The nighttrain drops me off in the city of Eichstätt at 5.30am for two days of hiking fun along the E8. I start immediately to walk.

It is a wonderful early-spring day during which I walk in short sleeves (approx. 13º) along the river Altmühl heading in the northeast direction. The valley that I am walking along is wide and has some nice views. There is also the famous castle, situated highly on a cliff, overlooking the entire valley. Near the village of Kinding I cross another landmark: the highway Nürnberg – Münich. This is another milestone in my E8-experience, as I have been driving this highway many times up and down, between the Netherlands and Austria. At moments like this I have the strong feeling that I am very far from home. I continue to walk without any problem along the river until sunset.

During the night it begins to rain. Later on it starts to pour . . . .