Before I write anything about the journey let me say a big thank you to all who added comments to the blog, or sent me emails. As you can no doubt tell I have had all sorts of hassles, and I THINK, at last, they might be sorted, but I have a backlog to catch up. Wifi is sometimes a bit tricky, which is why I haven’t had a chance to reply – take this a my reply, and rest assured I read them, and really appreciate knowing that you are reading this.
I had and email from a reporter, Wieland, in Scheeßel, wanting to know where I was and would it be possible to talk with me. As it turned out Reinhard’s mother had been interviewed by him on occasions because of her work with the museum. Reinhard arranged for him to come to the house – but it turned out that it wasn’t just Wieland, but several pilgrims who were motoring down from Stade – Tina and Sigrid. What a lovely surprise. Questions were flying back and forth in German, being translated by Reinhard and the other two, and then my responses translated back for Wieland. There were questions too for all three translators, about the Via Romea, about Jakobsweg, and about how Reinhard came to be involved in housing me for the night.
This all took considerable time as after the interview there was a “photo shoot” in the garden, and then one on the road. Given the fact that I had a lengthy days walk ahead Tina took me in her car to the next village to give me a head start. The day was cold, but for a change, sunny. The road was still flat, with the path going through interesting villages, farming countryside, and some woodland. The day began sunny, but by the time I reached the Pension that Reinhard had booked for me in Brockdorf, the cloud had come over and the temperature had dropped considerably.
My hostess at the Pension suggested I might like to try the lamb for dinner, and that, combined with a large helping of potatoes went a long way to assuaging my hunger. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast I set off in the cold and drizzle to re-join the path. I was a few kilometres off the way – Brockdorf being the only place that Reinhard could find for me – so I had to work my way back to it, without retracing my steps.
In Germany the cycle paths are excellent, and if I see a white sign with green writing on it (and a bicycle symbol!) I know that I can safely walk to that village on the sign. Sure enough it was very easy for me to walk the 5 kms or so to Neuenkirche, just in time to find a nice warm cafe to thaw out and have a second breakfast.
As I was entering the cafe a lady stopped me and suggested that I might like to visit a special event on Easter Saturday. This was where the unique sheep of this region, who feed off the heather, are on display, (I think some might be eaten!), with activities for children, and as usual on Easter Saturday, quite a bit of beer is drunk. I didn’t have the language skills to explain to her that I would not be in the region by then, but imagine my delight when a few hours later I could hear the bleating of sheep, and signs pointing to the Schäferhof. I detoured and had a look around. It was a hive of activity – I suspect a bit like Oakbank (for South Australian readers). There were people raking, levelling, tidying. The sheep were penned, long haired, with every lamb that I could see being jet black. Apparently these are the only sheep that eat the heather, and that includes broom, of which there is quite a bit hereabouts. The Schäferhof is a not for profit group of breeders / shepherds / volunteers whose goal is to help preserve the marshes how they should be, and help threatened species too. If your interested here’s a link to their website http://www.schaeferhof-neuenkirchen.de/index.php
As I returned to the track – a lovely soft dirt one – easy for walking, I saw two horses in the distance coming towards me. I happened to be standing near a sign and decided that it might be prudent to stop there, just in case they got it into their heads that they were approaching an alien! I looked a bit of a sight as I had, for the first time since arriving, rigged up my umbrella. It is a solar umbrella and so it has a bright silver exterior, and I decided that prudence was the best thing as the horses approached. One of the riders thanked me, and commented on the fact that I had a “hands free” umbrella. She was impressed, and I was becoming more so, as I got used to attaching (and detaching) it to my pack.
In Soltau, for the first time I was able to get to the tourist office. The lovely young lass in the office helped me book a room in a home on the outskirts of the city. Because this room was on the outskirts of the town I stopped and looked around before heading out there. I had a leisurely, and very generous, hot lunch before exploring the town. Soltau was the first place that I had found a church open. I went in and had a sing as the place was empty, but had an audience as I neared the end, a parishioner wanting to know the why’s and wherefores of my journey. Everyone seems quite amazed that I am alone and I am regularly asked “allein?”.
