Every step is one step and we walk
Pilgrims Irene and Max from Veenendaal walked the Walk of Wisdom at the end of July. Max put some impressions on paper.
Saturday, July 20, 2026. After weeks of rain and gray skies, we, my wife and I, are dropped off at half past five in the morning in front of the Valkhof Museum in Nijmegen. Today our Walk of Wisdom begins! Four years ago we purchased the starter pack, but it has been put on hold due to Corona, hip surgery and a cerebral infarction. Now we go for it and the weather forecast reports 37 degrees for the entire coming week including all color code warnings.
As soon as we walk past the Nicholas Chapel, it feels that the journey is really about to begin. There are many moments during this walk when we are aware: this is a special moment.
Turn around in the Ooipolder at 6 a.m. and you will see the silhouette and the bridge of Nijmegen in the early morning sun. Almost every day we get up around 4 am and start walking at half past five. Every day starts at 23 degrees and the promise of another bright day. Around 6 o’clock the sun rises and in this case we are standing on a dune near the Hatertse Vennen. The shades of color in the sky and the morning mist that hangs over the fens. It is breathtakingly beautiful and serene.
The first two days we still walk close to each other, ‘keeping an eye on each other’, because we are not experienced walkers. But at every overnight address we say to each other: “You have walked the entire route again.” Each step is one step and we walk. And somewhere we arrive; Almost a shame but necessary. After two days we let each other ‘go’ more. We each experience our experience of the routes, of the landscape, the skies, the views and our inner self.
The walk has done a lot to us. Can we put that into words? Apart from these words, we are still trying to process it. We met very sweet fellow walkers who we met regularly during the walk. Meeting is really the right word. We stayed with very lovely people who are willing to share their home and hospitality with… walkers/pilgrims.
Because we left so early every day, we regularly sat on terraces of restaurants that were far from open. On the whole walk, one young couple spontaneously invited us for coffee in their garden… That is also walking.
The last evening and night we spent the night at the Tempelhof in Winssen with Adelheid Kortekaas. That stay in the Tempelhof was really the apotheosis on the walk that is rightly called: the Walk of Wisdom. Do you want to have such an experience too? Go to the Tempelhof and experience it in your own way.
From Winssen to Nijmegen; the Stevenskerk that just didn’t get any closer and walking into the city, full of shoppers. We saw it, but our mind was still in the walking/enjoying/experiencing mode. The friendly welcome, stamps, the photos for the life-size Seedling in the Church. We still took a lot of photos and videos and briefly described them every day (no, not on Polarsteps – how can you share this?).
With many thanks to the initiators and executors of the Walk of Wisdom, we have gained a very profound life experience – and memory.
Irene and Max
Veenendaal
Walked 20-28 July 2026
