I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Bavaria over the years.

For a while there, I was a consultant to a large film fund based out of Munich. German money has supported quite a few of my previous films. I’ve also had a career retrospective at the prestigious Hof Film Festival,  near the Czech Republic border.

They flew me out and put me up as their guest for about ten days. I had a great time, spoiled only by my having to sit through all my films, which was excruciating!

On this trip, Jennifer and I flew into Frankfurt and drove directly to a small town on the Rhine called Rudesheim – which I’ve noted was an important town on the German Camino. (I didn’t realise this until I saw a Camino symbol on the town’s church.)

We then spent the weekend in Heidelberg before heading on to Munich where I was to  meet with a financier.

Each town and city was preparing for its Christmas Markets, which officially commence on November 28th. These markets are wooden stalls which are erected usually in the town squares, or in the areas around the central church or Cathedral.

On previous occasions I’ve been in Bavaria just before Christmas and seen these markets in action. They sell all things Christmassy – including beautiful hand-made glass blown baubles, hand carved wooden Nativity sets, glassware containing candles, the glass hand-painted with beautiful Christmas imagery – and of course Gluhwein, which can be deceptively potent.

So it was unfortunate we missed the markets by less than a week. Even so, Bavaria was in Christmas mode, and all the shops were decked out with Yuletide displays.

Driving in Germany is always challenging.

On the autobahns there’s no speed limit. Usually they are three lanes – in the far right-hand lane you have the slow trucks, in the middle lane you have the cars that are passing the trucks, and in the far left-hand lane are the rocketships.

These are the cars that whizz past at speeds well in excess of 200kms/hr. I was regularly passed while traveling at 150kms/hr – and the cars that passed me left me standing still. Some I estimated were traveling at about 250kms/hr. These were high performance Mercs and BMWs and Audis – cars that in Australia sell for more than $300,000.

When you have vehicles traveling at that speed, you have to be very careful. It requires full concentration, particularly when it’s raining hard and you have slippery roads and poor visibility, as it was on several occasions.

You’d think the rocketships would slow down in conditions like this, but no. There were times when I had to shift over into the rocketship lane to pass a slow car, and I would look in my rearview and see a dot in the distance behind me – next moment that dot is a vehicle which is tailgating me at 170kms/hr! Literally sitting on my back bumper. It freaked me out.

The food is heavy high calorie grub with thick cream-based sauces, noodles, and plenty of pork. In cold weather it’s perfect, and makes sense. The food I like best though in Bavaria is simple fare – sausages, sauerkraut, weissbeir (white beer) and pretzels.

The German sausages are unlike any you’ll find elsewhere. And washed down with a low alcohol weissbeir, it’s one of my favourite food groups!

At this time of the year you get local game on the menus too – boar, goose, wild duck. One of my better meals in Heidelberg was roasted wild guinea fowl – with pine nuts and grapes and mashed potatoes. Followed by home made strudel. Yummy.

Germany is much more expensive than either Portugal or Spain. Then again, the German economy has been supporting those other two countries for a while now. There’s a 19% tax on most things, including meals. Unlike Portugal or Spain where you can get a fabulous three course meal with wine for €15, in Germany that won’t even buy you a main meal.

The German penchant for precision and their low tolerance for the arbitrary is also completely different to the Spanish and Portuguese love of the lackadaisical. I must admit I veer towards the genial looseness of Spain and Portugal.

For such a surging developed country, they have not embraced wifi like some other European countries. Other than in a university town in a popular coffee shop, I could not find a cafe or restaurant with wifi. The hotels also were largely deficient of decent internet access. It drove me nuts, particularly when I had to work.

Our trip came to an end at Mainz, which is an ancient town about 30kms from Frankfurt airport. We overnighted there before dropping the car back at the airport the next morning, then boarding the Etihad flight back home.

My only personal expenditure was a pair of Meindl full leather boots. I’ve been lusting after these boots ever since I saw them worn by a bloke who walked over the Route Napoleon in early April, when it was closed by snow.

In Germany they are relatively inexpensive – especially when you claim back the 19% tax. I bought them for the Portuguese Camino next April.

Mainz again turned out to be a Camino town – and important link through from Frankfurt into France. So our German trip started at a Camino town, and ended at a Camino town.

