Week 54: PTSD
- Sep 13, 2022
- 5 min read
1 night at Campingplatz Murhof (Germany)
2 nights at Trend Camping (near Wolach, Germany)
4 nights at Wohnmobilestellplatz Vita Classica (near Bad Krozingen, Germany)
We’ve spent about a week travelling through different parts of the Black Forest and it has been both very beautiful and relaxing. I’m sure you could spend months just in this area, with lots of walking and cycling opportunities but feel the time we’ve had has allowed us to see the highlights. Part of the problem (I can hear comments of ‘ha first world problems!’) is that the more you see, the more you realise there is even more to discover! Driving around the area has also been easy with quiet, wide roads and without too many squiggles (bends and curves). I feel this area fits with what other countries may view as ‘quintessential Germany’ with lots of wooded areas…where Hansel and Gretel live, where elder men live in the forest and make cuckoo clocks…ok maybe stereotypical images of Germany.
On the way to our next campsite, we stopped in the town of Baden-Baden. It was a very picturesque town with lots of trees. We arrived early on the Monday morning, which worked out very well as we were able to get parking and wander around before it became too hot. I think it’s a posh town as many of the shops I’ve seen at Bicester Village…but without the discounts!
Pictures from Baden-Baden
On route, we also stopped at Mummelsee Lake. The views from the top of the Black Forest were great. This is a big tourist area and was very busy. We thought Bear would like to walk around the lake but with so many beautiful areas nearby were unsure why the lake is so famous when it’s quite small and the water quite murky, we stayed less time that we had expected to and moved on.
Campsite Murhof was fine for a night but we didn’t want to stay longer. There were not many campsites in this area, so we had limited choice. We walked into the village early evening, but everything was closed and the campsite had some quirks. It was fairly expensive when compared to others we had stayed in in Germany but then you had to pay extra to use the shower, extra for electricity and extra to fill the van with water. I suppose this combined with cameras overlooking the recycling area with signs saying you are being watched (I take it to check you are recycling correctly?) didn’t create a comfortable atmosphere. There was a natural swimming pool across from the campsite which we were going to use but it was really hot during the afternoon, too hot to leave Bear in the van, even with the windows open. So, we all sweltered together whilst trying to sit in the shade.
We then headed off the next day and arrived at Trend Camping. It became a lot cooler with some showers whilst here. The campsite was very nice, we had a great pitch with some privacy and I was able to do a few Fiit classes. The site had a small bar and restaurant and we ate out for dinner, Steve opting for his beloved Wiener Schnitzel-again declaring it was good but not as good as the one his grandmother used to make for him! (Seemingly also one of his family traditions- I have seen both his grandmother and mother do this-he cut some up and put it in a serviette to take home for the dog!!) Whilst here we cycled out to the luge, we love these, they are lots of fun and reminded us of our travels in New Zealand, when we first came across them.
When we left Trend campsite, we found a great stopping area with plenty of walks and found a lovely walk in the woods. Bear, can be a stubborn goat sometimes, and having refused to walk much whilst at Trend camping he galloped around here like a loon.
An example of Bear's stubbornness. Steve trying to sit down and Bear refusing to move!
The morning we left Trend campsite and Steve and Bear having one of their conversations..about how Bear can be a better Bear!
We then moved on to the town of Triberg, to vist the famous waterfall. One of the signs said King Wilhelm I and Ernest Hemmingway had also been previous visitors…and now there was the famous visit by his royal highness Bear, leader of the cockerpoos! (On the way we drove past the biggest cuckoo clock in the world). The town and waterfalls were very pretty and well worth a visit.
Our final stop for the week was Vita Classica. We had only planned to stay 3 nights, but I have started another MA module and needed to clear some work and Steve has started some online coaching for students and needed to complete a training session. We had decided to stay here originally, so we could visit some of Steve’s family, but it turned out to have even more positives. It was a very quiet stay, it was more like an ‘aire’ (posh car park) so I’m normally more concerned it may be noisy but it was not at all. It was part of the thermal spring water spa and if you stayed 3 nights you were given a free ticket to the spa and free transport within the Black Forest.
On the Friday, it was great to see Steve’s cousin Ulrike and her husband Matthias. (The official family lineage is that Helga-Steve’s grandma on his mum’s side-and Ulrike’s mum were sisters…I think that makes them cousins…). We ate out at a lovely restaurant, which was full of mirrors. From my understanding, I think the restaurant is like a ‘farmer’s market’ concept in the UK but in a restaurant form. They are allowed to open the restaurant twice a year for 8 weeks at a time and the rest of the year they are growing and farming the produce. We went back to their apartment after and met Toby. Toby is a sausage dog or as the German’s refer to this breed-Daschund. Ulrike was dog sitting for her brother, as he and his family were on holiday (…or trying to avoid the English relatives :-) ). Ulrike said that Toby can be spiky and territorial but seemed relaxed and happy…however, Steve put his hand out to stroke him and Toby bit him. The reason I am telling you this is (not to defame Toby) that Steve thinks he is hilarious, repeatedly telling me, and laughing at his own joke, that he now has PTSD…Post Traumatic Sausage Dog syndrome!!!! Good news though, both Toby and Steve are both well and still alive.
The following day, we also used our free train pass (I love a bargain or discount!) with Bear, and visited Freiberg. I think many locals were bemused by this. We carried Bear on and off the train and people stopped or stepped to the side to let him off first… Ulrike picked us up from Freiberg, a little soggy and cold after it rained all morning and drove us into the hills to see some of the great views. We also headed to the very pretty town of Staufen for cake and a drink.
Not sure this was what the water feature was for!
On the Sunday we pigged out and ate an ice cream sundae each, before heading to the spa. There were many different pool areas, and it was relaxing and made a change. I did not notice any miraculous changes though, I had high hopes…but I don’t look younger!
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