2025

Invitation: Mega Walkabout

July -August 2026

The cave up close, 3 people stand in the entrance looking out, image for sharing the post

Murielle and I in Paris, 1 July, 2026

From North Germany to Paris, 740 km hiking, passing Netherlands, Belgium (Brussels), outdoor, with minimalistic baggage...

My mega-walkabout has shrunk a bit. I'm still drawn to the idea of living a permanent nomadic life, wandering back and forth between Northern Germany and Southern Europe. But I also want to preserve the fincas where I'm currently living here in Southern Spain. If I leave them and hand them over to other people, there's a risk that bulldozers will soon arrive and tear everything down. That's why I'm just doing a trial run for now and walking from Northwest Germany to Paris....

Mega Walkabout track

I have carefully selected a route for our long hike from Northern Germany to Paris (mid-July to end of August 2026), with many unpaved paths, little traffic and plenty of swimming opportunities in the summer. Here you can check our route on a hiking map...

River Discovery

27 - 30 Apr 2025

Between the provinces of Málaga and Granada, there is a mountain range with few connecting roads. Sven and I tried a connection through a river... Read more about River Discovery

Manhood Walkabout

13 - 15 Apr 2025

There are some young people in my neighbourhood with the usual problems: hating the school, smartphone addiction, lack of physical activity etc. So we invited them to take part in a joint challenge. But only the boys and two men... Read more about Manhood Walkabout

Adventure Walkabout

30 Mar - 2 Apr 2025

Sven is the only hiker I know who is prepared to go on adventurous hikes like me. And he's currently visiting me for a few months. So it's the perfect time for an adventure hike... Read more about Adventure Walkabout

Shortened Walkabout

24 March 2025

I planned to walk from the coast to the hot spring of Sanra Fé from 8 March 2025. But there was too much rain, we postponed it, The rain didn't stop, we postponed it again. Finally we started on 24 March. But after just half a day we decided to go back home ... Read more about Shortened Walkabout

Our animal photos and videos

6 Mar 2025

In the course of our outdoor life and events, we have had some special animal sightings - ants with impressive teamwork, deadly fights, mating snakes...

Winter Walkabout, Mediterranean coast

9 - 12 Feb 2025

Now in winter there are a few hiking enthusiasts in the neighbourhood. Many are more into day trips, but there are also some who like to hike with me for several days. In winter, we avoid the high mountains and hike near the coast... Read more about Winter Walkabout, Mediterranean coast

Small Winter Walkabout, mountains of Nerja

5 - 6 Feb 2025

Sleeping outside in the middle of winter is hard to imagine for some people, even here in southern Spain. I invited some friends who felt the same way to sleep just one night in a cave in the mountains... Read more about Small Winter Walkabout, mountains of Nerja

Mediterranean Paddle Tour

20 - 24 Oct 2024

My partner Murielle didn't feel like paddling this time. But her friend Aline did. And me. We paddled the same route as the year before so we didn't have to transport the boat... Read more about Mediterranean Paddle Tour

Río Chillar Walkabout

16 - 18 Oct 2024

A spontaneous Walkabout with Murielle and 2 more participants. The Río Chillar is a beaautiful river with clear water. The river flows into the Mediterranean about three kilometres from our finca. On the way back, we hiked along the ridge to the east of the Río Chillar... Read more about Río Chillar Walkabout

Drinking water at Mulhacén

✍️ 2 Sept 2024

⛰️💦

If you want to climb the Mulhacén and spend one or more nights nearby, you will certainly want to know if you can find drinking water there. I recommend 2 water sources... Read more about Drinking water at Mulhacén

Mulhacén Walkabout

22 - 28 Aug 2024

The Mulhacén (3480m, in the Sierra Nevada) is the highest mountain on the Spanish mainland. It is only 59km as the crow flies from our finca to the Mulhacén. We hiked up there. And then Murielle fell ill... Read more about Mulhacén Walkabout

Lactofermentation

✍ 12 Aug 2024

Lactofermentation is a simple, cheap and healthy way of preserving vegetables. Sauerkraut and Korean kimchi are examples, but you can do it with almost any vegetable. I'll show you everything you need to know and much more... Read more about Lactofermentation

Drôme Walkabout

17 - 20 July 2024

Our friend Jean-Claude has found a new summer residence in Southeast France. He says it's a very nice hiking area. We tried it out and can confirm it.... Read more about Drôme Walkabout

16 Jul 2024

Bicycle trip instead of Oldenburg Walkabout

I invited to a Walkabout from Leer (Ostfriesland) to Oldenburg in Northwest Germany. Because of rain, we reduced it to a one-day bicycle tour to the Northsee coast (Krummhörn). We found plums, mirabelles, cherries and rosehips on the way to eat.

Here a farmer had cordoned off the road with ropes to give way to his 100 cows so that they could go from the stable to the pasture. After he had cleaned the road, he let us drive on. But we got talking. He is 62 years old and said that everything used to be better, when everyone knew everyone and there weren't so many buildings around. I largely agree with him. But I also think it's good that I now have a smartphone and a laptop to write this blog.

Does the Internet bring more benefits or more disadvantages to humanity? And how could the disadvantages be reduced? I will write an article about this.

Cabo de Gata Walkabout

29 April - 3 May 2024

Joachim and I walked through this "wild and isolated landscape with some of Europe's oldest geological features". Neither of us has been hiking for a while, so we plan to do a fairly leisurely hike... Read more about Cabo de Gata Walkabout

25 Apr 2024

Slow Walk cancelled

I invited people to a Slow Walk with Jean-Claude and to a Cabo de Gata Walk with Joachim via the newsletter. The slow walk has been cancelled because Jean Claude is feeling too weak and nobody else registrated. He had two teeth pulled that were infected at the root. The Cabo de Gata Walk with Joachim will take place from 28 April.

7 Apr 2024

A little horror story

My little horror story can't compete with the gruesomeness of a horror film. But it has its own charm because it comes from my real life. It happened last evening.

Under the mulberry tree

It occurs to me to eat mulberries. I go to the big mulberry tree. It already has plenty of ripe mulberries, the tastiest ones are almost black, but they can also be slightly lighter in colour, like amaranth purple. I discover that there are already quite a few lying on the floor. Most of them are even riper and tastier. Sometimes I blow them off before putting them in my mouth. But herbs grow under the tree, so the mulberries are usually clean. And I'm hungry, the rhythm of my movements speeds up...

Out and back in again

Suddenly the contents of my mouth return to the ground in the herbs at an even greater speed. I feel something in my mouth, it doesn't come out. It's probably a small animal, it has bitten into the skin quite far back, close to the palate. I try to get it out with a sharp stream of air, but I don't succeed. Now I put the mulberries back from the ground into my mouth. I hope that the little animal slips into my stomach with the food.

It doesn't come out

After I've eaten enough mulberries, I can still feel the animal close to the roof of my mouth. In our hut, I try to reach it with a finger, then with a spoon handle, but I don't succeed. Well, I'll go to sleep with it if I have to, the skin will get rid of the little beast. But I would still like to know what it is. One more attempt, mouth wide open, right index finger deep inside - I've got it and manage to get it out of my mouth! And what do I see now? A dead ant! Conclusion: Better to eat a little slower!

Former experiences

I sometimes eat ants on purpose, but then move them back and forth in my mouth with my tongue so they can't bite. Once a Green Shield Bug got into my mouth with the wild plants I was eating. It released an unpleasant-tasting secretion, it tasted similar to coriander but much hotter. I automatically spat it all out again - and watched the green bug run away.