The year of the dog: Looking back on 2025

January: Enter Hilda, our new four-legged room mate

February and March: Training sessions for doggy and her master(s)

April: Continuing the Way of St. James from Nancy to Dijon (solo)

May: A camper van road trip through Burgundy, France

June: A trip into the high Eifel (Sonja & Hilda) and hiking the Schneifel-Trail (solo) 

as well as a camper van trip into the Bavarian Alps

July: Lieser Creek Trail (solo), and a birthday trip to the Moselle River

August: Hiking the Tropfad, a new trail created by a hiking buddy of mine (solo)

September: A weekend on the Dutch coast 

before continuing the Way of St. James from Dijon to Cluny (solo) 

October: Another trip to the Dutch coast with my besties

November: Local hikes and wine festivals

December: A return to the Dutch coast in hope for less fireworks than in Germany

A happy, healthy and a more peaceful year for you all out there.

A review of 2024

January to April: With my mom's declining health, long distance traveling was not in the book of 2024, so I spent most of my free time hiking local trails. There are several themed hiking trails in close proximity:

- Volcanic Panorama Trail

- Pear Trail

- Barbarossa Trail

- Ahr-Urft Trail

Lake Laach

Ahr Valley

The (many) ways of St. James always pique my interest, hence I began section-hiking the so called "German Way" over the next months until August, beginning at home and ending in Langres, Lorraine, France.

Late May my better half and I spent a vew days together in Bavarian Canada on a campground near the village of Bodenmais celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, but serious weather cut our vacay short.

June had a family trip in store for us. My siblings and I took my mom to the Dutch coast with the idea in mind recreating some childhood memories.

In July I spent a long weekend trekking along the river Fulda but again the weather was not on my side.

Finally September arrived and with it our main vacation time. My siblings took over mom duty and we traveled through France along the river Loire from source to estuary.

We circled back along the Atlantic coastline through Brittany and were rewarded with fantastic weather conditions.

In October my assignment with John Deere had expired, and I found myself temporarily between jobs. So I followed the invitation of my besties to spend a few days in the Netherlands.

On my days off in October while not on mom duty I finished the Volcano Trail, which I had commenced section-hiking a year ago.

Then I started section-hiking the Hildegard-von-Bingen Trail, a pilgrimage trail dedicated to the famous abbess.

In November my agency had already lined up another assignment for me, and I could only venture out on short day hikes, so the Bergischer trail now becomes my winter hiking project.

We celebrated year's end on the Dutch coast. Again! (Three times is a charm or so they say), and although we had stormy weather we had a good time. I did miss the 2,000 km mark by 65 km, therefor forming my new year resolution of breaking my personal record.