Mainkling to Ulm – A Continuation of our last stage of Germany
(Covering Mainkling to Ulm to Konstanz to Switzerland)

 

Let’s clarify some points before we go ahead with this publication …

• We started the pilgrimage on the 14th of April 2018
• The first country we walked was Germany,
• 264 km first stage Würzburg to Ulm arrived 26 of April 2018
• 160 km second stage Ulm to Lake Constance arrived 04 of May 2018
• The second country we walked was Switzerland arrived 06 of May left 06 June 2018
• The third country walked was France arrived 07th of June left 13th July
• Next country to walk in is Spain

 

The next few days were unexpected. We were not mentally prepared for the topography that we were about to walk through, this time the holy places that were on the Camino were very strategically located and the journey was exceedingly challenging.
After leaving Mainkling the track was kind to our feet with some soft undulations which did not need much effort.

Leaving Mainkling 

These conditions continued for several kilometres. We passed through a couple of nice hamlets and also there were a couple of sanctuaries that offered rest and stamps for our credentials. We went between forests and huge extensions of land covered with new grass and wheat.

Good Track 

Two km on the track we entered the forest again and the route was going up slowly but surely.

Sign into Forest 

Pathway into the Forest

the shells that were supposed to show the way were shining for their absence so, at this point, the direction was a bit iffy. The expectations were that a small village was going to be appearing soon, however, nothing was on the horizon.

A four corner point was reached and unfortunately, the rain started, this was not predicted. The rain clothing came out of our bags rapidly and we were ready to continue. In view that the shell signs were absent Richard’s sense of direction took us to the left track of the four corners instead of the one in front of us which was a steep way up anyhow the track selected was going around a hill.

Finally, after another 500 or 600 metres we saw a sign that said we were on the right track and the village that we were expecting did not exist but was actually just a hill that most probably would have offered a fantastic view, but with this rain most probably all was to be covered by fog.

As we walked and the hill was behind we entered another village and by then the rain was gone and a bit of sun was filtering through. By 11:00 am we had reached the skirts of Rosenberg and stopped to have a cup of coffee and a sandwich just in case we could not find another place to get food.

The Rathaus (Town Hall) of the town was close to the bakery and we had the opportunity to have a close look at the place. A very nice area with a lovely church which was open, for a change, so we could have a visit and have a quiet time, and to our surprise, there was a stamp to mark our credentials.

The Rathaus was very modern I understood that the older Rathaus and church were destroyed by fire and were replaced. It was very interesting that when the Rathaus is closed they have a system that allows visitors to use the toilet facilities downstairs even on weekends. They have an electronic system, there is a number on a notice board which you find at one of the doors of the Rathaus with indications for the user to be able to unlock the facilities, which are impeccable and well looked after. Great idea for pilgrims, walkers and cyclists that sometimes can’t find these facilities for long periods of the day.

Outside in the plaza, they have very interesting sculptures showing a Glass Blower, a Pilgrim and a Monk reading. It was interesting to see how they recognise the presence of the Pilgrims.

 

Sculpture of  a monk reading

Sculpture of a glass blower 

Then we descended to an adjacent plaza which is by the church. Here is a sculpture showing the sack and the stick that pilgrims used to carry in the years gone by.

Sculpture of  a pilgrim stick and sack 

After we inspected all this area we needed to find again the shells which showed the “Camino” and it was a difficult task, but if you ask you get to Rome as they say.

We found our second Chimney Sweeper and he put us in the right direction. We walked very fast as we needed to get to Pommertsweiler that day.

The track was straight and took us to a small road which we crossed and suddenly in front of our eyes was this track where we had to climb up several kilometres to get to Hohenberg Church. This was the place where the Camino was taking us. We were not mentally prepared for this challenge however we had to go ahead regardless and we did so.

The way was in the forest, birds were with us most of the way and helped us to keep our minds focused. On the side of the way, we found a sculpture of Christ on the cross carved in Stone. I could not help thinking that for him it was much more difficult carrying the cross than for us climbing the 4 or 5 km ahead with about 10 kg. on our backs

Well, no pain lasts forever, we reached what we thought was the top. How little we knew, there still was another 2 km to get to the church. We entered the city and had to climb several sets of stairs at the top turn right and start to climb up the avenue that takes you to the Saint Jacob Church.The walk was not easy as we were so tired by now but it was really pretty the chestnut trees which flanked the avenue were in bloom.

We got to the top and saw that it was a very old church dated to the 14th Century. Made out of stone slabs, it stands at the top of the hill guarding the town, so impressively. The sad part was that we reached the top and the church was locked. We could not believe it and neither could a lot of visitors who arrived on a tourist bus minutes after we reached the highest point. In front of the church is a little Platz with several statues dedicated to Saint Jacob and the Pilgrims.

