The Walk of Wisdom in drawings by Esther Zijlmans
We don’t often get such a beautiful creative report. Thanks Esther: We look forward to your sequel!
By Esther Zijlmans
Yes, I’m here!
This was Sunday, August 7, 2022. Started on Saturday 30 July and started walking after the very nice departure ceremony in the Valkhof Chapel. What a fantastic pilgrimage! I feel like a happy and happy person. Glad I did and happy because I enjoyed every moment of it! Enjoyed the beautiful and so varied surroundings and the beautiful people and conversations that passed by on my path. Living every minute in the here and now: not thinking about the past and not thinking about the future: just being there and being happy with where I was. That’s what nine days of walking alone did to me. The wisdom that I can do all that!
I am very grateful to everyone who has contributed to this.
During the Walk of Wisdom I kept a report every day and made some drawings. I would like to share the first three days of this. I started drawing for the first time three months ago, I know that there is still a lot to learn here, but I have a lot of fun with it and it is probably the situations in the drawings that I will never forget.
Day 1, Saturday 30 July – From Nijmegen to Berg en Dal
Started at Mariken van Nimwegen behind the Stevenskerk. This statue is at the beginning and at the end the devil Moenen. The images refer to a miracle play from the Middle Ages in which a girl falls for the devil. After 7 years, she repented and went on a pilgrimage. Not my reason for walking this tour :). Then we walked in silence with the pilgrims who also started today to the Valkhof Chapel.
Departure ceremony there was beautiful and bit emotional… Everyone is going to do their own contemplation! Nice to start like this.
Nice first trip, along the Waal beaches out of the city towards Ooijpolder. Swam in the Bison Bay: swimming there is taking a ritual bath that keeps your intentions pure. I was just warm and could use some cooling. It’s a nice bonus that my intentions are now even purer.
It was hot in the Ooijpolder and the Elysian fields. Ubbergen was cooled off. After some first altimeters we ended up in Berg en Dal. More tomorrow, now craving a beer and food!
Number of km: almost 15
Day 2, Sunday 31 July – From Berg en Dal to Kranenburg
After a nice breakfast we started in Berg en Dal. I was in Val Monte so starting with descending, which was nice. Body had yet to wake up. Down in Beek I picked up my bird ring for my pilgrim’s lace and extra coffee. The surroundings are beautiful there. It was a lot of climbing to get to the Duivelsberg, but after coffee and some sandwiches in between, we succeeded. Backpack of 8 kilos including water is starting to get used to but still feels very different from a day backpack. The first part after the Devil’s Mountain was beautiful … Along the edge of the forest with a view to the rolling meadows where the cows are grazing. I booked in Gasthuis am Reichswald so had to go on for a while… The last few km to Kranenburg I walked on an old railway, which never ended. Together with 2 ladies who could grab their beer in Kranenburg. Unfortunately, I still had 2.5 km to go. My estimated 15 km turned out to be almost 19. A little more than planned but I feel fulfilled and okay. So first take a shower and go and eat a bratwurst or snitzel or something. After all, I’m now in Germany :D.
Number of km: almost 19
Day 3, Monday, August 1 – from Kranenburg to Mook
This morning a wake up call from the church that was about next to my bedroom. When I heard him frantically beat me 12 times around bedtime, I still hoped it wouldn’t wake me up every hour. But apparently tired enough to sleep through that. But that wake up call really takes 5 minutes… There’s no escaping it!
Today of the Reichswald … A lot of dark forest that I was a bit dreading and that for about 8 km. After all, most of you know that I’m not really a forest person (except in autumn), but prefer to walk through the polders or floodplains. There were also dark clouds hanging over the forest. But once in that dark forest, which was not so dark at all, we didn’t encounter any angry wolves and wild boars, but a lot of bird chirping. And the rain tapped against the canopy every now and then, without getting me wet. Was quite nice in that forest actually. Away from everything else, didn’t meet a human being. I have now experienced that forest can be still. Nice experience.
Many different nature reserves crossed today: De Diepen, St Jansberg (even more forest, very different), and the Mookerheide: all beautiful! There I am now in Mook between the chickens but along a national road, but still a nice spot!
Km: almost 19
Altitude meters: about 350 (quite a few calf riders)
Esther Zijlmans
(pilgrim 14950)
