I've reached Rome. After 4 months of walking thru beautiful Europe. The last week was relaxed walking. I had won some days on my original schedule and as my family and some friends had planned to come to Rome to welcome me, it was no option to arrive earlier in Rome. So I took a few extra resting days on the Lakes of Bolsena and Brocciano. The weather was beautiful.

Despite it was already the end of September, temperatures in the middle of Italy still reached 30 degrees Celsius. The last two stages of my walk brought me to the square of St. Peter in Vatican City. About 30km walking beside a busy street with a lot of traffic. Not exactly the track I was used to walk the last weeks and not very good for someone like me with a lung disease. But the finish was in sight so I didn't bother too much about it.

The day before arriving in Rome, my brother and his wife joined me at the lake Bracciano. The last time I had seen them was in Luxembourg about 3 months ago. And then it was the 4th of October, the final day. A team of a Dutch television station was waiting for me in Rome to do an interview and filmed me during the last 5 kilometers, which went thru the city of Rome thru a street called the Via Trionfale (The street of Victory). And then at one o'clock p.m. I reached the square of St. Peter. My family, some friends and even two colleagues from my work with their partners were waiting to welcome me.

I raised my arms in the air as a sign of victory. I had made it. My dream had come true. I was happy to see my mom and dad and close them in my arms.
From now on I could relax. There was no need to walk anymore. Just relax and enjoy the city of Rome the next days, that was what was going thru my mind.
Unfortunately a few days later I couldn't walk anymore, even if I would. My right ankle was swollen and burning red. It kept me one day in bed. I was lucky that it happened now and not earlier during my walk. After one day in bed I decided that I had not walked 4 months to Rome to lie in a bed so I put on my shoes, ignored the pain in my right foot and did some sightseeing in Rome together with one of my best friends.

On October the 9th it was time to go back home. No, not by feet, but by plain. What took me 4 months, the plain did in about 2 hours! Back in Holland my boss was waiting for me on the airport to bring me home. In Nispen, the street I live in, was decorated with flags and a lot of people were waiting for me at the house of my parents. They even had organised a big welcome in the evening where everybody was welcome. Now I began to realise what I had done.

When I am writing this it's almost two months later since I finished my walk and still people are talking about it. A week ago I was decorated with a medal from The Duth Royal family by the major of my hometown. It was a big reward for what I had reached in my live until now and I'm feeling very proud. In a few days I will travel to Delhi to see what for beautiful job CFW is doing in India. I hope I will see a lot of children with CF with a big smile on their face, that would be an even bigger reward for me then such medal!

Luxembourg I will remember in one way… WET. A lot of rain.

A collegue and his wife are on holiday here in Vianden and they support me the whole week. The provided my sleeping place and food and walk along the muddy routes through the hills.

In Vianden I met representatives from the Luxembourg CF Organisation. They organised publicity in the newspaper and on tv.

My brother and sister in law surprised me with a visit! My brother walk along and we had a lot to talk about!

Than a short story about my daily routine this time:

No alarmclock. I wake up around 7 by myself, breakfast around 8.30

9.15 / 9.30 I will be on my way. First stop, backery or Supermarket for my daily diet.

I will have lunch whenever I am hungry and where ever I will be. Hiding from the rain underneath a shelter, on the steps of a church, or laying down in the sun in the grass.

Usually I arrive between 15.00 and 1600 at the next location. A bit to eat first to catch up with lost energy. Than arranging a place to sleep, have a shower and take a nap. I realise I need the nap. The walking takes a lot of energy and I do need to fill up the battery before I can go on again. I also noticed that the resting days are nessecary to re-gain strength and energy.

After that, around 19.00/19.30 I go look for diner.

Around 22.00 I will be in bed, write in my diary and go to sleep.

Medication is no problem, all is well. I had a bit of a struggle with the correct dose of insuline at the beginning and I had a few hypers. But all is under control now. I use a lot less insuline, because of the walking and different way of eating.

My thoughts are often with the things I experienced and did in my life so far. All the set goals I achieved. I am so happy with the desicion I made at younger age. To go for the quality of life rather than the quantity. What ever happens, there are always positive things to think about. I promissed myself to enjoy life even more. It is too short to let it go by without enjoying it!