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Walking in Europe 2023

June - August 2023
West Highland Way, Paris, the Danube, Switzerland and the Dolomites of the northern Italy and south Tyrol Read more
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  • 40footprints
  • 10countries
  • 41days
  • 373photos
  • 7videos
  • 12.6kmiles
  • 9.7kmiles
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  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 1

    Walking my way

    June 25, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Day one, PDX to Amsterdam to Manchester UK to Glasgow Scotland. Great send off will be missing the littles, Waves and Mimi. Giving up those for my PCT section hiking companion Joe Hoppe. West Highland Way or bust. We celebrated both Joe's and Boxer's birthday at Stave 'n Stone winery on the June 24th without the 'littles' before heading to Blue Ridge Ranch for a bon voyage barbecue.
    Mimi drove Boxer to the airport for the first leg of this European excursion with an emphasis on walking/hiking. Train travel will be an integral part, as well. It did not take long for Boxer to cross paths with a familial person...Linda Soulanet, a flight attendant on Delta for the Amsterdam leg.    Read more

  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 2

    Rebooked

    June 26, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    After a somewhat rocky start from PDX when the plane experienced mechanical issues, I arrived in Amsterdam (two hours late) with a rebooked connecting flight to Manchester, England. The challenges of traveling.
    A three hour train trip to Glasgow, Scotland and a rendezvous with Joe Hoppe was in front of me...but not before going through customs where I was asked where it was headed, "West Highland Way in Scotland, I replied," to which the customs agent said, "oh, I'm sorry." to which I queried, "because the of the walk or because it is Scotland?" He answered, "both with a smile."
    After arriving at Glasgow Central rail station hours behind schedule it took Boxer nearly an hour to find the Premier Inn he had booked, with a phone that was nearly out of battery.
    After checking in Joe and I found the Hootenanny Pub...Finished off a double burger with chips and washed it down with a beer to call it an eventful and successful day.    Read more

  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 3

    Christening a street in Glasgow

    June 27, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 63 °F

    The day before starting the West Highland Way kicked off with a bottle of fine Bordeaux falling from a sleeve in my travel pack on the walk to the train station on a busy street in Glasgow. Thankfully Joe was there to help me pick up the chards...
    I felt better on the short train ride to Milngavie ( moo-guy) when the next to last stop was in Bearsden (reminded me of Bridger.) Didn’t let the rain bother me too much…very reminiscent of a late winter day at home…chilly and wet. Reminded us that the weather is going to be a challenge…
    We walked to our accommodations for the night and received a brief orientation as to what to expect tomorrow. We then retired to the bar to find other wayfarers.
    It was all Boxer could do in not starting a conversation with these other walkers..possibly because they were not communicating in English. Reminder #2 this walking holiday in Scotland is an international affair.    Read more

  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 4

    Familiar with a dash of peculiar

    June 28, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    The first rule of walking in Scotland or anywhere in the UK is understanding that cars are coming towards you in a different lane. And making eye contact with the driver often times has you looking at at an empty seat. Why drivers in the United Kingdom sit in the right seat and operate their vehicles in the left lane speaks volumes about their culture.
    Walked from Milngavie (moo-guy) to Dryman (dre-ma) 12 miles. The tread was a mixture of a trail in forested land ( or “wood”) if you remember your Winnie the Pooh and country roads. There was a smidgen of converted railroad bed, too.
    About 3 hours into our walk we made a detour to the Glengoyne Distillery for a looksee. Glengoyne means “valley of the wild white geese” and distillery in this case means single malt scotch.
    After the brief interlude we continued north on a converted railway bed and a country road to the Braeside Inn located in the middle of the town square of Drymen.
    We ended our day with a pint or two and dinner at the oldest licensed pub in Scotland, the Clachan Inn est 1734. If by chance you are wondering what is on our plate it is ‘haggis bon bons’, a blend of heart, liver and lungs of sheep, minced with onion and oatmeal, encased in the the stomach lining of sheep...this day it was served in a breaded encasement...go figure    Read more

