Sunday a week ago, on August 23, O.K. and I wanted to walk straight from the front door and give the car a complete rest.
A place where we'd not been in a while came to mind, and we decided to revisit the windmills on Steinfirst, visible from the top of the hill behind the village. Checking on my blog, I see that the only time we'd been there before was in February 2018, meaning that the woods and fields were looking very different back then, with spring not yet being on its way, from now, with summer fast moving towards its end.
Starting from the village, the first part of our walk took us through orchards, fields and vineyards:
But one is never far away from woodland in this area, and we soon entered the Black Forest (which does not look all that black here):
A bench near Pionierstein ('pioneer stone', named so after the troops who originally built this road a long time ago) provided a welcome spot for a rest and to eat our sandwiches:
From there, it is not far to the windmills on Steinfirst. The sign warns anyone not to get too close in winter, as large chunks of ice can be hurled off the rotor blades after a frosty night, and cause real harm. No danger of that on August 23, when we had 26 Celsius!
Rather unexpectedly, nobody else was about at the time we were there, 3:00 in the afternoon. We enjoyed the view and the peace and quiet, although the noise from the windmills was different from what we remembered; I suppose it depends on the direction and speed of the wind.
A bit further down the other side of the hill is a wooden hut where one can buy food and drink, with benches and tables dotted around. We had brought our water bottles along, of course, but on a warm sunny day, a shandy is most welcome, and so we stopped there.
The pleasure was short-lived - as soon as I opened my bottle, about four or five wasps descended on me, not leaving me alone until I placed the bottle on the ground and let them go about it. One or two ended up inside, and so I only got one or two quick swigs out of my bottle. O.K. shared his bottle with me, but the whole scene was so stressful that we were soon on our way again.
Going back, we chose a different path, offering different views.
I had not come past this hut before; it stands close to a pond which was so covered in duckweed you could not see the water anymore.
The last part of the walk, back among the fields and orchards:
We were back home 21 km later, and except for the waspy part, had really enjoyed our walk. O.K. set the grill up in the courtyard between his cottage and his parents' house, and it would have been pleasant enough to eat out there as well; but because of the wasps, we decided to just quickly fill our plates and eat in the kitchen.
It may well have been the last barbeque of this season. Now September has begun, and already it feels like autumn - two rainy days and chilly nights make a big difference. And while I am sad to see this beautiful summer go, I must admit I am ready for cooler weather, too, and very grateful for the rain.
It seems as though the wasps know they are protected and don't mind barging in where they are not wanted. Ugh. But at least you had some gorgeous scenery to enjoy. Would be interested to know how the sound of the windmills varies--assuming it is based on the wind speed at the time. How noisy is it to be so close to them?
ReplyDeleteThat waspy encounter was the only moment not to like about that Sunday!
DeleteThe noise from the windmill is curious; we found it "noisier" a bit further away than when we were directly at the place. It is not noisy as such, not at all like traffic noise; it does not make conversation difficult or overrides bird song. But it is certainly a constant presence.
A beautiful walk. I am sure I would have gotten a bit dizzy if I had stood right up against the base of a windmill and looked up as one of your photos shows. But I dearly love the views in the distance with different levels of high hills fading off to the sky. I don't understand why wasps are protected. And I am sorry they make so much so unpleasant for you. Aren't there birds that will eat them? Or some natural predators?
ReplyDeleteI suppose they are protected for good reason; we have way less insects around which means less food for birds and other small animals. How many and which birds eat wasps, I don't know; I guess they are not for everyone!
DeleteLooking up at the windmill was not dizzying - the rotor blades move relatively slowly, and the mast is large and sturdy.
It is amazing that you have such beautiful walks right outside O.K.'s front door! I always love to see the forest and that sky was so blue and pretty. I guess those were really some shandy loving wasps! That's too bad they took your drink but I would have given it to them too just to get away from them. It must have been nice to return and have a barbeque. My husband loves to cook out so much that we do it year round, even in the snow! It does help that our grill in on a deck attached to our kitchen door.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week my friend!
Thank you, dear Bonnie, you too!
DeleteO.K.'s area is very beautiful; there is industry, too, but not quite as much as where I live. Between the Black Forest and the Rhine Valley, you are never short of good walks.
We have occasionally been to winter barbeques, but getting the grill out (and later cleaning it all up again) is too much hassle in snow and cold weather for us to have our own :-)
That looks to be a very clever shed built level on a slope. There seem to be endless sheds in out of the way places in Europe. I remember seeing them is Austria, all full of grass.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that shed and would have loved a glimpse inside. There was a comfortable looking bench round the back, and it was obvious that it was being used in spite of its overgrown front. Most of all, I liked the roof with its mossy tiles; old, but still going strong.
DeleteI really enjoyed your walk in the Black Forest. I rather like the gentle giant windmills. Shame about the wasps.
ReplyDeleteI like the windmills, too - especially for the idea behind them, to harness windpower instead of burning coal and other materials to generate electricity.
DeleteSoon, there won't be many wasps left. Thankfully, it is only a few weeks of the year that they are such a nuisance.
A lovely varied walk and nice not to have to travel in the car. Twenty one kilometres is thirteen miles. That's a good long walk but then you and OK are much younger than me - like little children...kleine Kinder !
ReplyDeleteWell, at 52 and 53 we can hardly pass as kleine Kinder. But you will be an alter Opa soon!
Delete21 km is a good length for a walk of that kind, not too many steep uphill or downhill bits. In the more alpine regions of our hiking holidays, it takes me at least as long as that to cover 12-14 km.
Not having to use the car is definitely a plus, but not always possible.
Alter opa = Old grandpa! Grrrrrr!
DeleteYou startet it! :-P ;-)
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