Via Regia 2015

Before leaving, I noticed that they have very few pickup trucks (our #1 vehicle)--they use almost exclusively baby trailers pulled behind cars. Here's a pic with both.

Had an easy flat day of just short of 8 miles. Met two pilgrims on bike who also have done the Camino (see pic)--they were from Bergen. Found the Kassner family that takes in pilgrims--nice house. I have my own room with two beds in it. Just one other pilgrim from Munich upstairs. Have chosen to have supper and tomorrow's breakfast with them. Fresh eggs from the "Chicken Mama" next door; and fresh butter and cheese from another farmer within stone's throw!

Visited their church and heard a rehearsal organ recital scheduled for tonight. Also visited the Gingerbread Museum that was once a gingerbread bakery but closed back in 1937. Great place to get insights into this trade--gingerbread baking is a dying art because it takes too long to store the prepared dough prior to baking: over a month!

Started the Via Regia today from Görlitz--how exciting for me! Had breakfast with a Berliner some 8 years younger and met him again coincidentally at the hostel in the evening--his first pilgrimage and backpack twice the size of mine. Headed out using both guide books and my indispensable PocketEarth (tracking app) and the excellent waymarking (See pics) on the paths that exceeded my expectations--every bit as good as on the Camino!

I reached the summit (938ft) after about 10 mi. and as usual for Europe, I found a great restaurant and met up with Hugo. He's enjoying a beer in front of the "mattress" rocks, a really neat rock formation. I've missed him!

After lunch only an hour to Arnsdorf. I headed straight for the church and next door found a very modern hostel (see pics). Across the courtyard from the hostel was the old barn since transformed into a movie and eating space for the pilgrims, as well as bed overflow. Only two of us!

(Can't seem to upload pics! But am trying again on 6 May.)

Wolfgang and Ria got me off on a 9:30 am train. Four hours on the road and I arrived at this precious city that was easy to navigate, especially with PocketEarth! Easily found my Albuerge-- a big place, but only two of us (I think). I'm now here at the official beginning of my walk at the foot of the old bridge in Görlitz that the Russians blew up when they retreated after WWII--it's also a hot spot! On the other side, I actually entered Poland and peaked at the usual border stuff like cigarettes. Saw my first Via Regia sign--they're all over. Can you see it at the bottom left of the one picture? From the bridge you can see St Peter and Paul's church--an impressive landmark  that's an icon of the city. People out everywhere--very touristy.

My last day with relatives was spent visiting castles, the very ones whose kings probably defended the Via Regia where I'll start walking on the 4th. The Rochlitz Castle was special in that it has the same family name as Bianca and Marcel!!!! Fantastic, very large museum there that we all enjoyed--and for the first time too. Note the pics.

And another treat were the many rapeseed fields in bright yellow. They're a member of the mustard family and used to produce cooking oil.

Today's national holiday for the workers was an occasion for showing off the latest weaponry in bygone communist days. Today, by contrast, was quiet--only the piles of witches fires still smoldered. Following a family dinner at Bianca and Marcel's, we drove through the countryside to see some unusual layered boulder formations, punctuated our outing with extravagant deserts and entered the Czech Republic a bit to tank up and do a little shopping. The pictures show a few highlights including the view from our "desert" restaurant into the Czech Republic.

In the late evening we watched "Let's Dance," the German version of "Dancing with the Stars"--point evaluations are much stricter here--not unusual to get 2s and 3s!

Went along with the family for their routines. As shown on the pictures, they included a stop at the beer store. Then we did something special: a visit to the Space Museum 24 mi away in the unlikely town of Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz where the first DDR (former East Germany) astronaut, Sigmund Jähn, was born in 1937. He made his flight in 1978. I'm standing in front of a European Space Agency Ariane 5, and Nico and Wolfgang are sitting in front of a MIR Simulator--all cool stuff!

Towards evening, we walked over to help celebrate the local Hexenfeuer (witches' fire--burning piles of wood to ward off the witches). The fire dpmt. sponsors the event: they raised the May pole (Nico's school is in background in picture); they guarded the fire; and kept people in line (lots of beer and food). Success: all witches disappeared.

The last 36 hours I spent immersing myself in the lives of Wolfgang and Ria, their daughter Bianca and Marcel, and their son Nico. The relation traces back to Wolfsng being a cousin on the maternal side of our daughters. On the 28th we got reacquainted and today we delved into some serious routines: taking Nico to his third grade class (see pic); getting Wolfgang's leased Volkswagen ready to trade in on a new model as part of a special employee's lease program (his 35th car)--see pics of old and new car; and visiting the local Horch Auto Museum (once the original Audi factory), Horch being one of the four Audi rings (the other three representing Audi, DKW, and the Wanderer).

After checking Nico's homework, we set out for the nearby Vogtland Arena, a winter and summer ski jump training venue. We took a ride up to the top for an added perspective. BTW, we saw remnants of snow that fell yesterday.

I begin walking in 5 days when rain is scheduled!! I'm ready!

My time here in northern Germany with our friends, James, Brigitte, and Heiner is fast drawing to a close. Despite the drizzle yesterday, we visited their local car show and I had to take a picture of an old Trabant (it harkens back to the DDR days--its cardboard body and other aspects are the brunt of many German jokes)-- check out the attached pic. For dinner, James prepared a Vienna Onion Roast--yummy!

Spent a splendid day with friends, Brigitte, James, and Heiner, first driving north to Nordstrand, Nordfriesenland, Germany to look at the North Sea--windy, drizzly, but a great matjes roll for lunch (one of my favorite fish: young immature marinated herring). It only got better with a visit to the Emil Nolde Museum. He was one of the first expressionists as a member of "Die Brücke." The picture of us in front of some of his works gives an idea of his style. For dinner--you guessed it--more matjes!

Spent two gorgeous days with the Kunzes, seeing the highlights of Rendsburg and enjoying their scrumptious meals and hospitality. The picture shows the old town hall, the suspended ferry over the East-west Canal, and scenes from tonight's dinner. What's missing is Hainer, their son who traveled some seven hours from Marburg to Rendsburg by train to surprise me---yes, train. The strike is over!!!! We'll catch a photo of him tomorrow. A real treat tonight was a DVD of a man with Parkinson's who made the Camino de Santiago--amazing feat!

Had a super first leg of the flight--a whole row on the plane to sleep on the way. At Heathrow I managed my way through the bus maze: where to catch it; where to buy an oyster (my multi-day ticket); where to get off; where's my hostel??? The picture says it all--you bet I'm intense. My backpack with four bottles in it was pretty heavy to have to schlepp it any further than necessary.....My adventure has started--I love it!

I'm flying out tomorrow (Apr 21), heading to Germany, first visiting friends then family, and beginning a short 450 km section of the Via Regia on May 4th. The attached photo shows my good friend and walking buddy Geoff (on the right). We just finished leading a group of 16 pilgrims on a 11-mile hike with 1000-ft climb. Both of us are ready for some hiking: he on the Portuguese Camino and I on the Via Regia.