Tickle Walk

One of the best parts of living in Switzerland is that the Swiss embrace nature. Every aspect of nature in every weather condition. It is often said, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

And then sometimes the Swiss leave their clothing behind...well, at least their shoes. Case in point, all over Switzerland there are Barfusswege or Bare Foot Trails. We happen to have one of these trails in our neighborhood.

Kick off your shoes, pull off your socks, and take a walk with me...

We'll start here following these pavers:

To this first box:

 Which is:

Translation: Fine Gravel

Then here:

Which is:

Translation: Course Gravel

How are your feet feeling so far? Off to a pretty rocky start...hee hee.

Let's stay on the path...

Until we get here:

Which is:

You guessed it,  Quartz Sand!

Then on to this box:

Which is:

Our best guess at the translation is Russian Balls???

How are the 'balls' of your feet feeling now?

Well, let's move on to:

Which is:

Translation: Sawdust

Then we get to the boxes that have a railing to help us walk:

We first cross this:

Which is:

Translation: Crushed Stones

Ouch!

Then we cross this:

Which is:

Translation: Even smaller Crushed Stones

Smaller ouch!
 
Then on to the smelly stuff:

Which is:

Translation: you guessed it, Compost Soil!

I thought my feet smelled bad before...

Next we veer a little to the left:

Which is:

Translation: Sand!

Smooths your insoles!

Then we take a step up:

Into this box:

Which is:

Translation: Hydro Spheres!

Here they are up close:

They are super light - almost like volcanic rock balls.

Watch your step - those volcano balls are hard to walk on!

Let's regain our footing in this box:

Which is:

Translation: Wood Chips!

And finally on to a real trail stopper (see what I did there?)

Which is:

Translation: Corks!

At this point your feet might be w(h)ining (I did it again!) so a water faucet has been provided to soothe and clean your feet:

The Swiss are so thoughtful.

Thank you for joining me for this sensory stroll. For you, I have this poem:
nimbly traipse
through the tickly path
toe to heel texture
end with a bath

©2019, Bridget Magee. All Rights Reserved.