So, yeah I like to try non-German beers around the world as we travel. Most beers taste pretty similar to me, but it nice to experience new things.

Tui, New Zealand

I was asked in a bar in Auckland if I wanted a big beer. I said yes and got a 700ml bottle. Looked like a 40ounce from college days. Kiwi friend of mine sent me this link of a Tui ad about why sexy women brew their beer. (Youtube)

Brauhaus, Liechtenstein

“One Country, One Beer” From our weekend in the small alpine country. Nice beer, but remarkably similar to German.

Kirin, Japan, by way of the US

Ok, I have never been to Japan. My only far east claim was a day in Hong Kong. But I did try the beer at a Japanese steak house in Atlanta with Ali, when I went back to marry her.  It was export quality, but ok. Will have to compare when I actually make it to Japan.

Mythos, Greece

I was oddly surprised to see so much beer in Greece, but also happy for it. Mythos was my favorite. My first night I got it in this nice frosty glass. What a great thing against Greek heat.

Karlovacko, Croatia

Croatia was a life changing week on a boat for me. It was before I started blogging and it was a wonderful week of just enjoying pure travel goodness. Of course I had to add beer goodness. Karlovacko was one of two common beers in Croatia, but I only have pictures of this one.

Efes, Turkey

Turkey was Ali and my honeymoon trip. We had been planning and thinking about it for nearly a year. I was so surprised to see a beer in a nominally Muslim country, but Efes was everywhere. It shares the name with Ephesus the ruins. That was an awesome day at the ruins and this was a great light beer.

Cruzcampo, Spain

We were in Spain last year for Tomatina and had an apartment in Valencia for a week. It was hot so we naturally had beer. So what if Cruzcampo isn’t the national beer (I have no idea if it is or not), but it was cold and beer-like. And it was 50cents a can, and still not the cheapest at the grocery store. I called it Waving Man Beer and enjoyed it right from the can all week.

And yet….

Despite everything, I still run into German beer all over the world. I guess there is an export benefit for being known as the country with the best beer. Here we found Paulaner at an Oktoberfest in Valencia.

Bonus: Washing Machine Cooler

While at home in the US, my father in law showed me this way of cooling large amounts of beer. It wouldn’t work with our front loader in Freiburg, but I loved the ingenuity of it. A washing machine full of ice then add beer. The ice melts into something that already is setup to drain away.

7 Beers And A Washing Machine is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.

Graffiti

I like finding interesting graffiti. Not the random tagging and defacement of buildings, but something unique that just shows some creativity. It gives an idea of the feeling of a town. A place with that random destructive graffiti all over the place is going to feel different than one with colors or these little things. A cool little bug on a parking barrier and this rather quizzical face. Obviously both done with stencils, but cool anyway.

Food

Places of beer and sandwiches. These little sidewalk cafes were all over Valencia. Cerveceria means place “to get beer”. Bocateria was a place to get small sandwiches. The kind with a few slices of ham in a roll, usually all cold. They always had tables out front and one or two people just lounging and watching the world go by.

I know Jesus is a pretty common name in Catholic countries, so this shouldn’t surprise me. But still the idea of “fruits by Jesus” sounds interesting in my brain. This was just one of many vendors in the market building in Valencia.

Marking Territory

This was a sign in the center of Valencia, just a hundred meters from the Cathedral. The sign was above my head, so they had to work to get those stickers up there. Again Spain, far west of Europe. The two stickers are from Gelsenkirchen and from Prague. Gelsenkirchen is an industrial town in Germany with a famous football club and Prague is the other end of the EU. Just strange to see them both on a sign in Spain.

Uhh yeah…

We went walking out to the beach on our first day and I noticed this coke machine. I like the little details in this picture. First the chain. Really, do they have problems with people stealing the whole machine? Second the tube from somewhere above that leads into the random jug. Obviously drainage of some sort, but what? The last bit is subtle and maybe not that unusual, but I noticed it. There is a big Coke Light can on the sign, but no button for it. Maybe that occurs more than I expected, but still kind of interesting.

Funny Language

Sometimes just because of the difference in languages, the signs are funny. This one says Road of Kitchens in Spanish. In really isn’t more entertaining than milk street in Freiburg or any of a dozen streets I have driven down in the US. I just like the sound of it.

