Day 16 Klüsserath to Schweich, 15 km

Short, chilly, two jacket day. I think today was the end of the huge stretches of vineyards and the big steep climbs.

There were two tables set in the breakfast room this morning. About a minute after I sat down, Alex and Yvonne, the only other pilgrims I have met, walked in - a nice surprise and it was funny we ended up in the same place and did not know it. They have met two other pilgrims - a guy who got ChatGPT to plan his walk for him and then realized that he maybe should have checked its work; and a young woman who passed them at some point. I also saw her but did not speak with her. But that’s it!

This morning’s breakfast highlight was grape juice made from the grapes grown by the family we were staying with. Pale gold and only a little sweet and it tasted exactly like grapes!

There is a big sign in the vineyards over top Küsserath: Küsserath Bruderschaft. I thought it meant “brotherhood” like a union or cooperative. But apparently it refers to (long ago) monks. And the name simply identifies the wine area not any special
Communal approach to grape growing.

The normal route out of the village went right away up into the hills, while an alternative went along the river into the next village and then up into the hills. I took the second option. It was pretty mucky and wet, but it was nice not to have to go up first thing. Both villages — almost all the villages, really — are stunningly quiet. I’ve barely even seen a cat. You could count the open businesses in both these villages on one hand. Would it be different in August? I’m assuming so. There are so many vacation rentals and guesthouses and wineries and tasting rooms. It must feel very different when these are all busy.

The day’s single big climb was not terrible. Leaving Ensch, the second village, you follow paths up to a bird-protection-teach trail (something like that). But first you go by a number of small stone crosses, each with the same image of the crucified Jesus. And then a bigger cross as you get higher up. The woods are full of religion. But today they also had some beautiful signs about birds. And signs warning that climate change can lead to droughts which can damage trees and make the woods more dangerous.

For the second day in a row there was a big field of solar panels at the very top.

The rest of the morning was easy walking down into the small town/ big village of Schweich. There isn’t a lot of charm here but it is nice to be somewhere big enough to have a grocery store.

I hung out at a cafe - soup, coffee, apple cake — until I could check into my room. I wandered around the town a bit this afternoon. It feels almost suburban in its spread outness - in comparison to the other places I have stayed. There is a big high school around the corner. Big sign on the fence: democracy lives from participation. And then signs with all of the German fundamental laws… Basic rights.

There has been very little visible political stuff of any kind anywhere I’ve been, except for Koblenz. I am thinking of the kind of signs or stickers or graffiti or flags that you might see in Spain. I have mostly been in very, very small places. But still - a rainbow flag, a Palestinian flag, the kind of stickers against sexual violence you see all over Spain, or the posters for equity and inclusion messages in bus shelters?

Dinner came from the supermarket. The rest of the evening has been spent moving wet things around on the radiators, reading, trying to watch German tv. Every so often I think, I am so glad I’m not in a tent!Read more