Door to Door in 81 Days by Roger Gill
Monday, 7 October 2019
A local man’s long walk after a serious heart operation through six European countries
Above: The Book Case shop window today, Monday, 7 October 2019
Go to The Book Case in Hebden Bridge on Saturday 12th October between 2-5pm to talk to Roger about his epic walk, buy a signed copy of the book or even try on his 18 kilo rucksack.
Roger has told the HebWeb, "In August 2010, a blocked artery caused me to suffer a near fatal heart condition. It was hard for me to walk more than a few paces without taking a rest. In October of the same year, I had three stents fitted to make the blood flow again. It was while recovering from this dire episode that I hatched the plan to walk from our home in Hebden Bridge to our holiday home in Italy.
"I obviously had to train well to do the walk, gently at first, but also wait until I had retired. This mammoth walk began on 21st April 2016 and – as the title says – it took 81 Days to complete.
"This book is an account of, what other people have described as, 'my amazing journey'. It is a travel book, revealing a fascinating view of the six European countries through which I walked, and a personal account of my struggle against old age (69) and ill health. "
Roger's book is more than a fascinating travel story, providing the reader with a viewpoint that one can only gets when placing one foot in front of the other while carrying that's needed to survive in a rucksack on the back.
The reader will learn about submerged shells in the Netherland’s soil, the schoolchildren’s boredom on a German visit to a cuckoo clock museum, the backdoor into cities known for their famous architecture and cathedrals, local customs, flora and fauna and ancient and modern historical events, and much more.
The book also provides an insight into how the Dutch, German, Austrian and Italian people were thinking of the British when they voted for Brexit in 2016.
Roger's story is one about my battles with sometimes flagging determination, the inevitable setbacks of old age, hereditary heart disease and… blisters.
Roger says of the book, "As you turn the pages you will join me every step of the way – willing me on to emulate my hero travel writer, Patrick Leigh Fermor, and achieve the 1326 miles from Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire to the small Italian town of Santa Vittoria in Matenano."
