End of Day Two

Beechwood valley to my left and the distant sounds of a couple of trains as I come down from the snowbound hills above Schlüchtern. In to the town through an industrial sector and then I looked for a café to rest before the next part of the day. After I'd spotted one then walked around the centre I headed back to the first at it suggests relaxation! Wohenzimmer café for oolong and a free croissant.

Truly too many instances of déjà vu. Just now as I turn left and see end of today's etape I am instantly back in Saint Bertrand de Comminges in the Pyrenees. It is the Weg/Chemin but that's nearly in Spain!

But that didn't work. No where to stay. It's not a Catholic town ... and almost the same thing happened in St Bertrand because the gîte d'étape was a chambre d'hôtes.

The thing with German Jakobsweg seems to be that there is a huge disconnect with its deeper meaning. In a hugely capitalist nation there seems little time for what I am trying to do. On the route here, in the pouring rain, Mercedes, Audi and VW flew down this minor road willing the gods to turn them into steel and mincemeat. Hastily I clung to the right edge of the Weg as it strayed too close the Leipziger Frankfurter Straße. The blank face of the Tourist Information was strange, but because I'm not a tourist it makes sense I'm making no money for the Schloss in Steinau am der Straße and therefore they'd really prefer to ignore my passing feet. There was a stiffled sneer and a few dismissive remarks because Steinau wasn't Catholic; still fighting after so many years.

Back in the meeting room, flipcharts at the ready, and all my stuff is dry again. While out I bumped into the local hand of the Hessen Jakobsweg association which means I might find it easier to get somewhere to sleep than today? At 8:45 I'm told by the bell in the Kloster Kirche it's probably time to sleep? I look forward to a less rainy morning tomorrow.