More of this Feature • Day 1 • Day 2 • Day 3 • Day 4

Related Resources • Wendy's Nijmegen '99 • Gary's Ireland Walk • Gary's Luxembourg Review • Gary's Viborg 2-Day Walk Review • Gary's Hærvejsvandring 300K

From Other Guides • Europe for Visitors

Elsewhere on the Web • Nijmegen 4-Days Walk

The following morning of Day One the contingents (groups of 12-44 personnel) formed up at one gate and we individuals formed at another. The bands played and the first of several contingents leave first, then the individuals are allowed to depart. The road to the main street is 900 meters long and soon we were on the main stretch leading into Nijmegen. The route takes us into the center of town which is still nearly asleep. Some early risers from the town are hurrying to beat the mass of humanity which will fill many of the roads in the area. This year 40,000 marchers signed up with 38,400 departing the first day. Occasionally some early rising children were on hand. The calls of "stickers, souvenirs" were present. The children get great entertainment receiving stickers and other souvenirs from the marchers. I brought stickers my first year in 1999 and since then found that there was a great attraction to small American flags. I give these to the early rising children, staffers and support personnel at the rest areas and checkpoints.

After walking through Nijmegen we came to the bridge on the other side. This was the scene of bitter fighting between the 82nd Airborne and the German Army. The purpose of the fighting was to open a gateway to Germany in September of 1944. The story goes that a Dutch citizen from Nijmegen discovered that the Germans had set a firing device to explosives and hid the detonators in a gardeners shed near the bridge. He is reported to have entered the shed and destroyed the firing device. This has never been proven, but the fact remains when the Germans attempted to destroy the bridge, nothing happened other than the American armor rolled across.

We crossed the bridge and entered Lent, the first village on the far side.
The people of Lent take great pride that they are the first after Nijmegen on Day One and they are nearly all out on the street. And the children. The route takes is thereafter to Bemmel. The 30k marchers turn off before, and the 50k marchers go farther out to gain there distance.

Eventually everyone gets back together at Elst which is the first big town for the 30 and 40k folks. The town is lined with people, and there are bands every 100 meters or so.

Then to Oosterhout, and back towards the camp. After passing through Nijmegen once again the military have a piece by themselves, and a kilometer or so before the camp we come to a bowling alley. The establishment puts out a beer tap and tables out front and those who have the time sit and have a beer before taking the last of the route back to camp.

So Day One ends quietly, and I head to Franks Place, a quieter beer establishment far from the main tent where one can sit and talk without fighting the music.

Next page > Day 2 > Intro, 1, 2, 3, 4