[Love Footpath Movie Download
Saija Grzegorek
Stepping onto the Appalachian Trail in the summer of 2014 was my stepping off the cliff moment. I began a southbound thru-hike with little backpacking experience and many questions that I planned on figuring out along the way. I had prepared to the best of my ability by saving money, putting things in storage, researching gear, putting my career on hold, and I was ready to let go of modern comforts.
Entering into a new relationship usually means that your circle widens. I found this also to be true of the AT. The community surrounding the Appalachian Trail is big, wide, and full of an abundance of love (and magic). This human and nonhuman circle seems to amplify my affinity for the Trail, and each year, I celebrate with them at Trail Days in Damascus, VA. Trail Angels, past hikers, future hikers, volunteers, and others who create this web of love come together to re-ignite dying embers. As the love for the Trail flows, the circle grows.
In 2015, I met Joshua Niven, who would later become my husband, at Trail Days while we were selling our art in booths directly across from one another. We quickly bonded over our shared passion for the AT, art, and Asheville, North Carolina, where we were both living at the time. Three years later, we moved into a 100-year-old cabin with a view of the Appalachian Trail in the distance and had our first son.
That first year of parenthood while living in the woods was worse than hiking the 100-mile wilderness with black flies and an empty food bag in the summer. It was ROUGH. However, as hikers, we know that navigating through dark valleys is part of the journey. We trekked through the sleepless nights, separation anxiety, and postpartum depression together. We took cold showers in the creek and did our business outdoors.
There was far less backpacking and way more mental-mountain-climbing. We did our best to catch our breath along the way and spent time evaluating our route as a family of three. Finally, we made it to the mountain top, but it was hard work.
New life emerged after a long winter. In the Spring of 2019, Joshua and I were presented with a fantastic opportunity to write a book about our favorite trail. Oh, and I also found out that I was pregnant with my second baby shortly after. This abundant season led us back to our love of nature and creating. The entire process of compiling a comprehensive book that spans the length of the trail was one big homecoming our souls needed.
We spent two years putting pen to paper and taking trips back to the AT to re-photograph sections. Joshua photographed his entire thru-hike, so we used many of his photographs from 2013, and I had journaled every day during my hike, which proved to be a great resource while writing. Still, there was much research and data gathering to do.
Becoming a parent gave us a new life filter. We see everything through new eyes, and right now, they are much closer to the ground, watching the flowers near the forest floor unfold. The sense of wonder and awe that our kids inspire in us is the same feeling that hiking the Appalachian Trail gifted me.
If you want to visit Palafrugell as well as the gardens and you only have 1 day, you might be better to go to Palafrugell first (before it shuts up for the long siesta) and visit Cap Roig on your way back.
A steep climb eventually brings you to the San Sebasti watch-tower. It costs 2 euros pp to visit, but there are no facilities there. Expect little other than a view and an eclectic collection of artwork.
The white-washed streets of Llafranc form a little resort clustered around a a small sandy beach with a smart marina at one end. The idyllic setting has appealed to an impressive number of celebrity visitors over the years, including Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor and local lad Salvador Dali. The bar at the Hotel Llafranc along the bay has a collection of photographs signed by its rich and famous clientele.
Inn Travel made all the arrangements for the five hotels we stayed in on this trip and for our luggage to be transferred between the hotels when needed, leaving us free to walk with just a light daypack. If you were organising your own trip, you could use a firm such as Costa Brava Taxis to do this for you, but we really appreciated the convenience of the all in one package Inn Travel offered.
Next door to the hotel is the exclusive 5-star Hostal de la Gavina, popular on its heyday with Hollywood superstars such as Charles Chaplin, Orson Welles, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
The service is warm and friendly, the gin and tonics are generous and the dinner menu satisfying. There is also a swimming pool and a mini golf here. This hotel makes a convenient stopover on a walking route along the pretty Catalan coast.
Located just a short walk uphill from Calella, the family run Hotel San Roc has a lovely shady, geranium filled garden terrace overlooking the bay and a popular restaurant to tempt you with local delicacies (with la carte options available if you choose). The pretty bedrooms are beautifully decorated. Breakfast on the sunny terrace listening to the waves and admiring the textile fish decor is a real treat.
