Belgium

It starts in Heerlen — our old hometown. With backpacks that are far too heavy and legs that haven't been trained, we walk south. The nervous excitement of the very first start, the goodbye to Malou's parents, the tingling realisation: this is really happening.

The first three days are our approach to the GR5: through the hills of South Limburg and the Geul valley we cross the Belgian border, pass the imposing Moresnet Viaduct, and climb through the forests of the Ardennes to the Lac de la Gileppe. At Spa — with a Brussels waffle with cherries at 10 o'clock in the morning — the real GR5 begins for us.

From here we follow the white and red markings. Through peatland on boardwalks, past the Francorchamps circuit that hums all day, and deeper and deeper into the Ardennes. We discover beavers at the Amblève river, meet fellow GR5 hikers we recognise from Facebook, and learn our first lesson: every gram counts. We cut labels from our clothing, but stop just short of sawing off toothbrush handles.

At Burg Reuland we survive our first storm — the tent passes the test. And then, at Tintesmühle, we cross the border into Luxembourg. 150 kilometres walked, and this is only the beginning.