Day 2, Schwiegershausen to Osterode, about 7 miles

We walked, via Feldbrunnen, on side-roads through very quiet open countryside and hardly saw a car or person. In fact we saw more horses than people. Several times groups of horses would see us and come galloping down to the fence and then go along the fence with us as we walked. Angelo wasn't interested but the horses seemed curious. The day was hot and sunny so it was all very pleasant.

The only time during the entire walk that I felt a frisson of embarrassment was when we arrived in the centre of Osterode which as it was a Saturday was filled with people just sitting about in caffs watching the world go by. We became the focus of attention as people wanted to stroke him (yes) or ride him (definitely no). Some children were obviously longing to touch Angelo but in the end were too fearful and others had no inhibitions at all, showering him with embraces as though he didn't have large teeth and hooves to kick with. We came through that way as Jack wanted to show me the statue of a man with a donkey who had brought salt to Osterode long ago and is part of local history.

Jack had booked for him to stay at the local youth hostel as they had space for Angelo, and me to stay in a hotel. When we got to the hostel a man, Herr Linnemann, appeared and said the arrangements had changed and Angelo was now staying with them. After some clarification it turned out that the family had read the story in the local paper, rung Barbara, and offered their garden for Angelo for the night. Jack was a bit relieved as it meant that he could now stay in the hotel too as the hostel had forty Polish children staying there. No doubt lovely children too, but ...

When we got to their house we were offered delish coffee and kuchen with sahne and then beer which was all most welcome. Friends of theirs arrived too and someone turned up with hay. A reporter arrived from Der Eseltreiber who took pics and asked what we were doing - story dated 23.08. and titled 'Mit dem Esel durch den Harz'.

Once Angelo was settled inside his fence we were given a lift to our Hotel-Pension Boergener which was labyrinthine but very comfortable. Coming back from dinner in the stadtmitte we managed to get lost in the dark, no one around, but eventually got back on track again.