Erfurt and rain day

September 15–16
Erfurt and a rest day 

I slept well on my green sleeping pad; I pack up quickly and head off. The weather is a bit overcast, but it doesn’t look like rain for a while yet.

After a fairly demanding hill, things get a bit easier, though I can’t escape the crosswind. Germany is a major agricultural country; there are fields of crops, corn, and sunflowers everywhere. Incidentally, the sunflowers have finished blooming and are now more brown than yellow. It’s probably time for the harvest!

I arrive in Weimar and make my way through town using only bike paths; near the exit, I spot a café that looks organic. I make a U-turn and cycle over. I didn’t have breakfast this morning, and I’m craving a coffee.

I sit here enjoying my coffee and the fact that there isn’t far left to go to Erfurt and a rest day—just 25 km.

Before the trip, I had planned to stay at Hostel Opera upon arrival, and my GPS was set for it.

Unfortunately, they were fully booked for the day. I got a tip about a place 200 meters further along, but the room cost €120 a night, so I politely declined.

I checked other hotels along the way; the “hostels” seemed completely full, so that option appears to be exhausted. Prices seem to be the same: €100–130 per night.

Eventually, I enter the heart of Erfurt, passing through the old town districts to a large square with several outdoor cafés.
I sit down at an Italian one and order a simple pizza and a beer. I frantically check my phone and Google for cheap rooms.

After a diligent search, I find one that suits my taste; it’s more of an apartment-style hotel than a standard one, and it’s located just about 2 km from where I am right now…
The place is called Pension zum Ringelberg; I book online via Booking.com, and the price is just over half of what the other hotels were asking—€100 for two nights.

After a delicious pizza, I cycle through town using Maps.Me to reach Ludolfweg 6.

It’s situated in a quiet residential area; the owner greets me but says I have to wait 20 minutes because he’s still getting the room ready.

I sit outside on a sofa and wait; the sun is shining, and I’m longing for a shower. I receive an email notification saying I can now pick up the key using the code he sent.

The key is in a lockbox on the other side of the house. He meets me when I come in and shows me around.

There’s a small kitchen with a modern stovetop, a table along the wall with four chairs, and a fridge—small, but I think I can fit my cooler bag in if I do a bit of rearranging…!

The shower is shared with the two other rooms on the ground floor, and it looks clean and fresh. There’s also a coffee and soft drink vending machine on the second floor.

The room isn’t big, but it suits me well; the mattress is admittedly a bit too soft, but that’s something I’ll have to accept.

I bring in all my bags and get settled, then turn on the TV and look for CNN or BBC—I’m not interested in any of the other channels, as I barely understand a word of German. Brewing a cup of coffee, then hopping in the shower.

On the way here, I noticed—and heard—that the front mudguard was loose. A long screw passing through the lower part of the steering column is missing. I spotted a bike shop on the way, though, so I’ll stop by tomorrow and ask for a new, long one.
In the meantime, I’ve secured it with a narrow plastic zip tie, and it’s doing the job.

After changing, I catch some BBC news—stories about Trump and a woman, the nurse Lucy Letby, who murdered at least seven premature babies. This case is getting a lot of attention, as are reports of a NATO jet shooting down a drone over the Baltic region and a Russian vessel firing flares at a Danish military helicopter.

It’s past 6 PM now, so I’m heading to the nearest grocery store to stock up on supplies; it’s just a stone’s throw away.

Then I’m back to prepare tonight’s dinner: Indian-style curried rice, fried bacon, two sandwiches, and a beer. Afterward, coffee and palm-oil-free Digestive biscuits, finishing off with a “four” (a generous measure) of Steward’s Whisky.

I crawl into bed—on a mattress that’s far too soft for my liking—around 10 PM and watch some more BBC.

Talk to you tomorrow from a bike ride through central Erfurt.

 – Erfurt around by bike  –

I wake up early and hear guests in the neighboring rooms bustling about in the kitchen and shower. The people on the ground floor seem to be assembly workers—and early risers, too.

After breakfast, I cycle the nearly straight, 2.5 km route to the Fischmarkt, right near the center of Erfurt.

This beautiful building at Benediktsplatz is one of the oldest in Erfurt; the Krämerbrücken café on the ground floor is popular, and the prices are reasonable.

The Breitstrom—a tributary or stream feeding into the Gera River—also flows through Erfurt at this spot. Several buildings are constructed right over the stream.

The Fischmarkt is a somewhat small square, yet it is surrounded by beautiful, old, historic buildings. Trams curve through the square, and the outdoor seating areas are nearly full.
The sky is turning very dark, and my weather app is warning of a heavy downpour any minute now.

I had a view of this beautiful building—Haus Zum Breiten Herd—while I enjoyed my coffee. It was built around 1580.

While I’m having my coffee, the warning about the torrential downpour comes true. Those not sitting under the parasols have to rush inside the café. Luckily, my bike and I are sheltered under a large parasol.
There are plenty of tourists in Erfurt, even though it’s the middle of the week. I suppose the Germans have already started their holidays? In any case, it’s fun to walk or cycle amidst the bustling tourists.

This figure outside the Town Hall is popular, judging by the information provided; “Bernd das Brot”—or simply “The Bread”—is a character that has apparently achieved iconic status in Erfurt.

I believe he comes from a children’s TV channel or something similar.

Trams are a common sight in many German cities, and Erfurt is no exception. However, cycling on these streets can be a bit tricky and risky; getting your front wheel caught in one of the tracks leads to an immediate spill. It’s fine as long as the streets are relatively empty—like in the photo—and it hasn’t rained.

The second photo is from another popular square in Erfurt, Anger Square, with the Anger Fountain in the foreground.

I then head back, stopping at the bike shop I saw yesterday. I wheel my bike through the large store up to the counter and ask the guy behind it if he can find a larger screw, pointing to the front fender.

He goes over to some bins, picks out the right size, and brings back two tools. He fixes the fender in a minute or so, and when I ask about the cost, he says in German…

“Es kostet nichts, ich biete es an.”
I didn’t understand every word, but I gathered it was free. Then, it was back to Ludolfweg 6 and my room.