Sculpture of Pilgrims 

A small house painted with scenes of pilgrims in a kind of graffiti style was also by the side of the church It is a place for pilgrims to rest or stay. Pity that we did not have that information before arriving at this point because perhaps we could spend the night in this pilgrim facility.

The Pilgrim House 

After we finished the visit to this church we still had a few kilometres to walk to get to our place of rest for the night.
After collecting the stamps at the pilgrim place we stood at the top of the hill and looked around the view it was stunning, every step that we climbed was worthwhile.

Soon after we got going again and continued to the last destination Pommertsweiler. The rest of the day was walking downhill using beautiful tracks that were going across the forest.

Walking The Forest 

Unfortunately that morning I had twisted my ankle and my right leg was getting very sore. By now we had been at least seven hours on the track and had walked more kilometres than planned and still was another hour or more to get to the destination. Richard was getting concerned about my leg and decided to thumb a ride and a young man stopped his van and gave us a ride which took 10 min to get us to our destination.

The place where we were staying was better than sleeping under the stars. It was an old guest house owned by a Catholic family and they were taking pilgrims in on the older wing of their pub.

That day was the birthday of the owner he was turning 70 and the family was having a celebration and when we went down to get some dinner we saw a group of musicians with the typical German attire playing german marches with trombones, trumpets and the like, it was a local brass band that attended all events from birthdays to funerals

We came down for dinner and they served a very nice green salad, plus potato salad and sauerkraut. Different pieces of meat which were prepared in different ways all looked good. Richard had meat and salad I stuck to the salad. For sweets, they provided a lovely apple strudel.

This was a tough day, rewarding but hard. The accommodation was okay – when you are exhausted, a good shower and a sleeping bag are more than sufficient.

The next morning was beautiful, sunny and invigorating. At breakfast, the host explained that the next segment of the road was going to be easier for us if after 4km we abandoned the shell signs and followed the yellow sign that showed the next Jacobean church. She implied that it was a very easy walk with a couple of upward areas.

From the distance we could see the imposing towers of what we thought was a castle and also some towers that could be part of a convent or a Cloister, all these buildings were in the middle of green fields and pines what a picture!!

We walked for several km through green fields and lovely paddocks with some cows lying in the green pasture ruminating under the warm sun. In another paddock, we found some goats that are not full size as we know them. These goats are a mini size and appear to be a common type in these districts.

Mini Goats

The readers can see that when walking it is always some simple things that bring happiness, amazing factors that make us feel grateful and humbled by creation. God has given us the opportunity to see all things and creatures.

Well, we got to the point where it was necessary to abandon the shell which was taking us to a narrow path across the field on the right side of the way. We stopped and pondered if to continue through the way marked by the yellow label or turn and follow the shell,

Richard looked at the Pocket Earth map and we decided that by taking the yellow signs we could save a good three kilometres so we continued ahead.

Around 800m after we entered a beautiful pine forest, most of the pines were so green that they appeared to be dark grey, their roots were poking up out of the soil of the old track. Partly concealed by the grass. The colour of the roots was very apparent they were reddish so it was a beauty about them growing into the track but we’re making the way very difficult for us.

In, addition because of the wind we were having a lot of pollen in the area and the ground was getting yellow as we went into the forest what a spectacular view.

Walking the Forest 

The tragedy of the day was that the route which commenced so well became very steep and treacherous, we needed full concentration to be safe. As it was the day before we have had such a challenge climbing up that our leg muscles were letting us know that they should not be ignored. However we could not go back or it would make things worse so there was no way out of the track, so we continued until Richard said: “there is the way out to the road”.

Well…well the “lady here” lost concentration looked up and tripped on a pine tree root, lost the balance and finished falling back heavily onto the ground. It was so unexpected but because there is an angel looking out for us my back sac protected me. So with the help of Richard, I got on my feet checked for damage and limped the 100 metres to get to the road.

Well, they are the risks we take and deal with on our way. Once on the level we understood why the “Shell way” was longer they walked around the hill, we did not, we walked over the hill when following the yellow signs. We were not sorry about taking the path that we took because of the beauty of the track and the aroma of pines which we had not experienced before. In addition most of the time we had birds singing and we avoided the strong sun.

We continued until we reached Wölstein and its famous church only to find that it was being renovated and did not allow visitors.

We stopped for a break in the only place that had coffee and provisions. The funny part was that it was about to close and we had only ten minutes to select provisions at a café. We bought a glass jar of champignons, one mini baguette, one small tin of tuna and coffee. The lady was kind and allowed us to sit outside her premises in a little table that she cleaned diligently and said that we could take our time as she needed to do her books and clean before leaving. What a nice young lady maybe we reminded her of her “great-grandparents” and she took pity on us.

We finished our break and continued until we reached our destination and stopped at the only accommodation available in Böbingen.