  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 5

    Arduous with a dash of spicy

    June 29, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    The second day on the West Highland Way began with a typical Scottish breakfast. Atypical might be a fairer description.
    We walked (and hiked) 15 miles from Drymen to Rowardennan (row-War-da-n). The tread was a stew of forested road (not all that different from what we see on the PCT), sheep trails, a magnificent stepping stone path and a footpath along Loch Lomond.
    Our walk transitioned to hike early on as we headed up Conic Hill sharing the walk with sheep corralled in only by the miles and miles of rock fence. The walk off Conic provided us with a marvel of hand place (and large) stepping stones down the steep descent to Balmaha on the shores of Loch (Lake) Lomond.
    The rest of the walk was along the shores of this beautiful loch (the largest in the UK,) until we reached the remote Rowardennan Hotel.
    Again, we called it a day on the Way with with a pint and fine dinner (in my case Steak and Ale Pie.) Joe had a side of haggis fritters with his meal.

    An aside: We were joined for a brief period, in the morning by a young man and his two black labs. As we marveled at his pace and the distance he was going to cover in the out and back from Drymen we realized that his mother was our hostess at the Clachan Inn, who was instrumental in finding us a table at the popular pub.    Read more

  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 6

    The gauntlet with Sriracha hot sauce

    June 30, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    A gym membership, long walks and a positive attitude did nothing to prepare us for day 3 of our walking holiday on the West Highland Way.
    14 miles walked, hiked and scrambled. The book on the WHW when describing the walk between Rowardennan and Inverarnan as “demanding even for strong walkers” and “by far” the hardest if done in its entirety. If Boxer had edited the book those words would be highlighted, bolded and a appropriate emoji added.
    The tread included drop offs in narrow chutes on damp dirt with large rocks. To be fair there were parts of the day that had us feeling like it was a stroll on trail in the Columbia River gorge….pines and moss covered rocks. We had occasion to see a mountain biker or two who took alternate routes so as to avoid having to deal with what was mentioned earlier.
    The trail included slugs (black not brown,) heather with its magenta blooms just getting ready to explode and nice views above the shores of Loch Lomond. All and all there was a sense of accomplishment and adventure when we completed the day.
    Upon arriving at the Rose Cottage we were greeted by our hosts Stephen and Sher ( Sherryn) who dryed our shoes and washed our soiled clothes.
    We capped off day with pint (and good meal) at the Drovers Inn.,,.built centuries ago and not updated since.

    Addendum: We had a nice respite at the Inversnaid Hotel around noon. We were able to dry out a bit and have a snack. Upon leaving we encountered a visual I would have never thought possible. The sign read "Invasive species removal - Rhododendrons"...on the hill above us were the skeletal remains of one of my favorite woody shrubs.
    Note: with a little research I have found that it is one species- Rhododendron ponticum that is the culprit, together with its fertility and tolerance for shade it has choked out native flora.    Read more

  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 7

    Blissful with sprinkling of more bliss

    July 1, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    This day began with a basket full of laundered hiking clothes and dried shoes and backpacks. That in itself would have been nice, but a wonderful breakfast served by our hosts with all the accoutrements of a fine B&B followed.
    14 miles walked along the River Falloch and on Strath Fallin. An occasional downpour did not dampen our spirits. We gazed at the large hills and monros (peaks above 3000’) around us. The drainages were distinctive in the vibrant green grasses dotted with white sheep.
    What is readily apparent is the diversity of geography we have experienced since leaving Milngavie Wednesday last. Wooded parks and forests, rivers and streams cutting gorges in the large rock formations they flow through and the wide straths and narrower glens we walked across.
    We reached the half way point of our “walking holiday” today near Crianlarich and have found our hiking legs.
    Forgive me for including pictures of food (blog might be called ‘Eating through Scotland’.) The breakfasts are delicious and tonight I had a soup Steph would have loved …sweet potato and carrot…along with a pint and burger at the Tyndrum Inn.

