| Day 1 - Hechingen | Day 2 - Bamberg | Day 3 - Regensburg | Day 4 - Ulm | Day 5 - Home |
Sunday
This would be our last night “on the road”, and we were heading to the historic town of Ulm. I didn’t know anything about Ulm, but Lorraine picked it over my suggestion of Waldberg (another town I don’t know anything about) and I trusted her.
There were no parking tickets on the motorcycles (yay!) and once again we were on the road at a reasonable time. The sky wasn’t so blue, and yesterday’s rain had brought the temperatures down to a more reasonable level. I saw more raptors today, including one that dove down into the grass almost directly across the road from me. Hopefully it ate well! There were still many touring bicycles out, but not as many as before. I can’t say I blame them, as the wind had really picked up and there was a threat of more rain later.
Following the GPS down the pedestrian street – “oops”
Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument) – The lions were commissioned as part of a road expansion project in the early 19th century intended to “guard” the entrance to the narrows of the Danube valley.
Befreiungshalle (Hall of Liberation – 1863) overlooking the town of Kelheim – it commemorates the victory over Napoleon during the Wars of Liberation
We were both fascinated by the sight of the white tower on the hill (Hall of Liberation), and I could tell that Lorraine was tempted to go and find out what it was. But she did not give into the temptation, and I did not encourage it as I knew that it would probably take way more time than we had allotted to actually find the route there. Still – it was a nice diversion to think about on the ride.
The town of Riedenburg
Hops!
Wind turbines!
It was mid-morning when I saw a cute little park near a small river; it would be a good place to drink some water and stretch the legs. While we were there we watched a guide put in a small canoe and send a group of friends down the river. A sign in the park indicated that this stretch of river was very popular for such water sports.
Park in the town of Altmühltal
Castle overlooking the town
Post-break countryside – it never gets old
Peek-a-boo!
The clouds were getting slightly more aggressive
Producing corn and energy
I won’t apologize – I love clouds and these were particularly beautiful
We’d been riding for a while when I suggested that we stop for lunch, and the town of Harburg was conveniently nearby. It being a Sunday the shops would be closed, as well as most restaurants. But Harburg looked to be slightly on the “touristy” side and chances were good that we’d find at least something open. The options were limited, and we decided on the Hotel Gasthof zum Goldenen Lamm, which was good despite the rather slow service. It was particularly interesting to have a Spargel Omelette – that was new to me!
The town of Harburg
The clouds had moved in while we were eating
After lunch we continued on to Ulm and as we rode, the clouds became darker and more threatening. When the first rain drops fell, we discussed putting on our rain gear, but in the end we didn’t bother.
I love the shaft of light cutting down the middle
Looks like weather!
Amazon warehouse
We got soaked.
There was yet another construction detour, so we jumped on the autobahn for a few minutes. I was hoping that it would make the riding easier, but it didn’t save us much time and the rain let off by then anyway.
Tonight’s hotel was my choice, and I went deep into the heart of Ulm to the Schiefes Haus, Ulm’s oldest building. It is also slowly sinking into the river, which is why it is known as the Crooked House. I decided to go “all in” and chose a room that is touted as having a “sloping floor”. Why not?
“The Leaning House – one of the oldest residential buildings in Ulm, dating from around 1500”
Our room on the second floor did indeed have a sloping floor. According to the internet, the angle reaches between 9° and 10° (that’s a difference of up to 40 cm across the room). The headboard even had a level built in to reassure me that it was actually level.
Once we dropped off our stuff and hung our gear to dry, we headed out to Ulm Minster (which is technically not a cathedral). It was already after 16:00 and Lorraine wanted to make sure that we could check it out before it closed. This was the first church I’d been in where almost the entire nave was covered in scaffolding. I’ve seen plenty of it outside, but never much inside. But I suppose if you’re going to maintain a building that is over 700 years old, some work has to be done.
Ulm Minster – the second tallest church in the world
Another Dombauhütte
The organ is always the center point for me
We were too late to climb the 768 steps that lead to the top of the minster’s spire. Was I disappointed? I’m not sure, honestly. It would probably be worth it, although I’d curse with every step. Cursing: not a good idea in a church, I suppose!
Stop! Or I shall say “Stop!” again!
George, George, George…
LEGO build!
Lorraine had made a purchase in the church’s gift shop, so we popped back to the hotel room to drop it off before heading out for dinner and more exploration. I made tonight’s restaurant choice, with no real reason, of an Irish pub. A good Shepherds Pie is hard to beat.
After dinner we walked around the historic town center. There was an amazing mix of old and new architecture, the result of 80% of the town being destroyed in WWII. It was interesting to see how the builders fit in new buildings amongst the old ones, although along the Danube river there was a charming pocket of well-preserved medieval buildings, with our hotel being one of them.
The Rathaus was amazing!
Painted whimsy!
Ulm!
