From Wiesbaden to Horben: Walking among clouds and waterfalls…

The weather on Sunday morning was not quite as picture perfect as it had been on Saturday. The sun was out, but it was pretty hazy. My German friend, Susanne, said it was because of Saharan dust, which has to do with the warmer than usual temperatures in Europe right now. It didn’t block the sun, but it did kind of give it a weird looking glow.

Bill and I woke up slightly hungover on Sunday morning, which meant it was a good day for extra physical exertion. We decided to see if we could ride the Schauinsland Bahn, a cable car that takes people up an Alpine mountain, allowing them to walk around above the plains and get a view of the Feldberg, the Black Forest, and other points along the mountain chain. There is also an observation tower at the top of the mountain, although it is currently closed.

Before we did that, though, it was time for another innovative breakfast. We were treated to that by the same friendly waitress who had served us on Saturday morning. Below are some photos of yet another culinary adventure, morning style.

Again, these were all small plates. They may look bigger in the photos than they actually were. I ended up having two servings of the eggs. They were excellent.

After breakfast, we headed to Schauinsland to burn off the repast. The Schauinsland Bahn takes about twenty minutes to get from one point to the next. Those who’d rather drive to the top of the mountain can also do that; there is a parking area up there, as well as a mining museum. We didn’t go to the museum, although it would have been a good use of our time. One can also visit the Waldtraut, which is Germany’s tallest tree.

Instead, we walked around the steep summit and worked off some of that fabulous breakfast. I got lots of pictures, noticing people who were riding bikes, walking their dogs, or power hiking with their poles. I’ll confess, I was moving slower than most of them, but I still managed to see some magnificent views. We probably could have spent most of the day up there, although it’s important to remember than the last trip on the cable car is at 5:00 PM. I hope we can go back to Freiburg, because I would like to explore this area a lot more.

After we walked around for a couple of hours, my legs felt a bit like rubber. I noticed the time, and it was about 1:00 PM or so. I asked Bill if he wanted to stop for lunch. He demurred, saying he wasn’t very hungry. I wasn’t either, but I’ve also been in Germany long enough to know that it’s best not to wait too long to have lunch. A lot of places close after 2:00 PM.

We ended up having a delightful lunch at Die Bergstation, a little restaurant at the station on top of the mountain. They had a small menu that included small dishes, which was perfect for us. I had an open faced smoked salmon sandwich with a salad. Bill had potato soup with wurst. It appears this place is especially popular for breakfast. As I was linking the restaurant’s Web site, it indicated that they are fully booked on weekends and public holidays up until October! There are a few free spots available during the weekdays. Luckily, they weren’t booked for lunch last weekend. There’s also a little kiosk outdoors that offers food and drinks.

*That sandwich was so good! It was served on toasted sourdough with creamy mustard. I liked Bill’s soup, too.*

We made our way back down the mountain by way of the cable car. After a visit to the restroom, we decided our next stop would be at the Todtnauer Waterfall. I got the idea to do that after reading a Facebook post in the Schwarzwald group. There’s also a 450 meter “hanging bridge” at the waterfall. One can either climb up to it from the waterfall, or drive up.

We were a little confused about what to do at the waterfall. There were signs near the gate to the waterfall, as well as a broken ticket machine, indicating that it costs 2,50 euros to go to the falls, and another 12 euros to do the bridge. As we didn’t even know about the bridge before we arrived, we weren’t really prepared to visit it.

Frankly, we were kind of tired after our mountain visit, so we decided to skip the bridge. We did a similar one in Austria in 2015, which involved climbing up a steep mountain, walking across and back again, and then going back down the mountain. I wasn’t sure my muscles could take it. The waterfall ended up being free to visit, as there was no one there to take the money, and the ticket machine was broken. Many people were baffled about what to do and where to go. The guy running the cafe said he fields questions every day from flummoxed visitors.

A lot of people were visiting the Todtnauer Waterfall on Sunday, but I still managed to get plenty of pictures and some video. Here are the pictures for now. I may make a video later. The area around the waterfall is very beautiful, and like a lot of tourist areas in Germany, there’s a cafe where you can sit and enjoy it while enjoying a beverage or snack of your choice. The parking area is basically just off either side of a rather busy road with a lot of aggressive bikers. Be careful!

