It's OFFICIAL! 407! Whoa!

It's OFFICIAL! I'd been up the Willy (Willy Reichert Staffel) 4 times and gotten different numbers in the count each time. 403....406....407.....426.....what's with that?. Inaccuracy happens when your heart is pounding and you're breathless and your head is getting a little light. You might miss one or count backwards or who knows, skip 10....or 20.



So yesterday, Lucy and I set out to get it right. Officially and for real....407!




But, we had to do a couple of the sets a couple of times to match numbers....so we did about 550 steps there. Whoa. Then we figured we'd go up the apartment steps (75) 3 times.....+well...a few more. Then there are railroad stops and ubahn stops, etc., etc., etc. It turned out to be a 1000 step day. Holy Moly!



Train station outside of Frankfurt airport.....64 steps....you get the picture. Note....everyone using the escalator....haha....smart. Plus, they all have luggage.....oh, OK.




But before you go and start getting all impressed by this, everytime I start to get impressed with myself, I'm reminded that there are things that are more impressive than the numbers.

I saw kids on bikes come down these steps and they were flying! They had on heavy-duty helmets and shinguards (thank goodness), but they were too fast for me to photo. Just imagine it though.

When I went out in the snow, there were always footprints ahead of mine.....going up and down.

I was feeling pretty slick after coming up the hill beside the cog railroad and then up these steps....until I crossed paths with this older man.....carrying a sled up the hill.

This is one part of two sets....474 steps total. I said "whoa!" and polished my shoulder until....

I saw this guy CARRYING his bike up! You see what I'm talking about!

I might add, I saw a guy go up these steps two at a time. Hiya carumba!

This was the best though. Madame Independence. I was coming down and she was coming up, moving that blue case up one step at a time. Slowly. I stopped when I got to her and pantomimed if I could carry her case up for her.

She spoke English and said, "No, she wanted to maintain her independence." She wanted to keep moving and keep using the steps as long as she can.

I talked with her a little more and then asked if I could take her picture. She asked why I'd want to take her picture, no one had asked to take her picture for so many years. I told her I was impressed by her independence and wanted to show it to my friends.

She agreed, gathered herself up straighter, patted her hair and settled her collar.

After I took her picture, I continued down and she continued up the steps, one at a time, moving her case up, one step at a time.

That's what I call impressive!