Horno is the Spanish word for bakery. So these are very common around Valencia. The 12 year old in my snickers every time I read it though. The 12 year old mind also put the “horno” next to the Dirndl clad busty-girl poster. They had Oktoberfest in Valencia. All of the Spanish on the poster explaining what the festival is and such. Including the “Maximum Fun” label across it.

Check out more of my Scenes from Spain series.

Valencia Oddities : Scenes of Spain is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.

Variety

Change it up. In Europe anyway, the biggest issue with this aquarium effect are the cathedrals and castles. Every town had a church with a spire and nearly every city a cathedral. So many of them were built in the same time period that they all have similar features. Yes, they are grand and soaring, but the forms can get repetitive in one country. Castles are similar. Most cities hat defenses at one point or another in their history. Castles and ruins exist all over. Again similar time periods and uses can mean similar forms.

There is much more to Europe than these two sites. Mix it up. Sit in a square and watch people. Stroll through residential areas. Take in a museum. Also try to limit the number of things you see on a day. With only a few weeks it is easy to try to see too much. Resist this, that way lies burnout.

Skip Some

Unless you are explicitly on a tour for cathedrals or doing a graduate project on the castles of Europe, you don’t need to see every single one. On your day trips of towns feel free to explore other things and don’t feel the need to see the cathedral in depth, just because it is there.

This bit of advice has a balance. Try to know which sights are important to you to see. Notre Dame in Paris is one of the city’s icons. It would be a shame to miss even just seeing it because of the aquarium effect. It would be like filling up on bread before your favorite steak. Pick the ones you want to see and be ready. That may mean if you are feeling overwhelmed, take a day off before going to see your highly anticipated site.

Details

Examine the details that make a place different. I think the part that gets boring is that the mind keeps seeing a Cathedral in its entirety and sorts it into the bucket for “big church with tower”. After a while that mental bucket is full. So try to go look at other small details. Are the doors unique? Interesting gargoyles? What about the stones themselves?

Basically seek out what is interesting about this specific place.

Burnout

This aquarium effect is a form of burnout. It is not the long term form that comes up at a job. It is more localized. You overwhelm the brain with too many similar things and it just can’t deal anymore. All fish look alike. Travel is supposed to be fun and education, not a marathon cram session.

Slow down, mix it up, feel free to skip a few and concentrate on other aspects of what you are seeing. Add to that the normal burnout remedies of sleep and you should be able to enjoy your travels more and actually see more by seeing less.

Have you ever felt like this? Not another church/castle? Share your story.

Aquarium Effect of Sightseeing is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.

When I think of an outdoor market, I think an open plaza or street lined with vendors selling local fruits and vegetables with the locals all clustered around buying their weekly food. There is an atmosphere of European charm and the bustle of daily life. This is what the Naschmarkt in Vienna is like and our own cathedral market in Freiburg.

Rue Cler was not like this. It was however still a cool place. The pedestrian street is lined with stores and restaurants. Each store front had an awning on the street selling their stuff. The occasional market pokes through the awnings as well. So while it doesn’t match my image of a locals farmer market, there was a definite atmosphere of street life. Cafes of course had outdoor seating. In late September the weather was nice enough to choose to sit outside.

We had decided to go find breakfast as part of this expedition for an open air market. We looked at a few cafes and settled at a table at Cafe Du March. The breakfast menu offered juice, eggs, a croissant and a cup of tea or coffee for a decent price. We spent about 15 euros for the two of us splitting the large menu and each having a drink. The waitress spoke English and was friendly, dispelling some of the rude Parisian stereotypes. Having a French/English menu meant it was likely a tourist place, but I didn’t feel I was over-paying. The atmosphere was great to just sit on the street and experience our first morning in Paris together.

After breakfast a quick trip through the supermarket for some water and we were off to look at the rest of the street. So it is more of a pedestrian shopping street than a real open air market bustling with stalls packed along the side, but really a pleasant walk anyway. A clothing store could be across from a restaurant grilling chicken outside and a bookstore nestled against a chocolate place displaying their wares in the window.

One end is very close to the Ecole Militare metro stop, which is how we got there. The other end is a leisurely stroll toward the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower through windy streets. The area is over all quite charming and had for me a nice Parisian feeling. It doesn’t feel quite as touristy as other places we wandered around that day. Though being so close to the sights, it is not as local feeling as out near the apartment we stayed in.

In the end, Rue Cler is not the open air local’s market I was expecting, but still worth a walk through.

Paris : Rue Cler is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.

When I mention to people that I have panic attacks, they often ask what it is like. So here is a bit of a description of how I experience them.