I landed back in Australia several hours ago to a comment posted on the blog, under the Coincidences? post, which some of you might have missed –

It was signed by someone calling himself, or herself, Satan – with an email address of 666@hotmail.com. The IP address led me to a server which is anonymous.

Here is what “Satan” had to say –

Hello Bill,

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on this splendid job you’re doing on behalf of me. To see you rape the spirit of the Camino is a great joy for me. You’re even succeeding in turning true pilgrims into ordinary tourist. Ha, just loving to see you destroying those innocent souls.

But the public ‘execution’ of Sister Simon Clare has been your greatest feat to date. Your destruction of this vulnerable catholic nun warrants an upgrade to your future seat in hell.

Keep up the good work Bill!

Yours sincerely,
Satan

You might have seen my reply – and Steve’s reply – calling this Satan a gutless coward for making criticisms without revealing his or her true identity.

I am quite happy to have a dignified debate with this person on the issues he or she has raised, but I won’t do so with someone who hides cravenly behind anonymity.

Mind, you, I don’t know that a dignified debate with this person would be possible. He or she doesn’t seem to be particularly bright.

So ‘Satan” – if you want to step outside and have a real fight, then have the balls to identity yourself.

Come out from your creepy hidey-hole under your slimy rock into the full sunlight of transparency and accountability, and let’s go toe to toe baby…

Bill

Drove about 6hrs the other day and ended up in a small town near Munich called Dinkelsbuhl.

Dinkelsbuhl is on the famous Romantic Road, and is a picture postcard historic town, restored like a Disneyland theme park.

Even at this time of the yesr, it’s notoriously difficult to find a parking spot in these towns, especially when you arrive late in the afternoon as I did.

My GPS – yes, GPS – led me straight to the hotel in the main street, and surprisingly in a town jammed packed without a free parking spot anywhere, there was an empty parking space virtually right outside the entrance to the hotel – about fifty meters down, outside some shops.

“They kept it free for you,” my wife said.

I didmt know what she meant.

She pointed out her side of the car window, to the shop I’d parked out front of.

It was a clothing store – and on the glass panelling of the front door to the shop was a sign. It said PILGRIM. It must be a clothing or footwear brand.

But they kept the space free for me…

(photo to come)

Today Jennifer and I begin our long trip home.

We are driving from Munich back to Frankfurt, overnighting just outside of the city, then tomorrow morning we do the 34hr haul back to Mudgee, via Abu Dhabi then Sydney.

Hopefully I can access the internet from time to time and respond to comments.

Back to summer in Australia, and The Ashes – the epic cricket game between Australia and England. Five games, each of five days duration.

Cant wait!

Here are some shots taken on recent travels to north Portugal, Galicia in Spain, and Bavaria in Germany –

I have had very intermittent internet access since leaving Spain and Portugal. This was meant to be posted quite a while ago…

*****

This is an overview of a week spent driving from Porto through to Santiago de Compostela – following the northern section of the Camino Portuguese.

Our trip was to scout a tour we’ll be leading next April. Our purpose was to find suitable hotels, begin to negotiate rates, find wonderful restaurants and cafes – and generally try to get a sense of what it will be like to walk the pilgrimage route.

At first I tried to follow all the yellow arrows in the car, but I found it just wasn’t possible when the Camino went off road and down trails.

Here are the things I found from the scout:

• The route is beautiful, at first following the coast, then veering inland into some truly spectacular countryside.
• Whilst it’s not as difficult as the Camino Frances, it’s still a tough walk. There are a few steep sections that will require serious fitness.
• There are some magnificent churches and Cathedrals along the way – including some ancient Roman Churches.
• The food is glorious. More on that later…
• The Portuguese people are friendly, very helpful, and many understand English.
• The Camino Portuguese is not nearly as crowded as the Camino Frances. In mid November, I did not see one pilgrim walking in Portugal. The Way seemed empty.

Our journey started, as per the Brierely Guide, on a metro train heading out of the Porto City Centre to the outer suburb of Matosinhos. It’s by the port, where the fisherman land their daily catches, and it has the best fish restaurants in all of Porto.

My wife and I followed the very first yellow arrow out of the port area and then along the coast, by a huge lighthouse – heading up to Vila do Condes, about 20kms to the north.

