of pants, because unless you are in the first boatload, you’ll probably end up sitting on a wet seat!”
• If you’re off on Wednesday, head to Mainz for the walk sponsored by the Wanderfreunde Mainz. The start is at the Karl Geib Haus at Kapellenstrasse 44. • The prize at Sunday’s walk in Marschal-kenzimmern is a wooden, tree-like decoration with hanging geese and a girl in a gardening outfit. It looks to us like more of an Easter-themed decoration, but it is a nice prize any time of the year. Start the 6-, 10- or 20-kilometer trails between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Monday is a holiday in Germany, so there are several walks to choose from.
E-mail volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09752.