A weekend in the Black Forest

G'day from Deutschland!

I've been quiet lately, I know, but I've been away for 4 days (AND away from the internet) so I've got lots of catching up to do! [grin] First of all though, great to hear from you Allison, Skye and Amber.

Allison, to answer your questions...it gets dark here sometime after 9:30pm. Schnaps are served chilled or room temperature, depending on what it is. Don't really have a favourite but I prefer something under 40% alcohol or I fall over too quickly. Induction Workshop? What are they again?? [frowns] ROFL
Amber, your decision re your job is yours, of course, but try not to be too impulsive as sometimes things work themselves out if you give them a chance.
Skye, I hope you have a wonderful time in the Canary Islands...we will definitely try to catch up online before I head off to Scandanavia. Talk about ships in the night! [laugh]

But now, back to what's been happening. And YOU have a decision to make! You will either have to go and get something to keep up your strength while you read the lengthy saga following... [cheeky grin], or perhaps just scan over the Executive Summary for the overview. Basically though, Norbert and I packed the car on Thursday morning and headed off toward the Schwarzwald area...the Black Forest. Land of mountains, fir trees, cuckoo clocks and Black Forest cake (Kirschtorte). Sound fun? Let me take you there....why not skip the Summary and read on for the whole experience. :-)

Executive Summary

OK....you only have 5 minutes so here are 4 days squeezed into 4 paragraphs. [grin] First, Thursday. We didn't want to fly past all the interesting scenery, so Norbert set the GPS to avoid main roads. What we didn't know was that it would consider that everything apart from a one-lane goat track is a main road!! [laughs loudly] At lunchtime though, Norbert started to get a migraine so he went back to the car to sleep it off (which is the only thing that really helps) and I set off by myself to explore the little town. We set off again after Norbert felt better and arrived in Heidelberg at around 6:30pm.

On Friday we enjoyed a cruise down the Neckar river, looking up at the lovely sight of buildings 'climbing up' the slopes, and castles perched on rocky outcrops. Just gorgeous! In the afternoon we went to see the famous Heidelberg Castle. One needs to climb about 375 steps to get up the hill but we made it. We then drove on to Pforzheim but had made the decision not to stay in cities (which it is), so we kept going as we were driving through a little village called Unterreichenbach, Norbert saw a 'Zimmer Frei' sign, and quickly chucked a lefty! Note that 'Zimmer Frei' means 'Room Free' and it is a sign usually displayed on a Gasthof or Gasthaus...which is an inn in the old meaning of the word. This particular one was lovely, comfortable, and cheap!

After setting off again on Saturday morning we came across Bad Liebenzell. An incredibly pretty place. We took off through the forest and before long were listening to the sounds of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves...and of course our own huffing and puffing. [grin] As it was Saturday it seemed that every town had a Saturday market in their Marktplatz. Picture cobbled streets with displays of colourful flowers, fruit, vegetables and other wares laid out for sale. In the afternoon it started to rain though, so as it was no longer the weather to wander around looking at scenery, we booked into another 'Zimmer Frei' at a farmhouse which was lovely and incredible value.

On Sunday we went to the Schwarzwald's version of Sovereign Hill - a small 'town' of historical buildings from various Black Forest regions and from the past 400 years. All the buildings are either replicas or were actually authentic and had been dismantled and re-built on this site...incredible, and extremely interesting! We then stopped in Triberg as they have the highest waterfall in Germany there, and followed that up with a visit to Titisee to see a beautiful (but icy cold) mountain lake. Home via Autobahn and it was no problem this time as trucks aren't allowed on them until midnight. So an easy run and the end of a really lovely weekend!

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The Full Story

Anyway, on to the 'real' story in all its wonderful detail! [laughs] When we got back last night, I asked Norbert for his impressions of the Schwarzwald area, and he said "green and mountainous". He's a man of few words though so I'm sure I can expand on that. [grin] Read on....

Thursday - checking out every goat-track on the way to Heidelberg!

We had both agreed that after spending most of our previous tour whizzing down Autobahns and gazing at what looked like wonderful scenery from a distance we wanted to enjoy a closer look at the country this time, so Norbert set the GPS to avoid main roads. What we didn't take into account was that it was a computer (and you know how smart they are), and it would consider that everything apart from a one-lane goat track is a main road!! [giggle] We certainly saw some amazing scenery though, as Norbert expertly eased the car around tight curves with towering cliffs on one side, and a breath-holding drop to a deep valley on the other. Through tiny villages which probably saw few strangers, and through darkened archways of incredibly tall trees with branches touching high above us.