Soltau has an interesting history – it’s name is derived from two words solt (salt) and au (water). Salt has been mined here for many centuries and in fact I was just reading that prisoners of war from the first world war were put to work here in the salt mine. It was in Soltau that the largest German POW camp was found, but that is modern history. There have been many times over the centuries that this town has had disasters to recover from. In 1511 the entire town was destroyed by fire, and then again large portions of it were destroyed by fire yet again in 1567. Then in 1626, as if those two disasters weren’t enough, large portions of the populations were killed as the plague ravaged the town. Added to that, the 30 years war saw the town entirely destroyed yet again. The town has been occupied by Swedish Troop, Napoleon’s Troops, and the British had a Garrison here during the cold war. I think its population needs a medal to have dealt with all those things over the centuries!
My room, when I got there was warm and cosy which I was very glad about as the days walk had been freezing. It took me several hours to really thaw out even despite the heaters on, and the heated floor in the bathroom! During the night I happened to look out the window and saw snow falling, quite heavily. Thankfully though by the morning it had all melted, though the temperature hadn’t risen very much!
Sadly because I was so cold I didn’t get to explore the towns main claim to fame – that of salt mining.
I set off in the cold from Soltau, trying to navigate across to the path as I didn’t want to retrace my steps back the one and a half kilometres to the start. I was forced to use my umbrella again as the showers had not relented, though thankfully by lunch time I could put it away.
The distance was too great for me to go to Bergen and so I stopped in the little village of Wietzendorf just after lunch. The tourist office had closed, and the lady in the cafe directed me across the road to find a bed, but I had no joy there and so headed off to the most expensive hotel (but very nice, with wonderful staff) I have stayed in thus far.
As the day progressed there was even sunshine, watery, but still sunshine. I took the opportunity to wander around the village and take some photos. It was while I was out that I discovered that this village is well known for its honey production. So much so that there is even a sculpture of an apiarist smoking the bees, and some hives, in a little square outside the church.
I had and email from a reporter, Wieland, in Scheeßel, wanting to know where I was and would it be possible to talk with me. As it turned out Reinhard’s mother had been interviewed by him on occasions because of her work with the museum. Reinhard arranged for him to come to the house – but it turned out that it wasn’t just Wieland, but several pilgrims who were motoring down from Stade – Tina and Sigrid. What a lovely surprise. Questions were flying back and forth in German, being translated by Reinhard and the other two, and then my responses translated back for Wieland. There were questions too for all three translators, about the Via Romea, about Jakobsweg, and about how Reinhard came to be involved in housing me for the night.
This all took considerable time as after the interview there was a “photo shoot” in the garden, and then one on the road. Given the fact that I had a lengthy days walk ahead Tina took me in her car to the next village to give me a head start. The day was cold, but for a change, sunny. The road was still flat, with the path going through interesting villages, farming countryside, and some woodland. The day began sunny, but by the time I reached the Pension that Reinhard had booked for me in Brockdorf, the cloud had come over and the temperature had dropped considerably.
The Church at Brockel, where Tina had dropped me to begin the day's walk
Soon after leaving the village I had this lovely path to walk on
My hostess at the Pension suggested I might like to try the lamb for dinner, and that, combined with a large helping of potatoes went a long way to assuaging my hunger. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast I set off in the cold and drizzle to re-join the path. I was a few kilometres off the way – Brockdorf being the only place that Reinhard could find for me – so I had to work my way back to it, without retracing my steps.
My room at the Pension was in this building.
