Bad Grönenbach to Altusried, 12Km
I forgot to mention yesterday was Nationwide Alert Day here in Germany. At precisely 11:00 my iPhone issued a very loud siren and the screen lit up with an official warning message in German. One imagines the panic that would have gripped the country when the news broke that General S Patton was leading the Third Army over the German border, had they had iPhones back then. But it was just a test alert, “There is no danger”.
There’s no accommodation on the Jakobsweg tonight so I took a bus to the city of Kempten. My original plan was to wait at the bus stop in a tiny hamlet called Hölzlers. However today dawned with heavy rain and 6 degrees so I decided to take a different bus from the imaginatively named Altusried.
The journey to this Altusried took me through more dangerous forests, soaking pastures and over a precarious suspension bridge. When I arrived in Altusried, the whole town centre was being excavated for new sewage and fibre cables (you may ask why they are putting fibre in with the sewage). The bus stop had been temporarily relocated to an outlying Netto store and I only just found it in time. The bus was cash only and by the time I’d worked my way through several soaking layers of clothing in search of some cash, we were well behind schedule.
So now I have a night in Kempten which is probably quite attractive in decent weather. The urge came over me to refresh my wardrobe so I drifted into TK Maxx and bought a hoodie. I last had a hoodie when I was 0 to 3 months old so I’m looking forward to wearing it tomorrow when Jakobsweg breaches the 1100m contour into the death zone. At least I have something dry to wear.
What am I supposed to do?
Pilgrimage 
Mio dio Germany is not playing nice , weather wise.
It’s been an abrupt transition from very hot to very cold in a day. And now central Europe is being flooded. Weather change!
Keep hanging in there Tim; I know the constant problem solving & adapting is draining & the cold weather doesn’t help.
So glad you’ve embraced your inner teenager & bought a hoodie! Just don’t loiter around any convenience stores… (konbini’s in small village Germany…surely I jest! 😉🇯🇵)
I would fit in from a distance
Ki ora, Tim As I follow your journey I’m also following a young American man and his mother who are walking the John Muir trail. You’re walking the sublime and they are walking the gorblimey at 1000m – 4000m through gnarly mountains carrying a tent and their food. The contrasts between the two walks is interesting. That is no disrespect to you, Tim, because you have dealt with Covid, loneliness and facilities that you need being few and far between or non existent. Good on you for ignoring the closed sign because it is so pleasing to disobey the rules and find the way through. Kia kaha
Hats off to anyone doing the JMT. Human beings have an incredible ability to adapt to almost any environment and situation. What I’m experiencing here is little different to nipping down to the shops and getting caught in the rain. I reflect on that plaque marking the end of the Dacau death march which puts everything else into context. Anyway I must dash; breakfast is ready…
Another really interesting day, but sorry about the cold.
I am in explorer mode here ….. in Weybridge. Just about to head out past Concorde for the parkrun.
Gosh, happy exploring in Weybridge
Happily there are the cows. The germans, british and french cows are all noces and love pilgrims 😉.
I hope you’re right. I passed some cows today and they were happy to see me