To - Augsburg
Distance - 46km
Time - 3 hours
Total - 2048km
Stayed in at the Hostel last night trying to catch up on the Internet with the blog, emails, Skype and researching the route ahead. One of the things I am trying to plan is to meet My friend Janice at Budapest during the last week of May and also to fly my kids out to see me in Venice in the middle of June. This of course gives me a loose schedule that I didn't have before. I obviously want to make sure that the distances between now and Budapest and between Budapest and Venice are possible on a bike in the days available. It is rather difficult when you don't know the routes. I try and err on the safe side and the speed of my riding to this point gives me some confidence.
All the hostels here are very different and whilst part of the same organisation they are managed differently. Last nights hostel required an email to reserve a place, telephone was not enough! I did try to send an email yesterday by the email failed because no one told me that in a case where an umlaut (two dots over the o) is in the word they use oe instead and Donauworth has an umlaut over the o. Never mind she still let me stay but seemed unhappy that the system had failed. The next hostel accepted my name and mobile phone over the phone to reserve a place and Munich Hostel just told me there were places and I didn't need to book! It also fools them when I produce a French International Youth Hstel membership card. I think it would be amusing to pretend to be French but claim that I selected the Lancashire dialect option for my Baccalaureate!
I shared my room last night with a 25 year old French man called Etienne who runs from one place to another as his prefered method travel. He either sleeps rough or finds a cheap hostel. He has a map book of his route but doesn't carry a phone or wear a watch. He has run from the north to the south of France before and also in Mali, in the Sahara. Surprisingly he looks very normal, he doesn't smell (as far as I can tell), he is intelligent, has a normal job at the moment but wants to do a PhD in the effects of weather changes in the Himalayas, he has studied this before in his Geography degree. Well I do meet some interesting people. I thought my travel plans were brave but his are reckless in comparison.
The weather today has been grey but fairly warm. Thankfully there has been less wind than yesterday. The route to Augsburg was quite direct and there was a well signed route called the 'Via Claudia Augusta' which presumably has a roman link. The name of Augsburg may be a result of its roman heritage? There were no notable towns enroute, maybe because we are off the tourist trails now? I did find a sculpture that had a remarkable resemblance to me, especially after a game of rugby!
I went straight to the Youth Hostel at Augsburg even though it was only midday. I knew that someone would be there and I could leave my bike and bags securely. The place is again clean and modern close to the city centre for a change.
I walked into the city and found a lovely centre with loads of old and colourful buildings. Mozart's father lived here. I'm sure there will be more claims to Mozart as I continue my travels. First job of course was finding lunch. Having snacked on bread, cheese and salami yesterday I wanted a meal somewhere. I found the swankiest looking building of character and in I went. It's the building on one of the photos behind the statue of a man called Jakub Fugger! and then there is a picture of the inside. As normal I didn't really know what I wanted and I when they told me the soup was vegetable I had a pang of conscience about the lack of vegetables I have had since I started, so I chose it. The soup turned out to be carrot, broccoli and brussel sprout soup. I'm sure it will do me good! Although I followed it with a nice big piece of cherry tart - a good balanced diet!
Back to the routine of being a tourist. Cheekily I asked at the Tourist Information what I could see free. It turned out to be the Rathaus and the churches. There were four worthy churches so I started the churchathon. The Catholic Church of St Ulrich was stupendous. It wasn't as big as the Cathedral but it won on ornateness and I included a photo of the inside. I have just checked the map again and i have missed a church, I don't think I can manage another.
The town is very much connected to the Fugger family, no tittering please! (I feel like Frankie Howard). They were a rich family who bought houses around town to house the 'industrious, innocently impoverished Catholic families of the town. So they weren't bad Fuggers after all!
Back to the hostel and checked in. This hostel wants to keep my membership card until I leave, I to,d you they all work differently. The girl at the desk couldn't account for why they do it? I was early enough to get to the four bed dormitory first so I can pick my bed.
I've done my chores and had a bite to eat and it's nearly 7o'clock and no-one else has turned up in my 4 bed dorm. I may have it to myself? I will go for a walk to Mozart's fathers house tonight.
Photo 1, See the resemblance.
Photo 2, Statue of Jakob Fugger and the nice restaurant behind.
Photo 3, Inside the restaurant. There were busts of Caesar, Claudius and Tiberius.
Photo 4, Rathaus at Augsburg.
Photo 5, View towards St Ulrich's church.
Photo 6, inside St Ulrich's.
Photo 7, St Mary's Cathedral.
Photo 8, Me outside the hostel.
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