The town’s market was in full swing when we arrived, and we wandered through, before finding out way down to the river.

A tendril of smoke caught my attention and as I walked closer I saw a man grilling pork ribs on a barbecue outside a restaurant. It was lunch, so Jennifer and I went inside and ordered… yes, the grilled ribs. They were truly delicious.

The next day we went through to Barcelos – famous for its chickens, and arguably the home of the world renown Portuguese Grilled Chicken. We now know the best place in town to have this local delicacy.

Nearby is Braga and Bom Jesus, which is just out of the town. We didn’t go there this trip – we’d been there earlier this year, and it’s very apparent why it’s the most popular tourist destination in all of Portugal.

The church, on a hill overlooking Braga, sits atop a series of ornate switchbacks., with little chapels at each end. Magnificent.

The next main spot for us to stop was Ponte de Lima – some say the jewel in the Camino Portuguese crown. It’s a gorgeous little picturesque town with a large Roman Bridge leading north.

We headed further north, through Valenca which is on the Portuguese / Spanish border, then crossed over into Spain and spent the night at the Parador in Tui – which looks across the river at Valenca.

The Parador was a big mistake. It’s a fair way out of town, expensive for what you get, and the service is ho-hum. We found better hotels in the Tui township, close to the magnificent Cathedral high on a ridge overlooking the town.

We were now in Spain – back on Spanish time (Portugal is one hour behind) – and back on Spanish food!

We made our way to Pontevedra – a large town with a very beautiful historic centre. The Camino cuts all the way through it, and crosses a bridge to the north. My wife and I followed the yellow arrows which finally led us out of town.

From Pontevedra we made our way to Caldas de Reis – a very old and elegant spa town with hotels that date back several centuries.

From there we went through to Santiago where we booked into the Costa Vella hotel. I went immediately to the Cathedral, but was disappointed to see that the front facade was covered in scaffolding. Obviously it was undergoing a facelift during the winter months.

I made my way inside, and sat in the pews and remembered the last time I sat there – having just finished the Camino Frances.

Later I met up with Ivar, who runs the Camino Forum – we had a great chat – lovely guy.

Scouting the Camino Portuguese as I’d done only made me more aware of how pilgrims  for centuries have made the pilgrimage from all over Europe – Portugal, Italy, Germany, even as far away as Russia -, forging their own “Ways” to come to this very special place – Santiago de Compostela.

I am now trying to catch up on a bunch of posts relating to the last week, and my travels with my wife through Portugal following the Camino Portuguese.

However i thought I would just post this first – something strange which happened yesterday.

Cue the Twilight Zone theme…

We’d flown out of Porto to Frankfurt, where I picked up a rental car and drove about 75kms to a small town on the Rhine River, called Rudesheim. It was dark when we got in, and after a dinner of local food in a small restaurant we strolled around the town.

It was cold, and you could feel that soon, in the next few weeks possibly, snow would fall.

Even in the darkness we could see that the town was beautiful – dominated by a huge and ancient church with what looked to be a Russian shaped spire. I felt pulled to this church, for some reason, and wanted to go in, but it was closed.

The next morning, after a breakfast of beautifully baked German breads and MilchKaffee, we made our way back to the church. Again it looked closed, but I leaned on the heavy metal door and it opened.

Inside it was sparse, unlike some of the more ornate Spanish and Portuguese churches I’d been in lately. The church had been built in the 12th century, but had been bombed during the second world war, and rebuilt. But it still contained some of its original relics.

I sat in the pews at the back, and couldn’t understand what had so compelled me to come here, to this town, to this church.

As I sat there, the church bells peeled 11 o’clock. I closed my eyes and meditated, and allowed these soft mantric sounds to seep into my being. I cannot describe the feeling.

i walked outside and something caught my eye – something on the wall outside.

A Camino symbol!

It was a Church of St. James, and as it turned out it was on a Camino from Frankfurt, part of the German Jakobswege, connecting through to Reims, Paris, and then down through Tours.

How is it that when I was trying to figure out an itinerary through Bavaria, my PGS led me to this town on the German Camino, and to this church.

I don’t understand it.

Pilgrims in times past would use various means to traverse the Camino. Most would walk, but some would ride horses, some would ride in carts and palanquins, some would ride donkeys. They would reach Santiago and they would receive their Compostela.

