17. Which Way?

Bavarian Farmers. (Tomasito photo)

17.

Which way?

Walking, walking—the busy highway leading out of town has a smoothly paved footpath beside it, then the highway narrows and becomes a quiet country lane. As usual in Bavaria, the urgency of traffic ends at the village boundary and the lane and footpath leads leisurely through green hills and pastures. I can choose my own tranquil pace.

The day has become warm. Walking is very pleasant.

I soon approach a crossroads where I must decide which path to take.

A village church is nearby. Like the pilgrims in Herman Hesse’s novel Journey to the East, I try to pause at all places held sacred by the local people to show respect for their spiritual search, so I go into the very old, silent, inspiring house of worship for a tranquil moment’s meditation.

Then I simply stand and wait between the church and the typical farm buildings beside the church.

And here is another technique of pilgrimage, which experience has taught me: If you don’t know what to do next—don’t do anything. Expect the guidance you need to materialize and it will. This procedure may not work for you, but it always works for me, so I advocate it—perhaps if you practice the method it will begin to work for you.

Two men, dressed in the characteristic costume of rustic Bavarian farmers, soon come out of a barn and greet me sociably. When I explain to them, in halting German, that I am an American making a walking pilgrimage to Straubing they are delighted and when I ask them about the best route they are eager to help.

I unfold the highway map my Kolbermoor friends loaned me for the journey and the farmers (after going back into the building for eyeglasses) examine the paper with scientific interest.

Then they carefully fold the map again, explaining that it is just a highway map after all, and begin to outline a more appropriate walking tour for me. They suggest a route across the fields and through the forests and hamlets to the old town of Altotting, which, they assure me, is just as holy a pilgrimage place as Straubing ever was—and which is right on the way to Straubing anyway!

They pool their memories for an itinerary and do not consult any map at all. Their suggested route will take me through the magical-sounding villages of Hemhof, Pelham, Gachensolden and Hoslewang, Obing and Hienberg, Tacherting, Gauching and will terminate in Altotting. They promise I will be on footpaths or country lanes the entire way, then they pose for a snapshot and I continue my journey, which now leads toward Hemhof.

Tomasito, 2009


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