You can spend a good amount of time at the waterfall, if you want to. There’s a trail that leads down the creek, as well as one that leads up. And of course, you can climb up to the hanging bridge. I think the Burgbach Waterfall is prettier than this one, but mainly because there aren’t as many people hogging the scenery.

After about an hour at the waterfall, we went back to the cafe for a drink. Bill had a non-alcoholic beer, while I had a Hefeweizen.

By the time we visited the waterfall, it was getting later in the afternoon. We decided to head back to the hotel and get ready for dinner. I knew I was going to need a shower after all of the walking and sweating I did. So we went back, and I took some more photos, marveling at the beautiful scenery and realizing that we could come back and still have plenty to see and do. Better yet, maybe there wouldn’t be that cursed Saharan dust messing up the atmosphere. We had a quick drink before cleaning up. Bill tried a non-alcoholic cocktail called Luise’s Black Forest. I had my usual beer.

*You never know what or who you’ll see on a Sunday drive…*

I’ve already written about the unfortunate incident that happened at dinner on Sunday night on my main blog. I won’t get into that here, on my generally upbeat travel blog. Instead, I’ll share photos and some comments about some of the more positive aspects of yet another delightful dinner at Luisenhöhe. That night, we were introduced to a new waiter, a young man who was born in Texas, but is Slovakian and grew up in Slovakia. He was very good at his job, and I was impressed by how confident and skilled he was.

As you can see, I was intrigued enough by the second course that I took several shots of it. It was almost too pretty to eat! And everything was so interesting… I was amazed by how willing I was to try foods I would normally shun. I usually dislike beets, but I found myself trying and enjoying them on Sunday night. And everything was washed down with an excellent local Pinot Noir.

If we had just been able to enjoy dinner and the views, this would have been a stellar day. But, as you know, some people have to rain on other people’s parades… or shit in their Easter baskets. Oh well. Overall, Sunday was a success. We had one last full day in the Freiburg area, which I’ll write about in the next post.

anecdotes, blog news

Physical challenges on the stairways to paradise…

Yesterday’s outing to the Kubach Cave was sort of a test for me. I’ve always been a pretty healthy person, albeit fatter than I ought to be. That is, of course, because I’m not as “herbal” as I ought to be… (with many apologies to Livingston Taylor). I like good food and I drink a lot of beer and wine, as well as the odd cocktail. I probably should stop doing that, since I’m in my 50s, but I’ve got no reason to hang around here… So I might as well enjoy myself while I can.

Here’s James Taylor’s brother, Livingston, singing the song of my people…

Still, it’s not that easy for me to climb up and down stairs anymore. I’m actually pretty lucky, though. I’ve so far been blessed with very robust physical health. I have some friends who have needed knee replacements or other complicated orthopedic interventions. I don’t have any problems with my knees (yet). I do have lower back aches that can sometimes make walking a literal pain, but it’s not so bad that I don’t eventually loosen up.

I was a little worried about yesterday’s caving experience, but it turned out fine. Other than a little minor soreness in my thighs today, I feel mostly okay. I did do a lot of “huffing and puffing”, as my old riding teacher used to say, but I recovered fairly quickly. So now I know that two upcoming physical challenges that I will almost definitely face are well within my reach.

The first challenge I know I will face will be the Cesky Krumlov Castle Tower in Cesky Krumlov, Czechia. I climbed this tower on my birthday in June 2008. One week from this coming Tuesday, we will be back in Cesky Krumlov for a couple of nights. If the weather is good, maybe I’ll work up the gumption to climb the tower again and get some fall views of the beautiful town. During our first visit in June 2008, we happened to arrive in time for the Five Petalled Rose Festival. Everybody was dressed in medieval garb! I thought I had stumbled into a theme park. This time, that festival won’t be going on, but I already know it’s a picturesque town. I was sad we had to leave last time we were there. This time, we’ll get a couple of nights to enjoy the ambiance. And maybe my old body can still handle all those steps at the tower…

*Only 162 steps… that’s less than yesterday’s challenge!*

Since we’ll have a little more time in 2023, maybe we’ll have the chance to visit the castle itself, although if the weather is nice, I can see myself wanting to just walk around the town. It really is very charming, and I have a feeling it’s a place a lot of American tourists miss. We only found out about it because we stayed in Passau, Germany for my birthday in 2008 and the innkeeper at our hotel told us about it. We had a wonderful day there, and in nearby Cesky Budejovice. Now I’m kind of wishing I could have booked one more night!

