I’ll tell you right away, it won’t be an article with a list of benefits of walking!
This is rather a simple reflection focused on the exact moment when you are about to start your excursion: you then close the door of your car, put on your old jacket and backpack and… ready, set, go! It is an exciting time because you know that a day of discovery awaits you.
You have your map with you. The itinerary is set. And so is your destination. You have checked the weather to find out whether to bring an extra sweatshirt or a raincoat. You know you should find an old church or go through a quaint village, but other than that … everything else is an exploration! Is the path narrow? How many viewpoints? Will you meet someone along the trail?
Question: what if you have walked many times the same path? Well, nature take care of it: seasonal changes (flowering shrubs in spring or red, yellow and brown leaves in autumn), variable climate (clear sky or cloudy?), the flora (is it the time when you hunt for mushrooms or asparagus?), animals (buzzing of insects and chirping of birds). Each excursion gives you something new.
Perhaps you have that memory of when you were a kid. Walking seemed decidedly useless, complaining about everything, and constantly asking “are we there yet?” Now that those days are gone this feeling has changed. What you really feel now is the desire for air blowing in your face. And most of all: I want to see the world with a slow pace!
I go for a walk! Does not matter where I go. Yes, certainly, it would be nice to be able to be around Italy with my guests now, but a large part of my work also takes place in front of the computer. During this pandemic, even more so. Meetings with friends, training, entertainment, everything is happening in front of a computer. So, taking a walk, even just around my house, has acquired a big value. I close the door and I just go out: fresh air, warm sun rays (or rain…that’s okay), streets of my hometown … and I already feel much better.
Gianni Stanghellini, a guide that is impatiently waiting to go walking with you
