Preparing for Poland - in September

My start "from Gdynia in June" has changed to "from Gdansk in September". More friends, old and news ones, say that they wish to join me on my longwalk to Greece. And you are all welcome. What you need is strong legs or a wheelchair and a desire to put some 20 kilometers per day behind, 2-4 days per stage.
If the weather is right, my legs and feet are fit I hope to reach at least Elblag and maybe even Olsztyn by mid-September. Any tip where to walk, where to stay will be appreciated. If you think this could be something for you, do comment and write where and when you'd like to join, preferably after Elblag around 10th September. Or later, e.g. 2013 south Poland (Lublin), 2014 western Ukraine (L'viv, Ivano-Frankivsk).

My idea of walking from Sweden/Poland to Greece has begun to materialize. In the morning of 24 April I left from Malmö Central Station at 09:36 to walk my 'test' distance of some 80 kilometers in four days. And, guess, I succeeded! Not exactly as I had planned (see maps in previous news). The first day, I got bad skin from my new (jogging) shoes and there was no available room after 20 k for the night as planned, so I cut some kilometers by bus and then extended my first day to Trelleborg where I slept rather exhausted at Svea B&B. Thanks to that, I could visit my fathers birthplace Västra Tommarp and my parents grave and the churchyard that same day instead of the next. I had left my excessive luggage in a locker at the train station and with that also my camera (!). So, the only pictures that can prove my walking is from my simple cell phone. I think, they will do. Day 2, my friend Björn-Anders showed up out of the yellow bus from Lund. We met at the Church of Gylle and I told him of my roots in the region 'Söderslätt' with farms lika Tågarpsdal, Torshög, Gylle boställe, Rockhög, Haglösa kungsgård, Gustafsberg etc. We visited Ingrid, my second cousin's widow at Rockhög, a farm house built in the 18th century and very much kept the same way as it was built. - OK, let's see if I can manage to get this published. The pictures will come later.   

Winter behind?

Some training in my near neigbourhood through the winter months of February and March. Could have been more k's. But now is April and 10 km's to twin city Trollhättan really seems nothing anymore. Unfortunately, still too cold (only +2-4°C). Have started looking for new appropriate shoes and other pieces of outfit: sticks, breating cloths etc.      First leg will be a test walk in South Sweden (Skåne): 3 or possibly 4 days of each 20-25 km's.

NO MORE WALKING?

The suddenly up-coming winter with much cold and snow everywhere in Sweden has hampered my walking preparations. But hopefully there will be a change soon to the better. In the meantime, swimming is the thing.

More kilometers

Preparing for a long walk (I mean a looong walk, like 2400 k) is not just about walking. After my first test walks to Trollhättan, a mere 10 k each, two weeks ago I biked 20 k in the cold (buyng food at WiLLY:S http://www.willys.se/  and back) and then came some snow ten days ago and I could ski some 10 k on Hunneberg http://www.algensberg.com/  known for its many elks, however I did not see any that day. During the week I finally manage to walk a full 20 k* - just my hands and fingers got really really cold**.  Last Sunday and tonight I have done some swimming 750 and 500 m. Altogether, I hope this will contribute to a better fitness i.e. a better body&soul.

*The river offered very nice colours.
**Some pain in my right foot arouse after two days - it will trigger me to study the anatomy of the feet and legs. They are, indisputeably, very important.

Test walk no.2 today Vänersborg to Trollhättan

Before 2 p.m. today I managed to find my walking sticks and get going the same 10 k as last Monday. The wet and stormy weather with westerly winds of Wednesday had changed to northen rather cold ones which meant however that I had the wind in my back. Today I used rather the same amount of time as last Monday 2:20 including a banana bite intermission at Överby shopping mall. Just in time for a bus back I decided to walk along the canal toStrandgatans Bistro for a cup of hot tea and a blueberry muffin taking returning by a later bus. No sun today but the same plain and gloomy day as those prevailing from late December (solstice). Here, in south Sweden, still two thirds is dark and only one third i.e. eight hours is light.

Walking model

2400 k is some undertaking even not regarding my age (67+). Why not bike? Or just use the ordinary public transport facilities of trains and buses? Well, have you once travelled 10000 k Sweden to Turkey (Bodrum) and back by car, you can certainly imaging how much of experiences you missed. People, places and smells - the small things. Thus, the road is the goal. Of course, it cannot be executed in one long walk but rather divided into more comfortable stages or legs. My friend Björn's experience with his walk from far south to the far north of Sweden tells me to manage a couple days of walking at a time. As it looks now, my intention is to walk 20 k per day or 10 k in the morning and 10 k in the afternoon, as simple as that. Starting, say, a Thursday walking also Friday, relaxing Saturday and Sunday, and advancing another 20 + 20 k on Monday and Tuesday making 80 k in total within a week including arrival and departure on Wednesdays. Each stage will be open to walking friends, one or two at a time, the exact stretch of each stage to be jointly determined beforehand. My physical condition will determine how many stages to be manageable per year. If three (spring, summer, autumn) it will take at least ten years to cover my plan (2400:3x80=10 years) but perhaps it will be possible to do four per year and/or walking two consecutive weeks once a year - (2400:5x80=6 years)? Any ethic principles? All k must be walked! Or is a ride offered by a local on his/her tractor or in a truck allowed in bad weather? Or a bus to get out of towns a bit? The second test walk will take place in Skåne in April between Malmö and Ystad some 55 k straight and some 75 k through the historical farmland of my father's family near Trelleborg. The first stage on the continent (if no fog to speak with the Brits) will start end of June or early July in Gdynia (> Coat of arms above). Open for discussion.
Packing. What about packing? A minimum of weight is priority no. 1. Food and shelter should be purchased on site. Hardly any extra or any 'spare parts'. Extra clothes (dry) yes. Extra shoes? Mobile phone yes. Laptop or Ipad or neither? Water bottle yes. Open for discussion.