Hahn & Henne

Hahn & Henne is German for cock & hen, meaning really just that - the male and female of the species. It is also the brand name of a type of tableware originating from the small Black Forest town of Zell. The pattern is over 100 years old and still going strong. You can see pictures and learn more about it here. (The company have translated it as "Rooster and Hen" - I wonder why!) I remember we had a few pieces at home when I was a kid, and I think my parents still have the large coffee mug.

Zell is about half an hour's drive from O.K.'s village. On Friday, the 12th of May, we both had the day off; Thursday, the 11th (Ascension) was a Bank Holiday, and for us a good opportunity to turn it into a long weekend of four days that we could spend together.

The day was sunny and hot, 28 C (82 F), so a woodland walk/hike was a good idea. We decided to start from Zell and walk the Hahn & Henne route. Yes, there is a walk/hike/circuit named after the famous tableware, spanning about 14 km and taking in beautiful views across the Black Forest. Some bits are rather steep, but most of the time, the path is pleasant - and well signposted throughout!

There are many benches and other signs along the path to remind the walker that this is indeed the Hahn & Henne circuit:

Beautiful meadows, close to where we stopped to have our packed lunch:

The building below is called Vogt auf Mühlstein, a farm/guest house/restaurant that has been catering for the needs of walkers, hikers, cyclists and busloads of tourists for about a 100 years. In itself, the place is much older; first mention of a homestead here dates back to the year 712. Much of the building today is from around 1774.
A chapel (unfortunately behind the trees in my picture) was built next to the house in 1903. The door was open, and I took this picture of the sun painted on the ceiling and the words on the wall: Lobsinget dem Herrn ihr Berge und Täler, meaning "Praise the Lord, you mountains and valleys".

I was fascinated by the moss-covered old roof of one of the outbuildings:

The place was brimming with visitors, now that restaurants etc. are allowed to be open again - too many for our liking, and so we merely bought two bottles of shandy to drink on a bench in the shade and then walked on.

At one point, we spotted the castle we went to on our longest hike back in May; it is visible in the distance between the two trees:

You can see it better zoomed in:

As we were obviously not the only people to have taken that particular Friday off and had the idea to do the Hahn & Henne circuit, there were many other walkers and cyclists about. But there were still parts of the route where we were on our own and had only the sound of birdsong for company. 

Back home in time for coffee and cake on the balcony and later a delicious BBQ for just the two of us rounded up this perfect early summer's day.