Germany

Over the Alps and Far Away

~ donquioaty ~ 2 Comments

DonQui is setting off to cross the Alps into Italy. He has done this before and it always feels like quite an adventure passing through the magnificent natural barrier that separates Italy from Northern Europe. His route passes through a bit of Austria then into Switzerland. This means he has to purchase road tax vignettes for both Austria and Switzerland which is mildly annoying especially as he will only be in Austria for ½ hour or so. At least Austria offers a cut price 10 day vignette!

His plans nearly come asunder in the no-mans land between Austria and Switzerland. As Switzerland is not in the EU there are border controls.

DonQui shows his passport to the efficient Swiss border police. Then they ask for his car papers. The papers don’t seem to satisfy them so they direct him to pull over to the side.  They want the ‘brown car ownership form’. Not having such a form nor ever having heard of one, DonQui does his best to show everything else he has including car insurance certificate, driving license and proof of having paid the Swiss road tax. After much toing and froing, furrowed brows and consultation with head office they finally let DonQui through after he tells them he is only transiting through Switzerland into Italy.

More than a little relieved DonQui is on his way again. He makes a brief pit stop in Liechtenstein just for the fun of it. 

Driving through magnificent Alpine scenery he is heading towards the San Bernardino Pass at over 2000m above sea level. 

The pass marks the Italo-German language frontier. Although still in Switzerland, once on the other side, all signs are in Italian rather than German as they had been before. Then the road makes a rapid descent towards the border.

As he approaches the Italian frontier DonQui has a nervous thought. What if the Italian authorities also want this mysterious ‘brown form’ and don’t let him in? Will he then be stuck in Switzerland? He need not have worried. The friendly, if perhaps not as efficient, Italian border police give him a smile and wave him on his way with no fuss at all.

It takes DonQui about four hours to pass through five countries: from Germany, through Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland into Italy. There he takes a much needed break for a proper Italian coffee — a delicious shot of thick, syrupy, pure caffeine. It is a good job he does, as the next 3 hours (which should have taken 2) are along the Autostrade around Milan, choked with lorries and moving at a snail’s pace. To top it off the heavens open up with a torrential downpour!

Feeling a little bedraggled DonQui is delighted to finally arrive at his pleasant lodging in Verona. To further improve his mood the weather clears. So he resolves to take an aperitivo on the balcony of his apartment.

Vineyards, forests and lakes

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For several days DonQui explores a corner of southwestern Germany. It is a region he knows well so he is partly revisiting old places and memories as well as making new discoveries.

His route winds through the flat Rhine valley and up into the vineyards on the Badische Weinstraße (Baden wine route). Baden wines are excellent but are pretty well unknown in the UK as virtually none are exported. Produced in relatively small quantities, the locals prefer to drink it all themselves!

DonQui stops off for a couple of days at Durbach where some of his favourite wines are grown in the vineyards surrounding the Markgraf von Baden’s Schloss Staufenberg. For centuries the Schloss has stood guard against invading French armies with the Markgraf (Marcher Lord) having responsibility for the defence of this border region on behalf of the Emperor in Vienna.

Needless to say DonQui picks up a bottle or three of the Markgraf’s wine— bringing him perilously close to the 18 litre limit he is allowed to bring back to the UK. He may have to drink a few bottles on his trip before passing through customs.

Then it is up the long and winding road into the hills and forests of the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) towards Freudenstadt.

Here he takes the opportunity to trot along some of the many nature trails. Hopefully he will burn off a small proportion of the calories he has been consuming!

This being an asparagus producing area and it being asparagus season, the vegetable appears on virtually every menu. DonQui enjoys the more delicate white asparagus for a change as they are very hard to find in the UK.

The weather turns when he makes a trip to the Mummelsee. It is said to be an incredibly beautiful lake but DonQui cannot conform this as the rain and thick fog reduces visibility down to just a couple of meters. The Mummelsee is said to be inhabited by Nixies (water sprites). The low cloud and mist makes it easy for him to imagine that this may very well be true.

DonQui’s route then takes him down to Lake Constance at the southern end of Germany. Switzerland is on the other side of the lake. Finding a relatively empty stretch of Autobahn on the way down he gets the chance to blow out the cobwebs from his car at 100 mph without having to worry about speed cameras (there being no speed limit on a German autobahn).

His final pit stop in Germany is the pretty town of Landau. The old fortified town is on an island in Lake Constance and boasts a most impressive 15th century town hall…

… and 13th century tower than once also served as a lighthouse. It is known as the Rapunzel tower. hence the ‘rope of hair’ hanging down from a high window,

Situated at the juncture of the German, Austrian and Swiss borders Lindau is a perfect jumping off spot to cross the alps and head down on into Italy. This is what DonQui will do tomorrow.

Black Forest Adventures

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After a couple of days in Strasbourg, during which DonQui took the opportunity to have a glass or three of the most excellent Alsatian Riesling (unfortunately very hard to find in the UK), he hires a car and makes his way over to the German side of the Rhine for a brief trip around the Black Forest.

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His starting point is amongst the vineyards of Durbach where, in DonQui’s opinion, some of the best wine in Germany is to be found. None of it is exported so it is a treat he very much looks forward to whenever he is in the region. Those whose who have no experience of German wine, apart from the mass-produced stuff that makes it overseas, may be surprised by the superior quality that the inhabitants of the Rhine valley keep for themselves

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He stays at the most excellent Hotel Rebstock. In high summer season the prices there can be a bit eye-watering but off season it is very reasonable for a top-end establishment.

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The food is superb…

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.. and the atmosphere most congenial.

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In acknowledgement of the cold winter temperatures, they even lit fires in the grounds.

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Beyond the low vine covered hills at the edge of the Rhine Valley lies the Black Forest, so named for the dark pine trees which grow on the slopes of the steep hills (almost low mountains).

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As he descends into the valleys DonQui cannot help but admire the wonderful architecture of the Black Forest farms. The pre-Christmas scene is made more atmospheric by the dusting of snow on the hills. At one point he spies two magnificently antlered Hirsch (large deer) grazing in a meadow.

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DonQui’s destination is Triberg, home of the Cuckoo Clock and also Germany’s highest waterfall. A well maintained walkway allows him to wander up alongside the waterfall where icicles form along the sides.

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On the way back he stops off at the beautifully preserved late-medieval town of Gengenbach. This was a Reichsstadt (Imperial city) in the 15-1700s — held directly by the Holy Roman Emperor in Vienna rather than being controlled by local nobles. A Christmas market is in full swing so DonQui takes the opportunity to stock up on a few comestibles.

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The town hall is decorated as an advent calendar with each window representing the days before Christmas.

IMG_9329.jpgWandering through the Black Forest it is hard not to imagine ancient stories of wolves, trolls and fairies. DonQui even spies one dipping her toes in a pond.