Sunday, 4 October Note: If you are reading this only in email and not going to the website, you are missing all the fantastic photos! It was dark when I woke, showered and did my final packing. Nicole picked me up at 6:00 for the one and a half hour drive in a light fog…
2026 Anzi, Italy – Day 3 – Klosterbraugasthof
Saturday, 3 October After a good night’s sleep, I woke up and had a hot shower. Yesterday’s shower was at room temperature since I could not figure out the controls. As you know, every hotel bathroom has different shower controls, add that to European unfamiliarity. Yesterday Frank gave me an idea about the controls that…
2026 Anzi, Italy – Day 2 – Kempten
Friday, 2 October Nicole and Frank picked me up before nine and we headed to Kempten, a nearby town with a car free historical district. Kempten is the oldest written reference of any German city, 50-15 BC. Nicole attended college at Kempten University of Applied Sciences but busy as a job holding student had little…
2026 Anzi, Italy – Day 1 – Germany
Thursday, 1 October My flight arrived in Munich at 1:30 pm, about an hour behind schedule but not without a little drama. As we started to get ready for arrival, the stewardess had trouble waking up a woman in the row behind me. As soon as the captain told the crew “prepare for arrival” and…
2026 Anzi, Italy – Day 0 – Ancestor Quest
Wednesday, 30 September For more than thirty years, I have been researching my family history, with my Italian ancestry proving to be particularly challenging. Naturally, the records are written by hand in Italian, and even dates pose a difficulty—appearing as long written numbers like milleottocentottantadue instead of simply 1882. However, recent advancements in AI have…
2026 Appalachian Trail – Epilogue – My Fifteen Minutes of Fame
When I finished my hike, I spent two nights at Wicked Waystation before returning home. My first night, Shaman, a LASH (Long A$$ Section Hiker), and his wife were there. Shaman is a retired medical doctor who is documenting his hike on YouTube. We discussed Grey Beard and his record attempt for the oldest thru…
2026 Appalachian Trail – Day 10 – Early End
Friday – 5 June This hike was originally planned for last year. An Achilles tendon issue caused me to postpone until this year. I attempted to rest a little and see if it improved. The tendinitis never really got better but it wasn’t getting any worse. The orthopedic doc said if I kept running and…
2026 Appalachian Trail – Day 9 – R&R
Thursday – 4 June Ahh The pleasure of a real bed with sheets and a pillow. Two ladies hiking the Long Trail shared the bunk room. Everyone tried not to make any noise and all were up by 5:30. Shaman of the couple staying in the semi private room was picked up by his shuttle…
2026 Appalachian Trail – Day 8 – Wicked Waystation
Wednesday – 3 June Destination: Kelley Stand Road (1,652.8)Start Location: William Douglas Shelter (1,652.8)Today’s Miles: 11.6Trip Miles: 69.4 Photos are up! No one showed up at the shelter last night so I was alone and cozy in my tent. It was a warm night. Since I had my longest day coming up, I was out…
2026 Appalachian Trail – Day 7 – Short Day
Tuesday – 2 June Destination: William Douglas Shelter (1,652.8)Start Location: Bromley Shelter (1,660.5)Today’s Miles: 7.7Trip Miles: 57.8 Last night three more hikers came in around seven. Belle and Raven are two ladies hikng the Long Trail. Other hiker was doing a section of the AT. Gumby was out before anyone else was up. I got…