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August 27th, 2010
I left you off in Milan, Italy here is what happened after that:
I had two days off in Milan, Italy with Michael and Nina and their family. Saturday, the 12th,
I relaxed, played some soccer with Max, and attended a wonderful summer
solstice party. It was at this farm outside of Milan. They have this
party every year there and it was full of wonderfully Italian people.
I met the woman of the house, Elizabeth, cooking pots and pots of pasta
in the kitchen, and I ate plates and plates of pasta. I was kinda just
standing on my own for a while, because most couldn’t speak English and
it made communication pretty tough, until this lovely woman came over
to me and spoke perfect English. I was taken aback for a second but
then thought it was wonderful to find someone else I could talk to.
Her name was Jessica and was a translator for some businesses and that
explained her good English. She invited me to her table, where another
woman was there that could speak English. It was so refreshing to
speak English with some people other than Michael and Nina and the
family. Also we had some very interesting discussions. It was so
refreshing speaking with Jessica and her friends and the party was just
a great glimpse into Italian culture, I loved it.
(The Summer Solstice Party sorry about the bad picture, its just to give you a little idea of what it was like)
I went to Sam’s church the next morning. It was nice, but I
couldn’t understand a lick of what they were saying. Afterward went
with the family out to eat some pizza. Had a bit of pasta and for
dessert I had some real Italian ice, which was lovely. That afternoon
Michael’s niece came over to visit. She was with three of her
classmates from Wheaton College that were travelling around by train
through Europe hanging out at hostels with people and sharing the
Gospel. It was great again to have people my age to hang out with. We
had a big dinner and one of the fellas gave me some headphones, because
my pair broke already, that was a big blessing.
I got a ride from Sam and Joan in the morning to the other side of
town on the road I needed to take north to Switzerland, said goodbye
and headed north to the border. I made it close to the border and
found a campsite near a lake. I went there and the fella didn’t charge
me to stay there, a blessing, had dinner there and watched the
beginnings of the World Cup. It was great to watch Italy play and
watch it in Italy with Italians hollering and yelling when they
scored. I met some Dutch guys that were working at the campsite. One
gave me a token for a hot shower and let me check my email it was great.
(A church in a small Northern Italian town)
(the lake next to the camp site)
I woke up the next day to a horrible sound in regards to what I do
now, rain. Rain is good for the crops and livestock, but it’s not too
good to walk in for eight hours a day. I knew I just had to push on,
so I took a shower and then pressed on to the border. I got the border
a little after lunch and celebrated in a little tradition I started,
which was to have a really nice meal whenever I finish walking through
a country. So I ate some really nice pasta. Then walked into
Switzerland, I mean I just walked in. It was so strange to me to walk
right into another country. After a while of walking I was starting to
think about where I was going to sleep, when an angel just gave me a
huge blessing, I mean this was one of the first huge signs that the
Lord was really taking care of me. Let me explain.
I was walking over a bridge when I see at the other end a woman
standing there and it seemed like she was waiting for me. I walked up
to her and she asked me what I was doing. She told me she saw me
walking while she was stuck in traffic then again when she was coming
home, so she stopped to ask. I told her my story and she offered me a
place to stay at her and her boyfriend’s house, her name was Sira. I
said sure it would be great. She had a swimming lesson to go to, so I
just waited until it was done, then she came out and told me her
boyfriend didn’t want me to stay there. So she took me to some hotels,
they were pretty pricey and I couldn’t afford it. Switzerland is a very
expensive country. She then took me to a hostel, asked the price, it
was a lot, then she said she felt bad and wanted to help me so she
offered to pay. I was floored. I couldn’t believe it, such a huge
blessing, I mean huge. She also bought me a really nice breakfast
also. I couldn’t thank her enough for such a kind and wonderful
gesture that she did for me. I mean it was incredible. We said
farewell and I retired in that wonderful manor house. This was in
Lugano, Switzerland I would like to add is one of the most beautiful
cities I saw on this journey. So to me, a weary walker, Sira was an
angel that really helped by bestowing such kindness on me. Such a
blessing I couldn’t believe it. The breakfast the next day was in this
grotto and a big spread. I took extra for lunch that day too. Took a
train out to where I left off the day before and kept walking.
