Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Wednesday 5th October - Stadtsteinach, Germany


So much for 'red sky at night, a shepherd's delight'! Today dawned very grey and we had a couple of very light showers over breakfast. The temperature had also dropped quite a lot since yesterday when we had been walking around in T-shirts.
It was a day of lots of chores but we did have the opportunity to have a wander into the town. Close to the campsite, on the edge of the town is a large quarry but it is hidden up a small valley, which meant that we didn't hear any sound from it. On the way into the centre we crossed the river and two mill streams. Mills are a feature of the Frankenwald and nearby Franconian Switzerland as the high land is punctuated by narrow, steep valleys that are ideal for providing water power for sawmills and for crushing the iron ore found here.
Climbing the hill we reached the small town square with its impressive church (rebuilt in the 1990's) and a good selection of bars and eating places. Apart from three bakeries, we didn't see any food shops so it was a good job that we had stocked up on the way yesterday. Stadtsteinach is a pleasant town but blighted somewhat by the busy 303 road that runs through it with many heavy lorries, especially quarry lorries, thundering through its main street.
Photos: Detail of one of a number of carved wooden processional staffs from Stadtsteinach church.

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