Würzburg to Bamburg

28-30 June

With the sun shining again, we sadly took leave of our hosts at the Kanu Club and set off for the most southern point of the Main, Ochsenfurt. 

Our destination: camping ground on river's edge at Schwarzenau

From Ochsenfurt the Main still winds its way north and south but never again so far south. We didn’t stay long there, though it looks like a very nice place. But we had a camping ground in mind, one recommended by our previous host who was brought up nearby. They also recommended the two best local wines! So Schwarzenau it was, nestled in a bend of the Main, not far from Dettelbach (for those who may know this area.) 

The trip upstream (about 50k) was an easy afternoon, with ever-changing views, of crops, of vines, of river, of forest, of trains laden with new cars. Lots of new cars. Trains full of new cars, one after the other. (no photos -line is seen in between trees)

We stopped en route to watch some dragon-boat racing (to honour Julia, our dragon-boating friend- of Can-Survive, Wellington sports team of the year) and ate a snack while watching small children and their parents in a play park with unusual equipment - 5 little trampolines set at ground level and traditional gym equipment (rings, bars) which the little used with their parent’s help. Very entertaining. There was also a small 'beach resort' area in the snack bar!

(Dragon boat in centre)

The camping ground was as attractive as promised, with a welcome biergarten providing  food. We shared a meal between us as we had eaten well in stops along the way. The German system copes well with sharing, mostly not charging for extra plate and cutlery, as in NZ. Later, we were able to use a table in the corner of their inside restaurant, with electric points available to recharge everything, while we checked out the local and recommended Bacchus wine. A little less dry than the local Sylvaner but nevertheless enjoyable. 

Highlight next morning was the discovery of a Benedictine monastery, founded in the 9th century, dissolved in the 19th and fell into almost total decay but rising from the ruins is a 20th century second monastery. There are 200 monks, with a largely educational function. Some are missionaries, supported by the home monks. The monastery covers a very large area and includes a high school with day pupils and boarders, and trade apprenticeships, also with boarding facilities. 

Benedictine guesthouse

Among the crops, vines, river-views and barges we came across a crop we have seen many times before and not managed to identify with certainty. Too big for spinach, too small for silver beet… Our luck was in. In the searing heat they needed watering and a couple of locals were preparing to do this. So we could discuss (my German is coming back, gradually) the crop - sugar beet - and the means of watering - water is pumped up from the Main River just across the road and fed through an 80 metre irrigation system which moves up and down the whole crop. The beet are harvested but the leaves are left behind. Each beet will weigh about 1kg and contain 20% sugar.

We were aiming for the campsite marked on our maps but after a fruitless 10k of pedalling around the town and 4-5 discussions with people as to its whereabouts, we were finally told that it no longer exists. So we found a supermarket, bought dinner ingredients and vowed to put the tent up along the way as soon as it got dark enough and people stopped using the pathway. We demolished the dinner along the way, kept on biking, and actually reached a camping place about 10k further on, in a place with the lovely name of Obertheres, ripe for puns. It wasn’t a ‘real’ camping ground; it was the motorboat club’s base for whenever they want to use their boats - full of caravans with nobody visiting right now. The caretaker welcomed us, explained that it was not a camping ground  and we said yes, we understand -like the Kanu Club last week. He asked us what we wanted to pay. I said 10 euros, he said oh no, 8 euros is quite sufficient for us. And there is plenty of hot water at 50 centimes. He was right! Totally brilliant, hot and good pressure. We talked to them for a quite a while. They spend the summer looking after the ‘camp’ and then go to Spain for the winter. They have just this year bought an apartment in the same area as they have camped for 10 years with their camper, near Cartagena. I’ve gone into detail here, because it is the human interaction on these journeys that give it more value than the scenery. We related well to these people, in roughly our age bracket, and enjoyed their company. Added bonus, Rodney was able to give some relief, both that night and the following morning, to the woman, who had hurt her back the previous day. 

Obertheres camp site

On then to the much-heralded Bamberg! I don’t know how many people told us we HAD to go to Bamberg because of its beauty.

En route, just past our starting place, was the Ritterkapelle at Haßfurt. Fortunately the bike route takes us past the market place, and although no market was there on our day of passing through, there was an excellent café, which let us share the otherwise expensive though copious breakfast, plus an extra coffee. That was totally worth it, and more than enough for us. We eat in smaller portions but often, to keep ourselves fuelled, so sharing can be a good option.

Where we had breakfast - Haßfurt

Haßfurt main street - and cycle path

Ritter Kapelle

The chapel was worth the time, though there are so many churches, cathedrals and chapels that it is hard to remember which is which and also to decide whether to go and see them. One I had read about which was right on our route (so not hard to decide to visit) was an amazingly plain-looking church with the most astonishing interior. 1755, Rococo. Enough said.

Outside

Inside

Also on this stretch are a number of breweries. We haven’t so far visited any of the breweries but we do tend to drink whatever is local, alcohol-free or not.

I haven’t yet mentioned the banana split but it was a very appropriate thing to do at the time. It was so hot and we needed food (banana). We had 9 more k’s to go. And it was HOT.

Map of river system of the Main