| Day 1 - Hechingen | Day 2 - Bamberg | Day 3 - Regensburg | Day 4 - Ulm | Day 5 - Home |
Friday
I was moving slowly this morning. I was still feeling the effects of last night’s dinner, and the headache was still with me. Lorraine woke up and I was able to get some ibuprofen from her and I looked forward to feeling normal again – hopefully sooner rather than later.
After a quick and very light breakfast at the hotel we were on our way again. Today’s destination was Bamberg, the name of which makes me think of the Flintstones every time I say it. “Bamm Bamm!”
Sometimes you have to share the road
And sometimes you have the entire road to yourself
On the way to Bamberg we made a detour to the town of Schwäbisch Hall. I had ridden through the town once before years ago and admired the architecture from the back of my bike, but I hadn’t stopped. Today, we stopped. We walked around a bit, had some ice cream, and then continued on our way.
Schwäbisch Hall, from below
Now THAT’S a roofing job!
Awww – “Just Married!”
Art installation at the church
A peek inside the church – a different kind of art
A medieval Marilyn Monroe
Today’s riding was very pleasant and I enjoyed watching the numerous hawks, kestrels, and crows soar in the air above me. I was also appreciating one of the advantages of being on a motorcycle versus in a car: I felt every temperature change as we darted from forests to fields to towns. Being exposed like this is what makes me feel a part of the landscape, rather than just riding through it. Of course, this doesn’t always work in my favor when I found the smell of flowering trees and bushes replaced by the odor of the garbage truck we were following.
Yet more solar panels – they were everywhere!
More “sharing of the road”
One thing that really stuck out to me on this trip was the ubiquitous amount of bicycle infrastructure! It seemed that everywhere we went, there was a separate bicycle path. And not just a “path”, but wide, smooth, well-maintained pavement that sometimes paralleled the road I was on, and sometimes dipped off through distant forests and fields. Newly (give or take 10-20 years) planted trees were everywhere as well, often between the road and bike paths, but also evidenced in the towns and villages we passed through. It was encouraging to see.
There were forests, too, but photos usually don’t turn out very well with the shadows
Some people bring their own entertainment
I had picked out the first and last nights’ hotels, and Lorraine took care of the middle two days. It was a bit surprising when we pulled into Bamberg, rode around for a bit, rode out of the city center and over the river and then over the train tracks: our hotel was 2km outside of the city center. She promised me that it seemed much closer when she checked it online 🙂 It was the “B&B Hotel Bamberg” and is probably one of the nicer mid-budget hotels I’ve stayed in. There was parking in the back of the building and we settled in quickly.
We chatted as we strolled into town, down neighborhood streets and then through the train station and over the river. It was still warm out, but at least we were wearing comfortable clothing.
During its period of greatest prosperity, from the 12th century onwards, the architecture of Bamberg strongly influenced northern Germany and Hungary. In the late 18th century it was the centre of the Enlightenment in southern Germany, with such an eminent philosopher as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) and the writer and composer E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) living there.
I am always saddened when I see these brass squares (Stolperstein) in the sidewalk
One of Bamberg’s waterways
We meandered for a while but it didn’t take too long to realize that we should probably get something to eat. I was a little hesitant to put too much food in my belly, but when we ran across Eckerts Wirtshaus, we agreed that it was perfect: there was a slight breeze coming down the river that would not only keep us cool, but it would also blow any cigarette smoke away. We both ordered the Flammkuchen and I ate it happily. It was also probably one of the better Flammkuchens I’ve had, with a rich, buttery taste to it.
A full moon during dinner
One of the more architecturally questionable steeple tops I’ve seen
Traditional steeples of Bamberg
I have a deep love of guild signs (Zunftzeichen) – although this one isn’t very traditional
“Because literacy was low, these signs helped people identify specific workshops, merchants, and craft guilds at a glance.”
Bamberg was a happening place! The historic center was well maintained and as the sun eventually lowered itself into the west the outdoor seating at restaurants and bars started to fill up.
Lorraine and I had discussed during the walk to the city that if we were tired at the end of the evening, we could grab a taxi for the return to the hotel. But we’re a good match and we both felt up to the walk, getting back to our room just as it was getting dark. It was a quiet night and I am happy to say that I had an uneventful sleep.