The wayfarer’s solitude.

Regardless of being a UNESCO world heritage site -and regardless of its deserving it-, my interest in Bamberg this time was to reencounter an old friend. I already did the tourist thing in Bamberg years ago and took the typical photos, much worse than any of those you can find online or in a postcard, therefore I’m not uploading them here. Maybe just one, to illustrate the chapter.

Altes Rathaus, Bamberg’s old City Hall.

But, as I say, I’ve come here to reencounter no other than the very same Phil Marty in person, from Escalon, California; and I dedicate this chapter to him. The story of how we first met -which he loves to tell and repeat in his pugnacious style (always brooding over an imaginary USA vs Europe rivalry)- would need pages of text, and I’m not writing it here. Suffice to say that it happened during the most epic trip in my life, when I hitchhiked for five months the four corners of the North American continent; trip which, if God gives me life and mood, I’ll write down someday.
This time, after several weeks on the motorcycle, I was feeling like a long stop, taking a little holiday in this hard job such as traipsing is, give a break to my lonesomeness and talk to somebody until late hours. Tell my adventures and listen to others’, interchange opinions and emotions, forget about the road, go out in company for a meal or a drink, take no decisions and, most of all, feel someone’s affection and be able to bestow mine. Not implying -this is extremely important for him to be stated- any queerish thingy whatsoever. We’re all straight here, real machos.
And now this is a photo of any such moment, sharing good and typical German food: bratwurst, kartofelsalad and kellerbier. Not that I can imagine how this can be of any interest to the chance reader of these chapters, but Phil claims that my blog reads will go viral with even a single picture of him. And if he says so, it’s got to be true. So, here it is.

Eating and drinking in company with the very same Phl Marty.

I’ve seized the chance for taking my bike to the BMW workshop in Bamberg, as I’m hearing a strange noise in the rear wheel for the past two thousand kilometres, but, naturally, it didn’t show up when at the garage.
Thus, entertained by these chats, outings, beers and meals, my planned three or four days’ break in Bamberg turned out to be longer than a week. And indeed it has been helpful, a good company. If not for finding answers to the difficult existential questions of a nomad, yet you always learn something positive by watching and talking with whom has solid -however wrong- convictions and beliefs. It’s been a good therapy, a kind of warrior’s rest, leaving me in a good shape for facing the upcoming weeks. Except for pathological cases, humans need company. Hence the biggest dilemma of the wayfarer: without solitude there’s no real travel, but without sharing there’s no real enjoyment.

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