English Garden Hike

I said it before, and I’ll say it again.

The best way to see a city is to hike it.

It was time for a quick stop in in Munich. This time, I saw it like never before. We spent an entire day hiking the English Garden, and we didn’t even cover the whole thing.

It starts off with massive stretches of well manicured park dotted with cafes and beer gardens. If you are adventurous enough, you can explore portions of the other side. There are long stretches along the water and trails through the lush forest. Despite the size of the city, you will feel like you aren’t even in one. Deep in the upper portion of the park in the forest, we saw a herder, in his attire, grazing his sheep. His herding dog put on an impressive show.

We covered a good portion of the garden. Including the trek to and from the hotel, we clocked around 27 km. It might sound like a lot, but it’s doable. I’ve been hiking more back home and setting a certain pace. I’ve also been working on my metal space when the hikes get long. After a while, it comes naturally. It’s invigorating, allows you to truly experience more of the cities you visit, clears your mind, and builds up an appetite for the local culinary delights.

On the day of the English Garden, I was quite happy with my ability to keep the pace, physically and mentally. Being in the forest does have a magical effect on me and puts me into a better place.

On the map, close to the point of the figure 8 crossing, there is a mini hofbrauhaus. It’s a small outdoor version of the big beer hall in the core of the city. We covered most of the upper portion of the park before stopping at the mini beer garden. At this point, we only had the last leg to get back to the city center.

Once back near our hotel for the evening, we hit the main beer hall and stayed for a while. The beer is great. I particularly liked the Helles. The food at these beer halls is amazing. We grazed on a small charcuterie, then shared a roasted pork knuckle. If you’ve never had one, you should. The beer halls Munich know how to roast meat. We even caught some live music.

Don’t get me wrong, Munich has lots to offer, but don’t miss out on the nature embedded within its core.

My city hiking tips: carry a small pack with water, rain coat, sweater, emergency snack, and sun screen. Also have some spare change on you in case you need to use the facilities when in Europe.

Follow along on Strava for all the hikes and click able maps.

May 26, 2023 0

Brussels by Foot

It’s been a while since I’ve been on a proper adventure. You might be familiar with Just a Girl and Her Bike. This time, it’s Just a Girl and Her Boots.

Yes, that’s right. Back pack loaded and hiking boots laced up, I was more than ready to see new parts of the world.

This trek started with a 2 week stretch through some big cities. The best way to really see a big city is by hiking through the parks. I was utterly surprised and delighted with the immense green space in Brugges, Munich, and Prague. But, we’ll get to that.

Let’s start with Brussels. We arrived in the afternoon and hit the ground running. Putting on your walking shoes and getting in some steps right off the bat is the best way to reinvigorate yourself after a long journey and to keep yourself awake and not suffer long effects of jet lag. Just lace up those shoes and go!

We made a proper first stop at Moeder Lambic for some outrageous beer. I gravitated to the lambic style that they had on tap (this doesn’t happen at home). I replenished with moules & frites. The lover of creepy things on me came out when we grabbed a night cap at a high-end beer place that used to be a theater and is filled with puppets!

Our second day gave us a full day to hike and see things. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to walk through the forest areas that we thought we could. When it doesn’t go your way, find another one. We turned the day into a big city tour and covered a lot of ground.

We started off with a visit to a Gothic cathedral. The style is stunning, inside and out. There’s something sureal about looking up at windows, arches, and structures riddled with intricacy and that must have taken a long time to create.

We then fuelled up with a proper local breakfast of Croque Madame and a delicious beer.

We hiked all through the city and up a hill to a science center. Keeping a good pace and meandering off the main route to cover the occasional little bit of forest is a sure way to get your body and your mind feeling great after a long day of travelling. I highly recommend setting at least a guideline for your route with a target pace and distance. It’s the key to feeling great from the beginning of the trip.

After our invigorating walk, we kept the steps going. We made two stops at the famous Delirium brewery. It’s an entire street of separate places, all serving up fresh pints!

The day was getting long, and it took us a bit, but we found an amazing spot for dinner, down in a cave like place. This is when patience paid off. I was famished. The day was getting long. But when we walked into this place, I knew I needed to tap into my zen. When a plate of rabbit slow cooked in lambic beer was set down in front of me, I was in heaven. When it gets long, take a deep breathe a d regroup. Travelling by foot can be amazing if you can tap into your patience and your calm energy.

Here’s my route uploaded to Strava. Follow me there to see all the hike and the details of each.

May 24, 2023 1

Self Care

The forest heals. The fresh air infuses life. The sights and sounds of nature refresh and revive.

After a busy time with unexpected challenges, I could feel the fatigue building as I plunged into final preparations for and all weekend reading and writing conference. I did something quite smart that I don’t usually do. I took a day off and enjoyed life. A full day of hiking, happy hour and even a football game, with my husband, refreshed me.

I had way too much fun at the conference, despite the fact that it had to be online. I gave presentations. I went to presentations. I helped host others. It felt good to be part of something that has been fundamental to my writing success.

By the end of the three days, I was cooked. I did something smart, that 9 don’t usually do. I read in bed and binged Shudder (if you’re a closet horror lover like me, check out my other website, KillersAndDemons).

After two days, I felt better. I decided to continue to be smart. I did a bunch of work, then, I went outside into the sunshine, and walked for two hours through the forest.

Am I finally learning to listen when my being needs something? I hope so.

Do you listen when you need some self care? I find having a list of things that I know I love thay make me feel good, and being setup to easily execute on them, sets me up for success. For example, having good hiking clothes clean at all times, a great pair of shoes by the door, and pack ready to go with snacks and sunscreen. Or having books or movies on hand so I can chill. Or having my bathroom stocked with bath salts, candles, and aromatic bubble bath.

Take care, and be sure to stop and be nice to yourself when you need a break.

August 18, 2021 0

A New Adventure: Chamonix Part II

One day, my husband declared that he had read about a hiking trail called the ‘Tour de Mont Blanc’ which starts in France and passes through Italy and Switzerland. According to National Geographic it was one of best hikes in the world. He showed me videos of picturesque trails and breathtaking mountain views. Thus, the seedlings had been planted for our first hiking trip. Our usual forte was cycling, so this would be a brand new adventure for us. Continue reading “A New Adventure: Chamonix Part II” →

July 17, 2016 14