DAY OF...
ORANGE FRIDAY
‘Via Gladiola features prominently in the children’s book I wrote’
In photo: Eva de Waal
And so we reach Orange Friday. The cheerful colour orange evokes energy and pride: energy to complete the final stage and pride when we make it to that magical finish line. Eva de Waal: ‘One day, as a group of friends, we agreed to walk the 4Days Marches when we turned 30, and that time has now come. Together with our friends, Hayven and I will be walking the marches for the first time. The prospect of ultimately walking Via Gladiola feels like a dream come true. Via Gladiola also features prominently in the children’s book I wrote, entitled Kamilla in Nimma. Due to a rare bone disease called HME-MO, I had to have a lot surgery as a child. What got me through those difficult periods was my imagination. I developed a love of walking, and a love of drawing special places in the city when I was living Paris as part of my French degree. It ultimately led to her book about a camel that became the first-ever animal to walk the 4Days Marches.
Eva de Waal
Eva de Waal (30) lives with her boyfriend Hayven Iylia. Both are making their debut in the 4Days Marches this year. She is the author and illustrator of the children’s book Kamilla in Nimma. Eva works at Radboud University Nijmegen and the regional newspaper De Gelderlander. Her big dream is to write and illustrate more children’s books.
Eva, Hayven and Kamilla share their highlights of the Day of Cuijk and its surrounding area.
Hayven: De Wedren
‘This the place where the party never stops. Where not only walkers but also party-goers gather in the small hours. For years, I was one of the party-goers. But I’m turning 30 this year and there’s no escaping it anymore: I’m finally walking the 4Days Marches. I look forward to being cheered on by the party-goers at the start of my 50km walk every day. When I make it to the finish line at the end of the day, the festivities will still be in full swing.’
Kamilla: Cuijk pontoon bridge
Like the 4Days Marches, Kamilla in Nimma is also partly about togetherness: At the starting line, Kamilla finds herself standing right next to highly seasoned walker Steven Snel who walks the 4Days Marches every year without even breaking a sweat. Claiming that Kamilla has an unfair advantage because she has four legs, Steven is afraid that she will be much faster than him. But what transpires when they reach the pontoon bridge in Cuijk? Camels are afraid of bridges! Not daring to cross the bridge, Kamilla wants to turn around. When he sees this, Steven Snel ceases to consider her a competitor. He extends his hand to her and they cross the bridge together. If you, too, find the bridge a bit wobbly, walk hand in hand with someone for a much steadier crossing to the other side.
Kamilla: Via Gladiola
‘When Kamilla walks along Via Gladiola, the final metres of The Walk of the World go very smoothly. The thousands of spectators lining the street cheer her on, as well as the other walkers. When she reaches the Radboud University Medical Centre, she knows that the end is in sight. She looks left and gives a quick wave to Kameelstraat (Camel Street) in the Hazenkamp neighbourhood. It’s remarkable how many references to camels there are across Nijmegen...it makes Kamilla really feel at home in this city!’
‘On the final day, two friends and I always go to cheer on walkers, nut at the very last moment I got a starting ticket.'
Eva: Via Gladiola
You can find Eva at Via Gladiola every year. ‘On the final day, two friends and I always go to cheer on walkers from our regular spot near the Archipelstraat junction. Initially, it seemed as though I would be doing that again this year, but at the very last moment I got a starting ticket. Otherwise I would’ve been stood there with a gladiolus for Hayven, because I’m so proud of him. He supported me tremendously in making Kamilla in Nimma.
The (four) heart-shaped shoes that Kamilla wears on the cover are a nod to everything my boyfriend has done for me. Hayven is a massive shoe fanatic, that’s why, and you can recognise him by these sneakers. Obviously not when he’s walking down Via Gladiola, because he’ll be wearing slightly better walking shoes.’
DJ Habi
According to Hayven, and probably to everyone else as well, partying is part of the 4Days Marches experience. ‘With this in mind, I’m going to roll out a unique concept: besides walking every day, I will also hit the decks as DJ Habi!’ Follow his walking and DJing adventures on Instagram: @beatsbyhabi.
The colour orange
Orange is Eva’s favourite colour, it really is. ‘It became my favourite because of Kamilla in Nimma. Much of my inspiration for the book came to me on a trip to Marrakesh, where I bought a small orange lamp. Even my dining room wall is orange!’
How a camel came to walk the 4Days Marches
History has it that, in 1405, a camel was kept in the park that we now know as Valkhofpark. It was the pet of a local duke. This camel inspired Eva de Waal to create Kamilla, who many years later would see walkers pass through her park and became fascinated with the 4Days Marches. Kamilla wanted to join all those walkers, but would a camel ever be given a starting ticket? The march coordinator rejected Kamilla’s plan, because ‘only people can walk the 4Days Marches.’ However, Kamilla managed to persuade the mayor of what a camel is capable of. He believed that The Walk of the World is for everyone. And so Kamilla got to take part.
For each book sold, one euro is donated to the fund for HME-MO bone disease research.
