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Tuesday was Groundhog Day and we’re disappointed that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and headed back underground for six more weeks of winter. We don’t know about you, but we are ready for some warmer weather and Bob doesn’t need any more practice shoveling snow. We have all heard the saying, "If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it," but snow-shoveling skills are something Bob doesn’t mind losing.

From our experience, snow can be expected in February and into March, so keep the winter garb ready and your emergency snow kit in the car for a while longer. Be careful on both the trails and the roads going to and from the walks, and enjoy the winter landscapes.

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We received a very nice letter from Lew Harrison telling us about his trip to the big Paris volksmarch. He traveled to Paris on Friday, so he had plenty of shopping time before the Saturday afternoon walk. He said a lot of shops were having sales with between 30-percent and 50-percent discounts and that many stores were open on Sunday. Lorraine made a note of this for next year.

This was the 14th time Lew has done this walk and only the second time it snowed. The snow, combined with the city lights, made the walk beautiful. The pace was slow, but the views were great.

On Sunday morning, Lew made his way to the Luxembourg district of Paris to visit the Louis Comfort Tiffany Exposition. Tiffany, who is mainly known for his beautiful stained-glass creations, also worked with ceramics, blown glass, enamels, metalwork and jewelry. The next time we go to Paris, we’ll look for this exposition.

We often talk about carpooling and bus trips, but Lew says when you go to Paris, the train is the way to go. He planned the trip well in advance, so the train fare was very reasonable. The big benefits were no driving, no road tolls, no gasoline and no parking fees. He was able to relax during the trip at what he figures was half the cost of driving. Once in Paris, the Metro will get you all over the city. Metro maps are easy to read and the day pass allows you to ride as much as you want without buying a ticket each time.

Thanks, Lew, for the letter and useful information.

• • •

On Sunday, marchers at Forstfeld, France, might want to visit the nearby town of Soufflenheim, known for its earth-colored pottery. After walking Forstfeld’s 10-kilometer trail, walk through the open shops in Soufflenheim, which display their pottery, usually painted with bold flowers. We bought some of this pottery at the Spangdahlem Bazaar last fall and really like it.

The hours to start the walk in Forstfeld are 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and they must be finished by 7 p.m. The Sunday hours for the Graessel pottery shop in Soufflenheim are 2-6 p.m.

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Our plans for this weekend include the military flea market in Wavre, Belgium, followed by a walk in the nearby town of Alken. We might be able to do the walk in Bovenister as well, due to the later start time. This is Bovenister’s 26th annual Marche des Crêpe, with a free crepe for the first 600 walkers.

On Sunday, we’ll be at the walk in Schinveld, Netherlands. This is a very convenient walk, and we like to see how our Scottish Highlander "friends" are doing. These unusual-looking cows combine long horns with shaggy coats and we think they are cute … as long as they keep their distance!

If we are really enthusiastic, we might try the walk in Clermont-sur-Berwinne, Belgium, on Sunday. It is unusual to have so many walks close by. We’ll let you know how we do.

• • •

The Heidelberg club is planning another bus trip to a volksmarch in the Munich area March 13-14. In addition to the walk, there will be a tour of the city and plenty of free time for exploring. Feb. 19 is the last day to pay and sign up. For more information see www.hiwc.de.

• • •

We send a million thanks to the loyal people who sent us fliers: John and Evelyn Golembe, "Pat" and Cheryl Patterson, Bob Gambert, Lew Harrison, Wayne Henry and Nancy Shawley.

Since Tim and Luchi Lynch will not be able to send fliers for a while due to Tim’s ski injury, we’re hoping a new contributor or two will step forward. Our mailing address is at the end of this column. You also can e-mail us at two.walkers@yahoo.com.

• • •

Miscellaneous short notes about this week’s events:

• With so many walks close to us this weekend, we’re going to have to pass on the walk in Kleinich, Germany. After our November trip to Bernkastel-Kues, we’ve been waiting for a walk in that area so we could visit the city again. The walk in Kleinich, with a side trip to Bernkastel-Kues, looks like a great way to spend a day, but we will have to put it off. This walk is convenient for volksmarchers in the Eifel, Baumholder and Kaiserslautern areas.

• From Clark Soeldner: The Giussano, Italy, walk will have a food bag prize for the first 1,000 walkers. The course altitude varies from 250 to 370 meters.

• Also, the walk in Povolaro di Dueville, Italy, is north of Vicenza. To get there, take A31 and exit at Dueville. Then take the SS248 south for about two kilometers.

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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