Walk on! Retired couple trek 1,424 miles to Italy from Shropshire

SWNS

A retired British couple have been putting the nation's youths to shame - after walking 1,424 miles all the way from Shropshire to Italy.

Mike Higgins, 61, and wife Janet, 65, were inspired to start walking after they were given a pedometer as a gift from their daughter.

The ultra-fit pair took 148 days to walk from their home in rural Shropshire to an apartment they owned in Lake Garda, Ponte Caffaro in Italy.

The couple walked through four countries and clambered up to a height of 20,319ft when they crossed the Swiss Alps.

Retired council worker Mike and Janet, a retired secondary school teacher, made the epic walk after joking about it four years ago when daughter Becky bought them a pedometer.

According to the Daily Mail, Mike said: "We have had an apartment in Italy for a while and after seeing how many miles we were walking in a month around the local area I said we could probably get to Italy in five or six months.

"We laughed at the time but after a while Janet said we could do it if we wanted.

"The idea started four years ago but it grew some legs two years ago when we thought we ought to do it. We had no experience but thought it would be fun."

SWNS

The pair sect off from their home in Church Stretton, Shropshire, on 9 March before strolling south-east to Dover where they caught a ferry to Calais.

From there they walked through France into Switzerland and then into Italy where they ended their walk on 30 August.

Mike added: "It was an incredible life because all we had to do was walk, our life was incredibly simple. We stayed where we could but had no long-term plan.

"We had a starting point at home and an end point, but only planned a few days ahead on the trip.

"Each part of it was wonderful, there was something every day to enjoy, just a fabulous experience.

"When something like this finishes almost immediately ordinary life takes hold and if you are not careful it can become like a dream and you wonder if you have really done it."

Like walking but don't want to stretch yourself that far? Try one of these beautiful autumn UK routes:

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