On the way from the Ruhr area to Southern Germany, I spent most of the day on trains, and switching trains while going to Munich and beyond.
Due to my hippie outfit (see description below), a funny encounter was a tourist in Koblenz, who asked me (politely), whether he might take a photo of me. It seems, that I looked shamanic and tribal enough to make for a tourist attracion and a person to talk about.
On changing trains in Munich, I discovered, that the central station is a rather ugly place. Since it was the time of the famous or infamous (depending on the point of view) Oktoberfest, there were quite a few loud and drunk tourists on the other platforms.
I was lucky to not having to change platforms, so that I could wait for the connecting train in relative peace. Since my outfit was not the regular kind - tie-dye skirt, colorful woollen jacket, bare feet and a long wooden staff - I was quite pleased, that no one bothered me there. I received the typical look of disbelief from people, which is the usual reaction to someone walking barefoot. (Note: I did not have any shoes with me!)

On arriving near my destination - Prien (Chiemsee), the train terminus in the region - I found that there was no connection going to the village, where the Gathering site was located at that late in the evening.

So, I began my 20 kilometre overnight hike to the Gathering site.

Leaving the small town, the lights of surrounding villages reflected by the overcast sky were my way markers. Since the road winding through the landscape was not lighted by lanterns outside of settlements, I was finding my way by simply following those lights, and letting the road carry my bare feet closer and closer to my destination. A little creepy were the hi-beam lights of the occasional car I encountered on my hike. Since the weather was humid, the beams were well visible before the car got near me, like fingers of light pointing sometimes at the night sky, when the car was ascending a hill.

After about half of the way to go, the lake Chiemsee came in sight. Or rather, a sculpture standing on of the shores was partly visible. Since there were lights mounted to the sculpture (a sail-like sculpture, as I could later see in daylight) it seemed like a formation if small UFOs hovering over the lake.

With the road leading along some overly pompous estates with equally pompous mansions I hiked about six hours, before I decided to take a nap at the wayside, making myself comfortable in the underbrush near the village of Malerwinkl.

After four hours of sleep, daylight woke me to get up and I decided, after a small on-the-way breakfast, to tackle the last few kilometres of the way. Even though I could have found a bus or other way of transport easily, I preferred to continue on foot.

I felt, that part of coming home, as the travel to and the arrival at the Gathering is called, is to travel slowly, thereby leaving the world of Babylon behind, step by step. So, hiking to the Gathering was the right thing to do for me.

On arriving in Seebruck, at the northern shore of lake Chiemsee (I hiked halfway around the lake, from the south, along the western shore to the north) I had the desire to take a bath in the lake, and so I walked along the lake shore, and finally found a beautiful spot with a magnificent view of the Alps to the South and some awe-inspiring cloud formations above them. I used the outward tarp of my small tent to pitch a little hut on the shore, as it had begun to rain. After enjoying a refreshing nude bath in the lake, I sat under the tarp, had a small meal and relaxed, before leaving for the last few kilometres to the village called Ischl, where the Gathering Site was located at.

On part of the landscape and view, this was the most beautiful part of the hike.

The barefoot hike over 20 kilometres of concrete roads had worn down all callous on my soles, leaving just the leathery skin underfoot behind. There was a bit of muscle ache in my calves, and I found two small blood blisters on my soles, which did not hurt, however.