What’s going on with us, you might ask? Well, let us paint the scene: since coming back from Europe late last year we have been sitting at the kitchen table. For months, really. We’ve muffled up against the British winter, and we have been Thinking (Thinking with a capital T). We’ve spent hours at our computers planning, doodling and just … mulling. Hashing out where we want to take our little travel journey next, our 2018 walks.
And it’s been a slow process. But hey as we do everything slowly, we suppose it fits doesn’t it?
We knew we wanted to carry on writing about and photographing our particular type of travel. Y’know, the walking type of travel, the slow type of travel. We found just simple walking produced very interesting travel experiences, and very interesting discoveries about ourselves too. We wondered how we could continue this, develop it.
So we plotted our travel plan for 2018 by making a decision: instead of walking one giant trail we would walk several. Smaller ones, in a host of different countries. We would travel to cities too, and walk and walk and walk around them, getting under the skin of a place. We’ve started this already in London with our Christmas lights walk. (We’d love to know what you think about it by the way).
The 2018 walks that we’ve pinpointed are pretty much all in Europe. This is because firstly it’s our home, and secondly walking trails run like arteries through the entire continent: you can walk the length and breadth of Europe if you wanted to (maybe we will, that’d be something wouldn’t it?).
These walks vary hugely in length: some will be single afternoons, another a 400km stretch. We’re really very excited to show you them, and there’ll be popping up on the blog & Instagram as we go.
One thing’s for sure, each little journey we do will be us going slowly – taking in the textures, cultures and little details of wherever we’re in. To this end we’ll be stopping a lot too, getting to know places and the rhythms of life there. The walking and the blog will be one and the same: simple, seasonal, and personal.
So we’ll be setting off in February – join us will you?
I feel like I might hbe said this before but Budapest is a great city to walk and Hungary a great country to walk in. I used to be at home there and aside from a long paved path going all the way around lake Balaton (Don’t quote me on this but I’m pretty sure it’s just under 200km) Budapest particularly is a wonderful place to explore on foot. You can hike the hills, walk through old town and relax aching legs in thermal baths…. and there is wine, great food, lovely people. Give me a shout if you’d like some recommendations.
You know Anna I think we will get there pretty soon. You make it sound very appealing. We’ve looked into a couple of trails there for not too far away. So watch this space! The thermal baths sound just about perfect!
Great idea! Looking forward to hearing about and being inspired about your adventures
Thank you Ania, we really appreciate you following along!
Looking forward to seeing your walking journeys, sounds like the perfect way to live 🙂 I can only recommend you walk some or all of Olavsleden in Sweden/Norway and the St Olav Waterway in Finland/Åland having seen these for myself but I would love to walk the West Highland Way in Scotland, Laugavegur in Iceland and Kungsleden in Sweden to name a few ideas!
Oh and the Cleveland Way and Great Glen Way in Yorkshire/Scotland 🙂
We’re picking up a Nordic theme, Leanne! Ha ha – they are all exciting trails that we’d be keen to do ourselves. Olavsleden looks fantastic and so does following the E1 path all the way north to Nordkap. Have you checked out the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland? Now that would be pretty darn intrepid! Which walk(s) are you going to do this year? L&N
Hey, Luke….I walked the Via F. a few years ago back when i was 19! 🙂 took no pictures, so yours add colour to the words of my diary!
If you want to be pretty adventurous try the Kek Tura in Hungary – I did 400km of it but had to stop because of the constant 40 degrees!
Otherwise, lovely walks in the Black Forest – perfectly signposted and plenty of accommodation…and can’t go wrong with anything in Bavaria! 🙂
If you find myself near or in the Black Forest let me know – I live fairly close!
Daniel
Hi Daniel, good to hear from you and thanks for the recommendations. And if we’re wandering through the Black Forest anytime soon we’ll let you know!
We have our eyes on Hungary for walking. The National Blue Trail looks immense. Watch this space! Great shout! We may try and do it in the shoulder season though. 40 degrees day after day is just too much.
SWCP is a brilliant walk. Would love to do it again but in reverse (Poole > Minehead).
Thanks again for your message,
and the SWCP is incredibly too! i just picked the wrong time of year (Novemeber)! 🙂 but im sure you’ve already left your footprints there..
Luke, I stumbled across your website and you may not even get this but am I correct in assuming you’ve done the Camino de Santiago? My brother and I did it a couple of years ago and loved it.
I know it’s not Europe but if you get a chance, I highly recommend seeing Machu Picchu in Peru (hiking the Inca Trail, NOT taking a bus there). Some incredible scenery and well worth the trek (3 1/2 days).
It’s on our wish list the Inca Trail. Look forward to one day doing it and a few other hikes in South America!
We haven’t actually done the Camino de Santiago. We decided to do the Via Francigena instead because we had lived in Italy, and wanted to walk from our home to Rome via places we had lived. We also wanted a quieter route, which talking to other pilgrims who have done both, we definitely did experience!
Cheers,
L&N