Mrs Nation and I had to laugh. We had one day spare after ending one tour , and starting another. So we decided to just take things easy in Rome.
I think we both realised what we were actually doing, and that was, sat watching the traffic go round a busy roundabout, while eating Macdonald's.Realising we could be doing this back home. It made a chuckle !

quote:

Originally posted by Californian:
Yes, Jim, practice your sprint and use good shoes, well, not necessarily true, but if you want to see everything you might have to move quickly... These days, I just sit by a walk side cafe and watch people, it has its merits. There are some things that are "must see", of course. Throw the coin in Rome, rub the feet in Prague, do whatever you need to do to assure a return and see the rest...

We recently moved to a new house and I got out of the habit of walking. This week I started back up on the treadmill again (and needed it). As silly as it may sound I want to make sure I'm in good walking shape before we do this land tour........

Not silly at all Jim, remember nothing is flat in Europe, and elevators? non existent, are you planning to climb St. Peters' dome or this tower or the other? (Probably the only tower with elevator is the Campanile in Venice, most recommendable.)

quote:

Originally posted by Californian:
Not silly at all Jim, remember nothing is flat in Europe, and elevators? non existent, are you planning to climb St. Peters' dome or this tower or the other? (Probably the only tower with elevator is the Campanile in Venice, most recommendable.)

You know we are just now looking into each stop with a Europe book I picked up at the bookstore. It is hard to tell from the Trafalgar brochure about climbing anything and of course I didn't realize elevators are non existant. I didn't even realize things weren't flat in Europe....we are truly first timers to Europe as well as TT.....

Sounds like I should also work on elevating the treadmill a few degrees

Thanks for the info......(I didn't know for example about St. Peters dome but we do stop there)

Oh, please Jim, I think I misspoke, there are elevators! Just not in the old places, cathedrals, and such, although I think they have elevators at the Vatican Museums, but only for disabled people. I am not talking either of mountains, just hills and cobble stones streets, I hope you dont' think I am crazy...I used to walk for hours, until the legs felt like falling off, not so much now, Purvis should chime in, she is a walker!

quote:

Originally posted by Californian:
Oh, please Jim, I think I misspoke, there are elevators! Just not in the old places, cathedrals, and such, although I think they have elevators at the Vatican Museums, but only for disabled people. I am not talking either of mountains, just hills and cobble stones streets, I hope you dont' think I am crazy...I used to walk for hours, until the legs felt like falling off, not so much now, Purvis should chime in, she is a walker!

No I think I understand........I figured kinda rolling hills, cobblestone streets and the like........if it truly were mountains...I'd stay on the bus Just keep helping this newbie....believe me if I don't understand I'll tell you.....

Thanks for all your help.

quote:

Originally posted by isujim:

quote:

Originally posted by Californian:
Yes, Jim, practice your sprint and use good shoes, well, not necessarily true, but if you want to see everything you might have to move quickly... These days, I just sit by a walk side cafe and watch people, it has its merits. There are some things that are "must see", of course. Throw the coin in Rome, rub the feet in Prague, do whatever you need to do to assure a return and see the rest...

We recently moved to a new house and I got out of the habit of walking. This week I started back up on the treadmill again (and needed it). As silly as it may sound I want to make sure I'm in good walking shape before we do this land tour........

It is always good to get in shape expecailly before a tour. At a certain age all of us become slower, less fit, but I did not find that walking on the tour is very fast and you can take your time because many others are not in shape as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Saki:

It is always good to get in shape expecailly before a tour. At a certain age all of us become slower, less fit, but I did not find that walking on the tour is very fast and you can take your time because many others are not in shape as well.

Tell me about it. After I booked my next tour, my heel started giving me problems. I have two weeks to go and am doing everything possible to keep it from getting worse.

To avoid this problem, I highly recommend that if anyone starts to do a lot of walking to get into shape for a tour, make sure you have good footwear. I think my problem is that I was walking on my treadmill with 2 1/2 year old Nike Air sneakers and didn't realize how old they were until my heel started to hurt. The air becomes useless after a year or so, so I was getting little cushioning.

Don't forget to stretch!!

quote:

Originally posted by Chech:
To avoid this problem, I highly recommend that if anyone starts to do a lot of walking to get into shape for a tour, make sure you have good footwear.

......& that any new footwear be worn in, well before a tour. Also wear shoes you are breaking in with the same type of sock you are taking away. We had a lady on one tour with dreadful blisters owing to the fact she had broken in her shoes wearing thick socks but only bought thin sockettes away with her.

quote:

Originally posted by Dimpz:


......& that any new footwear be worn in, well before a tour. Also wear shoes you are breaking in with the same type of sock you are taking away. We had a lady on one tour with dreadful blisters owing to the fact she had broken in her shoes wearing thick socks but only bought thin sockettes away with her.

Oh, good idea. It's cold enough here that I'm into my winter socks. Guess I could put up with cold ankles for a couple more weeks.

And you bring up another good point...bring blister band-aids. I needed them on my last tour. Moleskin helps a lot too if you know where your shoes like to rub. (I've been having a heck of a time with rubbing on the top of my feet by the laces...regardless of the shoe. Driving me crazy!)

quote:

Originally posted by Chech:

Moleskin helps a lot too if you know where your shoes like to rub. (I've been having a heck of a time with rubbing on the top of my feet by the laces...regardless of the shoe. Driving me crazy!)

Other than a type of fabric - what is moleskin?

After all the cobblestone walking on my Bohemian Highlights tour this year I ended up with a very painful heel. I finally saw a podiatrist who has put lifts in my walking shoes to raise my heel slightly but so far it really hasn't helped too much. The heel pain is worse after resting during the night which apparently is very common with this type of heel problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Dimpz:


Other than a type of fabric - what is moleskin?

Moleskin is a skin-coloured fabric that you can cut from a sheet and put it where you know your foot rubs. It sticks really well and is like a thin felt pad between your skin and the shoe.

But put it on BEFORE the blister appears. When I was in the army, one girl misunderstood and put it on after she finished the 13 km walk...and a day later she was pulling that really sticky felt strip off broken blisters!!!

Ewwwwwwww

quote:

Originally posted by margaretc:
After all the cobblestone walking on my Bohemian Highlights tour this year I ended up with a very painful heel. I finally saw a podiatrist who has put lifts in my walking shoes to raise my heel slightly but so far it really hasn't helped too much. The heel pain is worse after resting during the night which apparently is very common with this type of heel problem.

Yeah, I heard about the possibility that some heel problems are worse after rest, but mine really isn't. It gets worse with walking. Never bad enough to cause me to limp, but enough to stop me so that I do aggravate it. Normal walking doesn't affect it nearly as much as treadmill, faster pace, walking, so my fingers are crossed it improves enough for the slow pace walking we do on the tour.

Hopefully there isn't a lot of cobblestone in Israel! LOL

Yes Chech, I found it very strange. I would get out of bed in the morning and hobble about but once I put my walking shoes on I was fine and walking didn't bother me. It was just when I took the shoes off again that I had the problems. Good luck and walk a bit slower!!!