This journal runs as far as March, 2021 – for all subsequent World Walk updates please refer to Tom’s Facebook page or Instagram.
March 2021
World Walk Latest
Sadly, my world walk hit a Covid-sized pothole in late February, 2020, and is still on hold.
April 2020
Autism Awareness Week
My little film about the Puzzle Centre, which does outstanding work supporting and educating children with autism (and their families).
March 2020
World Walk Update
Thanks for your kind birthday messages. I'm not big on birthdays and usually bury my head in the sand and shut down FB. But this year was spent in semi isolation - albeit happily - and it was especially good to hear from friends and family.
Day 519 to 526
What a final fortnight in the Middle East - hiking through Jerusalem and Bethlehem finishing up with a splash in the sea by the Gaza Strip. I stayed all over the place - a Kibbutz dormitory, a derelict house in an Orthodox Jewish village and a Palestinian Peace Hostel.
February 2020
Stop Making Sense – A Snapshot of Syria
Having dipped my toes in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and now fleetingly, Israel, I wanted to try and simplify the Syrian war, one which many seasoned hacks describe as the ‘most complex' they've ever witnessed..
Day 505 to 518
Greetings from Jerusalem! Since reaching this part of the world, the atmosphere has been so high octane and fascinating I don't really want to sleep - just walk, talk, write, walk, talk, write...Which may explain my ramblings on the war in Syria at the end of this post for anyone with the stamina.
Day 483 to 504
Lots to report including hitting 500 days and 6000 miles.
January 2020
Day 468 to 479
Hope 2020 has got off to a cracking start for you all. I certainly had a White New Year with snow everywhere - but this was more than made up for the incredible warmth and generosity of the rural Turks.
December 2019
Day 440 to 454
Ho... Ho... Hope this finds you in the festive spirit! Did you know Santa comes from Turkey? Total mileage walked is now 5722 miles (9208 kms). Here's the last few diary entries of 2019...
Day 425 to 439
Sadly, due to insurmountable long term visa issues, my Russia dream is kaput, so I'm now taking a Middle Easterly route and the good news - I am still in splendid, snow blasted Turkey, a place that has really won my heart.
November 2019
Day 409 to 424
Istanbul! Overjoyed to have made it! Overlooking the mighty Bosphorus as I write - it was dark when I walked into the city on Tuesday but I plan to take a plunge later to celebrate. Water likely to be a bit parky and polluted but it has to be done!
Day 393 to 408
Hello from the Bulgarian boonies! Wow, what a fortnight or so. I've slalomed across Sofia and plodded through Plovdiv, bivvied in barns and horse paddocks, pitched my tent in fields, farms and campsites and stayed in a few hostels/hotels and best of all, with several lovely, trusting local families.
October 2019
Day 377 to 392
Ok, here goes again, a last splash from Serbia, starting with a sleep in a haystack, which I mentioned briefly last time, but sparked so much haystack nostalgia (mostly big, plastic wrapped bales now) that I've included the full post...
The Man Walking Around The World (video)
This little film was made by a young, talented American YouTuber called Ryan Shirley. Goodness knows what appealed to him about filming an old geezer pushing a baby buggy slowly through the Austrian hills, but he kindly tracked me down.
Day 364 to 376
Some soundbites from spellbinding Serbia - including busted axles, bivvies in barns and bars, heavenly (and hostile) hostels, orchards galore and some indomitable souls. Oh, and Del Boy and Rodney...
September 2019
Day 345 to 358
Sorry, very behind on Facebook, but lots to report. Over 4500 miles now clocked and in few days I'll have been walking for a year!
August 2019
Day 323 to 338
A cherrypick of some highlights from the latest Austrian stage of the world walk, much of it hiking alongside the legendary Danube, which passes through 10 countries, more than any other river in the world.
Day 300 to 312
These last weeks have included the wondrous Black Forest, the hills of Stuttgart, the River Danube, ostriches, sunflowers, wise truckers and Mr Bean's Mini.
July 2019
Day 282 to 292
France nearly done. Now a stone's throw from the German border in Strasbourg, after clocking up 46 miles over the weekend.
Day 269 to 278
It's been lovely to catch up with so many friends and family over the last weeks. Thanks for hosting, calling, messaging, egging me on.
June 2019
Day 261 to 268
It's been lovely to catch up with so many friends and family over the last weeks. Thanks for hosting, calling, messaging, egging me on.
Day 241 to 246
Sorry for long silence, lots been going on, but here we go again...
May 2019
Day 218 to 221
Latest world walk updates - from Oxford, England! Back on home turf! Will now be here for a spell, as the posts below explain.
