The Art of Wandern: the Delight is in the Details

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Adventure, Black Forest, Conversation, Explore, Found, Freiburg, Friends, Hiking, Photography, The Art of Wandern, Travel, Travel Companions, Wandern

The following day I went hiking again.  This day was the day before Easter, and I’ve mentioned some of this hike to you before (see the third bullet point on Ein Osterwochenende, Pt. 1).  But in addition to being a super Eastery hike, the long time alone allowed me to reflect on the day before as well as my time this far in Germany.

Normally when I hike, I enjoy wandering for hours and just looking at the nature that surrounds me.  I’m fascinated by the way sunlight hits the bark of trees.  I relish the sound of a hidden brook.

Found it!

But this solitary enjoyment of the world doesn’t mix well with companions.  With friends in tow, you usually need to have a more solid point to the hike and plenty of conversation.  You walk a little slower and observe a lot less.  But you also have others to experience the day with you and to push you to do activities you normally wouldn’t do.  If I had been by myself, I definitely would have been too timid to explore those two towers. But with hiking companions, I had the chance to be a little braver.  Nonetheless, this day-before-Easter hike alone was a much-needed chance for me to delight in the little details along the way.

Stop and smell the dandelions

On this hike, I found what would become my favorite way up the mountain.  In previous hikes, I would follow what most people seemed to do: turn right at the fork at the base of the mountain, and zigzag your way up.  Instead, I took the left-hand trail.  It was a sharp climb upward and curled around the narrow valley.  This path was significantly thinner than its broader sister I was used to taking, likely because it was steeper.  But it was definitely more beautiful.  The treeline was guarded by squatter trees who had borne the brunt of wind along the bare slope, and I couldn’t help but think of Fangorn forest.

Big and small

The open meadow was where I finally placed the giant cross, where I spotted a hare, and interrupted a teenage couple’s murmurings.  On the hike, I also discovered an overly enthusiastic tree, a bridge cut lengthwise from one tree (I was a little nervous to walk on it), and a branch spotlit for its theatrical debut.

A Bridge Cut from One Tree

Ivy Detail

Enthusiastic Tree

Interesting Ivy and Bark Textures

A Dramatic Branch

Clusters of Color

White Blooms

A Sudden Vista

Shadows on Bark

 

At the time, I had no one with whom to share these little discoveries, so thank you for being my cyber travel companions!

The Art of Wandern: A Foggy Evening Discovery

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Black Forest, Castle, Explore, Found, Freiburg, Hiking, Lost, Photography, Ruins, Schlossberg, The Art of Wandern, Travel, Wandern

I learned on my previous hike to trust in the beaten path, but my next hike taught me to take a few risks once in a while.  I was still new to Freiburg, though I had already walked around the city a few times.  After a full day of orientation in classes, I was tired but also feeling cooped up.

A rather accurate sketch of our professor: I wasn’t the only restless student!

The entire day had been foggy.  Even though–or perhaps because–I live in sunny Florida, rainy days are my favorite days.  Here I was, spending the day watching clouds drape the hills.  It was moody, and it was perfect.

Can I please hike now?

Everything I’d learned about hiking–don’t hike too close to dusk, don’t hike alone, etc.–told me that hiking was a bad idea.  But here was a chance to walk inside clouds in the Black Forest.  I mean, who could pass that up?  After a little debating, I grabbed a quick meal just before 6 o’clock and headed for the hills.  The only problem was that I wasn’t familiar with the area surrounding my dorm; I had no idea how to even find the hiking trails in the first place without trespassing on someone’s property.

I decided to just wing it.  No planning, no Googling for internet hints.  Just explore.  I walked along the Dreisam river until I found a bridge, and then I kept walking straight toward the hill.  The paved road turned to dirt, isolated houses nestled at the edge of the forest, and suddenly I was on a trail.  It was steep and a little muddy, but I loved it.

Thankfully this road went past this (gorgeous) house and into the hills. Otherwise, I might have been intruding!

I found an overlook from which I could see my dorm (the tall and narrow white building).

A view of my dorm

Since I was new to the area and had learned my lesson from previous hikes, I took paths that others seemed to be walking onA trail that lead up. A strange clearing with benches.  More people walked here.  A sign described the area as “Fort Freiburg Castle Hill Historical loop” in German.  Later I would learn that this area was the site of a count’s castle, which had been destroyed in the Middle Ages in a dispute between the count and the townspeople.

The history behind the ruins. Makes sense, right?

I was so thrilled to walk among ancient ruins, and the fog made it all the more exciting.  I could only see a little bit in front of me, so stone walls and other hikers would appear and disappear.  I resolved to return on a clear day, so that I could have a better idea of the area. Here are a few more foggy photos I took:

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The Art of Wandern: In the Footsteps of Strangers

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Black Forest, Black Forest Hostel, Found, Freiburg, Germany, Hiking, Morning People, The Art of Wandern, Wandern

My experience helped me realize that sometimes experimentation can go wrong.  Yes, of course it is good to try new ideas, but it is also important to look at what people have done before you.  Sometimes, the well-worn path really is the better option.

I already knew that, of course.  I was homeschooled until high school, and I interacted a lot with adults as a child.  Because I enjoy being with people, I didn’t mind listening to the stories that elderly folks wanted to tell me, and they were happy to share wisdom with a younger person.  I usually internalized their lessons and think about them even today.  Despite my independent streak, I value the experience of those who have already gone ahead.

A view of Oberau (a section of Freiburg)

But my “failed” climb helped drive all that home in a very concrete way.  Sometimes self-made paths end up being dead-ends.  Sometimes the cost of picking up the pieces afterwards just isn’t worth the thrill of “my way.”  I felt a little stupid.

But as I continued walking along the more defined path, I resolved that my hikes didn’t always have to end with some sort of amazing find or epiphany.  My climb wasn’t a failure: I still learned something, and I still had time to hike a bit more.

I eventually found a plaque.  I took a picture and resolved to look it up later. 

Dr. Hoffmann’s plaque

After nearly two years, I finally did so last week.  At first, Dr. Christian August Hoffmann was not easy to find.  The only Google result that seemed to match was a Christian August Siegfried Hoffmann who lived about a generation prior to my commemorated friend.

But finally, I found an article in the local newspaper about the man, the journalist’s attempt to track him down, and her eventual contact with his descendants in America.  I shortly also found his descendants’ account of the interaction, which verified the journalist’s story.  In the descendants’ detailed description of Dr. Hoffmann, I noticed pictures of two buildings connected to him.  I actually recognized them!  I was astounded.  Even though I had had no idea who he was, I had come across his plaque and walked past his granddaughter’s house.  Because this realization encompassed my present time learning about all of this history, my past time in Germany, and the first half of the 19th century, I was somewhat overwhelmed.  I had partially walked in the footsteps of this stranger and his family who lived two centuries ago.  The story that is Me is so very small, a thread in the larger quilt.  And as humbling as that realization is, it’s also comforting.  It’s nice knowing that others have gone before you, leaving behind their words of wisdom to guide your way.

A shy red squirrel