Tag 1, Vielsalm am 18.5.2024
So, die ersten ca. 32 km sind geschafft. Laut dem schlauen Büchlein waren es von Spa über Stavelot nach Vielsheim 31.5 km und 1067 Höhenmeter. Allerdings musste ich ein paar Umwege gehen, da die Wege wegen des Dauerregens sich teilweise in Moore und die Moore in Seen verwandelt (siehe Bild) hatten.
Es nieselte den Grossteil des Tages, aber die Gegend war wunderschön eben typisches Mittelgebirge und ähnlich dem thüringischen oder rheinischem Schiefergebirge.

The day started French style with Pain au chocolat from the the boulangerie. I walked along the "Promenade des Artistes" which would have been extremely lovely without the rain. With the rain it was still lovely, because of the many bridges to cross. After a while, I came to the Fagne de Malchamps, a peatland to 3 crossed on wooden boardwalk. However, at certain point it was too wet, and impossible to cross the moor without swimming.
So, I had to go back and make a detour to 5he small city Stavelot. In and around Stavelot I realized a lot of memorials of WW2, because here, a huge battle (Batzle of the Bulge) was fought between the Germans and the Allied armies in December 1944. It must have been terrible with many Belgian civilian causalities.

Towards the afternoon, the rain decreased, I was getting exhausted and the scenery cobtinued to be beautiful.
At about 4 pm I arrived in my little Hotel des Mytrles (blueberry hotel, so everything is in blueberry color ) in Vielsalm - and relaxed.