Start: Ebenhausen
Finish: Munich
Distance: 13
Total: 1253
I had a leisurely 13 mile stroll into Munich after a nice rest last night at the Klosterladen Schaftlarn monastery near Ebenhausen. Especially memorable will be the dinner I had last night at the monastery restaurant. Two things made dinner so nice; first, the food was amazing, and second, I met some real live Americans there and we had a nice hour-long conversation.
As I was sitting alone outside eating my awesome schnitzel dinner, I couldn’t help but notice a family with three little girls and another gentleman sitting a couple of tables away from me. They were clearly speaking English learned in America; as opposed to the queen’s English. After a few minutes, the lady of the family walked by my table and as she passed by I got her attention and told her I overheard their English and asked where they were from. She introduced herself as Charmian Eichelberger and said they were originally from Parker, Colorado. We talked for a bit and then I went over and met her husband Jon and their friend Sanford Jones, originally from Massachusetts. They all now live and work in the Munich area. It was very nice to talk to someone from home. This is one aspect of this walk that has been different from my walk across America. I don’t have nearly as many opportunities to interact and socialize with others on this walk. That’s mostly because of the language barrier. So when I encounter someone I can have a conversation with, it’s really nice.
I got back on the bike trail this morning after a brief walk through the woods. The terrain was mostly flat and after about 6-7 miles in the countryside I was clearly getting into the suburbs of Munich. Lucky for me, Germany really takes care of their walkers and bicyclists. The sidewalks and bike trails were wide and plentiful. I didn’t have to walk on the road all day. I got into the main part of the city around noon, grabbed some lunch, and found my way to the Hampton Inn just west of city center. It’s nice to stay in an American style hotel occasionally. Air conditioning, some English language TV stations, and even wash cloths in the bathrooms makes a difference every now and then. I’ll be here for two nights as tomorrow is a day off. I’ve got a couple of errands to run tomorrow, but because I’ve been here several times as a tourist, I’ll probably give my feet a rest for most of the day.
That’s about it for Day 82. Thanks for reading.
