SOEST

Tuesday 23^rd

95 miles today, mostly on motorway, but a lot of traffic and numerous spaghetti-junctions where one motorway joins another, so took us 3 and half hours.  Anyway we found the stellplatz at Soest  City Motel Womopark without too much difficulty and decided as it was so nice we would stay for 3 nights. Also it is a Bank Holiday on Thursday and we run the risk of not getting a spot if we move on.  After a bite to eat and a reviving drink we headed off in to the town to find a supermarket…a bit like trying to find one in the middle of London, hidden down a little side street. We collected some milk and cream to go with the remainder of the strawberries and wandered back, through the hospital would you believe, in one door down the corridor and out the other side as we had been told that was the quickest way back!

We now have 6 Dutch vans and 2 German for company, the sun is shining, but the wind is blowing a hoolie, still warm though 24’C in the van.

Wednesday 24^th

Got up a bit later and did a few chores (festooned Juliette with wet washing) and set off wandering about 11.00am. We walked in the other direction and found the station and a large shopping complex including Lidl, shame we did not go that way yesterday. From there it was a window-shopping exercise down the much newer pedestrian street in to the main part of the town, in and out of some different places to ours at home, all quite interesting.  We treated ourselves to some lunch at the old water mill, then wandered round the pond with it’s fountain and old ducking see-saw. 

After lunch we started to head back to the stellplatz and passed the church of Saint Maria on the Hill, which was completely covered inside with paintings and murals, all old 13^th century but very beautiful. 

We got back about 4.00pm and did not do much else other than chat to  our Dutch neighbours over a glass of wine.

Thursday 25^th

As today was a holyday, we thought we had better go to church, so we did 3 times! We started off by meandering rather than running along the top of the old city wall from the Old Town Gate, which is the last remaining of 10 gates, to the church of Santa Thoma, better known as the squint tower due to it’s leaning spire.

Old Town Gate

Squint Tower

Walk along top of city wall

A look around there then on in to the main square and the minster of St. Patrokli, which was closed and the smaller St. Petri church which was just at chucking out time after a service.

St Patrokli Minster

and inside

Round the main square with all the small outside cafes, the very colourful Rathaus (Town Hall) and then up some of the little back streets with umpteen old, some renovated wonky houses.

 It seems that 75% of the town was destroyed during the war and the ones that remain are now listed buildings, so old buildings reside alongside mega new ones. Obviously all the shops were closed  and there were not a lot of people about, so it was quite nice just to wander without tripping over someone all the time.  We got lost a few times as some of the Germanic street names are very hard to decipher even when one has a town map.

Back at the van we sat out in the sun with cuppas, then wine, then dinner and have just come inside at 8.30pm to catch up on the diary.  The Germans, Dutch and Belgians are still outside though and will be until about 10.00pm when it is dark.

Last supper window with ham, beer and pumperknickel bread