Wednesday 19 June 2013

Rain is always a good excuse (Gorge Trail Day 4)

The fourth day of the gorge trail started with rain. Lots of it. The hills around the farm in Aha where I had spent the night where hidden within mist and clouds. It didn't look like a day for walking.
Breakfast was served within the main communal room of the farm, with a big green tiled stove (I had dried my clothes on it the night before). The farmer's wife and her mother-in-law brought in a giant breakfast, with fresh bread and rolls, home-made jam, scrambled eggs, cake and (of course) a big pot of tea. Far too much for one person. I had written a few pages of my diary when a young women entered the room, also travelling on her own. I invited her to my table, and we got talking. She planned to go to a nearby swimming pool and mineral spring, and I spontaneously decided to join her.

The "Radon Revital Bad" was in the village of Menzenschwand, and featured a heated outdoor pool, an indoor pool, two whirlpools, a few different saunas and an outdoor barefoot path (which we ran across in the pouring rain). We spent a few hours there, a great alternative to walking in the rain.

Afterwards, the young woman drove me to the official end of today's leg of the Schluchtensteig (gorge trail), the town of St.Blasien. Even though there are just about 4000 people living here, the town boasts a giant cathedral with the largest church dome (with a diameter of 36 metres) north of the Alps. The entire interior is kept in white, which gives it an airy, light feel to it. It was quite impressive, as you can see from the pictures below.

After a quick shopping tour (for such a small town, there are quite a lot of shops) I took my backpack to my accommodation for the night (Haus Schnurr). The next day, the weather was fine again, and so I continued the gorge trail on the actual path again.


Info Day 4
Length: due to rain: 0 km (otherwise 20 km)
Towns: Aha, Menzenschwand, St.Blasien
AccommodationHaus Schnurr, St.Blasien (22 €)

The beautiful cathedral in the small town of St.Blasien.


Inside, the ceiling.


View of the main altar.

A small chapel inside a side wing of the cathedral.


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