A Different Walk

The day after O.K.'s first vaccination was Saturday, the 8th of May. Because of the doctor's advice, we decided on a walk that would neither be too long nor too strenuous, just to make sure; O.K. felt fine with only a bit of a sore arm.

We love viewing towers, and there was one not too far away where we had not yet been together, the Buchkopfturm near Oppenau. 

There is a parking space nearby, adjacent to a large meadow where paragliders have a base for their flights (do you say flights or jumps with paragliding?). As expected, many had found the day good for paragliding, and many more for watching them. For much of the walk, we saw them in the sky; at one point, we counted around ten in the air at the same time.

The path to the tower started on a rocky downhill bit but then eased into a comfortable forest road. We did not encounter many other walkers, but there were small groups of people at the tower.

We waited until one group came down before going up - there is not that much room at the top, and we wanted to keep our distance.

From there, we walked further down and through the woods before arriving at a place that normally operates as a shelter and restaurant but was of course shut. It offers nice views to the opposite side of the valley and the large hotel/restaurant complex of buildings. A couple of years ago, I accompanied O.K. to that place when the village band was booked there for a performance. Now it looks as if they have been enlarging it even more - I wonder whether they will get enough business to survive, since they had to shut like everything else during the last 14 months.

Before we arrived back at the parking lot and the paragliders' meadow, we came past another shut hotel and restaurant. They had a kiosk open on their parking lot, offering hot and cold snacks and drinks. We would have liked to support them, but neither of us was hungry or thirsty - we are now so used to bringing our own food and water, unlike in previous years when we could always rely on one place or other along the way being open, where we could have a shandy and maybe a snack.

It was late afternoon and the gliders had packed up for the day. The sky didn't look as if there was going to be much of a sunset to see later, but once we were home at the cottage, the evening light changed completely, and we were out once more to enjoy the sunset, as you will see in my next post.

Read in 2021 - 3, 4: Yorkshire Murder Mysteries # 4 and 5

Last year, I discovered the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries series written by J. R. Ellis  through Monica's blog, and downloaded all five that were available at that time. A sixth book is mentioned on the author's website, and I will make sure to read that one, too.

Not having been able to travel to Yorkshire last year, and with no chance for a Yorkshire holiday this year either, I can at least read stories set in the area I love so much! 

You can find my reviews for books # 1 to 3 here, here and here, if you are interested. The "Unknown" person who commented on the 1st and 2nd book is, by the way, no other than the author himself - Mr Ellis was kind enough to react to an email I sent him after publishing the first two reviews here on my blog.

While it is not strictly necessary to read the series in order, it helps; every now and then, references are made to previous cases, and there is also some good character development with both background and current things about their personal lives that profits from reading in order.

This time, I was daft enough to mess up the order - I read # 5 before # 4. But by now I am familiar enough with DCI Oldroyd and the rest of the recurring cast that it did not matter that much.

#4: The Royal Baths Murder

Set in Harrogate, I was particularly interested in this book, and was delighted to find so much I know mentioned in the book - even the 36 bus going from Ripon to Harrogate, Brimham Rocks, and Ripley Castle, a place my sister and I never fail to visit when in Ripon.

During a Crime Writing festival in Harrogate, a famous author is found murdered one morning in the baths, with no apparent way out for the murderer. It's another locked room type mystery, the kind DCI Oldroyd is specialised on.

As more people meet a violent end, seemingly based on books by some of the authors present at the festival, the case becomes more and more complex, with the lines between fiction and reality blurring.

Oldroyd's private life is undergoing changes, too, and while his trusted sergeant Andrew remains a little in the background this time, Steph sets out on a very personal mission.

 

# 5: The Nidderdale Murders

A picturesque village in Nidderdale, a grouse moor and a popular pub are the main settings for this book.

The owner of the grouse moor is shot right outside the pub where he has just had a sumptuous dinner with his rich mates after a day of grouse shooting. By chance, the murder is witnessed from a window, and although the killer makes no attempt at concealing his identity, he seems to have vanished into thin air.

