About the half way point across Germany

Yesterday I said farewell to Emrys.  It has been great having him here for the first leg of this part of my journey.  His language skills have been invaluable and it has been a treat not to be solely responsible for map reading and decision making.  He has headef back to Munich for a few days with our exchange partners before heading on home.

On his last night with me we took a detour for accommodation.  WiFi is very infrequent at present and as we needed to do some internet research chores we hopped on a bus back to the town of Eschwege, and what a treat that has been!  This is a delightful town with fascinating buildings.  Yesterday I went by bus back to Waldkappel and Emrys by train to Munich.

Just one of the interesting buildings in Eschwege.

Having left Eisenach on Sunday our days have been spent basically meandering along river valleys, though Emrys did manage to throw a hilly shortcut into the mix!  Leaving Eisenach we passed the Opel factory.  Eisenach was also the home of car factories before WW2 which led to some destruction of buildings during bombing raids.

Looking across a frozen lake to the to the Opel factory.

We left Jakobsweg for some of this first day and instead followed the path of the old DDR border.  All that remains is a clear swathe through the forest along with a concrete path running through it.  We actually climbed quite high, walking through unmelted snow along the top.  It seems remarkable that we were walking along the border that was once two different countries and is now one.

Crossing the bridge over the River Werra at Hörschel to be in our detour on the old border path.

The former border dividing Germany in two.

A monument along the way.  To quote Emrys "that's a hefty piece of steel".

At the top of the path and about to descend into the village of Ifta.

This path led us to the village of Ifta.  There was a pilgrim refuge here, and after bailing up a bloke who had come to the church to do some work, but ended up calling the lady who runs the refuge, which turned out to be a mattress on the floor of the "winter" church, a newer and warmer building.  She then took us to the guest house to tell them we needed food.  There were a few people having a quiet Sunday afternoon drink and we were very quickly the topic of conversation.

The view from our refuge the next morning.

After our spartan accommodation of this night we found a nice little Pension the next night and were able to have a shower!  Datterode was a small village, but we managed to find a kebab for dinner.

In Datterode our room looked out at the church.

Somehow, leaving Datterode, we ended up on the wrong path and had to cross fields that had been recently sprayed with slurry!  Mess and smell!

Brown fields covered in slurry.

Arriving at the village of Hoheneiche we stopped outside the church for a rest.  Here the highlight of our day eventuated.  A lady who had passed by, with her mother, earlier returned and invited us for coffee.  Several hours of hilarity ensued and we consumed not only coffee, but some delicious cake. A real treat and much appreciated.

Marlies, our hostess (2nd on the right), with Wilma (right), her Mum.  Emrys is not there as he is behind the camera.  Only some of the delicious cakes can be seen! 

 A panorama of the village of Hoheneiche.

Now that I am back on my own I am having different adventures.  My day of walking yesterday was very pleasant, even the traversing of the hills on my own.  At one stage I had to divert into the bush because a tree was completely blocking the path.  It was quite icy on the top and so I had to be particularly careful - a slip in these conditions could have severe ramifications!

It was here that I had to divert into the bush as, with my pack on I had no way of getting over or under the tree that had fallen across the path so my only choice was to go round it.

When I reached Spangengberg, my destination for the day, I was faced with a dilemma - I couldn't find anywhere to sleep!  The lady in the post office directed me across the square to a pension, but no answer when I rang the bell.  She even tried ringing them for me without success.  Some people in the street sent me to a guest house up the hill, but they weren't taking guests.  As I walked back down the hill my post office friend saw me and tried ringing a couple of numbers for me, without success, shrugged her shoulders and wished me luck!

I had decided to head out of town when I spied a bus shelter that, at a pinch, would suffice for me to be homeless for a night!  With that in mind, I decided to head back up the hill and eat, and shelter, in the pizza bar I had just passed.  Fortunately the chaps there took me in hand, making numerous phone calls and eventually finding me a room, then driving me to it and staying to translate for me.  Angels are found in all sorts of guises!

A corner house on he entrance to Spangengberg.

A street in the town, at the bottom of which I found the bus shelter I thought I'd have to spend the night in.

The square in Spangeford, near where I tried, unsuccessfully, to get a bed.

Today, because I didn't want a repeat of last night's fiasco I actually stopped when I reached Malsfeld, only 11kms down the road, where I knew I could get a bed.  This made it a short day, but I have an opportunity to post this blog and put my feet up so it is not wasted time, particularly as it takes fifteen minutes or more (on this VERY slow WiFi) to put one photo on the blog!

The path leaving Waldkappel doubled as a cycling track.

Emrys and I made good use of bus shelters such as this to take a rest in.  Wish our bus shelters were as protective - especially those in the hills.

I have been seeing quite a few of these snowdrops over the past couple of days - makes spring seem closer!

Walking through the village of Schemmern

 This was one nice little pilgrim rest stop on the outskirts of a village.

 Looking back from where I had come towards Schemmern......

 ........and towards where I'm headed

The weather continues to hold.  The other day, despite the temperature being only about 3°, I walked without hat and gloves for most of the day.  There have been a couple of hazy / foggy days, but thus far no rain (forecasted for Monday!), and not overly much wind.  I am not sure when I will get a chance to post again.  WiFi is getting scarcer, and slower.