April 2019
Day 202 to 213
Hope you all had a great Easter weekend. Predictably, I spent mine, you guessed it, walking. This time in wonderful Wales - updates below, sent from rustic Danywenallt Youth Hostel near Brecon.
Day 189 to 199
I had the good fortune to kiss the famous Blarney Stone this week on my wanderings, so, apologies in advance if I've blathered on even more than usual but Ireland's lush beauty is enough to bring out the poet in all of us.
March 2019
Day 184 to 188
First dispatches from Ireland - thanks for sticking with my walk despite the sudden shift in continents!
Sit! Forrest! Sit!
This is Chippewa Square in Savannah, where Forrest Gump perched in that iconic scene at the end of the Oscar-scooping 1995 best film. My Gump pose is not at all convincing but, to be fair, my freshly shorn Tom Hanks hair is spot on.
Day 155 to 168
Phew, finally made it to the east coast by the skin of my teeth. Hard to believe it's been nearly six months and 2700 miles on the road: a hard road sometimes for sure but one full of wonders that I've been so lucky to complete.
Day 168 – Tom reaches the USA east coast (video)
Tom arrives at Tybee Island on the east coast of America, 2,700 miles and 168 days into his world walk.
February 2019
Day 146 to 154
Hello y'all, as they say in the South. Well, in less than two weeks I hope to be plunging into the sea at Savannah in celebration, having walked from the west coast of America to the east coast (provided my visa hasn't expired!).
Day 137 to 145
Alabama is now done and dusted. I was put up by so many trusty locals here I've lost track. Whether in Mexican restaurants, church halls, funky lakeside apartments or mobile homes, Alabama has been very good to me.
Day 127 to 134
This post is all about lush and complicated Mississippi. Mississippi is my smallest, quickest state to date but made a huge impact, its beauty, its history, its contradictions.
January 2019
Day 118 to 126
Hello all, here's the latest dispatches from the road. Writing this from Greenville, Mississippi, after completing beautiful Arkansas yesterday.
Day 104 to 112
Update from the last action-packed days in Texas. I've covered 200 miles in a week and a half so now a bit weary and laundry ripe enough to dance the tango.
Day 95 to 103
Fresh updates from the road (now over 1500 miles of it!) in the last days of 2018 and first days of 2019.
December 2018
Day 85 to 92
My first TV interview of the walk with lovely Ana Orsini from KCDB (no idea what it stands for) News.
Day 72 to 79
Hope to squeeze in one more update before Christmas but, if not, wishing you all a wonderful one.
Day 63 to 69
I've finally made it to Roswell, New Mexico, famed for alien sightings. It's been quite a walk getting here:
November 2018
Day 57 to 62
Here's the latest from the little New Mexican town of Socorro. So exciting to be here, as last night I had a visit from [...]
Day 51 to 56
Here we go again! Tales from the end of Arizona and the start of New Mexico, including chilly nights, Dylan Thomas poems, anger, joy, [...]
Day 44 to 50
The latest from the road, as I head into the chilly but soul charging mountains beyond Payson towards New Mexico. Thanks so much for [...]
Day 36 to 42
Howdy from the little mountain town of Payson, in what Arizona locals call Rim Country. Quite a week on the road including the first [...]
October 2018
Day 30 to 35
Howdy from the Arizona boonies! Here, below, is the weekly blast of photos and journal highlights from the road. Special thanks this week to [...]
Day 23 to 26
Some diary highlights from my recent tramp across the Mojave Desert. First up, an amusing fact: though my Spot tracker and Followmee (correct spelling) [...]
Day 18 to 21
For all those wanting an Einstein update, the lovely hound is well on the mend, and settling happily into his new life with the [...]
Day 12 to 15
First up, the latest on Einstein. Well, by all reports the splendid street dog is making good progress under the care of the Kiy [...]
Einstein needs some time
Sad news. When we walked into the tiny community of Warner Springs yesterday, Einstein was beat. He was slowing down and had started to [...]
September 2018
The first five days
So the first five days are cracked – and Einstein is proving to be a cracking travelling companion. Easy going, fleet of foot and [...]
Day 1 of Tom’s World Walk (video)
Tom kicks off his 16,500 mile walk from the border between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico joined by Einstein, his rescued Juarez street dog.
A street dog called Einstein
I’m a Brit tramping across America (the first stage of a 16,500 mile fundraising world walk) with a dog called Einstein - he’s the [...]
Meet Einstein
Meet Einstein, the speedy Mexican street dog, who will walk with me across America. We stride off tomorrow morning! Einstein was named after the [...]