SWH 2023 European Epilogue

Date: December 29, 2023

Distance: 5079 km

Days: 247

The dawn sets the sky on fire, spreading slowly across the dark land until the mountain fronts ignite on the western horizon. The winter days are short, but the unusually warm temperatures remind me of unreasonably hot days on so many different trails during the journey across Europe.

It has been just over a month since returning from the last stage of the Slow Way Home in Europe. The question that I am always asked upon my return, perhaps with more expectation this year because I followed a pilgrim route, is ” what did you learn?”. 

It is more poignant a question now that I have achieved the milestone of reaching the Atlantic ocean.

It has been five years since we took a selfie at the Szabadsag Hid bridge outside our apartment in Budapest, bikes laden with panniers and hiking gear, with no plan or schedule, just a vague concept that I wanted to ‘walk home’.

More than 5000 km and many experiences later, I am a changed man and the world is a different place, and I struggle to separate the learning from the growing, the changing world from the changing me.

There are some things confirmed, others that I have learnt about myself: that people are kind, no matter where they may live; that everyone delights to hear hello, goodbye, thank-you and please in their own language, regardless of how poorly pronounced; that flexibility and adaptability is more important than the best-crafted plan; that taking the first step on day 22 and 37 and 61 builds resilience and fortitude more so than doing the big miles or steep hills.

Most importantly, that my inner negative voice can be silenced by doing, and that it is truly about the journey, not the destination.

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Notes and random facts:

Total days travelled: 247 -ish. The record-keeping is not as perfect as it could have been. There are missing days for airplane flights to and from start or end points, bus or train travel etc.

Total distance travelled: 5079 – ish. I’ve left out some motorized trips to trailheads or to take a rest break.

Countries visited: Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France, Andorra, Spain (and Portugal, but not included in SWH blog)

Modes of travel used: bike, hike, bus, train, boat, taxi

Number of pizzas consumed: too numerous to count

Number of times I complained about my pack being too heavy: Every year for (at least) the first week, regardless of whether by bike or foot

Number of times I felt cooked from the heat: at least a few days every year, with 2022 being the year that we cut short a trip.

Days with blistered feet: 8 or 9 in Slovenia

Days I regretted undertaking the trip: 0