We will also be going to Brno and Prague on our next trip, and I suspect there could be climbing challenges in both of those cities. I’ve never been to Brno, but I have read and heard that one of the best activities in that area is caving. There’s a good chance we’ll visit one or two of the 1100 caverns and gorges in the Brno area– especially since only five cave systems are open to the public.

And Prague no doubt has towers to climb… church towers at the very least. I may be in the mood for a visit to a beer spa by then. Prague now has several beer spas. So do other towns in the Czech Republic! Bill and I are really big fans. On the other hand, after our experience at the beer pool in Austria, plain old “beer spas” kind of pale in comparison. Looks like they’ve gotten really pricey now, too.

Prague does have the famous Astronomical Clock Tower, of course… but I see you can take an elevator! Maybe by the time we get to Prague, I’ll be screaming for an elevator! We only have two nights in Prague, anyway. I’m hoping to find us some new art for the house.

The next physical challenge I know I’ll be facing will come when we visit Yerevan, Armenia in November. I know I’ll face the Cascade Steps… and that I used to be able to do them without too much trouble. In fact, there was a time when I climbed up and down them on a daily basis. But then I discovered the escalators and figured out the public transportation system and quit punishing myself with the steps. It’s a shame, really. I have never been a very athletic person, but I have always been pretty strong physically. I just don’t enjoy how I feel when I’m exerting myself. I do, however, like the rush of endorphins. Must be the adrenaline junkie gene that the men on my dad’s side of the family seem to have.

*How I remember them in 1995… Special thanks to my Peace Corps friend Elaine, whose photo I ripped off from Facebook (mine are all in storage).* 🙁

*What they looked like in 2019! Special thanks to Gerd Eichmann on Wikipedia, who authorized use of this unedited photo. շնորհակալություն!* (*Armenian for thank you!*)

The Cascade Steps in Yerevan go up 387 feet, but you can take your time ascending. Or, you can go to the left of the steps and find the seven escalators that will take you up, so you can see the views without getting winded or sore. I suspect the air quality in Yerevan is better than it was in 1995, so I am hoping for some great views of Mount Ararat– if we have decent weather, that is. But we’ll be there a little over a week, so perhaps we’ll have some good luck. I’m sure I’ll climb the steps at least once during our visit.

Over the years, Bill and I have done some pretty great physically active trips. Usually, when we were doing them, I thought I might die. But, as you can see, I never did.

There was the visit to El Yunque in Puerto Rico, where I fell and landed on my ass on a rock. It took months for the tailbone pain to go away. But we had a really great day!

*We did a lot of work to get to this crowded waterfall in El Yunque in 2010.*

There was the walk from hell from Lake Bled, Slovenia to Vintgar Gorge, during which we neglected to bring water or wear sunscreen. Then, once we got there, we hiked the gorge. It was another great, but exhausting, day. And yes, I made Bill get us a taxi for the ride home.

There was also the time we walked from the port on the Isle of Capri in Italy to the town. It was a long walk uphill. I had a cold, and many Italians were good naturedly laughing at us as we sighed, huffed, puffed, and groaned… We did make it, and we ate lunch served by a guy who looked a lot like Matt Lucas on Little Britain.

I remember climbing up the mountain to visit Highline 179 in Austria and the castle ruins on either side. Later that day, we visited the aforementioned beer pool in Tarrenz, Austria, which perfectly soothed my muscles.

We visited the All Saints Waterfalls (Allerheiligen Wasserfälle) in Baden-Württemberg a few years ago, and that involved some pretty stout climbing… as did our visit to Slap Savica in Bohinj, Slovenia. And I could pontificate all day about our two thrilling, but physically exhausting, trips to the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia!

Bwahahahaha… I guess as long as I keep walking and climbing things, I won’t get quite this big.

We’ve also climbed a whole bunch of church towers in multiple European cities… way too many to list here. And not once has the embarrassing situation in above video ever happened to me. On the other hand, the last time we were in Bruges, I made a point of avoiding that particular tower.

