All I know is that we were closest to a town called Oberkirch in Germany and that we kept following signs that read "Sohlberg", if those are good reference points as to location. Other than that, all I know is that we were in the Black Forest (which was much sunnier than I remembered it being back in November). All the late spring flowers were blooming along the trail we took, and Malou basically skipped through the meadows pointing out the daisies and buttercups, the forget-me-nots and Queen Anne's Lace.
It was quite a hot day, even at 300 meters up in the hills. We had a picnic lunch by the ruins of an old monastery, which sounds much more dreary than it actually was. Nearby is a bustling cafe (in the middle of nowhere, of course) and we sat down for tea and cake there. I stayed far, far away from the Black Forest cake... I have learned my lesson. Even though it looks like chocolate cake, it doesn't taste at all like it!
After a good two hours hike--more of a walk or wander, actually--the three of us arrived at some cascades, which is where the silliness commenced, at least for Kat and I. Malou remained unfazed by our ridiculousness. First, Kat and I were trying to take a nice photo in front of the little waterfall, yet were thwarted by a particularly difficult railing that we tried to sit on for the picture. It took a good while to actually sit down, and by that time we were in stitches, especially when we found out that Malou caught our entire struggle on film. Next, Kat decided to just look silly and Malou took it all in stride.
All in all, it was an absolutely lovely day in Germany. On the way back, Malou recounted Black Forest legends to us and showed us the liquor house. Because we were in Germany, of course, there has to be liquor available before/during/after the hike. There was just a little wooden "house" that was filled by a cold flowing stream and filled with bottles of German liquor in various flavors (cherry, pear, etc). The little hut also provided tiny shot glasses and a suggested payment for a glass of liquor, but no one was around and no cameras were there to make sure you payed. I just remember thinking that this liquor house would simply not work in the U.S., as no passing person would ever pay, they would either steal the bottles or just walk away with a free shot of some very VERY strong liquor. Honestly, I took a sip and almost gagged. The "pear" flavor is just a joke; the actual flavor is "horribly strong alcohol" flavor.
I can't even describe how nice of a day it was. It felt like something out of a movie. The crickets and cicadas were humming, the sun was bright and the air warm, the forest was full of flower meadows and cherry orchards... Such a perfect day. Although I've been finished classes and exams for weeks now, I'm glad to have stayed, as these past few weeks in Alsace (and abroad!) have been some of my favorites.
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