Yes, it's another special case for Oldroyd and his team, and after many twists and turns, the solution is surprising (and actually rather sad).

 

Like I said, I enjoyed both books very much and can't wait to get to the next one. In the meantime, I am still reading Barack Obama's Promised Land - that doorstopper of a book will probably take me all year to complete, but it is a very good read. I just need something different in between every now and then.

A Familiar Walk

Not sure if you noticed, but without having planned it that way, my posts about this May holiday is developing into a series of walk-themed posts. So far, we have had a windswept and a beautiful walk. Of course, all our walks are beautiful, but the one under that headline was particularly beautiful.

Thursday last week (May 6) was completely rained through, and we did not leave the cottage at all - very rare, something that happens maybe once a year. I enjoyed the rest, reading more during that one day than what I usually manage in an entire month, although my eyes did not like it much. Two book reviews are now on my back log.

Friday, the 7th, was a mix of sun and clouds but no rain. Because O.K. had his first vaccination appointment in the early evening, we decided not to venture far from home and repeated a walk we had done last year in May, following a circuit worked out and signposted by the local community of the three villages, taking in all four churches. Maybe you remember last year‘s post about it, with pictures of the four churches; you can find it by typing ‘four churches’ in the search box in the top left corner on this page.

This time, I only took a few photos during the walk, and none of the churches. The 12,5 km circuit is easy with only two steep ascents towards the end. 

We were back in time for coffee and for enough rest for O.K. in order for him not to arrive at the vaccination center all exhausted and stressed out. All went well there, and apart from a bit of a sore arm the next day he did not feel any negative effects. His second appointment is in six weeks. I have not managed to get an appointment yet, but while I keep trying, I am not panicking - I still live largely risk-free, working from home and seeing only the same people (sister, parents, O.K.). 

On his way home, O.K. brought freshly made pizza from the pizza place down the road. It was delicious and just what we needed to end another good day - half time for our holiday.

A Beautiful Walk

Last week Wednesday was almost as unsettled as the stormy day before, but a little warmer and showing some promising patches of blue sky. We decided on a circuit we had not walked before, recommended by O.K.‘s sister and husband, who had walked there the Saturday before and had much enjoyed it.

The circuit is advertised as a 360 degrees panoramic tour around Sasbachwalden, a community about half an hour‘s drive from the village. It is not too strenuous but has enough uphill bits for my liking. The views, both of the wider area, taking in the Black Forest, the Rhine plain and all the way to France and the Vosges mountains, as well as of the various parts of Sasbachwalden, some just one or two farm houses, others little hamlets, wineries and beautiful timbered buildings, were beautiful.

Also, the route leads through very varied landscapes; anything from vineyards to orchards, meadows of wild flowers and woodland. Signposting is well done so that it is always clear which way to go next.

The weather and the skies were as varied as the landscape - one minute we were walking in plain sunshine, only to round a corner and see us face to face with inky black clouds. Only once, though, did one of the showers catch up with us, lasting only for a little while. We were so lucky!

After leaving Sasbachwalden, the path enters the woods and leads uphill along a series of waterfalls.

Reaching the top of the waterfalls and coming out of the woods, we arrived at this beautiful chapel, built by a family who explain about their family history and the reasons for building the chapel on the chapel‘s website. We found the atmosphere there very warm, welcoming and peaceful, something I find rarely in newer buildings of the kind and more often in old village churches.

On we went, through woodland and always observing the fast changing sky.

The small mill is from the mid-1800s and was in use for grinding flour until 1938. After it lay dormant for several decades, it was renovated twice (in the late 1980s and again around 2000) and is now fully functional again, but not in use.

Already while we walked there, I was thinking of how beautiful it must be in autumn, with the woods and vineyards showing their colours. We are determined to come back here in 5 or 6 months.