“YOU’VE got arthritis in your right knee”, the doctor said. “Get a walking stick and suck it up!” To be told this at age 57, with the tactfulness of a Mack truck, I was gutted, but not one to accept what I’m told, I set about looking for alternatives. Now, four years on, and both comfortably in our 60s, we’ve walked, unsupported, more than 5,500km, completing three long distance walks in Europe and Australia.
Our love affair with long distance hiking started after reading Harry Bucknall’s book, ‘Like a Tramp, Like a Pilgrim’. Recounting his eventful and humorous journey walking the Via Francigena (VF), an old Pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome. The VF is a modern version of the 990 AD account of Bishop Sigeric’s return journey after receiving his pallium from the Pope as incoming Archbishop of Canterbury. Finishing the book Paul exclaimed, “We should do this!” and 245 pages later, I agreed. We felt inspired to ‘give it a go’ swiftly hatching a bold plan to depart in 10 months. The doctor was right, I got a walking stick, just a different kind!
Dreams to realities
Our long-term feeling of wanderlust (see the story in the last issue that examines this wonderful word) ignited the flame we’d had since our younger day ... way, way
