From Munich to the Black Forest

Arriving in Munich to rain and cool temperatures made coming "home" to Germany that much more real. The train ride through Austria was absolutely beautiful. We rode through valleys and alpine villages, alongside the rivers and high mountains. Saw an interesting castle somewhere past St. Viet that inspires me to return. And passing through Salzburg, I wished I'd had a stop over here. But I was eager to get back to Rhede and I was already taking a couple days to enjoy the Black Forest on the way. 

Hoping to catch some time with my resident cousin in Munich, Daniel, I made my way into Old Town early the next morning. I quickly walked past familiar sights and took a longer look at places I'd not had time to visit before. 

No word from my sleeping cousin, I made my way to the market for a quick bite and headed to the train station. I love German trains!

Made my way into Titisee-Neustadt in the Black Forest at 7:30 pm. This is where my parents honeymooned and a new destination for myself. Checked into my lovely English run guesthouse, Bergseeblick, and met even lovelier Austrailians who invited me to dinner.   Sheena, Hilton and Frank from Melbourne, were cycling from Burgundy, France to Salzburg, Austria. They were wonderful company as we ate at a suggested restaurant that was just slightly above acceptable. We made the most of our time and tried some Himbeergeist and Kirschwasser in lieu of dessert (they were out of most everything!). The drinks were more fun than tasty though!!

In the morning we met again for the amazing breakfast buffet laid out by our hosts, Allan and Kathy. I so missed my Deutsches Fruhstuck and made up for it with two helpings of everything. Frank even had a bottle of champagne to share in celebration of his birthday. The Aussies were heading out for a 70km day filled with beer and cake stops. I had a day of hiking to look forward to and we parted with hugs and farewell wishes. 

I took the bus to Feldberger Hof and hiked up about 4km to the highest mountain in the Black Forest (and in Germany outside the Alps) at 1493 meters or 4898 feet. Ei! I am so out of shape for these steep slopes!!

I decided to hike the 16.5 kilometers back to Titisee and was delighted at the forested path, gentle streams, and wanderings in the cow pastures! The weather was perfect, cool and partly cloudy. 

I made my way through some hills and valleys to reach Titisee (yes, it's pronounced just like you think). I followed the lake around for an additional 4km to the little village. 

Across the lake by the church is my guesthouse. 

The village is very busy as I made my way through souvenir shops and seaside restaurants. I decided to take a brief nap before searching out dinner and returned to the guesthouse. New visitors have arrived, but no one wanting dinner, so I headed back into the village for beer, brat, and bread. Simple and delicious! It's good to be in Germany!! 

Slovenia Part 2

Changing hostels mid way through my stay in Ljubljana, I had PeaceWalkers as room mates. People of all ages walking a predetermined route with lodging and side trips all arranged in the name of Peace. I will have to look that one up further, as I've already forgotten their route and distance this year. It's been in existence since 1914, I believe primarily in Europe. (I've added the Camino for Peace info at the end.) 

In need of a laundry day, I was super ecstatic that my new hostel would also wash and dry my clothes for 5 euro. Woohoo! Iin this heat wave, wearing the same clothes over and over again is pretty unpleasant!! I've already had to buy a couple extra summer type outfits to keep me clothed in comfort. 

Today is also my tour of Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle in southern Slovenia. Predjama Castle is a real medieval castle rebuilt in 1510, but in existence much longer. It is built into a cave system giving it an impenetrable rear and facing a wide open valley in the front. The walls are massive at about 4 feet in width. The limestone walls gave it a continuous water supply and the cold cave was a great refrigeration system for food. A perfect place for Slovenia's own Robinhood type character, Erazem Lueger, who stole from the wealthy Austrian Lords. He did not, however, give it to the poor. 

It had its own justice system: 

Out the door through a shaft that dropped you 60 meters on solid rock below. Or:

The torture chamber for a more extended stay. 

We then drove to the caves, just 15k away. Our guide informed us that under Slovenia, it looks like Swiss cheese with all the caves. Postojna Caves are a 27 km long system carved through the limestone rock by the Puka River (which flows to the Danube and eventually to the Black Sea). The cave was opened to the public in 1819 who used torches and candles to view the incredible formations. Now a train system takes you 2 km in, passing through numerous chambers filled with beauty. Then a walking tour encompasses another 3 km of the system with so many natural wonders, it's rather overwhelming. Truly a magical underground world. 

A huge "concert hall" provided incredible acoustics with 6 second echoes. Our guide did a beautiful job singing for us here. After our train ride back through the 10 degree cave, it was pleasant to be in the warm topside again. The storm that had brought thunder and lightening during our tour of the castle (perfect weather to visit a medieval castle!!) had cleared for our journey back to Ljubljana. The temperature had cooled substantially and I enjoyed a creamy hot chocolate sauce with my hazelnut ice cream! 

This morning, I packed up and ventured through Ljubljana one last time. Visiting the old roman sites and exhibitions was very interesting. Roman history is so pervasive in Europe and each country I've visited has always been proud of its artifacts and ruins. 

