To Schongau

August 19, 2014

We breakfasted again with the couple from Leipzig that we had seen in Nordligen. We won't see them again however as they intended getting to Fussen today and with the anticipated hills that was too far for us.

Out of Landsberg we were once again following the Romantic Road route. This was at first on a dirt track through the forest that took you unnecessarily high up to see a pen of wild pigs. After this we were in glorious countryside which now was looking much more mountainous and the style of the houses was changing to be more like those in the Tyrol with their wide balconies festooned with flowers. Although some of these small villages were offering accommodation they had seemingly no other services so our tongues were hanging out for a cup of coffee - it was a very up and down ride.

Eventually it was as though we had fallen off a cliff as we swept down to the Lech once more. I was very glad I wasn't riding the other way. Up the other side to Epfach where there had once been an important Roman Fort and once more we were on the Via Claudia Augusta.

Schongau was a goal for the day and we had reached it before midday. Into the Information I went with the instructions that it didn't matter if our accommodation was a bit out of town. I turned down a hotel for 90E and settled for a BandB a bit out of town for 60E. There was one problem, we couldn't get the room until 2pm and it was cold, 15 degrees. We sat on a seat, ate our lunch and I put on the journal from yesterday as I had excellent cell phone reception. We got colder and colder as we walked the streets and looked at the extremely elaborate church. A hot coffee helped a bit. Our B and B is very interesting. It is run by Betina who is an artist and illustrator. She does exquisite paintings of animals and plants and showed me a beautiful book that she had designed and illustrated which won the prize for being the most beautiful book at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

After putting on every article of clothing we have with us we walked back into town. There is a very good little museum there which of course would have been even better had we been able to read the explanations which were only in German. Schongau has some really horrific parts to its history and between 1589 and 1592 63 women were executed for being witches and in the town is a square where the former witches tower was.

We ate at the Brauerei, a microbrewery just along the road. Stephen would have enjoyed it as it has a lovely atmosphere amongst all the brewing equipment, they serve their beers to accompany the German-style food.

These cows we very pleased with Ken, he moved their food over so they could reach it

Ken found this place which restores Citron 2CV and exports them all over. It was in a tiny town

An old water wheel that looked as if it worked not long ago

My bed in the Band B - fit for a princess

This was an interesting poster in the museum, it encourages the locals to enlist in World War 1

Today's ride: 37 km (23 miles)
Total: 993 km (617 miles)

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