Click here for this week’s European Volksmarch schedule.
Sunday is Mother’s Day. After treating her to breakfast in bed, why not take Mom on a Volksmarch where the whole family can spend time together, get some exercise and see a bit of Europe that she might not otherwise see? Then you can enjoy some traditional German bratwurst or other delights that are always being served at a Volksmarch.
There are plenty of walks in neighboring countries if you want to make a day of it and try a Volksmarch somewhere else. Wherever you walk, make this a special day by taking Mom on a Volksmarch.
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A big pat on the back for Rob Floyd, Jim Zoschenko and all the members of the Heidelberg International Wandering Club for hosting the recent Kiddie Volksmarch at Patrick Henry Village. More than 300 youngsters participated. For their efforts, the kids received either a stuffed animal or a medal from previous walks. Getting the younger walkers involved is the way to ensure Volksmarching will continue.
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The U.N. World Food Program will sponsor a worldwide “Walk the World” event Sunday. Its goal is to raise money for and awareness of the approximately 400 million hungry children in the world.
According to its Web site, www.fight hunger.org, there are 26 cities in Germany participating this year. Last year, 760,000 people walked in 420 locations in 118 countries. These events are not sanctioned by the IVV, so you will not receive credit, but you can have the satisfaction of knowing you helped a wonderful cause.
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There are some walks Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th, which is Ascension Thursday. With the days getting longer, you can get in a Wednesday evening walk after work. The Volksmarch in Michelbach, Germany, offers a B- medal, but maybe you can get one of last year’s pewter cups. These are always one of our favorite prizes because they are usually very intricately decorated.
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If you ever have any doubts about a walk in Germany, especially one that you are planning to travel a long way to attend, please check for any changes on the German Volksmarch Web site: www. dvv-wandern.de. Select “Wandertage.” Then select the month of your walk. This will give you a map of Germany with a dot representing the location of each walk for that month. Click on “Zur Tabellenanischt” and you will get a chronological listing of the month’s walks. Changes will be noted in red.
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Thanks go out to the following who sent in, literally, stacks of event brochures in date order: Mary Campbell; William Castro and Maureen McHugh-Castro; Tom, Petra and Maya Casarez; Manfred Dahl; Bob Gambert; Michael Gdowski; Lew Harrison; Egon Hatfield; Wayne Henry; Ramona and Horst Kechelen; David Kuik; Tim and Luchi Lynch; John and Patty Marsh; Pat Patterson; Mary Jo Piccin; Dawn St. John; Nancy Shawley; Jose Valdez; and Ed Whitworth. You keep us busy sorting through fliers.
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• The Volksmarch in Burggen, Germany, is not too far from Füssen and the Neuschwanstein Castle. A volksmarch and a trip to a beautiful castle … what more could moms ask for?
• The Wanderfreunde Wiesbachtal, Germany, holds its annual Volksmarch in Kriegsfeld at the Turn und Festhalle. Start the 5k and 10k from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. If the 20k is more to your liking, start between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, then between 7 a.m. and noon Sunday. Dogs are not allowed in this start hall.
The awards are B-medal mugs, available in limited quantities. Carry a cup with you if you want free tea at the control points.
• The walk in Pfastatt, France, does not give a time when they will stop signing in people for the 42- and 50-kilometer routes. We listed 8 a.m. as the cut-off based on the rule of thumb that states the average person should walk 5 kilometers per hour. But then, if you are walking 42 or 50 kilometers, you’re not exactly an “average” walker. Just make sure you are finished by 6 p.m., because that’s when they pack up and go home!
• The chart lists a walk in the Italian town of Pieris. We decided to shorten it for the chart. The whole town name is Pieris di San Canzian d’ Isonzo. It seems that as the weather gets warmer, the names get longer.
Clark Soeldner’s Italian walking notes:
• The prize for completing the walk in Cividale del Friuli is either a pen with a case or a bottle of wine.
• The Terni route goes through the Park of the Marmore Waterfalls.
• The prize at the Noventa Vicentina walk is either 30 grams of dried mushrooms or 250 grams of coffee.
Please e-mail Volksmarch schedule information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. By conventional mail, send brochures to: Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09703-0278.
