I was walking back from the wash block this morning when a fellow camper spoke to me. I didn’t understand what he said, so I apologised and he immediately switched to English, “I think it’s going to rain today -shit happens”. How well do you have to speak a language to drop so easily into colloquialisms/vulgarity? Rightly or wrongly, I envy the ability greatly.
At last we can get on the bikes and cycle into Heidelberg. We retrace the route to the city following the river for five miles on cycle paving all the way – heaven. It is ridiculously hot. We cross the first bridge and see the tourist information office in front of us. I buy a guide map. We drink coffee whilst Roland gets a fix from the free internet access. The tourist information office is next to the coach drop off and collect point, so there is plenty of people watching I can be getting on with.
Heidelberg is a very busy city, about the size of Oxford. We drop into the Heiliggeistkirche on the main square and the cool and silent interior was immediately calming after the heat outside. Again, there were some spectacular modern stained glass windows and, the icing on the cake, someone began to play the organ. The effect was both soothing and restorative.
View of the Heiliggeistkirche from the market place Inside the Heiliggeistkirche, Heidelberg
Haus zum Ritter (1592)
A couple were getting married in the town hall, one of several wedding parties we witnessed in the square.
Heidelberg Town Hall
We ate our packed lunch under the shade of a tree in University Square. The only downside to Heidelberg is that there is insufficient cycle parking, or maybe it’s just because it’s a university town and there are a huge number of bicycles to be accommodated. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the city and then cycled back to camp.
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