Wednesday 27th September 2023

Turkheim Loop

Today we had the luxury of not having to pack our bags and run, as we have a couple of nights here.

The grandness of the building was ever present in the Breakfast Room with the quality of surroundings emulated in the breakfast menus. It would have suited people from most parts of the world.

We both managed to embrace a few cultures and enjoyed the best machine coffee so far.

Grazing over, we packed the bags and popped into the patisserie to get some lunch. I managed to break a few rules at the supermarket, with where you entered and not understanding the spend limit before you could use a card. Spent up a bit more and all was good. Also managed to return the napkin.

Todays loop walk had is up amongst the hillside vineyards and lots of forest walking.

We could have had a little feast on the way by picking from the locals vegetables gardens- one guy had tomato plants about 6 foot high, one with a lone fruit waiting to be plucked ,but temptation was resisted .

We passed the beginning of vineyards that climbed the hillside with vines reading for picking.

Navigation was a bit easier today with the notes not being so complicated. We were soon up into the forest where the only sound you could here was the buzzing of chainsaw and crashing trees.

Needless to say this is an area with a rich forestry history dating back centuries. Up until as late as 2009 timber was still being used in the paper making industry in the area.

There were plenty of stacks of hewn logs and plenty of neatly stacked locals caches along the trail.

The forests were a mix of various tree types and plenty had dropped their leaves for Autumn to provide a soft carpet on which to walk.

Jane and I were still looking for wildlife but the only thing we found was a hunters lair – perhaps that is why fauna is so scarce. It got to the stage where we were making phantom sightings,which were mainly fallen logs.

Jane saw a lynx which was the size of a Sphinx so that didnt count and my fossilized pig received similar acknowledgement.

We decided it was time to take a break in case it was dehydration delerium.

We marched on and soon reached our first official landmark. Le Chappel de Frere’s. It was as big as the average double garage and had been built for a hermit, then destroyed and rebuilt by a rich landowner. A huge crucifix stood high on the hill behind it.

The doors were locked but you could peek through the grille and see the altar and seats for about 10 people. If the Visitors Book was any indication it was a week since anybody else had visited and signed, which might indicate it’s remoteness.

After lunching here we had our first navigational error and slogged our way up a steep timber trail before deferring to the app and realising we were headed in the wrong direction.

Reset the bearings and headed off towards our destination of Zimmerbach,which other than being known as s small hamlet, had a Michelin Star restaurant – unfortunately closed on Wednesday.

This seems to be the trend here with many places closing Monday and Tuesday and or Wednesday. Being towards end of season probably doesn’t help.

Thought we had our first lynx sighting , but it turned out to be a white cat who was either feral or stayed a long way from home.

The gentle downward path was covered in boar rooting patches – they were one animal we didn’t want to encounter.

We soon reached the outskirts of Zimmerbach and it was exactly as described small with a closed restaurant. They must still be doing a great job as the Michelin status was awarded again in 2023. The menu looked amazing, but expensive.

It was quaint , in particular the school and several traditional buildings.

We were soon out of town on narrow tracks winding through the vineyards where there was plenty of hand picking going on high up the hillside. 6 or 7 pickers all in a line were filling bins which a little tractor would carry down and dump in the huge bins ready to go to the winery.

The huge spire in the distance signalled we were getting closer to home, but there was still more vineyards to cross. They must have great faith in God helping the harvest as there were crossed and crucifixes regularly through the vineyards.

We ended up on the same track for the last leg of the journey and my lone tomato had disappeared – ah the missed opportunity.

Finally reached town after 4 and a bit hours a lot fresher than when we arrived yesterday. Unlike yesterday we saw no other walkers, but did cross paths with lots of cyclists.

Booked our restaurant for dinner and checked into Tourist Office to see if the old tradition of the Night Watchman walking the streets at 1000 pm was still happening.

It was a late , long and lingering dinner to keep us up that late. The food – chicken as a main and dessert starting with a K was the best on your to date The Gouverts Traminer was equally delicious. Jane raved over her beef cheeks and Crème Brulee.

After 45 minutes of doing little we joined the French speaking Night Watchman with about 60 others for part of his rounds in cold conditions , listening to his patter all in French. Based on crowd reaction it was funny.

One street was enough, before heading to bed before facing a long and steep walk in 26 degree heat tomorrow.