    Note: a strath is considered a wide valley between hills and a glen is characterized as a narrow (deep) valley    Read more

  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 8

    Apprehension to anticipation

    July 2, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    As I prepared for this walking holiday in Scotland I had in mind that day 5 was going to be a long, desolate trek in the highlands. The weather conditions added a another layer to the challenge of walking 19 miles. My mind’s eye has never been so wrong. The day began as usual with a wonderful breakfast served by Andrew and Ellen our hosts at the Glengarry House in Tyndrum (tine-drum). Similar to yesterday’s walk much of the tread will be on a military road constructed in the middle of the 18th century (more than 350 years ago) and has not been upgraded since. Picture if you can cobblestones firmly embedded, but not flush in the ground they were laid upon. No scrambling over tree roots or boulders today…just an uneven surface. I exaggerated a bit, actually the first 6 miles was easy walk on a crushed granite type tread which made for quick walking with our battle tested legs. The weather was our friend for this two hours as well. As we walked into the small outpost Bridge of Orchy the weather changed. The next seven hours with be mixtures of driving rainfall, a brief respite at the secluded Inveroran Hotel. And a 7 mile hike across the Rannoch Moor. As we left the uncultivated land of the moor for the next outpost of Kinghouse we had a “drenching to the bone” rain and wind storm. The only thing I could think about was the hot coffee I was going to drink in the hotel at this one building remote station.
    At the time of my planning this walk the hotel was fully booked, requiring us to make alternate plans...

    A taxi ride 12 miles to Ballachulish for our accommodations at the Dalcraig B&B. Thankfully with a drying room and a hostess able to launder our wet clothes.
    Even after walking 19 miles we were able to walk the mile or so to a well earned dinner. Soup, fish and chips were the fare (and a pint or two) at the Isle of Glencoe restaurant.

    Note: Yesterday we first met Simon running on at the trail from north to south. Unbeknownst to us was that he had dropped his wife off at Inversnaid Hotel trailhead and driven to Inveranen/Beinglas Farm and was running back to meet her and their dog Billie. Shortly after, they passed us, in the difficult stretch of trail. We met again at Beinglas Farm Pub and had a pint together as we dried out. Today we met again on the military road about two hours north of Tyndrum. My Altra trail shoes got his attention initially...he is a fan...so much so that he used a pair to run the Boston Marathon in April. He and his wife live north of London and she is doing section hiking on the Way.    Read more

  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 9

    Novel with a sprinkle of familiarity

    July 3, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    The penultimate day on the walking holiday on the West Highland Way began with a return to the Kinghouse Hotel. This trip we shared the ride with a couple of fellow walkers whose homes bookend Joe and I. One from the Bay Area and the other from Seattle. They were section hiking the WHW and were interested in bagging the Devils Staircase the highest point. The views back to the south of the Glen Coe were stunning even on a dreary day weather wise.
    The ‘Staircase’ is more a set of switchbacks as you ascend to the cairn that marks the top. This walk very much reminds me of a the hikes up the steep trails in the Columbia River Gorge without the drop-offs.
    The majority of the trail for the rest of the way to Kenlochleven was a descent with just a touch of traversing. The number of miles walked on the Way today was nine, allowing us to join a big group at the Tailrace Inn (pub) for a light meal.    Read more

  • TravelerWalking in Europe 2023
    Day 10

    Wet feet for the Webfoots

    July 4, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    A reason for seeing the area between the lowlands and highlands of Scotland on foot are readily apparent on the last
    day of our walk. Munros above glens with fast streams running down their vibrant green slopes. So much so that the tread was covered in large puddles. In many cases we could not dance across them. Wet feet did not deter us. We had our last snack near the base of Ben Nevis before we walked into Fort William and the statue of ‘Sore Foot Man’
    The 96 and 1/2 miles walked from the outskirts of Glasgow to Fort William is considered (and listed) one of the top ten walks by National Geographic.

    I can say (with complete satisfaction,) I savored every step    Read more

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