A good start to the day, with blue skies, no wind and not that cold. A forecast of 14C, not bad.
My wifi connection was from the bowling alley, about 50 feet from my room. So out in the open I Skyped with Sue for 20 minutes or so, catching up on local news etc
After we had finished I kept the computer running and walked back to my room, to find that it worked quite from the toilet seat. The toilet window looked towards the bowling alley.
Don't ask why a small village like Krippen should have a bowling alley, I don't know, it just does.
Walked out of the motel, got about 100 metres away and realised I had left my maps in my room. Hasty trip back to find them sitting on the bed, as obvious as the nose on your face.
It's the Elbe I need to cross to start my walk, and there's no ferry in sight, and the current looks pretty strong. I manage to interpret the timetable, and I think the next ferry is at 9.13 AM. Well bugger me, at about 9.05 there it appears and right on time it pulls up at the wharf.
He doesn't actually drive across the river, he just points the nose of the boat across at 45 degrees and lets the current take him there.
I'm off, the latest start of the trip, into the Schrammsteine.
And it's good. More hard climbs, steep ladders, narrow clefts in the rock. I hope the pictures at least give part of the story.
The view from the peak of these sandstone pillars is fantastic, right across to all those steins I have been banging about.
The walk off follows a narrow ridge of sandstone, with more ladders and stairs. Initially I follow a man and his two kids, but finally get past them, and I'm on my own.
At this stage I've decided to go off the route that's written for me, as I figure I be finishing at lunchtime again.
There are many paths, all posted with coloured squares, and the map gives me a pretty good idea how to link them up.
I meet a woman looking quizzically at some of the signs, as we all do at most intersections, she asks me something, in German< and I confess ignorance. She speaks English, and well.
We sort out her problem and I walk on.
At the next intersection, it's me looking quizzical as she walks up. We solve the problem and I stop for lunch and she walks on.
I have managed another of those delicious rolls with cheese and meat, plus some Nutella.
I eat in silence, as is the way in Saxony. A few people walk past, in either direction
, "Gutten tag", or the diminutive "tag" or "ullo", or just blank faces, but mostly greetings.
Lunch done I head off and after about 10 minute find my English speaking friend having lunch, on a much better spot than mine.
We chat some more and then I head off, however she follows and for nearly 30 minutes I talk English. It's amazing how good that was and it's amazing what you find out about someone in that time.
She was 42, had been to Australia in 1994, had worked for the government, then became a sociologist, and is doing her doctorate on university professors!! She warned me about neo-nazi's, especially in Saxony.
We finally hit another track junction and she is off , back to her digs, for a massage (part of the package) and I lapse into silence.
It's downhill, literally, from there, a waterfall that ebbs and flows with the payment of money, lots more people, then a walk along a very pleasant stream. This take me back to Bad Schandau however not just a walk in the woods as there is about 500 metres hanging off chains, and negotiating steep narrow ledges that overlook the stream.
It starts to rain, lightly so I increase my pace and get to the hotel just in time.
I reckon I have done 20 km today-my knees feel like it.
The waitress, at dinner, is trying very hard with the English. It's still difficult, but at least she's made and effort.It;'s my last night in Saxony, tomorrow Munich, where I think I'll stay a few days.
It's trains all day, Dresden, Leipzig then Munich.
Picasa web album for those that want them ALL
My wifi connection was from the bowling alley, about 50 feet from my room. So out in the open I Skyped with Sue for 20 minutes or so, catching up on local news etc
After we had finished I kept the computer running and walked back to my room, to find that it worked quite from the toilet seat. The toilet window looked towards the bowling alley.
Don't ask why a small village like Krippen should have a bowling alley, I don't know, it just does.
Walked out of the motel, got about 100 metres away and realised I had left my maps in my room. Hasty trip back to find them sitting on the bed, as obvious as the nose on your face.
It's the Elbe I need to cross to start my walk, and there's no ferry in sight, and the current looks pretty strong. I manage to interpret the timetable, and I think the next ferry is at 9.13 AM. Well bugger me, at about 9.05 there it appears and right on time it pulls up at the wharf.
He doesn't actually drive across the river, he just points the nose of the boat across at 45 degrees and lets the current take him there.
I'm off, the latest start of the trip, into the Schrammsteine.
And it's good. More hard climbs, steep ladders, narrow clefts in the rock. I hope the pictures at least give part of the story.
The view from the peak of these sandstone pillars is fantastic, right across to all those steins I have been banging about.
The walk off follows a narrow ridge of sandstone, with more ladders and stairs. Initially I follow a man and his two kids, but finally get past them, and I'm on my own.
At this stage I've decided to go off the route that's written for me, as I figure I be finishing at lunchtime again.
There are many paths, all posted with coloured squares, and the map gives me a pretty good idea how to link them up.
I meet a woman looking quizzically at some of the signs, as we all do at most intersections, she asks me something, in German< and I confess ignorance. She speaks English, and well.
We sort out her problem and I walk on.
At the next intersection, it's me looking quizzical as she walks up. We solve the problem and I stop for lunch and she walks on.
I have managed another of those delicious rolls with cheese and meat, plus some Nutella.
I eat in silence, as is the way in Saxony. A few people walk past, in either direction
, "Gutten tag", or the diminutive "tag" or "ullo", or just blank faces, but mostly greetings.
Lunch done I head off and after about 10 minute find my English speaking friend having lunch, on a much better spot than mine.
We chat some more and then I head off, however she follows and for nearly 30 minutes I talk English. It's amazing how good that was and it's amazing what you find out about someone in that time.
She was 42, had been to Australia in 1994, had worked for the government, then became a sociologist, and is doing her doctorate on university professors!! She warned me about neo-nazi's, especially in Saxony.
We finally hit another track junction and she is off , back to her digs, for a massage (part of the package) and I lapse into silence.
It's downhill, literally, from there, a waterfall that ebbs and flows with the payment of money, lots more people, then a walk along a very pleasant stream. This take me back to Bad Schandau however not just a walk in the woods as there is about 500 metres hanging off chains, and negotiating steep narrow ledges that overlook the stream.
It starts to rain, lightly so I increase my pace and get to the hotel just in time.
I reckon I have done 20 km today-my knees feel like it.
The waitress, at dinner, is trying very hard with the English. It's still difficult, but at least she's made and effort.It;'s my last night in Saxony, tomorrow Munich, where I think I'll stay a few days.
It's trains all day, Dresden, Leipzig then Munich.
Picasa web album for those that want them ALL
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