Skip to content

FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM

  • Home
  • About Marnix
  • In touch
  • Dutch
  • English
  • Spanish

Author: Marnix van der Lijn

Ik ben Marnix (1964), schrijver, langeafstandswandelaar en minimalist in hart en nieren. Na een loopbaan in de commerciële wereld, coaching en training, en jarenlange inzet in de vluchtelingenopvang, koos ik op mijn zestigste voor een radicale wending: ik gaf mezelf een sabbatical en trok de wereld in – te voet. Wat begon als een plan om 10.000 kilometer door Europa te wandelen, groeide uit tot iets veel groters: een nieuwe manier van leven. In negen maanden legde ik meer dan 5.500 kilometer af, met alleen mijn tent, schrijfboek, wandelkar (die ik liefdevol ‘Wheelie’ noem) en mijn barefoot schoenen. Al lopend ontdekte ik dat dit mijn pad is: een nomadisch bestaan, schrijvend onderweg. Ik geloof in het ritme van de voeten, in eenvoud, traagheid en aanwezigheid. Reizen zonder haast, leven met weinig, en onderweg de verhalen vangen die zich aandienen. Mijn missie? De schoonheid van vertraging, vrijheid en verbondenheid tastbaar maken in woorden. Ik bén onderweg. En daar voel ik me thuis.

Wild boars!

Published on 17 October 202617 October 2026 by Marnix van der LijnLeave a comment

Nocturnal visit Snoring, rustling, panting, digging. It sounds loud around my tent. I wake up startled. What is this? My heart is pounding in my throat. Wild boars! Do they smell my food? Will they… Lees meer…

Tags AldeiasHistoricasPortugal, GR22, langeafstandswandeling, longdistancetrail, Portugal, Wildcamping, wildkamperen

The day of this lord

Published on 16 October 2026 by Marnix van der LijnLeave a comment

A pleasant night in the orange house The abandoned orange house is a fantastic place to spend the night. I sleep wonderfully, and the old freezer, the only remaining piece of furniture, serves as a… Lees meer…

Tags AldeiasHistoricasPortugal, GR22, langeafstandswandeling, longdistancetrail, Portugal, Wildcamping, wildkamperen

What a luxury for this wanderer!

Published on 15 October 2026 by Marnix van der LijnLeave a comment

Lavish breakfast buffet At half past eleven, I leave my hostel after a lovely and lavish breakfast buffet. My sleeping bag and clothes are hand-washed and just dry in time, although the hairdryer was needed… Lees meer…

Tags AldeiasHistoricasPortugal, GR22, langeafstandswandeling, longdistancetrail, Portugal, Wildcamping, wildkamperen

Three billion photos

Published on 14 October 2026 by Marnix van der LijnLeave a comment

Sunshine on my tent It’s quite chilly at night. Not that I’m bothered by it, but I do have to crawl deep into my sleeping bag to avoid getting cold. I’m woken up by a… Lees meer…

Tags AldeiasHistoricasPortugal, GR22, langeafstandswandeling, longdistancetrail, Portugal

Exactly 500 meters

Published on 13 October 2026 by Marnix van der LijnLeave a comment

I hear footsteps I sleep restlessly. The pain from the fall is manageable, but I keep waking up. Sometimes I hear cars passing by on the road. At one point, it seems like a car… Lees meer…

Tags AldeiasHistoricasPortugal, GR22, langeafstandswandeling, longdistancetrail, Portugal, Wildcamping, wildkamperen

One surprise after another

Published on 12 October 2026 by Marnix van der LijnLeave a comment

A peaceful night The expected storm is absent and I have a peaceful night in my stone shelter. I can confidently make coffee, as fire here requires caution. It’s extremely fire hazardous everywhere. I always… Lees meer…

Tags AldeiasHistoricasPortugal, GR22, langeafstandswandeling, longdistancetrail, Portugal, Wildcamping, wildkamperen

Posts navigation

Older posts
Newer posts

About Marnix

Marnix Footsteps of FreedomFrom May 2024 through January 2025, I hiked for nine months and 5,500 km across Sweden, Norway, Spain and Portugal. I came to the conclusion that this is how I want to live.

And so it happened… As of mid-May 2026, I am living a nomadic writing and hiking life in my tent, with my walking trailer and in barefoot shoes.

Instagram

Click here to follow Footsteps of Freedom on Instagram.

Archive

  • November 2026
  • October 2026
  • September 2026
  • August 2026
  • July 2026
  • June 2026
  • May 2026
  • April 2026
  • March 2026
  • May 2025

Recent comments

  • Marnix van der Lijn on Apple between my teeth
  • Luca on Apple between my teeth
  • Erich Duerr on Broken
  • Marnix van der Lijn on Why this blog – even if you hate hiking?
  • Erich Duerr on Why this blog – even if you hate hiking?

Categories

  • Blogs ENG

Tagcloud

AldeiasHistoricasPortugal AldeiasHistoricasPortugal Asking costs nix Austria Blogs ENG Borgleden Bulgarije Denemarken Denmark fourdayescape Germany GR22 GR22 Haervejen Hallandsleden Hiking Hungary Hærvejen information Information langeafstandswandeling long-distance hike longdistancetrail Netherlands Norway Portugal Portugal Questions don’t cost a thing sabbatical 2025 Serbia Servië Skåneleden SultansTrail Sweden The Netherlands Tunsbergleden Västra Götaland Wheelie Wildcamping Wild camping wildkamperen
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • RSS
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Toujours by Automattic.
Scroll Up

  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • English
  • Español (Spanish)