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Susan Liechti

Subject: Zurich-John O'Groats
Posted: 21 Aug 2016 7:35 am


Hi Mark
After reading your LEJOG travel writing several times I started my walk from Zurich to John O'Groats via Paris, Saint Malo and Land's End in January 2016. After six month of walking I am back in Switzerland now. To read your writing helped me a lot. Not so much during the walk but it encouraged me to start this whole thing at all. And every night after arriving at my B&B I went to your site to look how you felt on this particular section. Sometimes it was quite similar to my experience and sometimes not at all. But one thing I have to tell you. When you were in Hartington you wrote about the people who did not smile at all. When I was there it was exactly the same, but not in Hartington. I had this experience one day befor in Ilam. When I came to Hartington I expected it to be pretty much the same. But no! the hotel staff was so incredibly friendly, I was a bit confused. The when I walked to the toilet I saw a rather big metal sign hanging on the wall behind the reception that said:
SMILE - IT CONFUSES PEOPLE
That day I could not get the grinning out of my face.

Thank you very much Mark for your inspiration. Whenever you and Peta are in Zurich, please let me know. I would like to invite you for a big lunch or dinner. I owe you a lot.
All the best
Susan

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Mark Moxon

Subject: Kind words
Posted: 25 Aug 2016 3:06 pm


Hi Susan.

Wow, that's some walk! Congratulations - I thought walking across Britain was a challenge, but starting from Zurich? That's just amazing.

As for the smiling sign in Hartington, that's brilliant; I assumed that I'd just caught the place on a bad day, and it looks like that was the case. I'm glad you discovered the elusive smiles of Hartington... and I'm also glad that you experienced a lack of smiles in Ilam, as that proves I'm not mad! As you say, sometimes our experiences were the same, and at other times not at all - it's part of the walk's charm that everyone enjoys it in their own way.

Thank you for your kinds words about my LEJOG writing, and I'm so glad it's been helpful. That was the main reason I put the site together - to help others who fancied giving it a go - so thanks for taking the time to tell me. It makes all the effort worthwhile!

All the best,

Mark

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