Volksmarch: 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

May 21, 2018

More memory lane stuff. When we lived in Germany many of us would Volksmarch every weekend in a different village as a way to see the countryside and get exercise. A volksmarch is a walking event hosted by a local club, put on by walkers for the public to come and enjoy. Everyone is welcome and the events are either free or have a very small fee. These walks are designed by walkers for walkers. They often focus on scenic sights and historic sites rather than being a dash to the finish line. Instead of racing in a pack, you stroll at your own pace, usually on an uncrowded route. The concept was started in Germany in the 1960s to get people out exercising. There is now an international federation (IVV) with events all over Europe and even North America. In the past I would often run the 10 or 20km events but now my old knees only allow me to walk the 10km. We went to the village of Uhlwiller NW of Strasbourg and the home of a bread museum. It was a beautiful sunny day for a nice walk through the French countryside. After the walk we enjoy the local festivities including music, food and of course beer that we had earned. On our way back to Andlau we stopped at the Strasbourg train station to enquire about train tickets for Sunday 3 June when we move from Strasbourg to Beaune. Unfortunately that is a weekend designated for a strike so we can no longer get train tickets mostly because of our bicycles. We have worked out a few options we just have to decide on the best one. It is fortunate that we are here to do that and that we have Hilary to help with communication. This is a major annoyance but a solution is forthcoming. You have to love the French. Here’s hoping the weather holds for a ride tomorrow,

In case anyone thought cookoo birds only came in clocks they don’t. We heard several of these today but did not see any so I took a photo from the internet. Interestingly they are related to the roadrunner.

The countryside through which we walk. We will also be cycling through countryside like this on the Alsace tour.

White asparagus grows in these covered mounds and these women are picking some.

Feeding a goat we passed along the way. Sadly no little ones.

Cooking a real Tarte Flambée in a wood stove oven after the walk.

Carol’s route card with the stamps from the checkpoints that everyone gets when you register. People use a IVV passport to collect mileage as a record for their efforts.

My Tarte Flambée fresh out of the oven and the best one so far.

Some of the locals near the second checkpoint playing boules.

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