Anyway… I’m just glad we managed to successfully visit the Kubach Cave yesterday and I’m not too worse off for wear today. It gives me hope that my body isn’t too far gone for some of these adventures. I realize that there may come a time when I can’t do this kind of stuff anymore, so I’m going to keep using my body before I lose it. And I will continue to thank God for having really strong and healthy genes. Some of my friends and former classmates haven’t been so lucky.

Bill is off to Bavaria again today, so I guess I’ll spend the next few days planning our upcoming trip. I can hardly wait, because I definitely need a change of scenery… and this blog could use some fresh content. I continue to be shocked that this is my life… and that I’ve managed to have all of the wonderful experiences I’ve already had with Bill. No wonder he makes me smile so pretty. 🙂

short breaks

Beer and Fucking Tour… Crossing the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge…

Monday was going to be a big day for us. Bill had made reservations for us to visit the Starkenberger Castle and Brewery for a very expensive but decadent dip in one of their “beer pools”. But we needed something to do in the morning. The weather was pretty crappy in Lermoos. It was raining. The WiFi at the hotel was very slow, making it difficult for me to start blogging, which is what I really felt like doing. But I could get the net going enough to search for Highline 179, which is the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge.

Nice breakfast. We had assigned seating, probably so all the senior citizens could sit together.

Loved the quaint dining room.

Highline 179 was just built recently and has only been open since November 2014. One of Bill’s colleagues had visited it, but didn’t go on the bridge because the people he was with were too tired. In order to access the bridge, you do have to do some heavy duty walking uphill. The bridge spans across the B179 near Reutte and connects the Ehrenburg Castle Ruins and Fort Claudia. I had seen the ruins and Fort Claudia on drives through the area, but had never visited them. Though it was raining, we knew there was a museum. I was kind of hoping the rain would let up.

We got to Highline 179, paid three euros for parking, and visited the museum first. I have to admit, the museum was surprisingly entertaining. I was expecting it to be about the bridge, but it was actually about the ruins. There were a lot of interactive exhibits that were done with humor and fun. I would recommend it for kids, but as an adult, I also found it fascinating and a bit gruesome. When you visit the museum, you learn about the plagues… and the Christian Crusades and how Christians murdered Muslims in very brutal and bloody ways. It got me to thinking about our current issues with ISIS and how the problems between the world’s religions is an age old issue. All of the exhibits were done in German, but English translations and subtitles on the films were available.

Yes, you can try on the armor and step on the scale to see how much it and you weigh together. Needless to say, I didn’t do it.

Bill tries the sword.

And the helmet…

Rocks hurled from a trebuchet.

Learned about alchemy…

And the plagues… Notice the coffin decor.

And I learned that burping or farting was considered ill mannered at the dinner table.

In German, too.

There’s even a 3D film at the end… I liked that the museum ended on a humorous note. I won’t spoil the surprise, except to offer a tip to would be visitors not to forget the 3D glasses as Bill and I initially did.

After we visited the museum, we bravely set off for Ehrenburg Ruins and climbed the very steep path. Once again, I tested my mettle and heart health. I’m proud to say I made it, though I did a lot of heavy breathing. It costs eight euros a person to go back and forth across the bridge. We decided to do the bridge first, then visited the ruins. I must admit it was a bit nervewracking because of the rain and the wind. But the views up there are spectacular and it’s very safe. The bridge supposedly can support up to 1000 people at a time. I sure hope it’s never tested!

The beginning of the bridge. The people ahead of us were kind of rude… especially the guy. Bill was upset because he didn’t help his wife. Sometimes I wonder how in the world I got so lucky in finding such a nice guy to call my husband.

Stunning views, even with shitty weather.

A panoramic shot.

There is also a nature exhibit at the museum, but for some reason, Bill didn’t get a ticket for that. No matter. The museum and walk up to the suspension bridge ate up plenty of time. Then we had lunch at the Salz Stadl restaurant located on the grounds. I learned in the museum that salt was a very important part of the culture in this part of Austria and was very valuable. There is a salt mine in Lermoos.

Though it’s not cheap to visit, I recommend the Highline 179 bridge and accompanying attractions. They are very well done and entertaining. In fact, Bill and I didn’t even see everything. We missed Fort Claudia and another site because we were both tired and needed to get going to our next stop, the Starkenberger beer pools!