We have made changes to our walking plans because of a range of factors. Firstly there was no camino trail starting in Berlin and my old back injury had a poor relationship with my pack.

So we trained to Leipzig and found a track but there was no information on accomodation as we walked and I was unable to carry my pack for long periods. We discovered a train that goes for some way so we are taking that to towns along this way which is a camino called via Regia. We then find walks in that town, and after 1-2 days we move on. We will do this to Wurzburg which is the start of what is called the ‘Romantic Road’.

We have been told there is no train line there but there is a bus. So I then plan to carry my pack for around 20 kms and if the distance is longer then catch a bus for the extra kilometres. We will be meeting up with friends on the ‘Romantic.Road’ whom we may leave our bags with for around 4-5 days, which will be great.

Since we began our walk we have been averaging just over 20 kms daily so we are on track to complete 600 kms by Day 30 but we have a few extra days after we reach Fussen (the end of the ‘Romantic Road’) which is just south west of Munich. It all may change again, we don’t know, but in the meantime we are enjoying the changes and making the most of them.

Today we walked south along the Ilm river in a loop of 15 kms and then another 7 kms on another track. It was an interesting UNESCO walk that took us along a wide valley with the river hugging the town side of this pretty valley. We passed ancient bridges; houses of Schiller, Goethe, Liszt and others; the famous Bauhaus University and much more. 

Unusually there is a mob of around 200 sheep that help mow the lawns of this huge park. The sheep are moved with their moveable fence each time they have mown that area and it is also a chance for city kids to get up close to very tame sheep. The park is so long there are smaller towns along the way that you can taste a little of as you dip out on one path then dip back in on another. It is also a bike way so once again you see mostly the older tourists pedalling on easy flat areas with many younger people jogging on the same track.

We came back through town keeping a watch out for tomorrow’s  breakfast spot as we enjoyed the sunshine in this atmospheric, cultural town.