We took the train to a small town called Winterbach, about 30 km East of us. Before starting on our actual walk, we had a quick look around the beautiful old church. It would have been nice to see it inside, too, but as is so often the case, it was locked.
There has probably been a church in this exact spot long before the current building was dedicated in the year 1309. Of course, the church has undergone renovations and alterations over the centuries that have passed since then (for instance, lightning hit the bell tower and burnt it down in 1644, and in the 1750s, the good people of Winterbach became modestly wealthy and spent some of their money on extensive renovations), but it is still very obviously very old.
Some typical buildings for this part of Germany, and a maypole:
We left Winterbach (literally "winter beck") and started our walk in earnest.
About an hour later, we arrived at the other end of the woods among more meadows and orchards:
Time for a break - a picnic on the grass, before walking on towards the next village.
I was enjoying the walk until I got to the last photo and then I was loving it!.
ReplyDeleteGlad our walk and picnic did that for you, Graham!
DeleteMmmm... The picnic looks so scrumptious and healthy too. A nice reward after a long walk... before setting off again.
ReplyDeleteWe had both contributed to it, and without knowing beforehand what the other would bring along, it was a most pleasant combination of fresh fruit and vegetable, mini mozzarella balls, crusty bread and cheese.
DeleteA lovely walk and one you probably do not take that often and such a delicious reward with your picnic!
ReplyDeleteYou are right, I've never been walking in that specific area before. It was my sister's suggestion, she knows the area much better.
DeleteYou and Neil go for the most incredible walks! And your picnic lunch looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteIt was delicious, Jennifer! Incredible? Mine are just around towns here, nothing as spectacular as where Neil goes - we are a highly industrialised and densely populated area, whereas in the places Neil chooses for his walks, there are moorland and rocks, stone walls and reservoirs.
DeleteHey, I'd join in any walk with a delicious looking/tasting picnic at the end!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat looks wonderful and healthy -
Mary -
It was both, Mary, and you'd be most welcome to join us!
DeleteI love the walk and that food at the end looks really good!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I often see photos of people just putting a cloth down on the ground and having a picnic, it is something I would never do here in Georgia...snakes and insects would be having the picnic!
No problem here, as although we do have snakes (adders, more than anything) and insects, they are not so much in abundance as to make a picnic impossible.
DeleteLovely photos of the old church and buildings, and interesting maypole. When are they raised in Germany? Ours are usually midsummer poles (although sometimes, or in some part of the country, they are called maypoles as well) and not raised until midsummer. Also, ours usually have a crossbeam at the top. But I have seen some more resembling this kind in Sweden too.
ReplyDeleteI have answered your question about the time of raising maypoles in my reply to your comment on the next post, Monica.
DeleteMidsummer is not widely celebrated here in Germany, but the 1st of May is.