Gail's Blog

Friday 22 July 2022

The English Garden

These magnificent trees are Cedars.

The largest of these Koi were at least a metre long.

We set off at about 9-30 this morning and went out to a nearby Nursery with a beautiful English Garden. It as called Ettenbuhl -just in case you can find it on Google. Maria and I had a lovely time and Bob found it interesting I think. Roland would rather have been getting on with the day but he coped.

From there we went on to Lorrah which was probably a town worthy of exploring in it's own right but our focus was shopping. Germany is cheaper than Switzerland for pretty well everything. We lucked on to a department store having a major sale and found bargains with the things we were looking for.

Roland then drove us home through the Black Forest. The plan included a stop at Titisee which is a beautiful lake that has been well developed for holiday makers. .However it is now school holidays in Germany and there wasn't a parkimg space anywhere. There was no temptation to park illegally when we spotted a policeman moving in to deIiver fines.

We ar now back in Bulach with a busy last day ahead of us as we pack up and get ready to board the plane home on Sunday. So apart from some photos it is over and out for this trip. Gail

Along The Doub

Retired Shetland aged 25 yrs.

water fountain

The Martured Saint _ the statue dates from 17C

Entance to Ferrette

21 July River Doud then Germany

We began the day driving alongside the river on unmade road. Just a bit pot wholy and very pretty. A few kms along things came to an abrupt halt with a tree across the road. It had obviously blown down in the previous nights storm. The road was very narrow so Roland had to reverse for about 500 metres back to a turning area. Maria and I walked back ahead of the Jeep and as we went we found dozens of tiny frogs hopping across the road.They were really cute and just like the ones I used to find in the garden at the farm.

We were travelling through rural land again and saw a deer foraging in a mowed paddock then some storks feeding on ploughed land. We stopped at an ancient town named Ferrette and I don't know if there is any connection to the four legged ones or what the name actually means. It was quite delightful with fountains all through. They were mostly long toughs designed to make collecting water easy in the days before piped water. There was a notice forbidding housewives to do their washing in the drinking troughs and go to the laundry specific one.

There is a typical stone bridge with a statue of the towns patron saint whose name was difficult to remember so of course I have forgotten it. I do remember that in the 13 Century he was thrown in the river by King Wensalus and drowned because he would not betray the secrets of the confessional. We have always been told that Wensalus was a good guy. He must have had a good PR team.

As we progressed we went in and out of France a few times and then on to Bad Belingen in Germany for an overnight stay. 3 countries in one day. Our hotel was one M & R had stayed in before. Omce we had settled in Bob and I went for a walk. We found the park just down the hill from the hotel. Maria had told us it had a mini golf course. We weren't looking for it particularly but when we did we were most impressed. It was 18 holes and most of them presented a challenge. I was most gobsmacked by the one where you had to hit through a rotating waterwheel. Putting through consecutive wine barrels where the holes would have just about accommodated a mouse was another. All of them had sneaky slopes guaranteed to send your ball into the never never.

Dinner was very enjoyable. For the first time Bob and I chose the fish on offer. It was just what we hoped and we enjoyed it. There had been no way we would have chosen the steamed trout the previous evening once we saw it being served to other patrons.

Wednesday 20 July 2022

Wed 20th July River Doubs

This days plam was to follow the Swiss French Border along the River as closely as possible . This took us through wider shallower valleys with more extemsive farmimg land at times. In between we were in the historic Doub Park adjacent to the River. Initially the River was a sad spectre as it was almost completely dry. Boat hire and cruises were impossible and restaurants which rely on this activity were closed.

Our first stop was in Coldesroches to visit a ancient and very unique mill. Back in the 17th C the local people were hampered by the lack of a river to provide water power for a mill. Then the discovery that their river was underground and travelled through a cave system changed everything. Innovative locals built a grain mill down in the caves to access the power. Over time the mill was taken over and enlarged by financiers until it was operating several waterwheels of great size and powering a flour mill and a saw mill. Needless to say the conditions of work were pretty grim especially because the temperature down in the caves is a steady 7C and all the work for maintenance and expansion was done in what we now consider to be highly dangerous conditions.

Forewarned we had our jumpers on and went down through the very well set out tour but a group of young people from a holiday camp shivered their way through at much faster progress. It was really incredible to see the way in which people had managed to create such a major industry in such a difficult environment.

We had lunch at a restaurant on the bank of the Doub and then wound our way through the Park. We stopped at a beautiful hotel restaurant tucked into a narrow part of the valley. Maria had hoped to book us into the hotel but it was closed for the day. Instead we took photos and moved on. A slight detour took us to a huge stable complex set up to rescue old horses. It was very well organised and each stall had the name and birth year of its usual occupant. Most were out in the feed area but Bob found the sleeping place of a 36 Y O.

The weather had become increasingly thunderery and right on the French Swiss border we found the Hotel du Doub. We were just unloading our luggage from the Jeep when the rain and hail arrived. It was impressive but fairly shortlived. There was an impressive riverside covered terrace for dinner and the temperature was mild so we had a meal of local specialties in a convivial atmosphere. We passed up the frogs legs.