So Luisa (from day 6) has been called the grandmother of German Classicism by transforming Gotha into one of the most important cultural centres of central Germany. Goethe travelled there frequently to engage with scholars and appreciate the art collections. She was known as someone who was full of espirit and a thirst for knowledge. She was cheerful with a lively spirit and a passion for women’s issues. She was well before her time and if she were alive today she would be at the forefront of so many social issues, speaking on, and changing, the paucity of women’s rights.

As we passed Luisa’s very clever statue we saw dark, heavy clouds not far away, but if you took notice of much of the weather forecast, you would never go out. I’ve always imagined in their defence that it probably is raining in some other part of the same region. Today it was 100% chance of rain for most of the day with sunshine after 1500.

So we decided to go on a 20 kms return walk along a camino (Via Regia). We got to a small  shopless town. As we walked round town I saw this massive grey cloud heading for us. I looked carefully at the direction of these clouds … I said to Corrie, let’s wait under cover in some bushes, but I predict the wind will blow them away and we can walk around the back of this cloud mass. It worked and I was really chuffed. So we began our journey home with Corrie and I chatting, and with those massive clouds in front of us.

And then I felt a drop. I looked up and a huge dark cloud glared down at me. I’m unsure where it came from but this was serious. Corrie got our ponchos out. She put hers on and got mine out of my backpack. We were getting wet fast. And then it happened, down it came. At first they were tiny hail stones but soon became larger. Corrie now got our hats out so we could protect our heads from the heavy balls.  

How could I have missed these clues? There were only a few light ones when we began. So firstly, 

Corrie and I were easily chatting and I wasn’t looking about to check;  I really thought that we had a clear run home. I imagined that clouds build up their water supply slowly but this was not the case.

It was time to return post haste, but in our haste we missed a turnoff and ended up on the highway, where at least we wouldn’t be collecting lots of mud. I am used to this and we now have solid rules, about what to do and when to do them, and why do we do it.

We arrive home in time to do a little research on Luise without an ‘o’, and wonder how she would have weathered the storm for I imagine what we went through would be nothing in comparison.

Tomorrow, it’s Weimar, but who really knows what the weather will be like in central Germany.