Got a call at 6:00 am from Angie to say I must do everything possible to avoid the pool getting warmer. She is fed up with taking a bath when she gets home after a 90 minute overheated train journey from Munich. Air-conditioned trains?  Not on our line, it must have the oldest rolling stock in Germany.

As Flash had suffered in the heat yesterday, too off for the woods/forest above Ottobeuren knowing it was all in shade and loads of opportunity to paddle in a cooling stream. He very much approved and seemed to enjoy himself. For me, a bit hectic keeping an eye on Luna as so many others had the same idea: walkers, joggers, Nordic walkers, strollers, prams, pushchairs. We often do the 90 minutes without seeing anyone, today it must have been at least 20 and 2 dogs.

To reward myself, on the way home stopped off in the marketplace and treated myself to a one scoop cone of Pedro Ice Cream Parlours organic lime ice cream. While consuming it sat around the "fountain" on the marketplace with the dogs. It's actually a moving water sculpture and can just be seen at the end of the "ditch" running down the square. Water and the role of the locally born priest Sebastian Kneipp are meant to be the theme. It looks however like a neglected memorial to the industrial revolution. I suppose would link it to the industrial revolution which didn't reach these parts until the late 19th century when the local flax industry collapsed to make way to the cotton mills. The sculpture produced much head-shaking from Bliper PurbeckDavid49 when he saw it. He will be pleased to know that at least two of the arms are now so rusty that they don't move.

I didn't try Bliping the construction but walked up to the top and tried to get a photo there, However Ottobeuren is getting ready for this weekends town festival "Fescht" as it is called here, the Swabian dialect of "Fest", Everywhere vans, trucks, red & white "closed" tape, market stands. So was a bit limited. The fest can be followed live on Ottobeurens excellent webcam placed in the middle of the upper windows on the ocher coloured building. Kicks off with a rock band on Friday night, brass bands Saturday night and Sunday, together with market stands in the surrounding streets.

I took a swim in the pool in the evening although the water temperature was only 29°C. Angie tends to exaggerate.