TLG: Trails

Continuing The Long Goodbye series, today I say farewell to trails, by which I mean walkable cities in addition to the obvious bike paths/etc.

Europe is far more pedestrian- and bike-friendly than America. We enjoyed the pedestrian quite a bit the last time we lived here, so much so that the kids, shortly after our return to America in 2014, were begging to walk somewhere- it was the first thing they missed. They quickly realized that America is built for cars, and walking isn't convenient, safe, or possible in many places. And they missed the walkability dearly- as did we. In fact, we gained ~10 lbs after moving home, simply by the lack of walking to run errands and such.

This time around, we also enjoyed the pedestrian possibilities here (I love the pedestrian zones in cities in particular), but we branched out and realized just how far the paths extended outside the city. The pandemic encouraged outdoor & isolated activity, leading us to explore the paths on bikes and foot whenever possible. We saw a ton of castles (post forthcoming), and we were amazed by what we found.

The paths between towns and for leisure astounded me. It's quite easy to go by bike (or foot) between towns on paved walkways through farm, forest, vineyard, town, and meadow. The paths are numerous; the options many. I found it faster (and cheaper) to get into the city on bike vs. car. The paths are safe, serene, and wonderful. Even when having to cross busy streets, drivers are more aware and conscientious of hikers/bikers. I'll miss this element of Europe dearly. From the 'mundane' or typical paths, to the fun ones like the Steckeslaaferklamm, they're wonderful. I can't say that enough.

I've blogged several times about biking, so I won't repeat that in detail, but visit those pages if you're interested in more (and some pictures):

- A New Direction, where I talk about my new-found hobby, inspired (or forced) by the pandemic and injuries

- Shadowfax, where I welcome a gravel bike to our stable after my riding got serious

- Stepper, where I introduce a mountain bike to more fully explore the trails

Biking in particular allows you to cover so much ground and enjoy these paths to their fullest. I just passed 1,600 miles on the bike since March 2020. I will miss this so much. Farewell, trails of Germany. Farewell.