Getting there, 14th August

Back of B&B in Hoerden

Considering the number of changes to get from New Southgate to Wulften via Stansted and Leipzig - train, tube, train, plane, bus, train, train, train - it was remarkably trouble-free. The only point of tension being getting to New Southgate station with only one and a half minutes to spare.

Leipzig Hauptbahnhof is a large shopping centre with trains that happen to be attached. A nice new express took me to Halle from where I got a double-decker train so just had to lug my rucksack upstairs. It was like travelling in an attic as the sides slope sharply in and you have to watch your head. From Halle there were an enormous number of allotments by the rail side and many had small wooden buildings on them which were far superior to the usual English ramshackle shed. I think people use them for weekend accommodation and the allotments were not just packed with rows of vegetables and fruit but had play areas, barbecues and so on.

Drifts of rosebay willowherb also lined the track. One drift would still be very purple and next to it would be all white, fluffy seed heads. You would think they would all mature at the same time. There were also many clumps of what looked like golden rod so the view was quite colourful. The countryside was open and undulating until after Nordhausen (another change) as the train neared the mountains and forest.

Jack met me at Wulften but so that I actually could get into the car he had to take several longbows out first and then put them back in round me. As you do. We then went to meet Frau Barbara Kuppers, Angelo's owner who runs and owns the Ponyhof in Wulften then went on to Hoerden where we had B&B with Frau Minde. Her house has more solar panels on it than I have ever seen and a nice summer house where we had dinner.