The way after our break was very pleasant we went through Abtsgmünd, where the surroundings were colourful, then we passed Schechingen a tidy little village that leads us to some green pastures that we crossed at ease. We arrived to a village Begegnung with white houses crowned with red roofs which were away from the track. The curiosity point here was that every so often we would find a few big “totems” made out of beautiful wood of dark brown/reddish colour where a Saint Jacob shell was carved, plus the name of the place Begegnung. Very unusual!!

Carved timber sign

After a while, we returned to an asphalted road which we needed to climb for a change. At the top of this hill, we looked down and there was Böbingen framed by soft hills and green pastures. The sun was going down soon we were going to be treated to a sunset. We arrived at the accommodation which was clean, had good showers and was connected to a kind of pub where you can have dinner. So we were set for another night and the next stage was around 8 hours away.

We are getting to the end of our first goal.  Tomorrow we will reach Ulm one of the biggest cities on our way. From here on we will have some quite old run down villages populated mainly by foreigners.

The next morning was very cold and windy and my hip and lower back were still tender from the fall nothing drastic however we needed to give it a rest so we decided to do the last few km by public transport.

26th of April we arrived in Ulm the sky was covered and most probably we will have some rain. By then we had 245 km under our belt and we felt good about it.

Ulm has not changed since the last visit, the Münster the centre point of the town, its Gothic beauty impress the first time visitors and believe me impresses people every time that they look at it.
The first stone of this Münster was laid in 1388 one hundred and eleven years after the campaign to build this Cathedral started. Its steeple is the highest in the world,164 m, it is the biggest Münster of Europe it has the capacity for 20,000 people. This Cathedral has the most amazing stained glass windows not only for the size of them it is also because of their themes and quality of colour and definition of each representation.

Stained glass windows in the Münster in Ulm 

During 1530 through a referendum the people of Ulm declared the Münster a Lutheran place of worship.

Inside the Münster 

Ulm is in the state of Baden-Wütemberg situated on the Danube and Blau rivers, it’s population is more than 120,000 people. Comparatively, it is a wealthy area as their economy is based on big industry, agriculture and tourism it is a big source of employment. They also have a big university that educates people from all over the world.

An interesting point here is the way that this district has arranged the manufacturing area. They have centralised these activities in what we could call a Manufacturing Park, which extends for many kilometres, this allows the councils to have a better ecological management of the area. The workers are taken to and from their place of work as they are not allowed to build houses around the Park. During the last 15 to 20 years Ulm has received emigration from Turkey, and Germany works with them to ensure that they have fair treatment and source of employment. In this way, they retain the working force and the migrants stay put. They also work with people from Eastern Europe that come over with working visas which are renewed every two years. The result of this planned immigration has made this area wealthy. It goes without saying that Ulm is very old and the Manufacturing Park is modern, clean and equipped to deliver service and quality.

Car manufacturing, buses and caravans from Mercedes Benz are in this area. Renault and many other international manufacturers are taking advantage of their ecological effort, reliable workforce and lower cost. On Sunday when we left this area we took the road for a while and had the glimpse of the Park.

We booked at a little place for pilgrims which is by the side of the Münster called the Spanish Gasthof. We were here five years ago when we walked with the Jacobean group led by Gerhilde Fleischer. We knew that it was modest but clean and the breakfast was good. On arrival, there was the same lady in charge, much older of course and her husband who is Spanish from the North area was still around but retired. The lady recognised us and was happy that we used her place again. Dinner that evening was very special.

Outside the Entrance Door to The Spanish Gasthof 

We were tired so after walking to the centre, one block away from the Gasthof, we had Mac Donald’s, chips and chicken nuggets, apple pie plus an ice cream with caramel sauce. No doubt about it it was a responsible and nutritious meal, our parents would be very proud of us if they knew.

We stayed on the 27th fixed the phone issues that continued to haunt us since our arrival. The fellow from Vodafone started to serve me with a really bad attitude, his attitude turned me off so I gave him a view of my disappointment with him and Vodafone. He changed his tune, fixed my problem and advised me well, even chased me down the street to give me the sunglasses that I had left behind.

Also by staying an extra day, we took the time to reorganise our bags do the washing etc. We had a good walk around the town and went to the Tourist Office looking for information on the Camino only to find out that they did not have a clue. Really this was laughable, but that was the truth. I will communicate this occurrence with the Jacobean office in Würzburg as Ulm is a centre where the pilgrims from all walks converge and they stop here for support and directions. All our information from Würzburg stopped at Ulm and we expected to be able to purchase books with directions and a list of pilgrim accommodation for the next stage Ulm to Konstanz but nothing of that was available. The tourist office at first behaved like they had never heard of the Jakobsweg but when we expressed our disappointment they relented and called a lady who managed to produce a list of pilgrim accommodation from a German website but nothing about the way. We would have to just hope that Gerhilde’s group had done a good job of waymarking with the shell signs.

In our next post, we will take you all the way to Konstanz and the entry into Switzerland