Day05: Saulgrub - Ettal (15km)

This day is dedicated to all the people who told me, that medieval shoes with leather are not a good joice on modern roads. Seems like you were right, for today was hard getting onwards with some inflamation on my right foot. Therefore and because of more heavy clouds ahead, I decided to stop in Ettal just after 15km.
Lucky as a pilgrim has to be, I found a doc there, who is specialized in feet, right by the street. He neighter advised me to continue, nor could he convince me to stop.
The many tourists around the famous monastery of Ettal looked curiously at me, but I ignored them and looked curiously for the monks. They helped me with an ointment for my feet, gave me a room to sleep and even invited me for dinner. I was also welcome to join their evening prayer.

From Oberammergau to Ettal

The monastery of Ettal

Day04: Hohenfurch - Saulgrub (32km)

Have you ever wondered, why pilgrims are mosty depicted with a pole or a stick? I got my stick first of all to represent the image right, but today I expirianced two resons: First there was a dog roaming around the hut, where I was sleeping and It just felt good to have something to defend myself. Same situation, when I encountered a fox early in the morning. Second, I had to walk very steep and slippery, muddy paths, so a third leg was more than helpfull. If you ask me, It just wouldn't be the Same with two sticks. One is anoying enough, when I need to adjust the luggage on my shoulders once in a while.
Today I'm super proud of the first pilgrims stamp in my pilgrims passport. I got it in Rottenbuch, where the Way of Saint James led along the same trail, like the Via Romae, which I'm following now more ore less. It's better marked than expected, but some marks are missing and sometimes it's just easier to follow the cyclist roads.
Later in the evening I got surprised by a thunderstorm and had to take shelter on a camp-site. The owner had mercy with me and let me sleep inside almost for free. In the evening I sat together with the local people on their table, where they always meet. Such a table is called "Stammtisch" in Germany.

View onto the Lech stream

Day03: Pitzing - Hohenfurch (24km)

It turned out, that navigating was quite easy today, for I just had to follow a well marked long distance hiking trail called "Lech-Wanderweg" upwards the stream. It is based on the old Roman Street "Via Claudia Augusta". It is a way with many different faces: rocky roads, paved roads, paths through gras and parts of it are only acessible to pedestrians. The very moment, when I left it to take a small shortcut on the carroad, a man was offering me a ride in his car. I declined and  than stayed on the rather lonly hiking trail.

 View onto Kinsau

Day02: Klosterlechfeld - Pitzling (18km)

Houses in the old town Landsberg am Lech.

I woke up by a beautiful sunrise early in the morning, said Goodbye to the Czechs and continued walking upwards the stream Lech. The strings of my luggage cut painfully into my skin, so I took a lot of breaks. I rested next to a dam, where I had a nice view on the mountains, that lie ahead. In the afternoon I passed the lovely town Landsberg am Lech. Besides the colourfull houses of the old town, there is a also big waterfall. Walking on, I crossed a deer-park.  I met a lot of curious people on the way. One man even intervied and filmed me. In Pitzling, I stopped walking for that day.

View onto the Alps from a dam in the Lech stream.

Day 01: Ustersbach - Klosterlechfeld (30km)

On the first day, I hiked from my home next to Augsburg to Klosterlechfeld, which was about 30 km in distance. I had to get used to the equipment and the shoes. I noticed very soon, that the seams inside the shoes didn't lay quite comfortable under my feet. So I put another sole of leather inside them, but it was too late. I already got a blister. Anyway I had fun continuing walking. Some people showed their interest and I had some good conversations. In the evening I found a nice roof, where I took shelter from some raindrops, that just started falling. It wasn't an official camping-site, but nevertheless to my surprise there were two guys from Czec Republic, who also camped there. They told me that they make a journey around Europe by car and can't afford any accomodation.

Getting used to the equipment. 

Equipment

How did it feel to go on pilgrimage in medieval times? I wanted to get a closer impression about that, so I put together all the gear, that a 13th century's pilgrim would have had in my opinion. Many inspiration was given by this 15th century song:

Wer das elent bawen wel

 

Drinking from a fountain, while testing the equipment on a hike.

Wer das elent bawen wel,
der heb sich auf und sei mein gesel
wol auf sant Jacobs straßen!
Zwei par schuoch der darf er wol
ein schüßel bei der flaschen.

Ein braiten huot den sol er han
und an mantel sol er nit gan,
mit leder wol besezet,
es schnei oder regn oder wähe der wint,
daß in die luft nicht nezet.  

Sack und stab ist auch darbei,
er luog, daß er gebeichtet sei,
gebeichtet und gebueßet!
Kumt er in die welschen lant,
er findt kein teutschen priester. [...]

According to the lyrics in old German, this is what I should take with me:

☑ Two pair of shoes
☐ Bowl
☑ Bottle
☑ Wide hat
☑ Cloak
☑ Sack
☑ Rod 

I don't think a bowl will be necesary for me. So I feel quite prepared to start my journey in the middle of August 2016. 
 

All roads lead to Rome

Roads to Rome calculated by an algorithm.
Source: roadstorome.moovellab.com

Omnes viae Roman ducunt (Latin).
Tutte le strade portano a Roma (Italian).
Tous les chemins mènent à Rome (French).
Alle Wege führen nach Rom (German).
All roads lead to Rome (English).

Almost every language has this wording about reaching the eternal city of Rome. Does it mean, that I just have to go out the door, step onto the road and if I don't keep my feet, I will magically end up in the ancient city on the Tiber river? I decided to give it a try this summer. My experiances will be documented here.