2018-12-26 49 10
| Wed 26 Dec 2018 in Bamberg: 49.7992945, 10.0032242 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox |
Location
Today's location is at the western wall of the Würzburg prison (Justizvollzugsanstalt (JVA), "justice enforcement institution"), just a bit outside.
Country: Germany; state: Bayern (Bavaria, EU:DE:BY); administrative region: Unterfranken; district: Würzburg city district
Weather: clouded, around 0°C
Danatar
Planning
The hashpoint is in that tiny area of Würzburg city district that is in the 49 10 graticule and which has eluded me for 10 years. With 1.54 km2 = 0.02 % of the graticule area, a hashpoint falls there every 15 years on average. Now that I've been living in Dresden for a few years I didn't expect to ever reach a spot there. Imagine my surprise when that rare chance occurred exactly on the day I have to drive from my parents' place (49 8) where I was for Christmas back to Dresden!
To visit the spot, I'll take the route via Würzburg instead of via Gießen and Erfurt, it's only 10 minutes longer so not even a detour. My plan is to park the car near the prison and then take a walk on the grass stip along the wall for a few seconds to reach the spot. I hope there are no signs forbidding walking on the grass strip and that the guards don't get suspicious when I get near the wall. The guard towers are placed so that the guards can see the spot. I will probably not take pictures directly at the spot as that would be very suspicious to them. If they do, I guess I'll get the Police Geohash achievement and I'll try to recruit them to geohashing.
Expedition
I started at my parents' place at quarter to 2 but then I was stuck in a traffic jam for half an hour. I reached the prison shortly after 4 p.m. There were signs about firearm usage around the southern part of the compound but not near the wall at the hashpoint. I parked the car near the prison entrance, then walked along the sidewalk that went along the wall. I couldn't see any people in the guard tower from my position, they probably watch out towards the other (inner) side. When I was near the hashpoint, I walked onto the grass strip and to the wall. At the spot I took a screenshot of the Geohashdroid app and instantly turned around and went back to the street. There was no reaction at all to my presence. The other pictures (hashpoint area, selfie) I took while already away from the spot, then I sent the screenshot via Geohashdroid:
I was at the spot, now I'm back at the car. Nobody shot or shouted at me. @49.7989,10.0022
Too late I noticed that the screenshot was taken almost 5 meters from the spot, in retrospect I should have waited a few seconds more for a better documentation. Then I continued my journey. I used the route via the A3 Autobahn (direction Nuremberg) and at Pommersfelden exit I took the federal road towards Bamberg. I had planned to visit the 49 11 hashpoint as well, as it was very near to that route at Hirschaid, but by the time I reached the Hirschaid exit it was already dark and it had started to rain, so I continued on the federal road until I reached the Autobahn. I was in Dresden shortly after 8 p.m.
almost there
guard tower
Coordinates reached! (behind me)
tracklog
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