Clearing my head.

That was the original idea, about 3 years ago, when I had decided to quit my current job and to do something completely different for a while. Making a very long walk. Allow your mind to wander along different routes than before; a possibility to change views, to create a mental and physical distance from life beforehand. And: alone, to be confronted with yourself.

The first idea was Santiago de Compostella; however it soon became clear that you then have to join the queue. (A very nice book is: Ich bin dann mal weg, written by Hape Kerkeling). So I decided for Rome, one of the most brilliant cities in the world, the origin of our western culture. The city with an enormous religious background and worldwide impact; a religious background which has also been important in my own education and growing up. It is also the city of Michelangelo, Bernini, the incredible Pantheon, the Extase of Teresa, and of the magnificent Piazza del Campidoglio. So the choice was clear and definite.

The next item was about the route: follow the Via Francigena through France, which the archbishop of Canterbury took when he travelled to Rome, or follow one of the many other ways to Rome. I decided to walk via Germany, Austria, the Reschen Pass, and then via Bolzano, Verona (I would like to visit the opera there), Bologna, Florence and then Rome.

I will not camp, too much weight. I will try to sleep in hostels, monasteries, B&B's etc. At the moment I have 10 kg in my backpack, without food, water and maps. May be I still have to bring that down. At the moment, during training, I notice that the weight is very important. Without a backpack it is absolutely no problem to walk 25 km a day. However, with 10 kg on your back, you feel all muscles, joints, feet. So I have to be careful to build up training slowly, but there is not much time left. But: physically I think I can handle it> The other point is: will I be able to do it mentally, can I survive the loneliness?

However, that is part of the challenge: I just have to go.

André Mom