After supplying myself with delicious Slovenian baked goods and a last ice cream, it was time to board the train for Munich. Making my way north, back home to Rhede. I have the love of my life to meet in just a week! So excited! 💙

The European Peace Walk (EPW) is a trans-national Camino-style adventure across 6 European countries from Vienna all the way to Trieste, Italy.

The Route itself weaves along the borders of Central Europe, thus you can expect to cross an international border over 25 times throughout the EPW experience.

Daily Stages of between 20 and 25kms lets the PeaceWalkers slowly enjoy the beauty and culture along the Route, before arriving at super (and cheap) hostels every evening and settling down to cuisine from one of 6 European cultures.

On the 24th day of walking, having passed Vienna, Bratislava, Kőszeg, Varaždin, Ljubljana and Lake Bled, the PeaceWalkers will arrive on the Adriatic sea at Trieste.

Slovenia Part 1

Making my way from Šibenick, Croatia to Ljubljana, Slovenia by bus was an adventure in itself. A fire had started in an uninhabited area outside of Vodice and two tanker planes were flying back and forth from the Adriatic Sea, scooping up water to dump on the fire. Several times we were passed, by what seemed mere meters above, by the planes. Everyone on the bus was quite excited!! 

The landscape was beautiful, very hilly at first and then mountainous. We had to pass through many tunnels, one as long as 5600 meters. About the time we reached the border, the sun had set and only the few lights of passing villages could be seen. Once in Ljubljana, it was too late for exploration, so I searched for my accommodations and checked in.

 

When I did see the city center it was a nice surprise. Coming to the Dragon Bridge first, I had a long view down the river into Old Town and up the hill to the castle. 

I found the Tourist Info center and booked the first walking tour of the morning. Our guide, was very knowledgeable and shared both historical and cultural information. Ljubljana is said to have been founded by the Greek mythological hero, Jason (and the Argonauts). Jason supposedly killed a dragon in the marshes here while his men made camp. The Ljubljana Dragon is now on the coat of arms and most souvenir items. 

Old Town is very compact and car free. It is a wonderful place to walk, the riverside is filled with cafes, restaurants, and bars. Tour boats make hourly trips on the river and you can even try to schedule a limited SUP tour. Unfortunately, the peak summer season was booked during my stay. I enjoyed going up to the castle, actually only used as a fort, and climbing the viewing  tower. The city at dusk and night is a beautiful sight. My guide had given us several recommendations for food including the typical Slovenian sausage, kranjska klobasa, and the dessert, potica. I had both for dinner at a tiny little place across from the  church. Delicious and cheap! 

For my second day, I had booked a National Treasures Tour. A full day of the north western area of Slovenia, highlighting the Soča River, Julian Alps and Kranjska Gora.  

We drove first to Lake Bled and stopped for just a few moments of picture taking. 

The glacial lake is nice and warm due to thermal activity. Unfortunately no time to swim. 

From Bled we drove to Bohinjska Bistrica, from where we continued our journey on a one of a kind ride by car train to Most na Soči (Bridge over the Soča River). The train carries the cars through the Juilan Alps region via tunnels and relatively straight track. A much easier drive than via the twisty roads. 

We stopped at Napolean Bridge and took a few pictures. 

The Soča River is also known as the Emerald Beauty. (This is where I'll be river rafting today!)

We continue our drive through a mountain tunnel and enjoy the Kozjak Bridge, a swinging wooden bridge above the Soča River, (I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of that one!!), which led us to Kozjak Waterfall, which is hidden in a cave. 

The next two hours were spent white water rafting out of the town of Bovec. It was so incredible. We had picture perfect weather to enjoy the water adventure, as well. There were a few class 3 rapids that were heart racing. The water level is low, causing more of the rocks to be above the surface. Our guides were very good at directing us and the boat through them. Being in the beautiful, clean, green river just made it so much more spectacular. We had opportunities for swimming, floating along side the boat, using the raft as a slide and trampoline and even jumping off of huge rocks into the ice cold river. We wore wetsuits, but my goosebumps had goosebumps!! It was the highlight of this trip for sure!! Awaiting on Victoria and Miguel (Cali native) from Australia to send some pictures. Thankfully they had a waterproof camera!

We had a great lunch and then a sleepy drive before some good Turkish coffee at our next hike to the spring or beginning of the Soča River. Incredible views of the mountains all around. 

We made our way over Vršič (1,611 m), the highest mountain pass in Slovenia, which provided stunning panoramic view of the Slovenian landscape. 

A few hundred meters down to the other side of the valley, we made a stop to see the rock face of the Pagan girl and pay a short visit to the Russian chapel. 

The chapel was constructed in typical Russian style to commemorate the Russian POWs that died in an avalanche while constructing the Russian Road. 10,000 Russian POWs built the pass road in half a year during WWI. 

Our journey continued passing Lake Jasna, which is guarded by a mighty Goldenhorn statue, and on to Kranjska Gora. Right in the corner of Slovenia, bordered by Italy and Austria, Kranjska Gora is a tiny little alpine like village. There we enjoyed the famous Kreminsita or cream cake. 

Then it was time to head back to Ljubljana. A very full day of fun and great sights!!