This year's 2nd hike had the same destination as the 1st one in 2020 - the Moosturm, or "moss tower", a viewing tower on top of a Black Forest mountain called Moos. Maybe you remember having seen this tower before on my blog, and you are right; it has featured a few times, for instance here.
Unlike our usual circuit when we hike to the Moos, we came from a different direction, as suggested in a booklet I keep in my bedside cabinet at O.K.'s. That booklet has already provided us with several good ideas for hikes and walks, and there's still plenty we have not "done" yet.
The starting point was about half an hour's drive from the village, on a parking lot for hikers and walkers called Moosbach (moss beck).
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| Skeleton of a dead fir |
The ascent from there felt gentler and different from our usual one, and took us past the Lothar memorial (more about that in the same post linked to above). We stopped there for the view before walking the short distance to the Moosturm, and then climbed the tower.
It was so windy up there that we did not stay - I really just poked my head out of the staircase, took one single picture and went back down again.
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| The only picture I took from the top of the tower. |
After we had our packed lunch on a stone bench a little further down the hill from the tower in order to escape the worst of the wind, we walked on as the tour from the booklet suggested.
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| Windswept me! |
Next stop was the Kornebene, a guest house run by the Friends of Nature, a Germany-wide association. Had it been open, we might have bought coffee there, but everything was shut - probably as much due to the pandemic as to it still being only the 3rd of January and many of the volunteers being on holiday.
A surprise awaited us near the end of the 10.1 km circuit: This B&B run by two Englishmen (or by a half German-half English couple, we're not sure) advertises and sells David Austin roses, very popular in the UK! How this connection with a relatively remote Black Forest place came about is a mystery to me. Even now in winter, the place looked nice and well cared for; in spring and summer, the garden must be gorgeous.
Like with our first hike of the year, we were home in time for coffee and cake, and spent the evening resting, reading, having a delicious meal of pasta and wine and watching a (new to us) episode of Midsomer Murders.
Such dramatic views! That is quite a workout - climbing that tower in the middle of the long hike! I googled that B&B and they do make it sound so lovely to visit. You and OK find the best places to share with us! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Ellen!
DeleteMy Black Forest pictures often look similar, but I know many of the places visible in the distance and simply never tire of those views.
Looks a lot more dry there than here where everything is wet and muddy.
ReplyDeleteIt was still wet and muddy in places, and became more so over the following days, but we chose our walks and footwear accordingly.
DeleteMaybe you can return to the B&B when the roses are blooming! I love the look of the tower but it also looks very cold there. Even a little bit of wind can make you feel cold this time of the year. It does sound like a wonderful walk. All the trails in the Black Forest are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSome of those trails tend to get rather busy on weekends with cyclists and walkers, but as it was a Monday and work began again for many people after the Christmas/New Year break, we met very few others.
DeleteI would never have guessed that Moosbach meant "moss beck" in English! Astonishing! Thanks for taking us on another fine walk Meike. Even on a country walk you look stylish!
ReplyDeleteAnd you probably could not have guessed that Moosturm means moss tower!
DeleteMy Mum hand-knitted the orange bobble hat for me. Along with the orange puffy vest, it is my staple outdoor wear for winter walks and has come in very, very useful on many occasions already.
While you make take hikes to the same places, the weather surely changes the the view of the landscape with sunny, cloudless days giving you a sharp-edged scenes for miles and miles. Whereas a cloudy day provides a different atmosphere and perhaps less distant views. Regardless, it is clear that every walk brings its own kind of energy and delight for you--even when the wind is blowing. Makes you appreciate your kaffee und kuchen all the more. :)
ReplyDeleteAll true, Mary - not just the Kaffee and Kuchen bit :-)
DeleteEven here in my neigbhourhood, walking the streets is never exactly the same with the change of season, weather, or time of day.
For a windswept lady you look enchantingly calm, your complexion like a daisy.
ReplyDelete*There's a certain slant of light/ On winter afternoons ... *
I won't quote the rest as Emily Dickinson's mood always darkens.
I remember watching a Victorian movie with my sister Joan, and all the young woman were going through Sturm und Drang.
I said, *What they all need is a night out at the Disco with Rock and Roll.*
Joan said, *That is exactly what the poor girls need.*
Even as a jazz man I can see the benefits of Rock.
You said on Neil's blog you still need eye drops.
Do you get a bit of strain all day on your screen? Will it decrease a bit?
Jack (Haggerty)
Thank you, Jack - nobody has ever compared my complexion with a daisy, but I quite like that!
DeleteYes, that winter afternoon light is special, maybe even more so because it never lasts long.
I have two types of eye drops. Medical ones to keep the inner eye pressure in check (the greatest threat to the human optical nerve is, according to my doctor, a too high pressure in the eye, which is not necessarily related to the general blood pressure of a person), and ones without prescription that just keep the eye moist when I stare at screens for too long (which is the case most working days). That strain only decreases when I take enough breaks, which is easier some days than others.
Please keep your readers informed from time to time about your eye health.
DeleteFinding time for breaks is the hard part.
The blue light, altering even our sleeping pattern, must irritate the eye, and you have been through a lot.
I noticed journalists most needing glasses, after PCs replaced typewriters.
When I started in the trade it was hot metal press, sub-editors working on the stone with compositors; cutting a story before the paper went to bed as new stories came in at the last minute.
I still use an Adler typewriter for letters, and I have a Silent Remington, which John O'Hara used in the middle of the night, so his wife didn't hear any noise.
Joan works seven days a week, I suspect, and her Pimlico flat is small and very tidy.
We have spoken about the boundary-less working life, post-pandemic; no more walking away from the office, after a long day.
The pressure must build inside when home becomes office.
Enjoy as many walks, quiz nights, and Netflix movies as you can.
JH
I wonder how many walks over the years I have enjoyed with you vicariously? I can't recall it striking me before but the third photo reminds me of some of the Hawkes Bay hills in the way that they roll along.
ReplyDeleteProbably dozens and dozens, Graham - maybe I should add a label "Walks", then it would be easy to count them.
DeleteAs for the Hawkes Bay hills, I must have posted this particular view several times on my blog, at least once or twice a year. But it never really looks the same, does it.