We have now reached Thursday, Sept. 23, and looking at the photos I took that day made me decide to split this post up into two parts instead of turning it into one very long post. (Also, I am going to travel to O.K.'s in less than two hours and don't have the time to write it all up.)
The day began very cold at 2C (that's near freezing temperature) but would later warm up to almost 20C in the sun.
We chose another one of the recommended hikes from our leaflet and left the hotel in the direction of Bad Hindelang, the next town from our village.
The path started out across pastures with a view over the lower part of the valley, with Bad Hindelang right in the middle.
It then dipped down into woodland and along a beck that turns into a rather wild stream in spring, when the snow on the mountains melts. Here, much of the path was extremely rocky and very narrow; along the walls of the ravine, iron hooks and steel ropes had been set up so that hikers could hold on to them - and we needed them! My pictures show only the easier parts of the path, as I did not stop to take photos while clinging to the steel rope ;-)
Coming out at the bottom of the ravine, we arrived at the village of Oberdorf, a suburb of Hindelang. The statue of a stag is in front of a luxurious hotel overlooking the valley.
I really liked Oberdorf; its houses and gardens were so well kept and its small, independent shops looked inviting. Untypically, its small village church is on the outskirt and not in the middle.
The inside is a mix of (very) old and relatively new with unusual colouring on the wooden panels and beams; we liked it and spent some time there before walking on to Hindelang - you'll see that in my next post, probably on Monday.
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| If I remember correctly, this statue was labeled St. Barbara. She's holding a book, so maybe she is the patron saint of all librarians! |
That hike has some real challenges. My knees hurt just looking at some of the photos. :)
ReplyDeleteThankfully, when walking I very rarely have pain in my knees, ankles, feet or my legs in general. I do get very exhausted physically on the uphill bits, though, and find some downhill mentally draining - when the terrain is difficult and it goes on for a longish time, I just want to reach the bottom and walk normally for a change!
DeleteMore super walking country. Hope you didn't do like us and slip and fall.
ReplyDeleteNeither of us slipped or fell. Without those steel ropes, though, it would have been rather hard not to in some spots.
DeleteI don't attempt dangerous hikes anymore as I have such a fear of falling. It is nice that you and OK share a love for exploring and that you are fit (and young) to be able to enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the photos and views! Thanks!
I was wondering about two elderly ladies who were at the start of the path at the same time as us. For a while, I could still see them not far behind, but after a few bends and particularly rough bits I did not see them again. Maybe they turned round.
DeleteYoung? We are 53 and 54!
You are young! I don't think of myself as old (quite yet) but you can add nearly half of your age onto your age to get to mine so enjoy your youth!
DeleteHow about we settle for middle age? 😊 And I do indeed enjoy my life, maybe sonetimes even more now than in my youth when there was a lot of the anxiety and insecurity typical for puberty.
DeleteI am quite certain librarians deserve a patron Saint. Wonderful walk, but a bit scary.
ReplyDeleteYes, Librarians must have a patron Saint - don‘t all professions and trades have one? I am not Catholic so am not an expert on saints ;-)
DeleteThat is such a beautiful countryside and I love those blue skies! The church is very nice and has a much steeper roof than some I have seen. I hope you have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bonnie ; my weekend has been good, and I hope yours was/is, too.
DeleteThe roof really is rather steep, isn‘t it. I wonder whether it has to do with the area getting a lotmof snow in winter.
Lovely pictures and beautiful places. I see you like nature a lot. I do too but here it's difficult to get into the "woods" so to speak, they are very isolated and you need to go with people who know where they are going.
ReplyDeleteIn all my many summers spent on Sicily, I have never been to any woodland. The area around Mirabella Imbaccari is hilly and mainly covered in wheat fields and some orchards, and walking like we enjoy it is neither done nor feasible.
DeleteI haven't tried a walk like that since my days in New Zealand. The church looks very interesting - particularly the horseman in the middle of the front of the church. I'd have thought he was rather in the way of the Minister.
ReplyDeleteThe horseman is Jesus riding the donkey on Palm Sunday. It is difficult to see in my photo, but the statue is placed in front of a dividing wall between the main nave of the church and a narrower side nave. It does not get in the way, and as it has small wheels, I guess it can be easily moved and was probably used in processions at Easter time.
DeleteInteresting-looking church, both outside and inside!
ReplyDeleteIt is, isn't it! Also its location, slightly outside the village instead of in the middle, is somewhat unusual.
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