Anatomy of an Attack

Air flight, one of my greatest fears

Imagine being frightened. Something immediate, like standing on the top of a building when frightened of heights or watching a dog run at you barking and baring teeth. You get frightened and your body reacts. Adrenaline flows, your heart starts to race and your palms get sweaty. In this situation, you realize that the dog is leashed and not able to get out of the yard or that there are bars to keep you from falling. Think of this feeling of fear and how it affects your body.

Now imagine you are sitting calmly at home and have the same feelings of fear with the same body reaction, but not anything concrete you can point out as a cause. The mind starts to whirl and seek out reasons. Sometimes it latches on external things, like being in the open or being alone or movies. Sometimes it turns inward and imagines all manner of diseases are causing these feelings. The mind seems to want to get rid of these feelings and needs a source to make that change. When it can’t find something specific, the mind whirls into the random and exotic.

Fear Feeds Itselt

An attack itself is a pretty frightening thing. This is especially true if this is a new thing. It felt like I was going to die. The fear of having more attacks begins to build and feed on itself. That stress itself can help cause more attacks and it builds.

Even when I was having attacks regularly, the rest of the time even outside of the attack was stressful and anxious. That feeling of not wanting the panic made me on edge. Everything blows out of proportion. Worry and anxiety go together. Everything sets me on edge and seems far worse. Creaks and groans in the house at night. Sirens in the distance. Even food coma after a big meal can set me to anxiety.

Logic has nothing to do with it

A point to notice in most of this is that the fears and reactions have nothing to do with logic. I once was in such a state that I decided to drive from my apartment to my parents place about 30 min away. I was so into an episode that I was convinced that I was having a heart attack and stopped at the fire department less than a mile from my parents where the local ambulance also parks. They did their tests and told me that I was fine. I was of course indeed ok, but it still felt so real and so frightening. About the same time I was going to the doctor regularly trying to find the source of various aches and pains that caused me to freak out. They always pointed back to stress.

Jumping at my own shadow

All In My Head

Yes, this kind of attack is all in my head. My brain feels frightened and seeks out a cause but cannot find one. It latches onto anything convenient. This then becomes a spark for further fear.

Just because it is all in my head does not mean it is not real. The brain has immense control over the body and its reactions. As I get tired or otherwise stressed, the brain that I trained out of this to an extent falls back into old habits and the anxiety comes back. I keep battling with it and some days are better than others. Living in Germany, meditation and prayer, getting married and even working on this blog have all helped me stabilize. I will probably be dealing with things like in one form or another for the rest of my life, but I refuse to let it control me.

As a note, this is how I experience these attacks. Others may feel it differently. If you feel like this, please go see a doctor and/or therapist. These are nasty things and really ruin quality of life, though they can be treated.

Description of Panic Attacks is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.

Here is a look in pictures of our day around town.

Trinkhalle & Tourism Info

The first stop needs to be the Trinkhalle. Not only is this a cool colonnaded building, but it also holds the tourist office (which is closed on Mondays). This was once a building to “take the waters” and still has a fountain in the main hall. A sign next to it details the minerals and what it is good for.

Banks of the Oos

The river in Baden Baden is called the Oos. I imagine it is actually pronounced “oo-s” not “ooze”, but it is still funny to read. Along the banks is a 3 km long park with many little bridges that cross it. According to a sign and map this was a place to see and be seen by the Parisian society in the summer. Baden apparently was once the place to retreat to from the Paris heat. It is still a nice place to relax and enjoy the paths and grass.

Flowers

It is last weekend in March and spring has just begun in Germany. The early flowers were out and the trees and shrubberies were starting to bud.

Pedestrian Area with Shops and Restaurants

Baden-Baden is very walkable. The pedestrian area with shops and restaurants is right where the bus lets you off. Despite the McDonalds in the middle, the places look fairly upscale. We didn’t go shopping, but did have ice cream and watch the people go by.

Water Water Everywhere

The main attraction of Baden-Baden is the spa atmosphere. The spas are up on the hill above the pedestrian area. A gentle climb leads you to Friedrichsbad. Underneath and next to this building are the ruins of the roman era baths. The ruins are not the highlight of the town and so not open very often. Not in the winter and only a few hours a day in the summer. But still you can see through the windows. There are several other modern spas in town in addition to Friedrichsbad, although all seem to be owned by the same company.