Our spacious room here at the Hotel Aigua Blava was easily the best of the trip. This beautifully decorated hotel has a selection of large lounges and terraces to relax in and the swimming pool is large enough to accommodate long length swimming happily.
Walking is also my favourite way to explore a destination, especially in the mornings. Of the 15-odd cities and towns I have lived in India, the most walkable were the army cantonments I grew up in. Panaji in Goa is perfect for walking. You can walk along the river or market without the nearby traffic bothering you. Unfortunately, the hot and humid weather with long monsoons is not walk-friendly.
Gangtok is another walk-friendly city. Its walkways at the edge of its hilly roads let you walk uninterruptedly with a clear view of the Kanchenjunga range of the Himalayas. Despite the hilly terrain, the city has given respect to the people who love to walk. Chandigarh, the city I grew up in, was very walk-friendly until our lust for cars overtook all the empty spaces.
In Bengaluru, a city blessed with lovely weather to walk, one evening, I walked to a temple about 2 km from my home. It was a nightmare, with traffic coming from all sides. The narrow footpath needs help accommodating the trees, the chai shops and their customers, and the eateries and waste. At every intersection, you need to get down, cross the road and step up on the pathway or whatever is left.
The techies with huge backpacks rarely realise that they occupy thrice the space and can potentially hit someone whenever they turn around. Taxis are parked half on the footpath and half on the road. Two-wheeler drivers are talking with their phones in hand, and the army of delivery boys zoom past.
It was dark on my way back, so I had to be extra careful of the garbage, the stones lying around, and the vehicles yet to switch on the headlights. I was walking between the shining well-lit corporate offices on either side but had zero streetlights on the walkway. The concept of zebra crossings is alien in this coveted startup district of the new-age Bengaluru.
Walking, to me, is meditation. You get meditative as your feet move in a rhythmic motion, your mind starts calming down, and ideas emerge from the deep recesses of your subconscious. It is the easiest way to stay healthy, minimising the need for gym or wellness coach subscriptions. Walking together is a great way to bond with neighbours and friends. The best way to explore a destination is by walking. You engage with every nuance, decide your pace as you feel, and stop whenever something piques your interest.
Pedestrians do not contribute directly to the organised economy as the automotive industry does. The same goes for cycle lanes promoted by the cycle industry. Infrastructure is where the money lies for all those who depend on taxpayers. The poor pedestrians want the space left to them as it is.
Moss makes a wonderful, low maintenance path, and, yes, it is perfectly OK to walk on it, though high heels are not recommended! Jogging is not great, either, as this is likely to tear chunks of moss out of its place. But the foot automatically slows when it steps on the velvety surface of moss. Walking on a moss path transports one to a hushed and older realm, far from the stress and pace of modern life. It is best to savor the experience.
Moss has roots that anchor it to the surface, but these roots don't absorb water or minerals. Unlike more advanced plants, moss does not have a vascular system to transport water and nutrients. Instead, moss absorbs moisture directly from the air and uses sunlight to produce food through photosynthesis. If moss is covered up, it will not grow successfully. Because moss doesn't get its nutrients from the soil, it does well on poor, compacted soil and even solid surfaces such as stone or brick.
It will also grow on trees, but fortunately it is non-parasitic, since it does not steal nourishment from its host. Moss cannot store moisture and will dehydrate during prolonged dry periods. Nevertheless, many mosses spring back to life quickly once they are rehydrated. My moss path doesn't receive supplemental water but has easily survived several droughts.
Moss does not produce seeds or flowers. Spores are borne on long filaments in spring, but propagation by this method is difficult. The best way to get your moss path going is by adding plugs or sheets of moss wherever you want it to spread. Moss either grows in clumps or spreads horizontally, and the spreading type is best for paths. Local moss will be most suitable to your site. Just rough up the surface of the bare ground, put the moss on it, then firmly press or step on it to help it attach. Water it in, and your moss is ready to spread. Moss was already growing in a few places within my paths when I first got started, which is what gave me the idea to let it spread throughout. I found moss growing in other spots on my property and added plugs of it to the paths. I was thrilled when I found moss growing over the surface of a large flat rock. With the help of a trowel, pieces peeled off easily and made perfect transplants.
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