Between Rotterdam and Breda
8 December 2022

The train ran from A to B in sixty minutes.
During that time, I walked from the back to the front of the train.
The train ran from B to A in sixty minutes.
During that time, I walked from the front to the back of the train.

Between Düsseldorf and Munich
23 October 2022.
In a train,
running at high speed,
I moved as slowly as possible.

This walk took place on 16 September 2022,
over a distance of 8.4 km and lasted 126 minutes.
I walk east, across the tarmac. After forty steps I pass two barns. I follow the road, down the slope, turning slightly to the left. At the bottom, I turn right onto another road, almost in the opposite direction. On the left is a large cushy grass field, on the right a hill. About 100 steps further, I turn left onto a path of gravel and crushed stone. The path bends slowly to the right and uphill. I pass another path on the right, covered in grass, but walk straight ahead. After a swampy area on the right, I see a rampart behind which is a lake. The path on which I walk meanders on, alternately ascending and descending. I walk on and between the trees I see that the lake ends. Then, after a few metres of bushes, the second lake begins. I continue on the path, downhill and come to a fork in the road. I follow the gravel path to the left, past the third lake. The path rises again, branches off to the left and leads to a fork a little further on. I now take the path to the right, along the edge of the forest. To my right is a field, glowing in the sunlight. After a while, the path I walk on runs into the forest. It is cooler here. After sixty steps, the path bends to the right, past a flowing spring on my left. A little later, the forest ends and to the left of the path is a hedge of trees in front of a meadow. To the right is just open land. After walking for a few minutes, I see an empty old farmhouse between the trees. On the bare walls is canvas tarpaulin. I follow the path further to the left and up, and at a junction I turn left again into another stretch of forest. The path here is formed of clay and filled with dry leaves. My footsteps sound different, dry, rustling. On the left side of the path is a neglected meadow, with bushes and some big old trees. The path is fairly flat here, only starting to rise again a little further on as it bends off to the right. To the left and right are orchards with walnut trees. After about five minutes, the path ends at an asphalt road. On the road, I turn left and walk in the direction of a village some distance away. On both sides of the road is fields of grass. On the left cows are grazing, on the right there is nothing. Walking into the village, I first pass a large manicured garden, after that houses on both sides. At a distance, I hear the sound of a brushcutter. Very close by, a small dog in a garden barks at me. The road goes straight through the village and continues between walnut trees. After a few minutes is a stop sign at a junction. I turn left and pass an old farmhouse. Past the farmhouse, I turn right and walk towards the motorway. The road surface is full of cracks. The heat of the sun I guess. The road goes up and the landscape in front of me is smoothly mown grass and rolling. The road ends between two houses by a junction at the motorway. When no cars are approaching, I quickly cross. On the other side, the road continues in the same way, as if the motorway has only cut a piece out of it. On both sides are walnut orchards. There is no wind, silence everywhere. The road continues in a straight line and some time later I enter a village. The first building is the farm to which the orchards probably belong. Then some country houses and gradually the rest of the village. Before approaching the centre, I turn right onto a rising road, which leads to the next village. Now and again a car or a tractor passes by. Nothing else happens. I feel like I am moving in a frozen landscape. A steep road takes me to the next village where it is just as quiet. Like a ribbon, the road winds between the houses. I cross a junction and head up an old path. Along the side stand two disused dovecotes, an old shed. Rounding a large tree, I turn left and climb up a grassy path. At the top, I have a view of the landscape and try to follow the trail all the way back to where I started.