The town is centered around water. There are numerous decorative fountains spread around town both in the spurting up variety and the dripping into a basin variety. As well as mineral sources that allow anyone walking by to partake. We found one behind Friedrichsbad called Fettquelle. The alcove contained a faucet pouring hot slightly salty water from the wall.

Getting Here: Take the train to Baden-Baden station and then one of many buses into the center of town. For us, the Baden-Württemberg Ticket (german) offered by the Deutsche Bahn let us on all the slow trains and buses in the region for 25 Euros for 2 people. For us out of Freibug it is only an hour and a half on the slow trains and thus a great chance to try out the Baden Württemberg ticket for a day trip on a sunny Saturday. This was  great deal and took the worry out of things. This would work from anywhere in the state that you could easily get here and back on the slow trains. There are ICE trains that stop here too.

Baden-Baden in Pictures is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.

Finding a Real Kiwi

So in American English a “kiwi” is pretty much one of three things. A fruit, a person from New Zealand or a small flightless bird. I know a few kiwi people from living in Freiburg. I have seen and eaten kiwifruit at one point or another. And although they kind of look like the small furry body of the bird, where not what I was looking for. So what was left was the nocturnal reclusive flightless bird. This was going to take some doing.

Although there are actually a number of kiwi sanctuaries around New Zealand, including one in Queenstown that we walked by, I picked Rainbow Springs to go see my first kiwi bird. It was near the end of the trip, so something to look forward to. We started the trip with natural beauty at Milford Sound and saw the birds near the end of the trip. They also tout the opportunity to see a hatchery and baby kiwis.

Rainbow Springs

Rainbow Springs is a nature park on the outskirts of Rotorua. They have a number of exhibits of native New Zealand flora and fauna, but the highlight, at least for me, was their kiwi experience. They are part of Operation Nest Egg, sponsored by the Bank of New Zealand, and one of several places that bring kiwi eggs in to raise for release. I was excited to see some of these endangered and reclusive icons of the island country.

The park is outside of town a bit. There is a bus on normal days, but as we were there on January 3 (apparently a holiday this year), we had to organize a shuttle. You could conceivably go to Rainbow Springs and only see the zoo and ignore the kiwi experience, but why?

My only complaint about the park isn’t their fault. They offer a nighttime viewing in an open cage of kiwis. And your ticket during the day even works at night, but neither the bus nor the shuttle transport ran in the night for us to get out there. It would have only worked if we had our own car, but it sounds awesome.

No Pictures

So kiwi birds are nocturnal. They don’t deal with light well. Apparently not too long before we got there, someone carelessly took a flash photo of a kiwi in the habitat. Despite repeated promises to double-check our flashes, we were not allowed to take pictures of the actual kiwis. So you have to take my word for it. Kiwi chicks are cute!

Kiwibirds Live

We started with learning a bit about the kiwi bird and its mating habits. The females lay an egg that if compared with humans would be like being pregnant with a 4yearold. In classic kiwi (the people) ingenuity, cracked eggs are fixed with nailpolish or masking tape depending on the severity of the crack.

Eggs are brought to the center for incubation and hatching. Then the kiwi chicks are placed in yellow incubation boxes. We got to see a few in their boxes through the glass windows of the observation room. They are much bigger than I expected, bigger than a furry grapefruit. And even in the darkened room, the distinctive shape and motion was visible and cute. Rainbow Springs has hatched over 1000 eggs since they have been a part of the program.

Afterward, we were led into a darkened hallway. On either side glass habitats contained kiwi birds. I saw two of the three that were in there. They are good at hiding and only really active at night. Again far bigger than I was picturing in my mind. They are much easier to see if you look for the whitish beak and not try to find the dark body in the shadows.

Outside of the hatchery area they had a small museum with information panels and stuffed examples of the various kiwi species.

Endangered Symbol

Kiwis are unique creatures. They are almost a mammalian bird. The feathers are more like fur. They have apparently two working ovaries(well the girl kiwis do, and apparently you can’t even visibly tell one sex from another without DNA tests). They have marrow bones which are heavy unlike a flight-ful bird. And yet their biggest predator are mammals. Stoats and weasels that have made their way to the island endanger the birds. The aim is raise the kiwi chicks until their are 6 months old and big enough to fight off predators better. This helps increase their survival rate.

I am all for saving endangered animals. Especially ones that humans have had a big hand in endangering. It is a bonus for the ones that are this cute.