(the hostel in Lugano)
(Lugano, Italy)
Let me mention to you something. Ever since I started walking in
Switzerland and before in Italy it started raining, let me say it’s not
a nice feeling walking in the rain by yourself, for 8 hours a day with
almost 45 pounds on your back. So this started becoming really
miserable. I don’t know if I can properly convey to you how
detrimental this was to me mentally. It is really hard for some of you
to understand how bad rain is for someone in my position. I appreciate
the rain for its life giving properties of watering the crops and the
livestock, but if you have to spend all day walking in it, it’s
miserable. So for two days before this I had to deal with rain. It
wasn’t good for my health either. I started getting a cold because of
it and constantly shivering. So here I was in southern Switzerland
walking in the mountains in the pouring rain all that day. I mean it
felt like the heavens opened up and I could barely see it was so bad.
So when it got the worst it was all day I sat underneath a bridge and
stopped and thought about what to do. I was soaked to the bone,
shivering because I was cold and wet and things didn’t look like they
were getting any better. The rain wasn’t letting up at all, but was
getting worse. I had two chances continue in the rain and cross over
the mountain pass that was another day’s march and would have been
quite dangerous in those conditions or hitch through the mountain past
the rain to a dry place to sleep. I hitched, it was the safest and
best option for me. So I got a ride from a nice Portuguese man, who
couldn’t and wouldn’t even attempt to speak English. He took me safely
through the mountain tunnel that was 17km long and to a town on the
other side that had a camp site and thankfully the rain hadn’t hit
there yet.
I know some of you might be thinking about that and if it goes
against the whole mission of walking when I take a ride, but I have had
along this journey to take a ride sometimes because it is the safest
option for me. It yet again is hard to convey to you what it is like
walking by yourself 8 to 9 hours through countries there they can’t
fully speak English. It is extremely isolating and very difficult.
Now I am not complaining, I chose this for myself and I understood it
would be hard I just want you to understand that I did not take rides
just to do it, but it was necessary for me if I wanted to stay safe and
healthy along this long trek. But mind you I did a whole lot of
walking.
So this guy dropped me at a camp site that was apparently surrounded
by the alps, but because of all the fog that rolled in and the storm
that was brewin’ I couldn’t see any. It was so disappointing being in
one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world and I can’t see
the dang things. I told my story to the owners of the camp site and
they graciously let me stay there for free and even gave me a soda. I
went to sleep with some slight rain, but when I woke up the next day it
was gone. I must say it was a complete blessing to be able to see the
sun again.
That next morning I had a sight I will never forget. I got up,
packed up and started off with the sun slowly coming out and the fog
lifting, definitely better conditions. As soon as I got out of the
town and walking along this bike path that went around this lake I turn
around and see an incredible sight, the Swiss Alps. Oh what a glorious
sight. These pictures I have is but a small interpretation of the
magnificence and beauty of that day. By far, as I look back, that
was the most beautiful day of walking, until supper time. Around that
time the clouds opened up again and they didn’t stop for days.
(the clouds rolling back to reveal the beautiful alps, the campsite there at the bottom)
(down in the valley there was where I stayed the night before)
(the swiss alps, well just part of them)
(here I am in the Alps)
After all of these wonderful sights the clouds opened up again and
let loose a storm that went on for three more miserable days. That
night after the beautiful day of walking I found this campsite on a
much smaller lake and came to the realization that Switzerland was
extremely expensive. I mean painfully expensive. At the camp site it
cost 26 dollars for a burger and fries. So that night I had peaches
and trail mix for dinner because I couldn’t afford anything else. But
throughout it all the rain never stopped.
It got so bad that I had to take a train out to Zurich, when I was
about 22 miles south, to the Haab family to get dry and warm and ward
off catching pneumonia. That day I took the train I remember I was
soaked literally to the bone and uncontrollably shivering because of
that. I couldn’t keep going I needed to get somewhere safe, warm, and
dry. But don’t worry the next week I came back and walked those miles
I missed when I took the train. As soon as I got North of Zurich where
the Haabs lived the sun came out and I felt 100 times better.
The Haabs were so wonderful. They immediately just caught my heart
with their warmth and kindness. It was also very refreshing staying
with them because they used to live in Jordan with my Uncle Jon and
Aunt Jayne and family and worked at the hospital my Uncle helps run.
So it felt like I was basically staying with family. There was Bernie
and Susie and their four children; Mahela, Joquim, Sharon, and Daylia.
One of my favorite memories was waiting at the train station for Bernie
Haab to pick me up and expecting some fella in a car or something and
then here comes this tall lanky fella on a bicycle blazing down the
hill and screeching in front of me just saying hello Daniel. Oh it was
great. I spent five nights with the Haabs outside of Zurich,
Switzerland. I’ll explain on the next post why it was a bit longer
than I expected, but oh so wonderful.
(the Haabs wonderful house Rumlang, Switzerland)
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