Leaving Rietze, the day began with signs to follow as I made my way along the little used road. Arriving at the T junction a couple of kilometres out of the village I politely waited for a car to leave before I crossed the road. It didn’t. Instead the driver wound down the window to have a chat with me, before turning left, and I to head right. At the next junction I saw my last sign for the next two days, but following the maps, I managed to negotiate the way across the still flat landscape, which was at times still quite wet. Soon after leaving the village of Bortfeld though, not far from my destination, I got a real surprise. I happened to glance across at some trees and the horizon had changed! Behind the trees I could see – MOUNTAINS!
I have learnt that there is always a coffee and cake available at the supermarkets here, (and usually a toilet available too)! In Wendeburg I found a supermarket and had a late lunch and a great coffee. Just as well, as very soon after I hit the suburbs of Braunschweig. What a drag plodding for about 5 – 6 kms through suburbia. The highlight was seeing the daffodils along the way. This has been the closest to hard slog on the way thus far. I never thought I would get there. By contrast leaving the city the next day was through a park most of the way, and very pleasant.
Braunschweig is a city that was, for me, very hard to find my way around. I couldn’t find the tourist office and had to go into a flash hotel to ask their help. Even then, I still had trouble finding it. I was relieved that they were still open as I was hoping that they would help me find a room – which they did, in the youth hostel, right in the centre of town.
The weather, which had started sunny, had, by the time I arrived, turned wet and cold, and so I wasn’t tempted to go out and explore, taking my time the next day in leaving and checking out all the places of interest on the way. It remained cold the next day and I set off to Wolfenbüttel in a cold, biting wind.
The path follows the river, though at one point I missed it, as seems very common on this way. I passed a small lake on which the wind had whipped up sizeable waves. I couldn’t stop and take a photo though as just I was thinking about it the heavens opened with a hail storm. I had to make an instant decision and made a dash of about 100 metres to a bridge that I could shelter under. Hail is not as wet if caught in it as rain, but by the time it stopped there was quite a little group of us sheltering and not wanting to get any wetter! Later, the wind became so strong (and bitterly cold) that a couple of times it blew me sideways!
Arriving at Wolfenbüttel the tourist office found me a room in a youth guest house (not hostel), which it transpired was also the home of the Music Academy. There were a large group of young people from around the region in residence rehearsing a jazz programme. Though I tried, it was too cold and dark to explore much of the town.
After breakfast the receptionist contacted Thomas for me, the author of the guide book that I have (though I haven’t got it with me because it weighs a lot, and is all in German). Because the sun was shining I wanted to take some photos before leaving, and Thomas arranged to meet me later in the morning. What a treat. Because the path more or less follows the road he drove me to Hornburg. But it took quite a while as we stopped to take photos, go for a walk, and have a traditional bread roll and sausage (like Kabana).
I have had two treats mixing with knowledgeable historians on this way. The first was Christina in Stade and now Thomas in Hornburg. I was astonished at how much Christina could tell me at the beginning about Stade and now Thomas with his immense knowledge of the way. Because of him I now am looking at things differently. For example, we stopped and had lunch under the Linden Tree at St Petrus Church. Thomas commented that it would be a very old church because it was on top of a hill, and because of that it was no doubt built atop something from a much older age.
He told me all about the mass baptisms of thousands of people at the village of Ohrum, a village just off the path. It was in this village that a massive hole was dug in the river and thousands were baptized, under pain of death. He also told me how the people of this region regard the Brocken as a very special mountain in the Harz region. There are viewpoints of the mountain everywhere, and later that day as I walked to Osterwieck, I noticed that there were numerous seats placed in such a way that one could sit and look at the mountain in the distance!
Because I got to Hornburg so early in the day, and even after a wonderful guided tour of the town with Thomas, the afternoon was still young, and so I decided to head onto Osterwieck. It was a beautiful afternoon, pleasantly warm, still sunny and with only about 11 kilometres to go it was a lovely afternoon. It was on this part of the way that I crossed the former Iron Curtain. For the first time I had some uphills and downhills, with some really good views. A special treat was the smell! As the sun warmed them, the violets along the way released their fragrance into the air. Sometimes I couldn’t see them, but I could certainly smell them.
