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If you enjoyed the Bastogne Historical Walk in December, Saturday’s walk in La Gleize, Belgium, might be for you. While the Bastogne event commemorates the 101st Airborne Division and its attached units, Saturday’s walk is called "In the Footsteps of the 82nd Airborne Division" and will follow routes traveled by units from the division during the Battle of the Bulge.

This is not an IVV-sanctioned walk, so you will not get your IVV books stamped. What you will get is a "boots on the ground" experience across terrain you read about in history books.

This walk has only one distance — 23 kilometers — and from past experience it is not stroller friendly. There will be re-enactors walking the course and providing food and drink at the rest points.

While in La Gleize, you definitely will want to check the Battle of the Bulge museum. You can’t miss it; it’s the building with the King Tiger tank in front.

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The big Rothenburg ob der Tauber walk is next weekend. If you have your plans made already, that’s great. If not, it is not too late. There will be more details next week, but here’s the basic information so you can still plan on going:

• Start times: On Saturday, the six-, 11- and 21-kilometer trails start between 7 a.m. and noon. Between noon and 4 p.m. you can start the 11k old-city route. On Sunday, you can start the six- and 11-kilometer trails between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. and the 21-kilometer route between 7 a.m. and noon.

• In the start hall: Expect a crowd. People will be coming by the busload to this popular event. There will be music, vendors and lots of food and drink. If you get there early, buy food coupons before you walk. That way you can get directly in the food line when you return from the trail without having to queue for the coupons first.

The start hall is only a five-minute walk from the train station, so if transportation is a problem, the train might be your answer.

• On the trail: Be ready for anything from mud to ice to maybe even snow. Outside the city can be hilly, and inside the city there are cobblestone streets. Sturdy shoes are highly recommended. Strollers might have some difficult spots. If you have done the regular club walk before, try walking the permanent trail this time. If the weather is clear, you can see a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

• In the city: There are many stores, museums and other attractions to see. You might want to use this walk as a reconnaissance opportunity to plan for a longer follow-up trip. You have to see the city in the summer, too.

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We blame the world-famous furry weather prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil for six more weeks of winter, but we might be jinxing things, too. Our Christmas decorations have been down for a while, but this is the weekend we put away the rest of the winter-themed pictures and decorations and put out the spring decorations for the house. If this doesn’t bring another snowfall, nothing will!

As you are putting away your winter decorations, why not look and see if you have an old volksmarch prize or two that you can donate to the Heidelberg International Wandering Club for its Kiddie Volksmarch. If you come across something you would like to donate, contact Rob Floyd at hiwc@yahoo.com.

As you put away your winter decorations and look for volksmarch prizes to donate, keep your eyes open for your swimsuit. There are two swimming events this weekend associated with volksmarches. The first is in Bad Marienberg, where you can swim both Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The second swim event is Sunday at Darmsheim. You can walk both Saturday and Sunday, but swim Sunday only. This walk is a Stammtisch event for members of the Stuttgart German American Wandering Club, so look for them there.

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The Wanderclub Starke Sohle e.V. in Idar Oberstein, Germany, hosts its 27th volksmarch this weekend in the town of Weierbach at the Hessenstein Halle. The six- and 10- kilometer walks start Saturday between 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday between 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. If you’re up for the longer 20k trail, begin between 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 a.m. and noon Sunday. The club is offering a glass egg this year as its prize.

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These fine folks kept our mail room staff hopping: William Castro and Maureen McHugh-Castro; John and Evelyn Golembe; John, Mary and Tess Laub; Tim and Luchi Lynch; "Pat" and Cheryl Patterson; Bob Gambert, Lew Harrison, Wayne Henry and Nancy Shawley.

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Notes about this week’s events:

• Friday, Feb. 19, is the last day to sign up for the Heidelberg International Wandering Club’s bus trip to Munich. Hurry up and e-mail Elke at Ehiltner@gmx.de or hiwc@yahoo.com.

• Notes from Clark Soeldner, our Italian walking expert: Sign-ups for the Mestrino walk stop at 8:15 a.m. He adds, "There is also a competitive run of 21 kilometers that starts at 9:30. I’ve done this and would suggest arriving early as parking can be a problem for later arrivals."

E-mail 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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