Save the Kiwis

I know there are not great up-close pictures of me holding a kiwi. I did ask, they laughed in that way that makes you feel embarrassed about asking. I really enjoyed the few hours at the sanctuary wandering around. The other animals were nice, but finally seeing living kiwis (even behind glass) was great. I definitely recommend visiting if you are in the area.

We did manage to take a few kiwis home though.

Rainbow Springs did offer a discount for us to visit the park. Though all of my opinions and words are my own. And we gladly paid the donation to support the kiwis.

Seeing Kiwis in New Zealand is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.

We drove most of the morning through the Fiordland National Park to get to Milford. My first of this magical place was through the bus window. I knew I wanted to get the postcard picture for myself. This was almost it, but not quite. I had all night and the next day to get Miter Peak all centered up, so I didn’t stress.

 Biggest Bathroom EVER

The first stop is the visitor center. We had been on the bus for several hours and I desperately needed to use bathroom. This was the largest bathroom I think I have ever been in. As an example I counted 24 urinals. I have seen ballpark bathrooms with fewer. My only explanation is that when all of the cruise ships unload at the same time and everyone has 15 minutes to make their buses, they need the capacity. So, thankful we are on a relaxing schedule with our overnight cruise.

And then the cruise.

We got on our boat and started cruising the sound/fiord. I know there was a naturalist explaining really neat things. But really with views like this, how can you listen? The sun that followed us the entire way through the park was making Milford Sound even more beautiful for us. Although these were nice shots, we had passed the traditional postcard angle of the peak. I would have to wait.

Out to sea to see what we could see at sea.

The first day’s cruise was out to the edge of the Tasman sea and the mouth of Milford Sound. The afternoon time was spent kayaking on the sound and the evening spend talking and drinking with friends. After dark, the boat wandered back too a sheltered cove.

And then came beer..

 So the next morning…

The next morning saw another loop of the sound. Eggs and sausage made the hangover less apparent. By the time I finished breakfast and got out to take shots again, we were out at the Tasman again. So this morning was almost the return journey of the previous day’s outward cruise.

Falling in love with Milford Sound

We got closer looks at the spectacular falls of the fiord, with Stirling Falls being the stunner. It towers up so far above the boat. The whole area, although rocky, is definitely also green. We saw trees growing on sheer cliffs. Although our weather was sunny, Milford Sound gets tons of rain a year, so anything that can grow will.

Reflecting on a Journey

I still hadn’t seen my post card picture. My camera batteries were not dealing well with all the shots of beautiful mountains and unsuccessful shots of playful dolphins. I didn’t want to miss The Shot. I did manage to get a few reflection shots in the cove that apparently sheltered us last night.

But then…

Just as we were heading back to dock, I got my perfect shot. My batteries lasted in the end. Though looking back I didn’t get just one postcard, but a bunch.

Thanks Real Journeys

This overnight on Milford Sound was with Real Journeys. Although they gave us a discount, all the words and humor and opinions are my own. It really was a great trip and I am glad we booked the overnight.

Also read more about our night on the water at Ali’s site:
Milford Sound – Before the Cruise
Milford Sound Overnight Cruise

Also thanks to Hecktic Travels for the inspiration to turn photographs into postcards for a post.

Spending a Night on Milford Sound is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.

There are a number of harbor tours around Auckland harbor. We found at least two companies offering tours for less than a few hours. We ended up picking the 360 Discovery tour because it went a bit further out toward the islands and not under the bridge. I have seen bridges, but not yet south pacific islands. This was my goal. The tour was an hour and a half long, which was about enough. It took us first around the city harbor and through the area where all the yachts are parked before heading out toward the other islands.

Sails, Sky and the Spike

The yacht bays are chock a block with boats of all sizes from little one man sailors to the yachts bigger than my neighborhood. Especially when the on boat commentary mentions that one guy own both the behemoths we were gaping at, I was ready to see more away from the city.

It didn’t take long motoring around the water between the city and the islands before we were caught amidst a group of sailboats. It was amazing to watch the guys harnessed lean out so far they almost fell overboard just to squeeze a little bit more. And to watch them weave in and out around our lumbering tour boat.

The views back though were amazing. I got my postcard shot. We had planned to go up the Skytower that evening. (Check out my guest post about the Spike here.)

