Day 11: From Bad Düben to Krostitz

Date	Jan 13, 2024 ( Saturday )
Today's Distance:	14 miles / 23 km
Route and Stats	Route Video
Total This Camino:	103 miles.
Total 2024 Caminos:	103 miles
Total All Caminos:	2103 miles
Lodging:	St Laurentius Kirche @ $15
Total Lodging:	$ 651
Planes:	$ 1300
Total Planes / Travel Insurance:	$ 1470
Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 103
Food:	$ 13
Total Food:	$ 330

Weather: Temperature was in the mid thirties. But the wind out of the south was relentless and probably made the actual wind chill temperature more like the high 20s.

Meaningful Moment

Just checked the weather for tomorrow. Rain and snow in high probabilities, with very high probabilities of precipitation overnight.

I think that's it. It's time to call it quits.

There's an 8:50 a.m. bus from Krostitz that will get me to the Leipzig train station, from which I can catch a train to the Berlin train station.

I've got 7 days of hiking, covering just over 100 mi in a typical German winter. I've done some sightseeing: 2 days in Wittenberg, one day in Leipzig and one day in Berlin.

I'm going to take two down days in Berlin before I get on the plane back to the good old US of A.

Random Thought of the Day

Morning

I have a 12 mile hike today.

There's literally only one place to stay in Krostitz, and it is the village church. The pastor makes a couch available for pilgrims.

I emailed him last night, but it is a weekend and I'm wondering if I'll even hear back.

If I don't hear back, I'll take the bus from Krostitz to Leipzig.

If I do hear back, I'll spend the night on the couch and finish hiking tomorrow instead.

*** I did hear back, and I'm on the couch at St. Laurentius Church.

Afternoon

Tomorrow would also a 12-mile hike. The difference is that today should still be countryside, whereas tomorrow I will be crossing through suburbs and that's always less interesting.

I might get up tomorrow morning and just say the heck with it and take the bus to Leipzig.

So many of these German villages are urbanizations. Krostitz has on a Saturday afternoon one place open to get food, a pizza place.

Apparently later a Greek restaurant and a hamburger joint open but I don't know how much I would trust that to occur.

The discount supermarket is open until 9:00 p.m. so I'm going to go stop in there after I eat my pizza.

But I am going to sit a long time eating my pizza.

Making up for not stopping to eat lunch on the trail.

Evening

Out in the cold for a beer at the local Greek restaurant.

On the Road / Notable memories

Morning

At the hotel in Bad Duben. This morning I am in no rush.

I'm going to sit at the breakfast table, and take my time.

If I don't get underway until 9:00 a.m., that's okay with me.

Afternoon

Nice mix of forest and fields and some country roads with a few stretches of pavement.

Because it was so windy and therefore the wind chill was affecting me, I did not stop to eat. I just kept trucking the whole day.

Krostitz. The albergue was advertised as essentially a couch in a community room, but it really is a nice room. Bed, couch, table, etc

The only thing that a more seasoned traveler might get annoyed at is that the bathroom is on the first floor, which you get to by going outside and down a flight of steps.

Probably for the average German who would have the right kind of clothes, this place would be warm. But for me and my hiking clothes, having been outside for 6 hours, it's cold in here.