The weather forecast was for rain and a thunderstorm in the afternoon, and so we wisely decided not to climb up high that day. You definitely do not want to be on a narrow, rocky, slippery path in the rain, on an exposed mountain slope amidst lightning and thunder.
Also, yesterday's strenuous hike made me want to do something a little less tiring, and so we settled for a walk to Unterjoch, the village next to Oberjoch but located somewhat lower.
For the first part, we walked the same path along the beck that we had been on a few days earlier, but in the other direction. I have mentioned this before on my blog, but I really like walking a familiar path in the opposite direction; it is amazing what details you notice and how different it can feel when you do that.
Before reaching Unterjoch itself, we came past the small chapel that we'd already seen on our previous walk there but did not go inside. This time, there were no other people visiting the chapel, and so we could have a look.
Unterjoch is a picturesque village with a community garden and a church at its centre. We did not stop to explore it much, though, but chose a path that leads around a mound and winds back towards Oberjoch.
Did I say I wanted to do something less strenuous that day? Well, most of the way back was slowly but steadily uphill, and because a) we felt we had not yet walked enough that day and b) the forecast rain and thunderstorm weren't here yet, we took the cable car from the bottom of Oberjoch to halfway up the mountain and walked back down to our hotel from there.
At the hotel, we enjoyed coffee and cake before retreating to our room to rest and read until it was time to get changed for dinner. Have I mentioned that our hotel was serving organic food and drinks only? I particularly liked the wine that accompanied the main course that night, and the waiter kindly let me take an empty bottle to our room so that I could take a picture of the label for further reference.
During the night, the forecast rain did arrive, but we were comfortably tucked in at our room by then, well fed and watered (or wined!).
One of my book club friends told us all about her upcoming trip to Germany to visit the Christmas markets, and I smiled politely but underneath my smile I was burning with envy. I love learning more about your country through your blog--thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome, Jennifer! Like you, I find blogging (both reading and writing) a great way to learn about other countries and what life is like there.
DeleteChristmas markets? They are most likely going to take place this year, but will be rather different from pre-pandemic times.
Love that covered bridge (I don't think I've ever seen a covered bridge in Sweden); and I like the inside of the chapel too.
ReplyDeleteIt‘s a picturesque place, isn‘t it! Can you read what is written on the altar cloth?
DeleteNo, that text is either too small ot to blurry for me to read I'm afraid
DeleteIt says "Herr lass den Kelch an uns vorübergehen". It sounds rather desperate, I think.
DeleteThe last photograph is so Germanic.
ReplyDeleteYet somehow it makes me think of the Welsh Marches, and even the hill of Avalon, which was either in Wales or Somerset.
*Arthur, the world's enigma*: last line of a Welsh poem on the Sleeping King.
In your last post you said there were no border controls between Germany and Austria, which pleased me. The old dream of Europe at peace, Europe without passports, Britain, the offshore island, part of it too. How did it all go wrong?
Borders have always fascinated me, especially in Europe, but I enjoy county borders in Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland. I like how Neil crosses them in his Yorkshire blog.
Talking of Avalon (or the Island of Apples as Rosemary Sutcliffe named it) I recommend YouTube videos.
*Glastonbury Tor Myth and Legend.*
*Exploring Glastonbury Tor.*
Jack (John) Haggerty
Border controls were and are an issue cropping up every now and then in the context of migration control and Covid. At the height of the pandemic, Germany and other EU nations re-established their border controls; at the moment (as far as I know) there aren't any in place.
DeleteA few years ago during lunch break at a client's, we talked about that old dream of a peaceful, united Europe. One of my colleagues mentioned a school project of his son about the Öresund bridge. He said that bridge was built at a time when we sought to connect and bring together, not to divide and keep apart. As you can see, I still think about that conversation and how it emphasized that shift today.
I loved Rosemary Sutcliffe's Eagle of the Ninth when I read it as a teenager. Also, I was going through a phase where I read many books classified as "Fantasy", among them several about Avalon.
These are such beautiful pictures and that church is lovely! I especially like the covered bridge and the trees around it.
ReplyDeleteI now wish I had taken more pictures; that community garden in the middle of Unterjoch was beautiful, and there were no other people about at the time.
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