Islands and Volcanoes

So the reason we picked this trip was that on the map it went out further along the chain of islands that protect the harbor. I know New Zealand isn’t tropical. We had just spent days in the cold on the south island even in summer. But when I came here, I secretly hoped to see a tropical island. The south seas with palm trees and pirates. The drive through Fiordland in the south was a start. The rain forests were just not warm enough and it didn’t really feel like an island there.

The harbor tour was the closest I got to my typical tropical island on this trip. We stopped at Rangitoto to let off some passengers. The great volcanic cone is that nice typical triangle shape and the island is covered with trees. We didn’t have time, but I read in the guide that there are volcanic caves to climb through there. That would be my tropical island complete with caves of pirate gold (maybe not). Then we went a bit further and saw the neighboring Motutapu. This was another volcanic cone attached to Rangitoto.  If nothing else the names were cool.

Our furthest stop was a turn around at Motuihe Island in Waihaorangatahi Bay. Who can’t love a place with a name like that. No, I have no idea what it means, nor can I even pronounce it, but I liked the sound.

Other Sights

• People camped out sunbathing on the pier as if it was a beach. Add that two girls decided to simulate humping each other as the boat went by. I would hope that alcohol was involved.
• The pier at Rangitoto so full of tourists that it took several large boats to empty it. Vast things that swallowed tourists by the mouthful.
• Several enormous cruise ships.
• We did miss seeing the sugar plant on the other side of the bridge. Oh well, doesn’t seem like much of a loss.

Heading Back

From there we headed back to the ferry terminal and watched the sailboats playing in the wind and the sun. Maybe I didn’t get to walk around under palm trees or trek through a jungle for buried treasure, but I did get a very tiny glimpse of a south seas island.

Auckland, City of Sails – Harbor Tour is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.

Bärental Station is at 967 meters high and the Deutsch Bahn site shows the Feldberg “basecamp” to be 1250 meters. The peak of Feldberg is nearly 1500 meters above sea level. This isn’t quite mile high, but still enough to have your ears pop and feel the temperature drop as I get out of town and head up. Feldberg translates out of the German to Field-Mountain, which seems odd. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Beautiful Views above the Chairs

Snow and Sking

It doesn’t snow so much down in Freiburg. Away from sunny flats along the Rhine, up in the forested hills, it snows. A lot! There is a good reason this is a skiers area. Though many of my friends that grew up around here don’t think much of Feldberg as a skiing area. There are other hills that are less crowded, but the “highest in Black Forest” label draws the crowds as it drew me.

I don’t ski. I tried it in high school and don’t like it. I keep getting hit by the mountain and snow gets into places that snow should not be. I imagine if you grew up with it, that would be different than a gangly very uncertain 16 year old trying to balance on skies for the first time. Oh well. I still wanted to see what Feldberg has to offer so I wrapped myself up and walked out into the cold.

Journey Upwards

The regional train leaves Freiburg at ten after the hour. A little over 45 minutes later after passing through Titisee, the train stops at Feldberg-Bärental. Bärental translated to Bear Valley and is a group of houses near the station.

A bus leaves every half an hour for the 10 minute ride up the base of Feldberg. Feldberg is in region 3 of the RVF transport network, so with my student transport card I was able to get up there for free.

If you are just interested in the mountain and not the highest station, the Deutsche Bahn site shows bus connections direct from Titisee.

[*] – Times checked at time of writing. Check the schedules when you are buying tickets.

My Misadventurous Walk to the Top

The bus drops off near a basecamp of sorts with a parking lot and a museum for nature in the Black Forest. I started on a path that seemed nice and walkable following a row of sticks up. Either the sticks stopped meaning what I thought they meant or I more likely I missed a sign and took a wrong turn because I ended up walking up the ski slope. This was a bit frightening to see skiers coming down at me. Thankfully everyone avoided me and I made it to the top and down again without a problem. I did see a chair lift off to one side so it really is a ski slope, not a walking path. At least in winter anyway, I imagine there is a summer hiking path there.

Looking up from the parking lot.

Follow the yellow sticks

Looking Down

There and Back Again

The bulk of the mountain is not forested, which perhaps why it was named Feldberg, “Field-Mountain”. The top of Feldberg has a tower and the views are what you would expect for the tallest mountain in the area. At this point, exposed on the top of the mountain, I was COLD. So I reversed my trek to head straight from the Freiburg train station to the Irish pub to warm up. I really should do more travels around Freiburg, but given that it is still winter here, I’ll wait until it warms up again.

Feldberg – Top of the Black Forest is a feed post from Grounded Traveler.