We had an easy day planned but we started out early anyway. I guess we were just ready to get going again.

Walking out of a city is always “interesting” you get past the tourist areas into the places real people live. Then you move past those to small industries and mom and pop businesses. Next you often travel through heavy industry and construction and literally see the cities expansion in progress.

Then, quite suddenly sometimes, you cross a bridge or major road and pop!, you are in the countryside again. It is at that point that I begin to relax again. There seems to be an invisible line where the people you walk past go from “looking the other way” and “making no eye contact” to “responding with happy ‘Morgan’or ‘Servus’”and sometimes even stopping to ask about your journey. It doesn’t seem to happen gradually, but abruptly. First you are invisible and anonymous and then instantly you are family or at least a curiosity. I LOVE getting out of the cities.

We walked out of the city today. I was happy.

Our walk was short. We ended in Schwabach after only 12.3mi. We are checked into our first donativo Pilgrim house run by the local society. As it turned out, we arrived to a major art exhibit. The town is famous for gold work and the art festival is focused on Gold. Now I must admit, I am not an art aficionado. Ok, as an engineer I have even put a definition to what is and is not art. “If I can do it,…then it’s not art”. And I have to say that most of what we saw today, I would not classify as art.

Look, anyone can hang bits of garbage from the ceiling and then write a description of how it represents the “decline of morality” and the “exploitation of minorities” through the use of multicolor plastic bottles – and then call it art. But I don’t have to agree. :). Some samples and captions below along with my valued assessment in parentheses!

We ended the night with a grocery store run and another homemade meal. Life is good and it’s good to be a pilgrim again.

Nadine here

After my run in with the dishwasher yesterday and the hospital visit, I will reiterate what Mark said, “It’s good to be a pilgrim again and be on the path”! 

The art show above was bizarre and in my opinion, the feelings behind most of it was a stretch but everyone has an opinion.  I thought it was interesting to see the man-made art in a garden in opposition to the beauty of what the Creator has done in the varied plants and flowers. 

Other pieces were unique even if I didn’t appreciate the mumbo-jumbo psychology behind the artist’s interpretation (and I’m not an engineer! 😆)

Allison here

Walking again was good. I think we are learning to deal with all our ailments.

Once we left the big city behind, the views improved along with my attitude. I am definitely not a city girl.

Reaching the town of Schwabach, we were met in person by our hosts and walked to the building. What a nice greeting.

Schwabach is known for its gold. So once a year the town has an art show all focused around that theme…sort of. I shared some pictures above and each of you can critique the exhibit.

The natural beauty was much more intriguing to me.