Volksmarching!

In our first true German experience since arriving a little over a week ago B and I did a volksmarch this morning! His supervisor and his wife called this morning to let us know they were headed to a march in a town close to us and invited us to join them. I was excited to find out that dogs are welcomed, so Thumper would finally get a good long walk in. We loaded a begrudging Thumper in the truck (she HATES rides of any sort) and were off! I was unaware, but apparently Volksmarching takes place in the United States as well, though it is more popular here in Germany where it was started.

From Wikipedia- "Volksmarching (from German Volksmarsch meaning "peoples' march") is a form of non-competitive fitness walking that developed in Europe. Participants typically walk 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) on an outdoor path. Volksmarch associations offer incentive awards (usually pins and patches) for collecting a certain number of events. Volkssport participants enjoy recording distances and event participation in international record books. More of a social event than a 'HEALTHY OUTING". Less frequently used terms are Volkswanderung and Volkswalk. A Volksmarch is one of several possible Volkssports that can include skiing, biking, or swimming."

So there you have it!  B's supervisor, Buddah, and his wife, Enid, do these on a regular basis, and know which villages host a good walk, and which to skip. At this particular event, Enid picked up her 475 kilometer pin! We checked in so that Enid and Buddah could get their record books stamped and then decided to walk the 6K trail for the day. These events also have 10K, 20K, and sometimes 22K walks as well, but 6K seemed like a nice place to start for our first walk.

The walk took us down village roads and then through a forest before joining a very busy street, back through fields and into the village. Along the way there were several carved sculptures- my favorite being this one, mainly because it was only one where I could make out an actual shape!

After finishing the walk, we got Thumper water and put her in the truck for a nap. It was time to get to the more important part of the volksmarch- the food! There were several little stands set up with different things to eat. One food truck type had different bratwursts and schnitzel sandwiches, another window had pea soup with sausages, and the last had coffees and cakes. I decided cake for lunch sounded like my best option! B enjoyed all of the different foods, and we had a great time. We will definitely be taking another volksmarch soon!