Day 1 of the Bavarian O Tour required an early start for the two hour drive to Bamberg.  My ankle was iced, medicated and strapped, and my plan was to walk/hobble to the start, take my map, and pick two or three controls, just to get a feel for the forest.  We were crossing our fingers that there would be someone selling compasses; otherwise we had a problem!  However, when we asked at registration they said “not today”.  Hmmm – plan B was needed.

I wasn’t too concerned, as I was only planning to go to controls that were on or very close to a track.  Ian decided he would treat it as a training exercise, and use his shadow to indicate direction.  We walked 1.4 km to the Start, through the small suburb which adjoined the forest.  I duly lined up for W55.  Turning over the map, I quickly picked that I could do the final 3 controls without venturing too far off the tracks.  Trouble was, being European forest, the tracks were pretty indistinct and overgrown, with lots of fallen sticks.  Navigating wasn’t too tricky, as the vegetation boundaries were very distinct. But it was very slow work picking my way through the crap, being extra careful to plant my injured foot firmly with every step.  All up it took me 47 minutes to complete 25 per cent of my full course.

Ian returned happy to have navigated almost error free, despite not having a compass.  Margi had a good run to finish third, while Ted was a little slower than expected.

We headed into Bamberg to prepare for our late afternoon guided walking tour, by fortifying ourselves with cake. Ian sniffed out a cake shop with a sign on the cabinet “alles kuchen sind gluten frei”.  Heaven!  We opted for the cheesecake (Ted, Ian and I) and the cherry and raspberry cake (Margi).  As we devoured them with relish, we realised we were surrounded by embroidered fabric all around the shop.  We instantly thought of Ilze and Tina.

Alles kuchen sind gluten frei. Ian may never leave

Fabric doo-dads for Ilze and Tina

Our tour guide was waiting for us at the Concert Hall. Although small, Bamberg has its own symphony orchestra, after a group of musicians from the Czech Republic moved there.  We meandered happily along the Regnitz River, pausing to look at “Little Venice” where the houses were built overhanging the water. This was the working class area of Bamberg, but desirable as it had a view of the Cathedral.  Our guide explained about the 11 breweries in town, which place Bamberg as a major centre for beer. Apparently the local specialty tastes like smoked bacon. We didn’t indulge.

Little Venice

Church

Very old timbered building

We climbed up one of Bamberg’s seven hills, to the Cathedral, where we learned about how it was built. The eastern end was commenced first, and the Romanesque style (rounded arches) was still in fashion.  However by the time it was finished, the western end had become distinctly Gothic (pointed arches), and this end is 4 metres higher.

Bamberg Cathedral – the older (eastern) end

Cathedral interior, looking towards the Gothic (western) end

Bishop’s residence

Next we visited the Rose Garden, which smelled lovely.  We had great views from the terrace, looking over the red roofs.  Bamberg is World Heritage listed; it was never bombed during the war, so much of it is original, and it has an authentic feel that other rebuilt towns don’t have.  The wiggly waggly roof lines are a dead giveaway!

Rose garden

Bamberg roof

Bamberg roofs

Bamberg roof lines are not straight

Our final stop was the picturesque old town hall, which straddles a bridge across the river.  We admired the painted murals, and our guide pointed out the protruding cherub leg; the story goes that the artist wanted to draw attention to his work!

Painted facade of the old town hall

Cherub’s leg

It was dinner time. We headed to a restaurant that Ian had found online, but it was crowded and pricy.  Just down the road, Ted spotted a menu that featured some gluten free items.  It had a very pleasant beer garden.  We enjoyed an appetiser of thinly sliced grilled eggplant on top of a hazelnut concoction, which was delicious. We chose a selection of local dishes for main courses, all excellent. Sated, we set off on the long drive home.  Despite the ankle, which held up remarkably well to all the walking, it was a good day.

Evening light in Bamberg