Greetings, an explanation, some answers, and some plans

First of all – and this is by far the most important part of this post – greetings and good wishes to all of you everywhere for Christmas and the New Year, from theendtoendblog.

Secondly, an explanation for those of you who’ve been waiting impatiently for news of the next Lejog Blog bouquet festival – for many of you undoubtedly the pinnacle of a frantically busy social year (or a franticly busy one if you so wish). There you are, on tenterhooks, preening yourself in the latest Saint Laurent, and the invitation doesn’t come. What on earth has happened? Simple really! The walk I carried out this year, on which I had such great company and support, is only half of what, God willing, it finally will be. This year it was Portsmouth to the Scots’ Dyke; the remainder, from the Scots’ Dyke to Oban and then to Peterhead, is still for the future. It’s at the end of the whole walk that the festival will occur.

Thirdly, some answers to questions posed on several of the Christmas cards received here in the past few days. For instance: “Are you still walking?” (Yes), “Is there anywhere in Britain you haven’t yet walked?” (Yes, obviously), “When are you coming over next year?” (I’m not). Let me explain!

Felicity and I are planning to have some work done on our house next year. A new roof, a new facade, and new windows. I’m planning to do the project management myself, which means that much of my time will be taken up with this. There’s certainly not going to be any possibility of preparing and then slotting in a long walk in Britain. What may be possible, however, is to get started on another walk plan that’s been running around in my mind for a little while now. This is ‘Königstuhl to Kaiserstuhl’, a sort of von Lejog. I plan to do it in sections of a few days at a time, spread probably over two or three years. It would seem likely that some of these sections could be carried out this year once the building work is largely over. The logistics for this walk are not going to be nearly as critical as they are for my usual British walks, particularly because all of the access transport will be overland within Germany.

I’ve already run this idea past several of my walking companions here. It looks very much as if I’m going to have company! Needless to say, you’re all invited. Watch this space for more news.

Königstuhl to Kaiserstuhl: the first plan