Sunday, 3 June 2018: Schmidmühlen to Eisenach, Germany

Ströbi had a sleepover with Lily and Bailey, the Kleindienst's dogs

We got up this morning at 7, ate breakfast, and checked out of the Hotel Garni Kleindienst. And then we went to church at St. Ägidius in Schmidmühlen, where Alois and Thekla Büchner were married on 5 May 1885. This trip has meant a lot to Dan and he can't wait to share the stories with his sisters.

Modern interior of St. Ägidius Church in Schmidmühlen

After church, we began our long drive to Eisenach. We stopped for lunch in a little village near Suhl, just before the Thüringer Border. It was very local, very traditional, and very crowded. We sat at a long table with the locals, none of whom spoke English, and we all quietly ate chicken or meat loaf, served with Klösse (dumplings). Vegetables did not seem to be a popular item on the menu. Then we were on the road again to Eisenach.

We drove through the deep Thüringer Forest. I can see why this dense forest provided a safe haven to Martin Luther during the Reformation. We arrived at the Steigenberger Hotel in the center of Eisenach. Our room was stifling hot, but despite that, we napped. We had an early 3 course dinner at the hotel restaurant on the green in front of the hotel: asparagus soup, salmon on herbed risotto, and a vegan apple dumpling, which we shared.

Dinner in front of the Steigenberger Hotel in Eisenach

Then we walked around town and planned our next few days. One of the problems we faced was finding a room for Tuesday through Thursday nights. Everywhere in town was booked solid, probably due to the Leipzig Bach Fest next weekend. We were going to have to look in the surrounding area for lodgings.

Eisenach

It was good to chat off and on throughout the day with Meredith and Lauren, and to send a Ströbi picture to Cora. I am looking forward to when we are all home safely and are together again.