Day 26 - Bamberg part 2

 It's a great cycle ride from the campsite into Bamberg, passing along both a river and a canal, and through some lovely parkland. This pond was full of carp of all sizes, and if you are able to zoom in, there is a heron sitting in the island tree waiting for his dinner.


Even though it was a Sunday Bamberg was alive, and the restaurants and pubs were full from midday. We used up our last free beer tokens and just sort of mooched around and looked at a few places away from the centre.


The campsite is not in Bamberg itself, but a small town on the outskirts with the magnificent name of Bug. The owner of  the local Hof (small hotel/inn) has had this welcoming sign painted:


On our first trip into Bamberg we were in a bar sampling the local brew, and on the table beside us were about ten people dressed up in traditional Bavarian clothes - lederhosen and dirndls (leather short trousers and corseted dresses). One of them was waving a stick with a load of clothes pegs on it, and the story behind it was really interesting. This was a combined hen/stag party, and traditionally the bride to be would sell kisses (chaste ones I'm sure) to help pay for the party. Covid has stopped this, so instead she was selling clothes pegs with kisses painted on them. Naturally Giles and I bought a peg each to help her on her way. Pity about the kisses, though.

This area is renown for its pork, and it makes up most of the dishes on a Bavarian menu. This was the speciality of the restaurant in the campsite; long cooked pork shoulder with great crackling, a huge dumpling made from, I think, polenta, and kraut - a sweet stewed cabbage dish with some spices in it, and an ocean of dark, dark gravy.  All very nice, but very, very filling.


Today, Monday, has been an admin day (ie clothes washing), but this afternoon we'll take a bike ride along the canal to see what we will see.

Tomorrow is a relatively short drive to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, yet another medieval town, but one that hasn't changed at all over the years.

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