Early this morning we arrived at Breisach, a small town whose name is Celtic and means 'breakwater', halfway between Freiburg and Colmar, was an important fortress during the Middle Ages. We leisurely enjoyed Viking's wonderful breakfast buffet, catching up with friends from earlier trips. Caroline Darr and Pat Black brought some new friends for us to meet and we look forward to getting to know them.
This morning's excursion is a bus trip through Germany's famous and beautiful Black Forest. We rode past miles of vineyards growing beautifully in the volcanic soil and Mediterranean climate. Workers are brought in from eastern Germany to help pick asparagus, cherries, and strawberries. Corn is grown for cattle feed and for oil. Also known as The Land of Fairy Tales, the Black Forest.
It might be thought of as a menacing place of witches and wolves because we grew up with stories of Hansel & Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood. The brothers Grimm not only wrote the stories but also did illustrations for their books. Actually the Schwarzwald, as it is called in Germany, is a wonderful destination to visit. The countryside is dotted with farms, villages with half-timbered homesteads, churches, and forests of oak, beech and fir growing so thick that they appear black and impenetrable-which frightened the Roman invaders.
We arrived at a small village where we watched a local glass blower make souvenirs, ate some of their local Black Forest cake which we shared with Jane and Joan and Cricket. (Be sure to admire her birthday present!). Also, we heard a talk on how Cuckoo Clocks were made. Back to the Kara for lunch before this afternoon adventure.
Photos from Germany's Black Forest Region
This morning's excursion is a bus trip through Germany's famous and beautiful Black Forest. We rode past miles of vineyards growing beautifully in the volcanic soil and Mediterranean climate. Workers are brought in from eastern Germany to help pick asparagus, cherries, and strawberries. Corn is grown for cattle feed and for oil. Also known as The Land of Fairy Tales, the Black Forest.
It might be thought of as a menacing place of witches and wolves because we grew up with stories of Hansel & Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood. The brothers Grimm not only wrote the stories but also did illustrations for their books. Actually the Schwarzwald, as it is called in Germany, is a wonderful destination to visit. The countryside is dotted with farms, villages with half-timbered homesteads, churches, and forests of oak, beech and fir growing so thick that they appear black and impenetrable-which frightened the Roman invaders.
We arrived at a small village where we watched a local glass blower make souvenirs, ate some of their local Black Forest cake which we shared with Jane and Joan and Cricket. (Be sure to admire her birthday present!). Also, we heard a talk on how Cuckoo Clocks were made. Back to the Kara for lunch before this afternoon adventure.
Photos from Germany's Black Forest Region
 |
| The Locals |
 |
| Black Forest Cake Demonstration |
 |
| Shopping Spree! |
 |
| 500 Year old Farm House |
 |
| Glass Blowing |
 |
| Bier Steins |
 |
| Feeding Swans from the Room |
 |
| Zzzzzz from the Sundeck |
No comments:
Post a Comment