Dinner was very expensive at our hotel even though we get a huge discount on our lodgings, so decided to look around this small village. We found the one place in town on the village road, so close that it also took up the footpath space. Two younger Dutch women said hello and sat next to us where that footpath should have been.

Our food was superb and we shared it with a bottle of green wine. Green wine, if you weren’t aware is made from the first picked grapes of red or white. In lay terms, this one was dry with a little fizz.

I said shared it;  this also meant with the pavement below. This bottle had a cooling sleeve around it –  usually tight around the bottle. This one wasn’t so when Corrie picked it up it fell straight through hitting my knee then smashing on the pavement.

Within seconds the owner was out with a full set of wine cleaning equipment. He said it happens a bit so thus the preparedness I imagine. The two Dutch women were as relaxed as the owner saying that you need only be concerned about dying. Everyone was laughing, so maybe they keep it loose on purpose. We received another large bottle so I’m sure the owner will share what we leave with others.

A big day today for me, my first attempt at completing over 15 kms. It worked!  Was it muscle memory? Some other memory of what has been done in the past? Was my leg just waiting for me to do what I’ve done in the past: long distances, and brisk, confident walking?” How otherwise did I walk 21 kms with less trouble than days of 10 or 15 kms without my left leg complaining? I don’t know.

When we finally arrived at our destination after a fairly uneventful day on the cobbles, we slowed down to a saunter to take in the mediaeval atmosphere. My left leg started to complain for the first time that day, but only briefly. Was it the long day? Was it that it didn’t have a successful muscle memory around this type of walking? I don’t know. 

Corrie said to me later that she was curious that morning when I said I was feeling confident about the day. Maybe that had something to do with it, or the fact that I love leaving early and this was the first time we had done that, or even the overtaking of slow walkers lifted my confidence, who knows?

I’m aware it’s been a lot about me, but maybe some of you with PD may reflect a little on the above and see if any of it is useful for struggles you may have.