In Osterwieck I was to go to a place called Schäfers Hof where I would find Martin. He showed me to the albergue and the next day brought me breakfast and then took me on a guided tour of the town. Osterwieck has a strange mix of old, run down houses, and well maintained ones. Martin’s comments were that the well maintained buildings were owned by people who lived in the town, but the run down ones were owned by people who lived away. There are a number of buildings that are being restored by the council too. Martin is well known around town and we frequently stopped to greet people on our meanderings. We knocked on the door of the home of Edith and asked her is we could meet at the church for her to open it for us. I had a sing in this very old building, currently being restored and treated for dampness.
Thomas and Martin are two more special people I have met along the way. Thank you both for your help, information, and friendship.
The path along the way. It was around here that I saw the mountains for the first time, but no photo they were a long way away.
I have learnt that there is always a coffee and cake available at the supermarkets here, (and usually a toilet available too)! In Wendeburg I found a supermarket and had a late lunch and a great coffee. Just as well, as very soon after I hit the suburbs of Braunschweig. What a drag plodding for about 5 – 6 kms through suburbia. The highlight was seeing the daffodils along the way. This has been the closest to hard slog on the way thus far. I never thought I would get there. By contrast leaving the city the next day was through a park most of the way, and very pleasant.
Daffodils in bloom on the way into Braunschweig
The setting sun caught these church towers with the thunder clouds in the background
The Cathedral in Braunschweig
Interesting buildings as I was leaving the town
The weather, which had started sunny, had, by the time I arrived, turned wet and cold, and so I wasn’t tempted to go out and explore, taking my time the next day in leaving and checking out all the places of interest on the way. It remained cold the next day and I set off to Wolfenbüttel in a cold, biting wind.
My first view of Wolfenbüttel
The Rathaus in Wolfenbüttel
The main shopping street in Wolfenbüttel
The path follows the river, though at one point I missed it, as seems very common on this way. I passed a small lake on which the wind had whipped up sizeable waves. I couldn’t stop and take a photo though as just I was thinking about it the heavens opened with a hail storm. I had to make an instant decision and made a dash of about 100 metres to a bridge that I could shelter under. Hail is not as wet if caught in it as rain, but by the time it stopped there was quite a little group of us sheltering and not wanting to get any wetter! Later, the wind became so strong (and bitterly cold) that a couple of times it blew me sideways!
Arriving at Wolfenbüttel the tourist office found me a room in a youth guest house (not hostel), which it transpired was also the home of the Music Academy. There were a large group of young people from around the region in residence rehearsing a jazz programme. Though I tried, it was too cold and dark to explore much of the town.
After breakfast the receptionist contacted Thomas for me, the author of the guide book that I have (though I haven’t got it with me because it weighs a lot, and is all in German). Because the sun was shining I wanted to take some photos before leaving, and Thomas arranged to meet me later in the morning. What a treat. Because the path more or less follows the road he drove me to Hornburg. But it took quite a while as we stopped to take photos, go for a walk, and have a traditional bread roll and sausage (like Kabana).
On the road with Thomas, and more daffodils.
The Church in Hornburg and (below) the Rathaus
A view of the street in Hornburg
Thomas and I under the Linden Tree outside St Petrus Church (below)
Because I got to Hornburg so early in the day, and even after a wonderful guided tour of the town with Thomas, the afternoon was still young, and so I decided to head onto Osterwieck. It was a beautiful afternoon, pleasantly warm, still sunny and with only about 11 kilometres to go it was a lovely afternoon. It was on this part of the way that I crossed the former Iron Curtain. For the first time I had some uphills and downhills, with some really good views. A special treat was the smell! As the sun warmed them, the violets along the way released their fragrance into the air. Sometimes I couldn’t see them, but I could certainly smell them.
Leaving Hornburg
On the way to the former border crossing, and (below) what remains of it a few hundred metres further on.
As I said - all seats along the way were placed with a view of the Brocken. This mountain is the highest in the Harz Mountain Range and is 1,141 metres high.
Osterwieck from a distance
(note the bumps on the horizon - never thought I would get excited about hills!)
My view of the church as I arrived in town
The owner of this house is from Malaga. Another old building I saw Martins just said "Scotland" (below) - I think he knows eveyone and everything in town.
The Marien Altar in the church, which converts into a Passion altar by closing the side pieces and then opening it to display the Passion story (below)
Martin
The albergue
Schäfers Hof
Thomas and Martin are two more special people I have met along the way. Thank you both for your help, information, and friendship.
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