Date: 2004-11-19
From: Writing Desk

To: Dinning Table
Miles today: 0.0

Ok, here I am again. After a long time, I admit. But, honestly, my thoughts have turned very often to the TJ and - most important - I want to thank all the great folk who keeps it going. Great work !I moved flat. That is the reason for my last comments delay. Not long after returning to Frankfurt. It happened very unexpected, nothing was organized. Being a German and being forced to face such a higgledy-piggledy.You can t imagine what that means ! Disaster ! Not enough hooks to put your stuff orderly, the dish-washer didn t work properly, the main water tap stuck ( Hey Sparepocket, I needed you here !), etc. Blimey, I felt more desperate than ever on the trail ! No fear, I am not going to bother you with further details.Reading some TJs of fellow hikers the last days: man, so many good memories come to me ! It is a good thing that mostly the good experiences keep in mind. Neverthless, I ll never forget the ¢poison ivy¢. Actually, it took me until end of July  til my skin was recovered completely. What a luck, that we don t have this hellish entity in Europe and I do hope, it will never be brought here, you bet !Back to the good memories. First I must say all my thanks to the people that brought me out of the middle of the wood with their car a long way to the medical center and later to a motel in Pearisburg. What would I have done without them ? And at the beginning Bob and Judith gave me such a warm welcome after arriving in Atlanta after a long flight. The Trailangels are great. We don t have similar things in Europe. And all the good companionship I experienced from Crow, Sparepocket, Piggy, K-Bear, One-Thing, Mercury, Ginger Bear, Trogdor, Nomad, Belle, Paul (=Recon out, don t know the spelling) for only to mention a few of them.I hope you are all back home again and feeling fine. It is not important having finished the trail as a thruhiker. Being several months outside is quite a big achievement anyway. I am an addict to longdistance hiking so long now and everytime I learn sth new. The new things, they just creep out of every corner, and jump at you. If you want or not.For instance some subjects that are easy to talk about: an alc-stove, the hostels kept by the religious communities (we have similar things on some cols in the Alpes, but much more expensive. Actually, they have a v long tradition and are located on special strategic places ¢ St. Bernard, e.g., you know, where those big dogs ¢Bernardiner¢ come from), the hiker-rates in most motels, how the Americans eat (quite an experience for me again). And other things, not so easy to write about. I was told: never speak of politics or religion in the southern states. As it happens I did once accidentally (relation between nature/human being/christian religion) ¢ at least 1 whole minute embarrassing silence at the table and than, sb helpfully managed to change the topic. Uff. Usually I am nearly never ill, not even a cold (fingers cross !) and than I suffered this severe allergic syndrom. It really struck me down. I used to work as an anaesthesist many years at an intensive care unit and have seen many people with much more severe injuries and diseases. Seeing them struggeling for staying alive and getting their strength back ! I always admired them. What an achievement ! And I ? A bit of an allergy and I already reached the edge of my nerves. (But back home I boasted with it. There must be a benefit, mustn t it). And patience and humility and the feeling what a tiny tiny unimportant thing one is ¢ I learn every time anew. And hardly remember after being back home for a while. Such is live. One should take oneself serious but not too important.And the future ? To make it short, I only write about my next walk that I have envisaged for actually a long time already.Next year it shall be: the traildaddy of Europe: Grande Randon©e 5, also called European 2. From the North Sea to Nice (Nizza), altogether about 2700 km. I am going to start in Belfort (sometime in June), skipping the northern part where I did already some hiking. So only about 1200 km or so are left. What a luck ! But it is the highest part. Unfortunately my good old trail companion will not be able to join me. That makes it a bit sad for me. Ecstasy and Agony we were. Changed every day. I fear, I will feel now like the   ¢and¢   or worse like one of the empty spaces on either side of the ¢and¢. That is why I ask you there in the outer space: Is there anybody who would like to join me ? For further details hochhut@web.deAnyway if somebody want some information how it is here or a place to stay in Frankfurt just try the same adress. My Godness ! Dinner time already !Happy trailsUps ! What happened to the pic ! Typical. To let you know: we walk vertical in Europe, of course.