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The hot spot for walking this weekend is in Ramstein-Miesenbach. Germany. The Ramstein Roadrunners are proudly hosting their 72nd International Volksmarch. This is always a popular event because of the excellent organization of the walk, the nice trails and the fabulous prizes. You can expect a party atmosphere at the start hall, the Mehrzweckhalle in Miesenbach, with food, drink and music. The street address to plug into your GPS is Am Kiefernkopf 20, 66877 Ramstein Miesenbach. Start times Saturday and Sunday are between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. for the 5k; 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the 10k; 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. for the 15k and 7 a.m. and noon for the 20k route. The hall will close at 5 p.m. both days. This year’s A-medal will be a beer glass. Supplies are limited, so get there early. There will also be Edelweiss scarves in different colors as a B-medal. For more information, contact the club either by calling Brad Crandall at 06374-801179 or by sending an email to ramsteinroadrunners@yahoo.com. Check out the club’s website: www.ava.org/clubs/ramsteinroadrunners.It takes a lot of time and energy to host a volksmarch, and the Ramstein Roadrunners’ family always does an outstanding job. Even if you can’t work as a volunteer, anyone attending the walk can do a little something to guarantee the success of this walk. If you can, bake cookies, brownies, or anything, to donate to the club so they have plenty of goodies to sell to walkers. If you can’t manage homemade treats, please stop at the commissary or bakery of your choice and pick up something to donate. • If you live farther east, perhaps the walk in Bamberg is better for you. It starts between 7 a.m. and noon Saturday and Sunday at the Graf Stauffenberg Schule at Kloster-Langheim-Strasse 11. Trail distances are 6 and 11 kilometers. The prize is a ceramic swan that looks like it might hold a plant. • Yet another option is the event in Limburg an der Lahn, Germany, where you will find an IVV triathlon this weekend. You can walk 6, 11 or 20 kilometers, bike 25 kilometers and then swim either 300 or 500 meters. You can do any of the separate events for the regular volksmarch price of 1.50 euros for IVV credit only.

Or, pay 3.80 euros for IVV credit and the prize. The prize is a choice of B-medals. They will not have bikes for rent, so you will have to provide your own bike. There will be a shuttle bus from the Markthalle (start hall) to the swim event at the pool in Offheim.• Sunday’s walk in Bitzfeld is a Stammtisch event for the Stuttgart German American Wandering Club.• We had a wonderful time at the culinary walk in Nuth, Netherlands a couple weeks ago. As a fund-raiser for the Lion’s Club, there was no IVV stamp, but there was good food and a very nice walk. The first stop was at an old Dutch farm house, where we ate salmon with penne pasta and Hollandaise sauce in the inner courtyard of the building complex. The main course was in a stable where we were served roasted rabbit with mashed potatoes and a spiced pear. The final stop was at the home of a local artist whose large back yard was decorated with all kinds of sculptures, fountains and stained glass. There we were served a desert buffet with ice cream, warm cherries, chocolate mousse and fresh fruit. There were about ten of us from the Tri-Border Walking Club and we enjoyed getting together. With table service at each stop, the event took a lot longer than an ordinary volksmarch, but that gave us m ore time to chat and enjoy the food. Some things are just not meant to be rushed and a culinary volksmarch is one of them. Email volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO AE 09752.

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