down the road I walk,
pass the church on my way left, then I walk through the village.
The village is very neat, very tidy - though some old houses decay - the costs for renovation under monument protection are sometimes so high that people build new houses, and the old ones look picturesque, but are lost forever, I fear, like the one below:
Then comes the sporty part:
Up, up, up!
When I am here, it gets easier.
Then down again - you see the bench? Hear the little wellspring? On some days I sit here and read a few pages on my Kindle.
Then down to the village:
I enjoy that every day very much - and make about 8.000 steps, and then from 2 o'clock pm I am with the triplets. Great!
And in the evening I have a stunning view. No cinema needed. :-)
8,000 steps daily is impressive. The scenery on your walk is quite lovely. The views from your balcony are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan! Yes, morning (and evening) views here are stunning - I always feel as if I am on holidays (which, in a way, I am). I love to walk - and when in the pandemic the Fitnesscenter had to close (and mine is in Berlin) I thought: Wow, I have steep hills here - they are a good alternative - with fresh air and a view.
DeleteCould the decaying village homes be saved, if money was available?
ReplyDeleteI think that one could save them, Helen - if one invests a big lot of money - and I saw a finished project in the next village: a water mill, which two teachers restored beautifully. And then last year came the big flood - and so much was destroyed again...
DeleteI own a house built 1902 in Hildesheim - 3 storeys, stuck, rooms 4 m high - and monument protection (after it was bought) - it depends very much on the monument conservator if you can afford to do something (and you never get the invested money back via rent - especially if it is not Hamburg, Munich or Stuttgart - thus you have to do as good as it gets).
What a beautiful walk! Is it circular, or must you backtrack?
ReplyDeleteIt is a "circular" walk, Joanne - with two alternatives from the point of the bench: via long steeple meadows (and up again) or down through the village - and up again (I am so glad that I now have a car and thus don't have to schlepp my groceries up the hill to my flat!)
DeleteThat is a splendid rural walk Britta. Much further than I walk in a day.
ReplyDeleteIt is such a calming walk , Rachel - it makes my head free, and brings fresh air into my lungs. Sometimes, when the rain is a small drizzle, I have to tell myself that I should go - if I do, I am always glad!
DeleteI love the unaltered South of Germany.
ReplyDeleteYes, and the view alters every day (in tiny differences). I am always astonished how many plants I discover that I don't find in Northern Germany anymore.
DeleteHow gorgeous, Britta! You've the best of both worlds, truly, with your pretty village, woods and fields and clear open skies, and your Berlin razzle-dazzle life. I think we've seen your Kindle-bench before; a nice little spot to have a secluded rest and read and keep an eye on the busy (haha) comings and goings!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pip! The best of two worlds- yes, in many aspects (and the coast of the Netherlands as a beautiful extra).
DeleteThe stop at the bench is needed sometimes for reflection - and wonder how it comes that I am here and there - all things I never have thought of before.
Life is a constant surprise, really.
And almost NO traffic that could distract my thoughts - sometimes a tractor, and two days ago a group of silver-haired men on bicycles - all greeting and waving, and the most daring cried out:"Beware of older men on bicycles!" - and woosh they were away - and I thought: "What a wonderful title for a blockbuster!" :-)
Many, many years ago every year we went on mountain holidays. Climbing to the top of as many peaks as possible is what my husband and two sons loved doing - I always followed along behind with my wildflower book, but managed to keep them in sight. We holidayed in Garmisch-Partenkirchen one year, and my husband climbed the Zugspitze twice in three days. The first time with my eldest son, as he thought that it would be too difficult for the younger one who was about 10years old at the time. However, younger son was so upset that a couple of days latter he took him too. He managed really well, and amazed the many people that they met who had travelled up to the top of the Zugspitze by cable car.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your lovely photos of your Bavarian Valley and village reminded me of our time spent there.
Dear Rosemary, people who climb mountains fill me with awe and admiration!
ReplyDeleteClimbing the Zugspitze two times in three days is absolutely marvellous - your husband and your two sons must be very sporty and courageous to do that - these heights! The unapproachable rocks, the danger - and the trust you must have in the persons you climb with.
I come from Bremen where everything is flat (very similar to the Netherlands) - and I love to be able to look far into marsh and width - not up to towering mountains.
I take my hat off to your son who then was ten years old and so brave! And evidently strong-willed - to convince your husband to go up there a second time!
My DiL also climbs those high mountains - I think that discipline (and that she was trained very young as competition swimmer) gives her the power to cope with the triplets - being a judge she now stays at home for a while and uses all her energy for the triplets, though later she will return to court.
The wildflower book - is it a classification book for a certain flora? You know so much about plants - I often think that cannot be just a hobby?
Dear Britta - my handbook all of those years ago was European Mountain Flowers by Anthony Huxley - I have just found it on the bookshelf, it is a very thick rucksack size book, and unbelieveably cost just £2.50 - it even has lovely botanical coloured plates. I should have looked at it earlier in the week as it shows Primulae Elator growing in the mountains!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rosemary! I saw on Amazon that some of the books are still available. On Wiki they hope that someone will add something to the article about Anthony Huxley. An interesting task - maybe, when the triplets are going to school, I might find time to do some research?
DeleteSpelling error Primula elatior
ReplyDelete