As I was entering the cafe a lady stopped me and suggested that I might like to visit a special event on Easter Saturday. This was where the unique sheep of this region, who feed off the heather, are on display, (I think some might be eaten!), with activities for children, and as usual on Easter Saturday, quite a bit of beer is drunk. I didn’t have the language skills to explain to her that I would not be in the region by then, but imagine my delight when a few hours later I could hear the bleating of sheep, and signs pointing to the Schäferhof. I detoured and had a look around. It was a hive of activity – I suspect a bit like Oakbank (for South Australian readers). There were people raking, levelling, tidying. The sheep were penned, long haired, with every lamb that I could see being jet black. Apparently these are the only sheep that eat the heather, and that includes broom, of which there is quite a bit hereabouts. The Schäferhof is a not for profit group of breeders / shepherds / volunteers whose goal is to help preserve the marshes how they should be, and help threatened species too. If your interested here’s a link to their website http://www.schaeferhof-neuenkirchen.de/index.php
The sheep at Schäferhof with there black lambs
An interesting fence at Schäferhof
As I returned to the track – a lovely soft dirt one – easy for walking, I saw two horses in the distance coming towards me. I happened to be standing near a sign and decided that it might be prudent to stop there, just in case they got it into their heads that they were approaching an alien! I looked a bit of a sight as I had, for the first time since arriving, rigged up my umbrella. It is a solar umbrella and so it has a bright silver exterior, and I decided that prudence was the best thing as the horses approached. One of the riders thanked me, and commented on the fact that I had a “hands free” umbrella. She was impressed, and I was becoming more so, as I got used to attaching (and detaching) it to my pack.
All set to walk in the rain. When it is really wet, I add both rain pants and a raincoat.
The path after visiting Schäferhof
In Soltau, for the first time I was able to get to the tourist office. The lovely young lass in the office helped me book a room in a home on the outskirts of the city. Because this room was on the outskirts of the town I stopped and looked around before heading out there. I had a leisurely, and very generous, hot lunch before exploring the town. Soltau was the first place that I had found a church open. I went in and had a sing as the place was empty, but had an audience as I neared the end, a parishioner wanting to know the why’s and wherefores of my journey. Everyone seems quite amazed that I am alone and I am regularly asked “allein?”.
The old Rathaus in Soltau
Soltau has an interesting history – it’s name is derived from two words solt (salt) and au (water). Salt has been mined here for many centuries and in fact I was just reading that prisoners of war from the first world war were put to work here in the salt mine. It was in Soltau that the largest German POW camp was found, but that is modern history. There have been many times over the centuries that this town has had disasters to recover from. In 1511 the entire town was destroyed by fire, and then again large portions of it were destroyed by fire yet again in 1567. Then in 1626, as if those two disasters weren’t enough, large portions of the populations were killed as the plague ravaged the town. Added to that, the 30 years war saw the town entirely destroyed yet again. The town has been occupied by Swedish Troop, Napoleon’s Troops, and the British had a Garrison here during the cold war. I think its population needs a medal to have dealt with all those things over the centuries!
My room, when I got there was warm and cosy which I was very glad about as the days walk had been freezing. It took me several hours to really thaw out even despite the heaters on, and the heated floor in the bathroom! During the night I happened to look out the window and saw snow falling, quite heavily. Thankfully though by the morning it had all melted, though the temperature hadn’t risen very much!
Sadly because I was so cold I didn’t get to explore the towns main claim to fame – that of salt mining.
I set off in the cold from Soltau, trying to navigate across to the path as I didn’t want to retrace my steps back the one and a half kilometres to the start. I was forced to use my umbrella again as the showers had not relented, though thankfully by lunch time I could put it away.
The distance was too great for me to go to Bergen and so I stopped in the little village of Wietzendorf just after lunch. The tourist office had closed, and the lady in the cafe directed me across the road to find a bed, but I had no joy there and so headed off to the most expensive hotel (but very nice, with wonderful staff) I have stayed in thus far.
The noise of this motorway was deafening! I could hear it for quite some time both before and after my crossing.
I must say I enjoyed walking through the forest here.
Here is the apiarist sculptor in Wietzendorf.
St James Church in Wietzendorf
Never a dull moment and rarely a warm one by the sound of it. Just a little resilience required for this journey, just the right person for it. Thanks for the great update. Continued happy adventures. 😀
ReplyDeleteSo glad you have interaction with interesting people and local history, since the geography is fairly unremarkable. Also glad the wind isn't blowing! Stay safe and warm.
ReplyDelete