It wasn't food poisoning, or if it was, last night's dinner at the same restaurant was OK. I feel fine this morning and I am set on covering lots of ground. Lichenfels is my goal, but if I can I will go onto Coburg. Besides my average speed, how far I go will depend on what accommodation I can find. Both cities are still in Bavaria so I won't be staying at a youth hostel.
After posting the letters I wrote yesterday, I start to roll out of town over the bumpy cobblestone before I realize my sunglasses are missing. I rush back to the pension, hoping to avoid a slow start like two days ago. I can't find them in the pension and can't think of where they might be. Perhaps I left them on the counter of the tourist office, but I cannot wait until they open. The gnatsies will be worse without them but I will manage.
There is no direct highway between Rothenberg and my possible destinations in north Bavaria. I ride due north of town to connect with regional road 470, which leads north-east. Although the terrain is not as hilly on this route as the past three days, it is not following a river valley so there are many more hills to climb and
the road winds all over the landscape. I manage to stay on course by checking my map frequently, and I make reasonable time. By noon, I have reached Regional road 505 that leads to Bamberg. I have covered 62.5 km.pick up speed on the highway to Bamberg, but I make a wrong turn in an effort to avoid an expressway and end climbing over a ridge to the south of the town, which
slows me down considerably. When I get into Bamberg, it is a pleasant looking town built on an island in the river. One building is covered with painting on the east side but it is in shadow so I can't get a proper picture.I get hopelessly lost north of Bamberg, trying to avoid the expressway. I head east several kilometres and back again, looking for a safe route. I tack back and forth this way a couple times. The heat is strong and I am afraid of getting heat stroke again. By the time I am approaching Lichenfels I have covered 140 km and I'm ready to call it a day.
But I choose the wrong road again, the one the looks the most direct this time, but
it leads me up a very long, straight climb to the Lichenfels Abbey overlooking the town. It is a difficult climb, to say the least, in this heat and being already tired. It never seems to end as I grind my way up, my knees screaming to give out, my head pounding and the traffic streaming by to get their tourist's perspective of the town. I curse the Catholics the whole way, for building so many of their structures on prominent hilltops, and the Vikings too, for making this necessary.Climbing the big hill, I am approaching the 7,000 km mark of my trip. The view is
worth it, almost, and as Mike would have said, it is really fun to go down. The second guest house I inquire at has a single room for 31DM. After showering and resting a bit, I walk to a Greek restaurant where the owner and staff and fun and friendly. I tell them what I have done today. The owner gives me a complimentary beer and ouzo for today's big effort. I feel well treated, but back in my single later, I still feel exhausted and lonely.PHOTO 1: Bamberg
PHOTO 2: Bamberg bridge
PHOTO 3: Lichenfels Cathedral
PHOTO 4: Rathaus (Town Hall) in Lichenfels
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