Brussels! Bruxelles!

I have arrived in the Belgium capital and can hardly believe that I walked all the way here (except the ferry across the channel ofcourse).
I haven't made up my mind about the city yet. I've only had an afternoon to look around and I'm still in shock for all the people: tourists, and people of so many different colours. It is a truly Cosmopolitan city which is bizarre after being in the white, affluent Flanders countryside for over a week.
The Belgian countryside has become more interesting with hills and forests. This has made walking more enjoyable. It was tough going with the winds that blew across the plains.

Other things I've notices is how house proud the Belgians are - always sweeping, cleaning and
repairing their house and garden. It's weird the way the country operates in two languages, because I've met many people who understand either French or Flemish but not both. What languages are national events broadcast in? Both, I can only assume - like the street signs in Brussels.
Well, I suppose its like Canada (with English and French) :)

Tomorrow is my first full day off from walking. I'll be shopping, sightseeing and resting.

A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SPONSORED ME.

Keep the money rolling in, and don't be shy about posting a message on my blog site.
It's easier for me to read than trawling through emails.

Next blog from Germany...

Paul

Hello.

Over a week after I left London, here is my first blog update. It is thanks to a wonderful couple that I am staying with in Poperinge, in the far Western extreme of Belgium. After camping in France it is a welcome treat to stay in the luxurious comfort of a guesthouse.
So far the walk has gone well. There has been up and down moments. But I'm confident that I can make it to Brussels by the end of the week.
That you for all the sponsorships I can see that they are still coming through.
So far, I have crossed the green hills of Kent, stopping at several welcoming pubs along the way.
The last couple of days have been across wind-swept Flanders.
My Portuguese friend Joao has walked with me for a couple of days in France, for which I thank him for enormously. If anyone else fancies coming to join me they are more than welcome!

I've ditched my Pedometer, but the rest of the equipment is good and useful. I've loosened my boots so that I'm not being crippled...
It's grey but cool. Hopefully, next blog from Brussels. Watch this space. Poperinge is a very cute town with a lovely name.

Dag

Paul

I'm Off!

I'm shattered after a long weekend of Graduation ceremony and celebration. I should be in bed because I have to get up at 6am to get to London for 8.30am but I've inevitably got the final equipment checks and packing to do.
Anyway, this blog is to confirm that I have booked the taxi to the train station to take me to Trafalgar Square; I am packed and ready to go; and I do intend to walk all the way to the Golden Horn this summer.
If you don't believe me tune into BBC London 94.9FM this Sunday morning, where they might mention me and my endeavour.

Hopefully, I'll be lucky enough to stumble on the internet in a Youth Hostel in Dover, where you can look out for my first travel weblog.

Please Sponsor Me!

Electronic sponsorship pages are now open!

I am raising money for two charities:

The British Heart Foundation is the largest independent funder of heart research in the UK. It plays an important role in funding education targeted at both the general public and health professionals. The BHF is also a major provider of life-saving cardiac equipment and support for rehabilitation and patient care. Its overarching aim is to play a leading role in the fight against disease of the heart and circulation so that it is no longer a major cause of disability and premature death.

AND

Europa Nostra is the representative platform of over 200 heritage NGOs active throughout Europe. It serves as the voice of this vast movement of European civil society towards major international bodies, in particular the European Union, the Council of Europe and UNESCO. As well as supporting national and international campaigns for the preservation and rescue of Europe’s heritage at risk, Europa Nostra works to promote high standards in the fields of heritage conservation, architecture, and urban and rural planning.

You can chose which charity you would like to support.

To make a donation to the The British Heart Foundation please visit:

http://www.bhf.org.uk/sponsor/paulgardner

To make a donation to Europa Nostra please visit:

http://www.justgiving.com/london2istanbul

Please give generously; your donations will make all the hard work worthwhile!

Many Thanks

Paul Gardner

Itinerary and Timetable of Walk

This is the revised Itinerary for my walk. It is based on a slightly more reasonable walking average of 17-18 miles a day

