This time two years ago, my husband and I had just embarked on the momentous walk right across France - 330 miles from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.

512 Kms - plus all the extra ones we did!

I wish I was doing it again now - or, the other one I’d love to do: Canterbury to Rome on the Via Francigena, parts of which I’ve done in Tuscany and Lazio. It takes about 3.5 months, and I' need to do it soon or I’ll be too decrepit! There’s something about a long, long walk.

Many of us have been walking each day during lockdown. And we know that even 15 minutes a day makes a huge difference to us, mentally, physically, emotionally and even spiritually.

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2,400 years ago, Hippocrates emphasised that no medication could have such a broad effect as simply putting one foot in front of another. Walking is man’s best medicine, he said. And apparently it can add seven years to your life and improve your health in numerous ways.

Professor of inherited cardiac diseases in sport cardiology at St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London, Sanjay Sharma suggests:

“We might never avoid being totally old, but the time we become old may be delayed. When we’re 70, we might look younger and actually live on to our nineties. Workouts by walking actually gives you an extra 3 to 7 years of life.”

And perhaps we are inspired by Colonel Captain Tom and his walk for the NHS, as well.

I’ve just finished reading three GREAT books that I highly recommend, on walking. And you don’t actually HAVE to walk to enjoy them!

Erling Kagge's book is a reflection on a life time of walking and how walking makes a difference to our lives. He is the first man to have walked to both Poles AND climbed Mt Everest! This is an illuminating examination of the joy of walking, and Kagge’s joy when he walks just shines through. “A walk refreshes and comforts and delights. Shut in at home, I would miserably decay and dry up.”

Bishop Graham Usher's words on how walking impacts our spirituality, our thinking, our looking. How it can be a time for healing, creates space for silence and solitude. Following in the steps of Jesus and other Christians, this book shows us how to walk our way back into Life. I’m devouring this more slowly, taking time to think and pray through it.

“Know how to tramp (ie long-distance walking or hiking) and you know how to live…” Stephen Graham, a man from a previous generation, gives advice on what to take (a collar and tie in your pocket in case you need to enter a bank, for instance) when hiking in the 1920's. Beautifully written and nostalgic! “Don't forget to take the coffee pot ... “ he writes. I loved this little book, and his reflections on people, food, clothes, itinerary - lots of little individual chapters, so easy to pick up and read for a few moments. Originally published in 1926, The Gentle Art of Tramping is a guide for anyone who has dreamed of taking to the road with nothing more than a bag full of essentials and big ideas. It gives guidance on walking, on being open to discovery and on being kind - advice as relevant now as it was then. Again, small chapters so easy to pick up for a few moments to enjoy. It’s a delightful size too - fits in a bag or a pocket easily!

Click on the links above to get your copy of any of them.

WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS

And of course, I have to mention my book of our walk across France! Did you know

it has lots of colour photos in it, so you can actually see some of the places described in the book
it’s been listed for the annual Book Awards by the American Library in Paris. The finalists will be announced this autumn. Find out more here
It’s a travelogue, a memoir, a pilgrimage, and a Francophile’s description of S W France
It’s also available on Audible. But you can get a signed copy of the book if you click here.

Clockwise from top left: Stuck in a tree, The Green Path, Leaving Drax, pain in Eugenie-les-Bains

A WALKING PARTNER

I find that walking alone enables me to spend time with God. From the very beginning, God wanted a relationship with his people; he went "walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Genesis 3:8). God created us for the enjoyment of a walking relationship, involving companionship, dialogue, intimacy. In fact, I find it easier to talk to God when I’m out walking, chatting to him in a way I don’t when I’m at home.

Who do you walk with?

Where do you find it easiest to walk with God? To talk to God?

Drop me a line - I’d love to know! And I often pray for people when I walk so let me know how I can be praying for you. (confidentialially; I don’t share it with anyone else)

There are some affiliate links in this blog post. If you click through to buy one of the books, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!