So in these modern times, why not do the Camino in a car?

I have just driven the Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago in a Peugeot 208CC Coupe. So why can’t I get a Compostela?

The Peugeot looks like a donkey. And it acts like one too – but that could be just be me having difficulties with the stick shift.

It’s an interesting dilemma.

Bikes are okay – but motor bikes aren’t. It’s okay to catch a train or bus for certain sections, but you can’t drive a car.

It seems like drivers are being discriminated against. Which must prompt the question – is that in the spirit of the “true pilgrim?”

There have been endless discussions here and elsewhere as to what constitutes a true pilgrim. I think we can all acknowledge that it really doesn’t matter whether you’ve carried your backpack all the way, or stayed in a Parador, or whether you’ve jumped a train between Burgos and Leon – it’s what’s in the heart that determines whether you’re a true pilgrim.

My heart, while I’m driving, is pure pilgrim. Believe me.

Especially when it’s pouring with rain.

Turning on the windscreen wipers beats donning a poncho, I’ll tell you that for free. Also, when it gets really cold, I turn on the heater. Fogs the windscreen sometimes, but who said being a pilgrim was easy?

There are exceptions to my pilgrim spirit while I’m driving. Tailgaters on the Autopistas, for instance – I’m not immune to yelling at them to f- off. And then of course I immediately regret it, realising I’ve momentarily lost touch with my inner pilgrim.

And when those pesky walkers with the backpacks and stupid walking sticks spill out onto the road, acting as if they own it, I have been known to blast them on my horn.

It delights me when they jump and curse me. It’s not very pilgrim-like to curse someone, buddy – I think to myself, grinning, as I whizz past.

And if I see a group of pilgrims up ahead walking on the road – my road – beside a puddle, I have been known to veer the car over a little bit and drench them all.

If you become a driving pilgrim you can have fun like me, I think to myself as I gleefully watch them in my rearview mirror as I speed away.

Being a driving pilgrim though is not all fun, let me tell you. You can develop very bad sores on your butt from sitting for long periods of time. And you can develop RSI from using the indicator too much.

Then there’s the road glare. Horrible. I know one of the big questions for the walking pilgrim is whether to wear boots or shoes. The big question for the driving pilgrim is whether to use polaroid on non-polaroid sunglasses.

It’s an important decision and one that you shouldn’t take lightly.

I would suggest, before you undertake a driving pilgrimage, you try out both types of sunglasses on a training drive. Only then can you make a fully informed decision.

I’m thinking I should publish my own Brierley guide – The Way of St.James, by car. I’d detail the practical route, by Autopista – and the mystical route, by secondary roads.

I’d include those hotels that have free parking, and the gas stations where they wash your windshield. I would explain how the tollways work, which lane to choose as you approach the booths, and where the speed cameras are.

I would also make a list of the historical buildings and churches that you can see from the road as you drive past.

If you’re a driving pilgrim, the choice of rental vehicle is critical.

A BMW or Audi is not cool for a driving pilgrim. You need to choose something a little more… ascetic. Something a little more boring, like a Ford Fiesta, or an Opel.

It should have no more than a 1.6L engine, and of course it has to be diesel, and preferably a stick shift. No automatics for the “true” driving pilgrim. And if you really want to be deemed a true driving pilgrim, then Air Con is a no-no.

Also, a true driving pilgrim would never be seen in a convertible, or dare I say it, a coupe. Or indeed anything with a sunroof.

A true driving pilgrim has to do it tough.

As for how long should you take? From St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago, you could do it in two days, tops. That’s hammering it. Deal with the speed fines later.

This would though include stopping to check out a few Cathedrals along the way.

You are, after all, on a pilgrimage.

I won’t post further on the Sister Clare episode.

I’ve had enough – as I’m sure most of you have too.

I have made a public offer for Sister Clare to do a guest post – her right of reply. I have also sent her a private email informing her of the same.

I have told her privately, as I’ve stated publicly, that whatever she wants me to run, I will run – without any changes or editing. And irrespective of whether I believe it to be true or not.

If she chooses to do that, then I will consider this whole sad and sorry saga over. If she chooses not to respond, then it’s over too.

As I said in a previous comment, there are no winners in all this. Only lessons to be learnt.

Bill