DAY	DATE	COUNTRY	PLACE (to stay)	Distance to walk each day (miles)	Cumulative distance	Distance between rest points (Av. 120)
1	06/05/2007	England	Dartford	17
2	07/05/2007	England	Rochester	14	31
3	08/05/2007	England	Harrietsham	13	44
4	09/05/2007	England	Stowting	18,5	62,5
5	10/05/2007	England/France	Dover/Calais	15,5	78
6	11/05/2007	France	Gravelines	16,75	94,75
7	12/05/2007	France	Wormhout	18	112,75
8	13/05/2007	Belgium	Ypres	18,5	131,25
9	14/05/2007	Belgium	Kortrijk	18	149,25
10	15/05/2007	Belgium	Oudenaarde	17,75	167
11	16/05/2007	Belgium	Ninove	21,5	188,5
12	17/05/2007	Belgium	Brussels	17,25	205,75	205,75
13	18/05/2007	Belgium	Brussels		205,75
14	19/05/2007	Belgium	Huldenburg	12,75	218,5
15	20/05/2007	Belgium	Jodoigne	16	234,5
16	21/05/2007	Belgium	Huy	25,75	260,25
17	22/05/2007	Belgium	Hamoir	17,75	278
18	23/05/2007	Belgium	Trois Ponts	20,25	298,25
19	24/05/2007	Belgium	Saint Vith	16,25	314,5
20	25/05/2007	Germany	Prum	20,25	334,75
21	26/05/2007	Germany	Meisburg	15,5	350,25
22	27/05/2007	Germany	Wittlich	19,25	369,5
23	28/05/2007	Germany	Bernkastel-Kues	11,75	381,25
24	29/05/2007	Germany	Sargenroth	24	405,25
25	30/05/2007	Germany	Bad Kreuznach	26,5	431,75
26	31/05/2007	Germany	Alzey	14,25	446
27	01/06/2007	Germany	Worms	17,5	463,5
28	02/06/2007	Germany	Mannheim	13,5	477	271,25
29	03/06/2007	Germany	Mannheim		477
30	04/06/2007	Germany	Heidelberg	13	490	13
31	05/06/2007	Germany	Heidelberg		490
32	06/06/2007	Germany	Waibstadt	16,5	506,5
33	07/06/2007	Germany	Heilbronn	23,5	530
34	08/06/2007	Germany	Backnang	20,25	550,25
35	09/06/2007	Germany	Welzheim	12	562,25
36	10/06/2007	Germany	Schwabisch Gmund	11,5	573,75
37	11/06/2007	Germany	Heidenheim	20	593,75
38	12/06/2007	Germany	Dillingen	21	614,75
39	13/06/2007	Germany	Emmersacker	11,5	626,25
40	14/06/2007	Germany	Augsburg	14	640,25	150,25
41	15/06/2007	Germany	Augsburg		640,25
42	16/06/2007	Germany	Maisach	23,75	664
43	17/06/2007	Germany	Munich	18	682	41,75
44	18/06/2007	Germany	Munich		682
45	19/06/2007	Germany	Glonn	17,75	699,75
46	20/06/2007	Germany	Rosenheim	18,5	718,25
47	21/06/2007	Germany	Frasdorf	10,25	728,5
48	22/06/2007	Germany	Ruhpolding	17	745,5
49	23/06/2007	Germany	Bad Reichenhall	11,75	757,25
50	24/06/2007	Austria	Salzburg	14	771,25	89,25
51	25/06/2007	Austria	Salzburg		771,25
52	26/06/2007	Austria	St Gilgen	19,25	790,5
53	27/06/2007	Austria	Bad Ischl	14,75	805,25
54	28/06/2007	Austria	Hallstatt	12	817,25
55	29/06/2007	Austria	Bad Aussee	10	827,25
56	30/06/2007	Austria	Stainach	20	847,25
57	01/07/2007	Austria	Planneralm	15,75	863
58	02/07/2007	Austria	Hohentauern	17,75	880,75
59	03/07/2007	Austria	Ingering II	18,5	899,25
60	04/07/2007	Austria	Knittlefeld	11,25	910,5
61	05/07/2007	Austria	Koflach	20,25	930,75
62	06/07/2007	Austria	Voitsberg	7,5	938,25
63	07/07/2007	Austria	Graz	15,75	954	182,75
64	08/07/2007	Austria	Graz		954
65	09/07/2007	Austria	Kirchbach	14,25	968,25
66	10/07/2007	Austria	Saint Peter	13,75	982
67	11/07/2007	Austria	Bad Radkersburg	17,75	999,75
68	12/07/2007	Slovenia	Murska Sobota	11,25	1011
69	13/07/2007	Slovenia	Lendava	16	1027
70	14/07/2007	Hungary	Letenye	15,5	1042,5
71	15/07/2007	Hungary	Nagykanizsa	13,75	1056,25
72	16/07/2007	Hungary	Nagyszakacsi	21	1077,25
73	17/07/2007	Hungary	Somogysard	18,25	1095,5
74	18/07/2007	Hungary	Kaposvar	21,75	1117,25
75	19/07/2007	Hungary	Sasd	20,5	1137,75
76	20/07/2007	Hungary	Pecs	19,25	1157	203
77	21/07/2007	Hungary	Pecs		1157
78	22/07/2007	Hungary	Szederkény	11,75	1168,75
79	23/07/2007	Hungary	Mohacs	14,25	1183
80	24/07/2007	Hungary	Herceg-Szanto	19,75	1202,75
81	25/07/2007	Serbia	Sombor	21,75	1224,5
82	26/07/2007	Serbia	Ruski Krstur	23,5	1248
83	27/07/2007	Serbia	Bad Petrovac	18	1266