By mid-morning we were hanging out for coffee so pulled into a place with tables and umbrellas, and a lady out the front putting up balloons. We asked if we could have some coffee and she bustled off inside to get it while we sat and relaxed in the sunshine. As we left, she mentioned that she wasn't actually open until 5pm and was just setting up for the evening! Such is the hospitality of these folks. [grin]

Have I mentioned that there are about a zillion bikes on the roads every weekend? Both the push kind AND the motor kind. I reckon they get such a short burst of warmth and sunshine that they try to make up for a whole 12 months in just a few weeks.....but that might be just my interpretation. :-) Anyway, we continued meandering through the incredibly green and hilly countryside, coming across little villages every 3-5 kilometres with interesting names like Döllbach, Jossa and Bad Brüchenau until we reached Tauberbischofsheim where we stopped for lunch at a cafe run by a guy called Christopher O'Sullivan....yep, Irish, not German. One can tell. [nods knowingly]

Unfortunately, during lunch Norbert started to get a migraine which happens occasionally, so I sent him back to the car to sleep it off (which is the only thing that really helps) and set off myself to explore this little place. Isn't it funny how sometimes unexpected events can provide unforseen pleasures too, as I found a 'hidden garden' surrounded by ancient walls and flowing water. Just beautiful, and so peaceful! We set off again after Norbert felt better and arrived in Heidelberg at around 6:30pm.

Now I need to explain that Heidelberg was a place that I reeeeally wanted to get back to after seeing it 'oh so briefly' on our last tour of Europe. That time, we arrived when it was almost dark, walked across the old bridge, looked up at the castle....and were bustled back onto the bus. At the time I thought it was amazing and really wanted to see more. But now I realise that what we saw was the best part anyway, as the picturesque part of Heidelberg soon gives way to a big city and ordinary-looking suburbs spread out flatly and lacking in any real character. It was getting late and we had no accommodation booked so guessing that it would be hugely expensive in the 'pretty' part of Heidelberg, we drove on to an outlying place (probably more like a suburb really) called Mannheim and enquired at a hotel. Yep...they had a room but it wasn't cheap and it certainly wasn't big! Just enough room for the bed actually...but quite comfy for the night.

Friday - cruising by ancient castles, and fighting tourists to see them!

The teensy room was made up for by the huuuge breakfast spread, so we ate enough to ensure we wouldn't need lunch. [grin] Go on, admit it....I bet you've done that too when you've been away, haven't you! [points her finger] ROFL

Anyway, we checked out then headed back to 'pretty' Heidelberg'...see the photo below - isn't it just gorgeous!!! Like stepping into a land of fairies, castles and wicked witches in dark forests.

Anyway, as luck would have it, as soon as we got to the riverbank there was a cruise boat about to leave in 2 minutes! What luck! Jumped on board just as they pulled the ropes in, and proceeded upstairs to the deck where we could enjoy the sun and watch the glorious scenery roll past. What luxury...and how relaxing! The cruise went through 2 locks, lifting us a total of about 6 or 7 metres, and as we were travelling through the Neckar Valley we were surrounded on both sides by buildings 'climbing up' the slopes, and castles perched on rocky outcrops. Just gorgeous!

The cruise took an hour and dropped us in the little river-side village of Neckarsteinau where we had a cappuccino in a little coffee shop overlooking the river. Oh, and I watched a woman dust her front fence, and sweep the street in front of her house. Not just the footpath...the street itself! Everything here is soooo neat and clean and tidy, and I guess this must be one of the reasons - the residents seem to have such a strong desire for tidiness and order, and a work ethic to support it. Hey Mum? [winks]

In the afternoon we went to see the famous Heidelberg Castle....or Schloss, as they are called in German. One needs to climb about 375 steps to get up the hill but we made it....and hopefully wore off some of the breakfast! :-D The castle was old, beautiful and interesting with breathtaking views across the Neckar Valley and beyond. BUT, it was the first time since getting here that we came face to face with 'tourism' again.....large bunches of American and Japanese tourists being herded around by slightly weary looking tour guides, and myriads of shops selling T'shirts saying "My friend (mum, brother etc) went to Heidelberg and all I got was this lousy T'shirt." You know the kind. [sigh] But we did see the 'Apotheca Museum'...which is the history of the pharmaceutical industry from the dark ages until now. It might sound boring (I can see you rolling your eyes Skye) but it was all laid out in authentic 'sets' and very well done....even English explanations.

We drove on to Pforzheim...and found it was yet another big city so basically just skirted it and escaped out the other side. Don't get me wrong...we don't have anything particular against cities but we saw most of the 'major' tourist attractions in the cities last time we were here, and this time we were here to see some of rural Germany and more of the hidden and out-of-the-way places. Anyway, we'd made the decision not to stay in cities so as we were driving through a little village called Unterreichenbach, Norbert saw a 'Zimmer Frei' sign, and quickly chucked a lefty!

Note: A momentary break here to explain 'Zimmer Frei'. It means 'Room Free' and is a sign one sees a lot as you travel through Germany. They are usually displayed on a Gasthof or Gasthaus...which is an inn in the old meaning of the word.....a place for travellers to have a bed for the night, breakfast, and then go on their way. They are often very small and are usually run by a family. They are cheaper than hotels and you get the advantage of a homely feel and being welcomed by friendly hosts who are generally very pleased to see you as your stay helps with their income. Same sort of thing as a 'Pensione' in France and the traditional B&Bs in England. They usually include breakfast in the price.

Anyway, we were welcomed warmly and shown to a lovely room with a gorgeous view....at a price 30 Euros less than the hotel in Heidelberg.

Saturday - strolling through sunny village markets enjoying Currywurst und Eis.

We are using a borrowed 'Fodor's Germany' travel book to give us clues as to interesting places to see and travel routes to follow. Admittedly it is dated 1998 however we figure that a castle that has been standing for 800 years isn't likely to fall down, and a waterfall isn't likely to change its route in 10 years. So far its been pretty good except it recommended a place where you can see original garden gnomes being made traditionally, and apparently that is a thing of the past since the cheap Chinese imports. Oh well.... [sighs]

Anyway, we followed Fodors recommendations through many little towns and were pleased to come across Bad Liebenzell. Incredibly pretty place. We set off through the forest and before long were listening to the sounds of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves...and of course our own huffing and puffing. [grin] If you love the silence of a bush setting then you will appreciate this feeling, its just that here the trees rise absurdly straight and tall above the leafy forest floor and the views are of tiny villages with red roofs that have stood in place for hundreds of years. Its different, in a timeless sort of way, but just as quiet and tranquil. And then you walk 20 metres in a different direction and find yourself on a street, as the little houses climb right up the mountainside! Watched an elderly woman pushing a wheeled walking frame up one of the streets....now that would keep you fit!! [laugh]

It was Saturday of course, and it seemed that every town had a Saturday market in their Marktplatz, usually in the old part of the town. Picture cobbled streets dotted with flamboyant umbrellas, and displays of colourful flowers, fruit, vegetables and other wares laid out for sale. There was local honey from the forest, and little stalls to buy wurst and other delicacies. We had coffee in Calw just watching all the activity go by, and lunch was a Currywurst on a paper plate, sitting under a tree in the market place and watching hausfrau buy colourful flowers for their window boxes.

By the way, its not just the houses....window boxes adorn every part of the little towns including along the railings of bridges and overways. We saw a council guy come and water them. It makes everything so pretty though!!! [spins in a circle with her arms spread wide]

In a little place called Zavelstein we followed a Fodor's recommendation and wandered down a street to see a tumbledown castle. We weren't expecting much but we really enjoyed it as one could go down into the cellar and climb the tower...AND there were only another couple of tourists there so it was peaceful and we had many areas to ourselves. Just one of those 'finds' which are unexpected but provide great pleasure and many memories.

The 'market mood' continued through the afternoon, and at Freudenstadt we bought some glazed pumpkin seeds to try (yumm!!!!) and then decided to sit at a pavement cafe to have 'ein Eis' (icecream). But the sky was getting grey and before long, drops of rain began to fall so we made our way back to the car. Unfortunately it didn't stop. Can't complain as we had enjoyed beautiful weather up till then, however the rain made driving on the mountainous roads even more challenging and we couldn't really stop to look at things.

We did try to go to Glaswaldsee which is a mountain lake however by then the rain had really set in and despite standing momentarily in front of the sign pointing to the lake with umbrellas over our heads, we decided against it and thought we'd call it a day and look for a 'Zimmer Frei'. Which we found just down the road....a gorgeous farmhouse just ouside of Gutach, set against the mountain! Once again we were welcomed warmly and the lady seemed surprised but pleased that we were happy to take the room sight unseen (its quite OK to ask to see the room first). She said it was 38 Euro for the night including breakfast for both of us, so I was expecting it to be very basic .....but wow!! A beautiful and spacious room with stunning views, balcony and a private en-suite! What a bargain!!!! Here's a photo (above) ...what do you think?

