September Holiday: Day 8 and Departure

Tuesday, the 22nd of September, was our last full day in Balderschwang. The morning began with yesterday's clouds still very much present and making for particularly beautiful views from our hotel room:

An hour later, by the time we set off on our last hike here, the sun had won, and it was another day warm enough for t-shirt and shorts:

We chose a path along the stream at the bottom of the valley to Lenzen-Alpe, not because we were in need of any refreshments (the serving part was shut for the winter anyway), but because we had not yet been along that way. As soon as I saw the hearts on the fence, I said I wanted a picture for Kay:

A bit further up and into the woods:

As you can see, by that time the clouds were gathering again, getting ready for what was going to be a proper downpour from late afternoon all through the next day and beyond. The woods now had an autumn feel about them, and when we returned to the hotel after only about 10.5 km, we had soup instead of cake.

It was still early enough for us to put in a quick visit to the sauna, and even coffee and cake afterwards - wouldn't want to leave this place without! Later that afternoon, I was booked for another massage (which was really good, much better than the first one), and we rested in our room until dinner. 

The next morning, Wednesday (23.09.), we woke up to a grey sky and plenty of rain. It stopped kindly enough just when we loaded the car with our suitcases and said our good-byes.

Leaving Balderschwang at around 10:00, we stopped at a cheese maker's (Käserei Ofterschwang-Schweineberg) to buy some local cheese both for ourselves to eat at home and for our families, and then made our way back to Ludwigsburg on rather busy roads, arriving at about 2:20 pm - right on time for coffee.

I started the washing machine and went to buy some fresh groceries; the typical things you do when returning from a holiday. 

For the evening, we had arranged to go to my parents', picking up our previously ordered meals at the Indian restaurant half way between my house and theirs. The food was delicious, and it was good to see my Mum, Dad and sister again.

We stayed one more day at my place before driving to O.K.'s for the weekend on Friday. That Friday night, we enjoyed the cheese we had brought from Ofterschwang along with red wine for the first time in months; all of this summer, our choice of wine had been rosé. Now with cooler temperatures and earlier nights, the red held more appeal.

Saturday was again filled with the typical to-dos after a holiday, only at O.K.'s this time. It was cold and wet, but cleared up enough to allow for a quick walk around the village in the afternoon. 

On Sunday, we had booked a table at a restaurant in the next village (the "Salmen" in Zunsweier) for the two of us with O.K.'s parents. It is their family tradition to invite the parents for a meal after a holiday, thanking them for looking after things while away. The food was very nice, and the anti-Covid measures at the restaurants were reasonable and made us feel safe. 

The weather was better than the day before, and so the four of us went for a walk afterwards. With autumn now setting in properly, there were walnuts and apples on the ground everywhere. It seems a lot is just left there and not harvested anymore; many orchards are neglected, when their owners can't work them any longer and nobody else in their families can be bothered or has the time.

I took the train home on Monday morning, the 28th of September - the holiday was officially over, and there won't be another now until Christmas.

Thank you for bearing with me all through these posts of many many pictures of mountains and trees and skies!

Of course, the end of our holiday does not mean the end of our walks; as you know, we often go hiking in the Black Forest, and so you can expect proper autumn colours over the next few weeks.

PS: Two days after we left Balderschwang, they had their first snow there!