84	28/07/2007	Serbia	Novi Sad	16	1282	125
85	29/07/2007	Serbia	Novi Sad		1282
86	30/07/2007	Serbia	Krusedol	14,25	1296,25
87	31/07/2007	Serbia	Nova Pazova	18,75	1315
88	01/08/2007	Serbia	Belgrade	14,25	1329,25	47,25
89	02/08/2007	Serbia	Belgrade		1329,25
90	03/08/2007	Serbia	Ralja	20,5	1349,75
91	04/08/2007	Serbia	Mladenovac	13	1362,75
92	05/08/2007	Serbia	Topola	14,75	1377,5
93	06/08/2007	Serbia	Cumic	8,5	1386
94	07/08/2007	Serbia	Kragujevac	16,25	1402,25
95	08/08/2007	Serbia	Belusic	21,75	1424
96	09/08/2007	Serbia	Krusevac	21,75	1445,75
97	10/08/2007	Serbia	Aleksinac	20,5	1466,25
98	11/08/2007	Serbia	Nis	21	1487,25	158
99	12/08/2007	Serbia	Nis		1487,25
100	13/08/2007	Serbia	Bela Palanka	24,75	1512
101	14/08/2007	Serbia	Pirot	15,5	1527,5
102	15/08/2007	Serbia	Dimitrovgrad/Caribrod	15	1542,5
103	16/08/2007	Bulgaria	Dragoman	11	1553,5
104	17/08/2007	Bulgaria	Slivnica	15,5	1569
105	18/08/2007	Bulgaria	Sofia	19	1588	100,25
106	19/08/2007	Bulgaria	Sofia		1588
107	20/08/2007	Bulgaria	Pancarevo	10,5	1598,5
108	21/08/2007	Bulgaria	Jaz. Iskar	16	1614,5
109	22/08/2007	Bulgaria	Samokov	11,25	1625,75
110	23/08/2007	Bulgaria	Kostenec	23	1648,75
111	24/08/2007	Bulgaria	Belovo	11,75	1660,5
112	25/08/2007	Bulgaria	Pazardzik	16,75	1677,25
113	26/08/2007	Bulgaria	Plovdiv	23	1700,25	112,25
114	27/08/2007	Bulgaria	Plovdiv		1700,25
115	28/08/2007	Bulgaria	Sadovo	14,25	1714,5
116	29/08/2007	Bulgaria	Varbica	22,25	1736,75
117	30/08/2007	Bulgaria	Haskovo	13	1749,75
118	31/08/2007	Bulgaria	Harmanli	20,5	1770,25
119	01/09/2007	Bulgaria	Svilengrad	19,25	1789,5
120	02/09/2007	Turkey	Edirne	22,5	1812	111,75
121	03/09/2007	Turkey	Edirne		1812
122	04/09/2007	Turkey	Havsa	21	1833
123	05/09/2007	Turkey	Babaeski	18	1851
124	06/09/2007	Turkey	Luleburgaz	12	1863
125	07/09/2007	Turkey	Acmetbey	14,25	1877,25
126	08/09/2007	Turkey	Saray	16	1893,25
127	09/09/2007	Turkey	Sayalar	17	1910,25
128	10/09/2007	Turkey	Catalça	24,5	1934,75
129	11/09/2007	Turkey	Boyalik	10,25	1945
130	12/09/2007	Turkey	Istanbul	24,75	1969,75	157,75

Letter of Support from John Whittingdale OBE, MP

In a letter dated 7 February 2007, John Whittingdale, Member of Parliament for Maldon and East Chelmsford wrote:

"I was interested to hear about your plan to walk from London to Istanbul in order to raise awareness of European heritage. As Chairman of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, I take a close interest on heritage matters and recently initiated a debate in Parliament on this subject.

I am very happy for you to use a quote from me in support of the project - perhaps: "The countries of Europe have an extraordinarily rich and diverse heritage which we often do not appreciate enough. I welcome Paul Gardner's imaginative project to raise awareness and at the same time, to raise money for two very deserving causes. I wish Paul every success."

With best wishes,

Yours Sincerely,

John Whittingdale

Letter of Support from the Council of Europe

Dated 10 April 2007,

The Council of Europe has sent me a letter of support:

"Thank you for your letter of 2 March 2007 concerning you proposed walk across Europe in the interest of maximising the sponsorship for your two designated charities - the British Heart Foundation and Europa Nostra.

This is a worthwhile initiative and we would like to wish you every success. It is indeed an interesting project and I hope that it will raise a lot of interest and also help further European cooperation and integration as well as foster a better understanding of the continent's shared history and culture.

With best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Daniel Thérond,
Deputy Director of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage."