Still trudging through snow - and loving the quiet beauty

Again I seem to be in my little weather bubble. Yes, is been cold, at some points VERY cold, but we have been fortunate to have only one element to battle at a time.  After the snow of the first few days we then pushed our way through what were quite deep snow fields - in brilliant sunshine.  So brilliant that Emrys got sunburnt one day.  Another day in an icy wind we still had sunshine that occasionally thawed us out when in the shelter of trees.  Then yesterday we had our first day of drizzle, not much, but enough that we had to wear full rain gear for the day.

Along the way we have passed many hides such as this.  This is the long straight road heading to Freyburg.

 Leaving Freyburg.

We spent the night in a little Pension in Buttelstedt just across the road from this church.

The main street of Eckartsberga

A pilgrim sign in the village of Schwerstedt

The snow was quite deep at times and we were glad to follow the tractor marks.

The sky was criss crossed with vapour trails from the numerous planes flying high above in all directions.

We managed to find this hide, complete with some dry wood to sit upon, for our lunch spot on this sunny day.

These trees had a crop of mistletoe.

Snow as far as we could see.

In the distance you can see the Church spire.  We sat there and had lunch on the porch steps.

A couple of nights ago we were talking about how pilgrims of old would have taken the easiest, most direct route.  They would not have been interested in meandering around the countryside looking at views or historic sights, other than important churches.  Having given this piece of wisdom what did Emrys then do?  We went on a detour, a long one, ending in Weimar, instead of Erfurt.

Our detour took us up hill through the forest past Buchenwald, a concentration camp which, after liberation, became a Soviet Special Camp.  A beautiful setting, but a very horrific and sobering site, especially nestled in the thick snow!  How all must have suffered! 

Fence posts marking the boundary of the concentration camp.  A stark reminder of its former use.

Walking through the trees to Buchenwald we saw another forest.  A metal one - poles with a number.  These were to mark the graves of those who died when the Soviets used this camp post WW2.

The view from Buchenwald stretched across the snow into the distance belying the horror of the place.

Trudging uphill to Buchenwald.

The memorial bell tower at Buchenwald.

After visiting the memorial, a gigantic bell tower, we decided that the best way to get back on the path was to catch a bus to Weimar and from there the train to Erfurt.  I think Emrys did this deliberately as a couple of days ago he mentioned that it was a pity not to see Weimar when we were so close!  We had a wander around Weimar, once the cultural hub of Germany.  Both Goethe and Schiller lived here as did Liszt and, except for Johann Sebastian,  most of the Bach family. Weimar was mercifully spared wholesale destruction in the 2nd world war.  Thus far Weimar is the only city to have working fountains.  Every other town, including Erfurt, we have been in has had the fountains drained to minimise potential damage caused by frozen pipes.

A statue of Goethe and Schiller in Weimar.

Here in Erfurt there are strong links with Martin Luther who lived,  studied, and preached here.  It is also the birthplace of Pachabel (of "Canon" fame).  The buildings here are beautiful, and there has been even less destruction and so many are very old.

The organ in St Severity church, Erfurt. 

St. Mary Cathedral, Erfurt.

Snow, snow, and for good measure, more snow.

Having bought new boots, and having managed to catch up with Dominik one of our exchange students 17 years ago, I boarded the train to Leipzig.  This was a very relaxing and interesting journey, through a winter wonderland of snow covered forests and fields, though there was only a small amount of snow around Leipzig itself.

Dominik, on our way for coffee.

The next day, while waiting for Emrys to arrive I had a wander around the city, visiting both the St Nicolai and St Thomas churches, both very important in the life of J S Bach.  We stayed with Diana, a friend of Emrys' and had a treat with Mark (another friend) being our guide the next day.

Our guide, and friend, Mark (left) with Emrys.

The Leipzig Opera House is one concrete box that has a certain amount of style compared to the later buildings in the former GDR.

Inside the St Nicolai church where J S Bach was Kapellmeister and alternated his duties between here and St Thomas church.  The organ is a later instrument than in Bach's time.

St Thomas Church, Leipzig with a rather elaborate bank building on the right.

A statue of the great man himself, ........

........ and the "Bach" window inside the church.

The school where Wagner attended, opposite the St Nicolai church, Leipzig.

A statue of Goethe, another great name associated with Leipzig

Emrys and I set off walking on Tuesday 3rd Feb, only going a few kilometres before seeing snow lying on the ground, and having to take care as we crossed icy patches.  Jakobsweg follows the River Lupe out of Leipzig and this first days walk of aroung 18kms was very pleasant over flat ground and meandering through forests and along the river levee bank.  The temperature was cold but quite comfortable, the wind only light, and most of the day was fine - until the last hour when the snow started to fall.

This section of the river was more like a canal.  It was frozen, making muted explosive sounds as it cracked in the sunshine.

We left Leipzig in the sunshine and this was the last day without our jackets and waterproof trousers.

Along the river bank even the molehills were covered in ice.

Heading to Kleinliebenau the snow was only light.

The path was up on the levee bank and the river was flowing quite fast, easy to imagine it coming down in spate.

We stayed that first night in a tiny village called Kleinliebenau in the first pilgrim refuge of the journey.  This one had been especially built and was attached to the church with room for four pilgrims.  Our second night was spent in a guest house, and the third in another pilgrim hostel.  This one was a hostel with a difference!  It was in a Schloss Frankenleben (castle) that had fallen to rack and ruin after the second world war, because the family fled to Hamburg and on the formation of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) it was perhaps seen as too bourgeois to maintain.  After the fall of the GDR many buildings have had money spent on them to rebuild and restore them to their former glory.  This was one of them, though interestingly there doesn't seem to be much of a plan on exactly how this lovely building will be used, or even how long the restoration will take.  One of the workmen took great pleasure in showing us over the whole building as well as to the pilgrim quarters.

Leaving the refuge at Kleinliebenau.

Our apparent luxurious accommodation in the Schloss Frankenleben.  It is all on the outside.  Inside it is simple and VERY COLD!  We had a heater on all night and the temperature in the morning in our room had risen to 12°.  Outside in the passage it was about 1° and outside it was about minus 3°.

One of the renovated rooms downstairs.  As well as being very cold they were also very dusty.

When we woke after our first night we were greeted by the sight of snow falling.  We set off, and continued for most of the day, with the snow ceasing as we approached Merseburg for our second night.  We were early enough to go out and explore the town which had been more or less destroyed in WW2 due to the fact of its close proximity to chemical plants.

A memorial in Merseburg to the Romany killed in WW2.

An interesting building in Merseburg.  Interesting, because so many buildings of the former GDR are pre fabricated concrete and box like in structure.  This one predates the GDR and has some effective ornamentation.

The Cathedral in Merseburg.

A massive flight of crows (or are they Ravens?) coming into roost.

 Looking towards the Merseburg Cathedral in the afternoon we arrived .........

.......... and the next morning as we were leaving.

Setting off the next day the snow was falling steadily and we crunched our way along on a thick carpet of it, through woods, around fields and through villages.  We just had to make sure we didn't miss any turns on the path with the smooth white carpet laid down before us.  Interestingly today (Friday) has had no new snow, but has been more difficult to walk because where the snow has been compressed by cars and feet, or where it has started to melt it changed texture to ice and became very slippery!  I think the wind, whistling across the snow today also added to the formation of ice as even I felt cool a couple of times!

Looking across the paddock to one of the many  small villages we passed on our second day.

A lake, partly frozen, in the village of Zweimen.

On our way to Merseburg we walked towards this power station belching steam for quite some way.

 The day we walked to Merseburg the sun came out in the afternoon and the snow started to melt .......

....... but still made a picture as we walked along.

As we left Merseburg we walked through a sort of zoo where we saw boar.

 After the zoo we walked through woodlands with snow several inches deep.

The signs we are following are quite small (the blue arrow and yellow shell on the back of this bigger sign) and we have had to get our eye in.