Question from Ian: You and Pat put on a lot of kilometres for each book including all the conditioning you do for each trip. Do you have to buy new boots before you start training for the next book?
This question makes me chuckle, but new boots and many kilometres of training do seem to be part of my writing process.
On 17 October 2013, when I decided to write Pomegranates at 4800 Metres, I was trekking in Nepal and was still floundering around writing that first book in 2016 when Pat and I walked the Via Egnatia. I thought that adventure would make an interesting chapter, but Pomegranates came to fruition without the Via Egnatia journey. It wasn’t until I finished Soul of a Nomad that I understood that our Via Egnatia story needed a book unto itself. In the Footsteps of a Roman Legion – Walking the Via Egnatia become a testament to more than just our walk. The idea for my current book – Canterbury and Other Tales – evolved because I wanted to dedicate a book to walking ancient routes. For the stories contained in those four books, I've walked through at least ten pairs of hiking boots and shoes.
Boots are a common thread in many of my stories. As boot-tops soften and the soles lose their treads, journal pages fill with anecdotes of the places my boots have roamed, of the sights they have allowed me to see, and the experiences we’ve enjoyed together. I have sat on countless walls, stumps, benches and steps to tighten laces or shake out loose pebbles. I have dried, brushed, rubbed in dubbin, changed the laces and slipped in new insoles. My boots and I have tramped in desert sands, through rushing streams, across snowy barrens, over swing bridges and into hushed cathedrals. They are, in part, my muse.
Pat and train for our walks because being physically and mentally prepared is key to our success. For several years we’ve committed two days a week to walking together on local trails ranging from twelve to twenty-six kilometres. We also walk alone or with various other friends most days of every week. Our current training regime is frequent and ambitious and sees us tramping around the Comox Valley and up in Campbell River on ever-longer walks. This past year we’ve both worn out pairs of hiking boots without going anywhere exciting at all.
But, we’ve broken in new footwear because we have a plan for a longer than normal walk. It might provide good fodder for another story. Stay tuned to learn more.
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