Destination: The Middle Earth, better known as Kanton Aargau, Switzerland

Travel Diary:

Silence. That is definitely one of my favorite things on this noise-filled planet earth. And by silence, I don’t mean the really deaf silence but the kind of silence where you can actually hear your own thoughts. On a normal day, our house is filled with noise… yeah, well, go figure. Two kids in the house, and mommy going mad from time to time. And all the kids’ toys that function with batteries! (whoever came up with the idea of kids’ toys with batteries? I would like to have a word with this person…!) And the TV. And the radio. And the CD player. You get the picture.

Of course, these are also sounds of a happy life. Houses with families are not supposed to be quiet. Anyway, sometimes my head is so filled with all this noise that I just need to get to someplace quiet. Over the years, my favorite quiet place has been in the stable. Just sitting on top of a pile of hay and the only sound you hear is your horse chewing her food, there is some real silent magic in these moments. Lately, I have also found the magic of silence just by going for a hike in the woods. Even my dear husband has noticed that this kind of action has a calming effect on me, so he makes it possible for me to go whenever he can. Happy wife, happy life, he says and sends me off to my walks.

A few times, I have just started from our doorstep without really knowing where I am going. Then I just pick the path that seems to be calling me and walk. I keep going until I can’t take another step. Then I take a little break, sit down and marvel at the beauty of nature. Maybe I decide to walk a bit more. Until my legs tell me they are not willing to take another step. Period. Time to grab my cell and call the dear hubby to rescue. So, there I am, trying to describe my whereabouts, and because he is a real geocacher, I don’t need to worry. He always finds me. I just sit and wait until my prince charming arrives in his white metal steed… :)

We live in an area that, in English, could be called middle earth. It is the perfect place for hiking and such outdoor actions. I guess I could say that the whole of Switzerland has been built for hikers. One can find endlessly marked hiking routes from this beautiful country. But when my soul calls for silence, Middle Earth is definitely the best place. The endless beauty of nature, filled with breathtaking colors. And if you start up early enough, you can actually walk without seeing another soul for a few hours. It is a silence seeker’s paradise. Here, my dear friends, I have to explain something. You see, I grew up in Finland. Over there, it is not a big deal to walk a long time without seeing anyone. No, actually, I would say it is pretty much a standard. However, the surface area of Switzerland is much smaller. In addition, this country has much more inhabitants than Finland. And crowded it is. For a real Finn, this is sometimes a lot to handle. To this background, I feel safe enough to say that I am so thankful we ended up in middle earth!

A few hours of silence, and I am ready to face another day in our beautiful, happy, and noise-filled house! :)

A Hiker’s Guide for planning a hike:

Location: Anywhere in Kanton Aargau. You can pick for example Gontenschwil or Frick as a starting point. Or the Castle of Hallwyl

With a car: Find a place to park, and off you go! :)

Public Transportation: check out the timetables to desired destination from sbb.ch

Cost: none, except maybe some coins for parking

Open: To our knowledge, year around.

More Information for planning a hike: If you want to try a certain trail, click here. The website available in French, German and English. Otherwise I suggest you just punch your starting point to Google Maps and start walking!

Traveler’s daily verse: