Walking After Work

Maybe one or the other of you have experienced it as well, or heard or read about it: For much of last week, part of Europe was covered in dust coming up all the way from the Sahara desert. We have this phenomenon twice a year on average, and although car owners and many other people are quite annoyed at seeing an ochre layer of sandy dust on every surface, nature welcomes it - the silicate contained in the dust acts as a natural fertiliser, adding minerals to the ground.

Anyway, the dust made for a series of overcast days, and Wednesday was no exception. Still, it was mild enough and dry anyway, so that I thought of taking a longer walk after work.

An early start meant I was able to wrap up things at 4:00 pm already, and take a 10-minute train trip to Marbach.

From there, I walked the familiar route that is firmly imprinted in my mind as a favourite of my Mum and I. You have seen it on my blog several times in the past, too; this time, I only took very few pictures but enjoyed the walk nonetheless with a mixture of nostalgia and longing for those comparatively carefree times, and simply being glad that I am still able to walk there (almost) whenever I want.

Of course my parents' allotment has changed hands and therefore I did not enter the grounds of the gardening club - I have no business there anymore. But I did walk right up to the gate and had a quick look from the path.

Then, I chose a different route back, stopping briefly at the castle ruins above Steinheim before walking back to Marbach where I boarded the local train once more for the short trip to Ludwigsburg.

For such a mild and dry afternoon and evening, there were surprisingly few people out and about. I met one or two families with children, a few cyclists and dog walkers and two young women walking (not riding) horses.

My original plan had been to walk past the allotment and further on (to my beloved grassy path along the woods), but that would have meant at least another hour of walking, and I would have had to walk back in darkness - not advisable on the fields where there are no lights. As it was, I reached the station in Marbach just as the street lights started to come on.

It was an enjoyable 2 1/2 hours of walking, and definitely not the last time I did this. Next time, with daylight lasting longer, I want to take a snack and my water bottle and walk further.