It’s another absolute scorcher. We start the day with a walk into town. The shops are all closed but there are lots of people about, families, cyclists, strollers ambling through the town. There is a very relaxed atmosphere. We are on our way to the town labyrinth to spend a peaceful hour walking, thinking and recharging our busy batteries before going for a walk in the forest. On our way to the labyrinth we turn a corner and happen upon the annual Staufen August Weinfest which is apparently in it’s third day but has somehow eluded us. Staufen is very much part of this wine producing region and every year the Weinfest attracts people from far and wide to sample what it has to offer. The various producers all have their own stalls where you can sample a glass or two (at a cost) and order a few cases if you feel the urge. It’s a real family affair with a funfair, food stalls, balloon sellers and, as with all events, several bands adding further gaiety to the proceedings. You get the feeling that this annual event is looked forward to by young and old.
The labyrinth was paid for by public subscription and is set on the edge of town, next to the river. It’s formed, by hedges, into two interlocking circles. It was a very pleasant place to walk in the sun and silence on a Sunday morning until we happened upon the empty wine bottles and various other trash that had been discarded in the inner circles of the walk. The hedging obviously provides a good hiding place for late night drinkers and their deposits spoiled the walk somewhat for me.
We’d brought a packed lunch with us so went off for a walk in the Black Forest (hope you were looking for a tune to follow you around for the day). The route we took was called the “Panaramaweg” and we are old enough to know that a walk that includes any hint of a decent view in the name means one heck of a climb, and this was no exception. At this point, the camera battery went so we only have a couple of photos and these were taken on the mobile phone and may not be of the best quality.
Ascending the hill towards the forest we came upon a very pretty little war memorial chapel.
War memorial chapel on the climb to the Black Forest out of Staufen
Unfortunately, we got lost in the forest, having taken a logging track instead of the intended path. The track was extremely steep and the terrain very difficult, and it got more difficult the higher we climbed. We saw a couple of huge orange slugs and, as the undergrowth got denser, Roland mentioned he was concerned about snakes, especially as we were only wearing walking sandals! At this point I turned tail and scooted right back down to the bottom of the track as fast as I could, imagining I could hear rattling and hissing in the undergrowth all the way. As it happens, we’d gone entirely the wrong way, having taken one of Roland’s interesting detours, and we soon got back on the intended route which was a much easier one. The views were terrific and we also saw some fabulous houses with amazing views on the edge of the forest.
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