In between Mannheim and Berlin I spent two days in Bamberg and the surrounding area. I camped along the river that runs through the city and was impressed by the beauty in this part of Bavaria. Bamberg is tourist city but definitely worth exploring. The Churches and old style German buildings along the river are amazing to see and the city has plenty of activity around the center. I spent some of my time there eating German food at and Irish pub. The chap who owned it was from Dublin and the waitress, who had an Irish accent, was his wife from Eastern Europe. There were plenty of places in town to relax and enjoy the surroundings and on that day an Irish pub seemed my finest option for some reason. Unlike other cities in Germany that I've been in or around this was one that has yet to become overly industrialized and that made the journey there worthwhile.

At the campground in Bamberg I also witnessed Germany's loss to Italy and was surprised at the response of the German fans in attendance. When Italy scored the goal that won the game for them the reaction was minimal and it almost seemed that the German fans expected it. The only Italian fan in the mix was jumping up and down before and after Italy's goal. I cannot remember ever having such an emotionless reaction to my team's loss. When I was younger I used to throw things, curse, and be in bad humor for a day when any team I followed was to lose especially close to the final.

I have added pictures to Lovable Quirks of my time in Bamberg as well as pictures of Eddy and Roberta whom I stayed with in Mannheim.