Walking in Europe

After a great rest in the tent in Nieuwpoort, I rode along quiet, flat (!) pathways to the lovely city of Bruges where I’ll officially end my time on the bike, conclude this blog, and start making my way to Amsterdam to fly home next week. Can’t wait. I’m homesick, and miss Ali and my family very much. I’ll keep the site up a few more weeks (fix a few typos etc lol).

It has been an inspiring trip on so many levels: meeting and making new friends who had such interesting stories and ideas (I loved our various discussions riding side be side along the route until the familiar “car back!” was hollered from the rear rider to get us all back in line); setting and achieving a difficult physical challenge; supporting the Western Front Way idea of a path for peace dreamed by an ancestor who was himself in the midst of a war; and learning so much about the horrific violence and resulting trauma faced by a generation and their families over a hundred years ago-including my grandparents and Ali’s grandparents. And I was comforted to realize that I felt immense grief when reflecting on everything I took in and experienced. I would have been worried had I not.

But perhaps what is most bewildering and indeed so troubling is that the immense tragedy of the 1914-1918 conflict continues to be replicated around the world today at the hands of political and military leaders who must simply have no regard or care for human life, humanity or our precious planet. Perhaps A.D. Gillespie’s vision of a path of peace should be ubiquitous and daily; that every time we walk a forest path, along a beach, through a busy street, we should take a few moments to contemplate and personally commit to living and working for peace, and to listen long and hard to the spirits of the silent witnesses.

Thanks everyone! Peace be with you.