A moment in Memmingen (Germany)

My 3am start this morning came uncomfortably early, however, knowing that I was heading to a new country and on a new adventure, it was not too difficult to pry open my eyes and head out the door.

The Bike – Bus – Plane – Taxi – Train – Bus sequence was going to take most of the day, so once I landed in Germany, I interrupted the transit series and wandered the charming town of Memmingen.

The streets of Memmingen were exceptionally quiet, which felt a tad eerie until I realized that perhaps my expectations were skewed from existing in the non-stop frenetic energy of London. It was here I first whet my appetite for the colourful pastel buildings of Bavaria. Every time I turned the corner there was another salmon / mint/ azure / lemon treat to behold. I stumbled upon a bustling Saturday market in the town square (apparently this is where all the people are mid-day on the weekend).In addition to the mounds of incredible produce, I was delighted to discover that it seems customary for market-goers to carry hearty whicker baskets to collect their wares. I also stopped to watch an older man throwing bread into the canal. I assumed he was feeding the ducks, but I was amazed to notice that it was actually large, vibrantly coloured fish that were leaping out of the water to snatch the bread that he scattered. The clear, shallow water of the canal was thick with fish. It was rather incredible! I could not help but marvel at the excellent cycling infrastructure throughout Memmingen, including this luxurious and impressively well-ordered bike parking at the train station. I have a feeling Germany and I are going to get along famously!