E8 Trail

After 13 months of standstill I pick up the Trail where I left it. Due to circumstances I travel to the south of Germany for just one hiking day. During the next 200 kilometers the means of (public) transportation are very minimal. The path hardly passes railway stations or even bus stops, so the length of the stages is pretty much determined.

On this gloomy springtime day I do another one of my huge stages. First I walk from the village of Sinzing to the city of Regensburg, crossing the river Donau. The official Trail stops at the outskirts on the westside of Regensburg and it continous at the eastside of the city. According to Gert Trego’s descriptions the missing part can be covered by busses. I choose to walk the entire way (which I also did in the city of Koblenz), which causes me to do an extra 11 kilometers. The missing part includes suburbs, city centre and a huge industrial area on the eastside of the city. After passing the village of Donaustauf I have to cross a huge forrest park (“there are no signs in the park”, Trego says). Indeed, there are no signs at all, which causes me to walk another extra 7,5 kilometers. After this “excitement” the path continous up and down the smooth hills of the Lower Bavarian Forrest, further eastbound. The area looks lovely, just like in a miniature railroad landscape, even without the sun and without fresh awaking nature like today. Finally, after having walked 76 kilometers, I arrive in the village of Stallwang. I am releaved to see that the timetable that I had checked on the internet is the same as in reality.

I am exhausted, but very satisfied.

Today I walk the second day of my two day hiking trip.

I walk from dawn to sunset in the pouring rain. The trail goes downstream along the river Altmühl, and consequently along the canal connecting the Altmühl with the river Donau. It is a dark, quiet and boring day. The few villages that I am passing look deserted and everybody is indoors (I can’t blame them in this kind of weather). Near the village of Kelheim the Altmühl floots together with the Donau and the E8-trail goes left crossing the hills directly to the city of Regensburg. Due to a knee injury I do not make it up to Regensburg today. I decide to call it a day in the village of Sinzing, one of Regenburg’s suburbs.

I catch the train back home. While waiting for my connection, I order a plate of livercheese with backed potatoes and a fried egg (local specialty). Started in Amsterdam I have covered almost 1300 kilometers, and it was worth while all the efforts.

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 . . . .

After a good night rest I wake up early in the morning to start my second day of this three-day trip.

I start by walking down the Hesselberg, down to the village of Wassertrüdingen.

top of the Hesselberg Hill

Later on I pass some other villages in the scenic landscape of the Frankenland.

trailsign

The blisters on my feet of yesterdays’ walk cause me a lot of trouble and pain and it takes about one hour walking before I can put my feet straight down.

The trail follows the river Altmühl. There are a lot of kanoo stops along the river Altmühl, and some nice views. I walk to Pappenheim (Western European saying: “Who doesn’t know them, the Pappenheimers?”). Walking along a river is easy (you will not easily make a mistake!) but it is also some kind of boring. Just before sunset I arrive at the campingsite in the village of Pappenheim.

I only have a bivouac sack with me, and I turn out the be the guy with the least luggage on the camping. The hot shower and the care for my feet are a blessing. During the night it rains.

During the night snow has been falling and covered the landscape under a white blanket. Fortunately, the weather brightens up during the morning hours, which gives nice winter images.

I was hoping to meet any food retailer on the Trail, eventhough it is Sunday morning, but it is not my lucky day. During today’s hike I get more and more hungry as I do not have enough to eat with me. I really must become better in planning this kind of trips. After a beautiful but boring wintersday I come to walk along the river Altmühl, just before arriving in the city of Crailsheim. The Trail follows this river during the next couple of stages, until it ends up in the river Donau.

In Crailsheim I bump into the (inevitable) X-mas market, where I eat a half-a-meter-sausage sandwich. It is cold and chilly and I am happy to be able to start my travel back to my car. I take the train back to Weikersheim, from where I drive the entire way back home. It is already a long way. The last stage in this millenium is now done. In the next millenium I want to cross borders and discover what’s behind the horizon.

I continue my E8 adventures by doing a two-day hiking trip, in the early winter season. On a Fridaynight I drive to Weikersheim where I park my car. Early in the morning I walk from Weikersheim to Quekbronn (the same road as I did last summer) and I continue where I left the Trail the last time. During that ocaission it was approx. 30º warmer than it is today.

Today is a grey day, and it is not fun to be outdoors. The temperature is around freezing point, there’s a little wind in the fields, and sometimes it starts to snow a little bit. But, unexpectedly, the town of Rothenburg ob den Tauber (after 28 kilometers)  makes it all worthwhile: the ancient centre of the city is very well preserved. Of course, the city is in X-mas atmospheres. Too bad for the wet snow that is falling. There are many people in the streets, visiting the traditional X-mas market, doing some shopping. Strengthened by these delightful 2 kilometers I continue my way along the Trail. I am able to make it to the village of Hausen am Bach, where I arrive shortly after sunset.

Today I walk the seventh day of my seven-day hiking tour, and it’s about time that it will be over for this trip. The strain in my upperleg takes every day more time to fade, and the blisters under my feet are getting bigger and bigger.

Shortly after I started today, I cross the 983-kilometer-point, which equals 50% of the total distance from Amsterdam  to Vienna. I cross through the city of Bad Mergentheim (nice park near the sanatorium in the city centre). I continue to the village of Weikersheim, crossing my last hill for today and this week.  My accumulated distance from Amsterdam is now 996 kilometers.  After I arrive I find that I have a couple of hours left before I will catch the train back home again. I am in doubt what to do now; the sun is beating on the roads again, but it would be a great achievement if I could finalize this E8-week by reaching the 1000-kilometer point. I leave the backpack in a locker in the railway station of Weikersheim and in the summer heat (25º+) I walk to Quekbronn, where I calculate that the 1000-kilometer-point of my E8 is situated. I take the inevitable picture as proof and I limp back to the railwaystation.

After a few hours the train picks me up to take me back home, finally. It was a great week, very rewarding and satisfying, but I am glad it’s over now. The next time I plan a multiple-day trip I have to do some things differently, like: different time of the year, less lugage, less travelling every day, eat more, drink more, relax more. For the rest it was okay.