As we were standing on line at the hotel desk, waiting to speak to the clerk, a German man got on line behind us. When it was our turn, we explained to the clerk that we had to leave to catch our train and asked if he could call Lufthansa one more time. He made the call, and when he asked about our two bags, the man behind us spoke up (in German, of course). We didn’t understand a word he was saying, but it became clear he and the clerk were discussing our bags! He led us out to his taxi and there were our two bags, both intact! Oh joy!
After a quick trip back to the room to take the packs out of the carry bags and put the carry bags into the packs, we were ready to go and Edward, Leslie Ruth and Karl headed off to the station to begin our Rennsteig adventure.
ITALY, GERMANY, AND MORE! 
I love stories with happy endings. And I’m glad to learn that I am not the only traveler whose baggage went on its own little adventure without me. I was cycling in Denmark, taking ferries between islands. Ferries ran infrequently. Until the trip was almost over, my bags were an island behind me. By the time they arrived, I was sorry to be encumbered by them. I already had a new toothbrush.
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One island behind you! That sort of thing really makes you realize how little stuff you actually need. A toothbrush, certainly. Had our bags not arrived we were planing to pick up some underwear, sox, rain poncho a shirt and a toothbrush for Leslie Ruth. Karl had a change of clothes and his dopp kit in his daypack, so all he would have gotten were extra sox and a poncho. Fortunately, through, we did not have to learn how light we could really travel!
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