Around Cham, Bavaria, Germany

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In and around Cham, Germany

Motorhome Journey Around Cham, Bavaria

We are camped at the Kanu Club in Cham, Germany and it is Easter Day! We celebrate by having a long and lazy shower, the first one since we left home! We do some sweeping and cleaning in Hymer (it is all a bit grubby) and catch up with our journals. Cham is to be our home for the next week as we take part in an American Square Dance event along with other dancers from all over Europe and the rest of the world.

In the afternoon we explore our route along the river and into town and look for the three venues that will be used for dancing. First we find the market square, a delightful Germany/Bavarian town with a fantastical fountain in the centre composed of two mythical characters and what looks like a Napoleonic soldier, all sat lazily together on tree stumps, periodically shooting water out of their mouths and wetting unsuspecting passers-by! We join the others and sit and enjoy the afternoon. We discover that the central (Napoleonic) character is Nikolaus Luckner, a son of Cham who went to fight for the French King.

Nikolaus Luckner was made Marshall of France by King Luis XVI in 1791. The French revolution marked the height of Luckner’s career as well as his downfall. Accused of treason, he was put on the guillotine in January 1794. A year later after his death, he was vindicated when the French National Covent declared that he had been executed unjustly. “La Marseillaise”, the French national anthem, was dedicated to Count Luckner by its composer Joseph Rouget de Lisle. The town halls carillon, with its 25 bells can be heard every noon at 12:05 ringing out with “La Marseillaise”.

The central figure of the fountain: Count Nikolaus von Luckner looks mischievously at the carillon in the ridge of the town hall and waits for the Marseillaise to be played every day at 12.05 pm. The other characters are the forest witch, with characteristic very big nose, and her children, adorned with feathers, flowers and leaves, which is to remind us of Mother Nature. The third figure, the “Bilmeschneider” is one of the best know mythological creatures of Bavaria. An allegory for failed harvests and hunger, he is portrayed as walking the fields with golden scythes on his heels, cutting down the grain as he walks. In this particular representation he embodies peace and fertility, wearing the world peace-sign as a necklace.

When the eastern part of the Town Hall was renovated in 1994, a 13 meter deep well was discovered which had been in use until the 19th century. There are, however, different theories regarding the use of the well. The bronze statue of a little dog was created in 1995 by Joseph Michael Neustifter to remind the visitor of a fountain that used to be in this spot.

Later we walk back to the Campsite via the Stadhalle, the venue for tomorrow night’s Welcome dance, so that we know where it is. It feels like it might be a long way to walk to the town and back (2km) twice a day (afternoon and evening is 4km) and dance for 5 hours. We discuss how we might pace ourselves. Later we have chicken stirfry for tea and walk down to the Randsbergerhof Hotel for the trail in dance. We do not stay, it is very hot and noisy and nowhere to sit.

As we sit in the hotel reception looking at the maps and information, Chris and Trevor Day from Lune Valley square dancers walk past. They stop and we have a good catch up, they don’t want to join the too hot and overcrowded dance either. We have a walk outside in the cool of the evening and then go our different ways. Back at Hymer, I am very tired (not surprising perhaps after 1,000 km driving). I go to bed but soon realise that I am unwell and have clearly picked up a diarrhoea bug. I am ill most of the night but Mr C. is OK.

The text below the photos is a description of the square dance event, skip that if the travel is of more interest.

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Keywords Motorhome camper campervan Hymer drive trip trek tour France Germany Czechia 

Cham, Germany Day 2

Easter Monday and a bank holiday and I spend most of the day in bed, I have a very sore tummy but feel very unwell and don’t want to go too far from the bathroom. We assess our situation and feel somewhat irked. The lack of information from the organisers means:

• we have arrived two days too early, rushing to here for Saturday when the first dance is not actually until Monday evening (today). We could have had a more leisurely journey or left a day later giving ourselves a day at home to prepare and pack after a busy weekend.
• Not knowing that the 3 venues are on 3 different sites across the town, each of which is a 1km walk each way (twice a day) from the camp site. I know I cannot maintain for a week. While we could not change this, it would have made a big difference to our organisation had we known.
• Not knowing the times of dancing in the afternoon/evening meant a 3 hour break (5.00 till 8.00pm) which is too long to just have a meal, then ‘hang around when venues were locked.
• Also the issue of square dance clothes for the evening dance and the need to carry them with us to change into. All of this is just not practical, the need to walk the extra kms and go back.
• It is too late now, so decide to use taxis for two of the journeys. I am still too unwell to go to the first/ welcome dance, so Mr C. goes on his own. He meets Chris & Trevor but leaves early and is back by 9.30pm.

Cham, Germany Day 3

Our mornings are free (square dancing afternoon & evening), we have another slow morning. I am feeling better but still have a very sore tummy and need more time to recover. After lunch we walk to the Rathaus (old town hall). Dating back to 15th century it is a fabulous old building, connected to St Jacob’s cathedral at the first floor level (which has the carillon and a fabulous onion spire). Inside it has been tastefully modernised and is really fit for purpose (unlike many very old buildings). Here we spend the afternoon in an A2 square dance workshop with Bill Harrison from Baltimore Maryland. A good caller, he put us through our paces experiencing some familiar calls but from unfamiliar starting positions. By 5.00pm I was flagging, we walked back to the campsite and sat outside in the sunshine with a bottle of Fitou and humous with baguette. Later we cook the remaining meatballs with pasta for tea.

Cham, Germany Day 4

I have another bad night so begin the day with a slow morning. The weather is good so we potter, sweep out and clean Hymer and catch up on email. After lunch the taxi comes to collect us at 1.10pm and takes us to the Rathaus for afternoon dancing, it costs €7. The caller is Tim Crawford, an experienced and very confident caller with an even more confident ego. We don’t enjoy this session.

We wander over to the A1 venue where Dave Preskitt is doing an A1 workshop, it is perhaps too basic for us (or maybe the dancers are less able… like us at A2!). We walk around the town, finding the river, the brewery and the old corn mill, it is pleasant and relaxing. We head back to the campsite, it is 23°C and a lovely warm sunny afternoon so sit out again and drink Crémant and eat the rest of the humus. Later a salad with French Jammon ham. Tim Crawford is calling in the evening, we decide to have a night in.

Cham, Germany Day 5

I am woken at about 3.00am by torrential rain, I lie snug in bed listening to it hammering on the roof, it feels biblical and we might awake in the morning to find we are afloat! Of course we are not, but it is very, very wet! Our third day of the event and I finally feel I am improving, tired but not wiped out.

The taxi comes again at 1.10pm and we go to the Rathaus for the workshop with Dave Preskitt, who does some interesting and intricate choreography,  persistently patient but making us get it ‘right’. 

The focus is very much on the dancers and their experience and not the caller! I enjoy the afternoon and feel energised by success. Hoorah! The day has been cool and overcast but no more rain, so we walk home, cook sausage and tomatoes and rest up for an hour or so. We change into matching square dance clothes and the taxi collects us at 7.30pm. We join Chris and Trevor for the evening dance for the first time. Square alternate with Rounds, most of the dancers being very experienced Round dancers (rather like sequence dancing) who also dance square.

Cham, Germany Day 6