Sunday - delighting in the Schwarzwald's version of Sovereign Hill.

Enjoyed a farmhouse breakfast which was laid out for us when we went downstairs, including boiled eggs and little pots of jam and what must have been home-made cream (we could hear the cows outside). OK...they didn't have a toaster but the lady tried her best and heated my gluten-free bread in the oven. Norbert thought the price was too cheap for what we got so when we left he gave them 50 Euro and refused to take the change and they waved goodbye happily as we drove down the long driveway to the main road.

We discovered that the place we really wanted to see was only a few minutes away so this was a good time-saver. Which was great as we spent quite a bit of time at Vogtsbauernhof. Picture something like Sovereign Hill in Ballarat....have you been there? No? [grin] OK...its a small 'town' of historical buildings from various Black Forest regions and from the past 400 years, all fully furnished and with some live displays such as broom-making, embroidery, felting etc. Its sort of like walking through a living history. You come up to an amazing old 3-storey house and you can actually walk inside and sit at the dark, aged wooden table. There are real cows munching hay in the barn and old tools and farm implements on the walls, looking like they were just put there yesterday when the farmer finished using them. Some of the buildings are replicas but many were actually completely authentic and had been dismantled and re-built on this site....an amazing feat in itself! Like to go on a virtual tour? I found one here for you, if you're interested. The photo above is of a comparatively tiny house which was often built on the main property for the 'old folks' to retire...so the photo is of me saying "Mum, welcome to your retirement home!" [big grin]

But this visit really fulfilled a major objective for our weekend. [sudden intake of breath] Good grief!! I sound just like some sort of project manager! [hits her forehead with the palm of her hand] Bad enough having an executive summary but next thing I'll be talking about strategic plans and measurable outcomes! Obviously I need to stay away from work a little longer. [laugh] Nevertheless, the weekend did fulfill a major objective as we had such a brief taste of the Black Forest on our last tour, we were determined to literally 'soak ourselves in it' this time...and the outdoor museum did this extremely well.

In fact, we were talking about a place that the bus stopped last time where there was a huge cuckoo clock....and lo and behold, we ended up driving right by it about 5 minutes later! What's the chances!!!! We then stopped in Triberg as they have the highest waterfall in Germany there....and while we didn't make it to the top, we enjoyed a special time listening to the sound of a man playing a traditional Alpine Horn to the backdrop of rushing water. The rest of the town was a bit 'touristy' though, so we moved on to Titisee where there is a beautiful mountain lake. Incredibly picturesque....but cold!!!

We decided our last stop would be Freiburg which is getting close to the French border on the west....but we needn't have bothered. Once again it was just another city. In fact it was a 'university city' like Heidelberg and it made me wonder whether this is the reason for the plethora of McDonald's and Burger King outlets and cheap blocks of flats in these types of places.

But, it was nearly 6pm and we wanted to get home by nightfall.....and we were still about 380km away from Fulda. No problem! Straight onto the major Autobahns which, we found out, don't allow trucks on Sundays!!! Bonus! Mind you...we saw hundreds of them lined up in truckstops and parking areas, looming in a predatory way and ready to roll out and take over the Autobahns again on the stroke of midnight. But it was a dream run for us! Zoomed along averaging about 140kph with our GPS giving us plenty of warning when we had to take an exit....and pulled up outside the apartment right on 9:30pm when the sky was just turning pink and growing dark.

And so ends another successful side-trip! Norbert still has to work for the rest of this week but then I'm not sure what we will be doing. He has somebody lined up to take over the apartment but the agent hasn't gotten back yet (service is apalling over here) so things may be in somewhat of a disarray in the next couple of weeks. What will definitely change will be these blogs. Norbert is handing over the internet at the end of this week and the luxury I have now to spend unlimited time on writing blogs and uploading photos will be over. I'm going into cold sweats thinking about having to spend rushed minutes at a public internet cafe, but I'm sure most of you will be thrilled to bits that you aren't faced with 'War and Peace' just to catch up on what we're doing. Hey Heather? [cheeky grin]

I've been watching the weather in Adelaide and it seems its getting colder. Hope you are all rugged up and enjoying lots of hot chocolate and warm, winter food. I will be coming back a few kilos heavier so I want to fit in. [laugh]

Bis bald!
Marlene (and Norbert)