Fall is here, and the sunrises come later. That can be dangerous for walkers who like to hit the trails early. Please be careful on the roads and trails with decreased visibility. As temperatures continue to drop, it’s also going to get slippery out there.
• This weekend there will be three walks near the Kaiserslautern Military Community offered for IVV credit only.
Hohenöllen, Germany, is about 34 kilometers north of Kaiserslautern. You can walk there both Saturday and Sunday starting at 8 a.m. The start is at the Radsporthalle at Am Heidchen 6.
About 80 kilometers north of Kaiserslautern is Morbach, where the walk starts both days at 7:30 a.m. The start is at the Baldenauhalle on Jahnstrasse.
You also can walk in Marpingen, about 70 kilometers west of Kaiserslautern. Choose between 6-, 10- or 20-kilometer routes. What caught our eye was the picture of food on the flier. It shows a blue-and-white checked Bavarian tablecloth with a plate of white sausages with mustard, a pretzel, and, of course, a beer. We aren’t sure that will be served at the start hall, but it sure looks good.
• We didn’t get a flier, so the details are incomplete, but Sunday you can walk in Böblingen, Germany. Start the 5-, 10- and 20-kilometer distances between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. This is a Stammtisch walk for the Stuttgart club. Look for its blue flag at the start hall and say hello.
• In Belgium, the walk in Warsage looks pretty good to us. Warsage is northeast of Liege, just inside the Belgium/Netherlands border. If we go Saturday, it would be very easy for us to make a brief stop in Maastricht for the morning flea market. We are most likely to go to the walk first and then the flea market on the way home. The start hall in Warsage is at the Salle L’Alliance, and doors open at 7 a.m. Distances range from 7 to 32 kilometers.
Also in the Tri-Border area are walks in Geleen and Gellik-Lanaken. Geleen is west of Sittard and not too far from Schinnen. Gellik-Lanaken is close to Maastricht, but just over the border in Belgium.
ellik has a nice memorial to the crews of two Royal Air Force planes that were shot down and crashed in the town during World War II.
• Thanks to the new contributor of fliers for the column. The name on the return address was Dillingham and the postmark was from Spangdahlem. So whether Dillingham is an individual or a member of a walking family, thanks for the fliers.
• Speaking of Spangdahlem, their Holiday Bazaar is coming up Oct. 26 through 28. For us, this is the kick-off for the holiday season. We will be there Saturday looking for our favorite artist, Michel Beberashvili, and our favorite art dealer, Peter Dupree. With luck, they both will be there along with Jacky from Pottery Graessel, from Soufflenheim, France. With two hangers full of vendors, Bob foresees frequent trips to the car to drop of packages.
• We probably won’t have time to walk that weekend, because after spending Saturday at Spangdahlem, Bob will be at the huge military flea market in Ciney, Belgium, Sunday.
• The annual Bastogne Historical Walk is still several weeks away, but it is time to start thinking about attending. This year the walk is Dec. 15, but there will be various activities starting Friday night and running through Sunday. Even though this is not an IVV sanctioned walk, it is such an exciting weekend of walking and activities honoring those who fought there that we’ve always given it good coverage.
The city of Bastogne will be sponsoring the event again this year. Registration will take place Friday afternoon and Saturday morning before the walk. With the large number of walkers, that means the start hall will be very crowded Saturday morning, so get there early.
This year, the walk will take us northwest; through the Hemroulle sector of the perimeter, with routes of 7-, 13- and 22-kilometers. The walk starts at 8 a.m. at the sports center.
Email volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO AE 09752.
