Barefoot and illegal in Bohemia

Saxony and Czech Republic, June 2020

I arrived from Berlin around midday at the little train station by the river Elbe, from where the trail would start right up into the woods into the National Park of the so called Saxon Switzerland. Fortunately, there were not many hikers on my trail as I had especially looked out for a more challenging and unpopular one within this area. Soon after I had started, the compensation of beautiful views and wild forest was naturally given to me. After seven weeks stuck in Berlin, I enjoyed my first trip out. Back on track in the nature with rucksack filled with tent, sleeping bag and enough musli bars and nuts.

During my stop over in Dresden in the morning, I had quickly bought some new hiking boots in a store by the central station, leaving my holey sneakers behind in a trash box and not thinking about the eventual blisters that could appear. What a stupid rookie mistake! As there they grew. And grew. My feet hurt so much after the second day that I just took off the boots.
The trail was supposed to enter the Czech Republic but due to Covid 19, the borders were closed and not to be trespassed. Of course , I did neglect the detour right along the border by the stone landmarks and entered , barefoot and illegal , the area of beautiful Bohemia and Moravia in the neighboring country.

By then, I was completely on my own. Besides my sole of the feet that were still in process of growing enough cornea to avoid feeling every little stone or pinecone I stepped on, I was happy as hell. At least I received the best foot massage ever.

I though about my auntie and my grandmother being chucked out by the Czech 74 years ago, in the middle of the winter, after my mother was born on the way in a little village in this area that had still belonged to the German Reich. Who am I to complain about fucking blisters!

Before the rainy days had overcome the area, I was back in the train on my way to Berlin after some really precious days in the woods , gaining back powerful spirits with enough fresh air ventilating the brain. Back home, I admired all those little companions I had carried along stuck on my body, trying to get rid of them entirely including their heads: the tics. Had no intension of getting transmitted the Borreliose disease what so ever.

Happy Holidays