Open to the Public

Now, here’s a memory….

Never had we felt more like independent travelers than when we got our boots, backpacks and walking sticks. Big cities were mostly in our past as were Deed’s mammoth purses.

We were going to follow new trails. 

Is it OK to say “shitless” in a post? It seems to be a very appropriate word to use in describing how I felt when we first started to explore the mountains and valleys of Europe. I was a city boy. Now we were about to walk out of our Swiss cottage and head up into the high mountains looking for Heidi and some goats. 

I was scared shitless. We’ll be lost. St. Bernard dogs and burley Swiss mountaineers will be sent into the dark mountain crevasses in search of our remains. 

My fears were groundless. The Swiss have it together. Tourism is what they are all about. The last thing they want is the evening news filled with pictures of American tourists lost in the Alps. 

 The paths up, down, and across the mountains are clearly marked and easy to follow and when paths cross there are signposts that clearly identify your options. Not even a big city boy like me could get lost. In addition to being marked there are frequent markings to let you know the length of the trails and the level of difficulty, plus detailed maps are available in local shops. Because of my initial concerns about getting lost or hurt in a fall we began with shorter walks and simply doubled back along our original path. It certainly beats walking in London or riding the Tube.

Soon I was yodeling. 

The mountains were not foreboding but inviting and open to the public because private ownership never got in the way of a good view.  

What was true in Switzerland was true in Austria, Germany England and even in Italy --- God bless the Italians. So Deed and I have spent over 50 years hiking the wonders of nature. 

 All because Deed fell in love with a pair of muddy boots.