Weather: Misty. Err... that doesn't translate well to German... umm... Slightly Foggy.
Destination: Leipzig
When we arrived in Würzburg we'd seen a castle in the centre of it, and decided to go and have a look. Again we gave the hotel's breakfast a miss, and trundled round the corner to have McFrühstück. It's where we'd had dinner the night before - the problem with budget hotels is that they tend to be on industrial estates and decent places to eat tend not to be...!
Threading our way through the streets and up the hill to the castle, Fortress Marienberg, it always feels slightly illicit to be riding along narrow, cobbled, residential streets, but a nice dedicated motorcycle parking area before the (chargeable) car park was nice. With hardly anyone about, we went for a wander. Monday seems to be an extension of the weekend in Germany, and none of the museum areas were open but we could wander freely around the grounds and inspect the tower in the centre - which Rapunzel would have been proud of. We could only go in to the bottom section, which used to be a prison, and not upstairs, so I couldn't see if there was a fair maiden or damsel in distress.
The ornamental gardens overlooking the city were very well maintained and added a touch of colour to the mis... slightly foggy day. I'm sure the view would have been good too, but as it was we could see the Main River, complete with boat traffic, the vines and hear a particularly noisy ambulance making its way through the town below.
Leaving Würzburg behind, we set a course for Leipzig. Our destination was of course in the old East Germany, and whilst there is a noticeable difference between the two parts, there's nothing to denote the old border except for an easily missed sign. Which I missed.
As lunchtime approached, we started looking for somewhere to eat and this is when we really discovered that Germany is closed on Mondays. We stopped at a few likely looking places, including one that had a distinctly Marie Celeste feeling about it as the door was open but there was nobody around, without any luck. We eventually back-tracked slightly to a hotel restaurant that I'd spotted earlier, but Craig had missed. Walking in there were a group of evidently local people sat at the bar, and nobody else... We took a table, were presented a menu, and enjoyed a very nice lunch.
Continuing to Leipzig, the roads were not unpleasant if not especially memorable. Leipzig itself is how you would image a former East German city to be, complete with old trams, wide roads and imposing buildings. The roads themselves were a bit worn, and combined with the tram tracks you had to keep your wits about you. I also spotted my first Trabant, the infamous two-stroke, plastic-bodied car, chugging along in front. Actually, that's not fair, it was more than able to keep up with traffic speeds.
An early-ish arrival in town gave us time for a little sight-seeing. One building had a Police guard outside, and a number of American cars outside, so we suspect it could have been their consulate. Walking past it, and towards the main road we'd come in on, the imposing town hall had a huge, well kept paved area in front.
The cinema opposite had a choice of a tribute to Michael Jackson, or the BBC's Planet of the Dinosaurs - an interesting choice.
East Germany is also the home of the Ampelmännchen, the figure on pedestrian (and cyclist) traffic signals. The be-hatted figure is one of the few GDR symbols to survive and remain popular since the fall of communism. It adds a touch of character to the traffic signals than those elsewhere lack.
Leipzig is also the only city we visited twice - and the reason will be revealed in part three.
Overnight: Ibis Budget
Food: Pasta in a German bar mit bier
Language: English
