“This really is my thing”.

We did extensive shopping in the local supermarket buying food that is difficult to get through restaurant meals: lots of salad, cheese, raw veg, pure fruit juice, unsweetened yoghurt … Plus more mozzie guard and sun cream.

Walk, by Chris

If you ever chance upon a town called Grein (and I hope for your sake that you will), then make sure to do walk nr 9.

But before I say more about this, I wish to explain the magnitude of the dilemmas we are faced with: For instance, do you put on suncream first and then the tic protection lotion or the other way round? I can’t believe that it is only months ago since we were fully immersed in the major challenges of life and work in London. Long live getting old!

Cycling has been great and we’ve seen many wonderful things on our way. But today was extra spectacular. At one stage I found myself exclaiming “This really is my thing”.

The main part of the walk starts along a gentle stream, where it flows into the Danube. You walk gently upwards among beautiful trees interspersed with mossy rocks. The stream makes gentle gurgling sounds. Sometimes there are stepping stones to help you cross, at other times wooden bridges.

(Chris skipping across the stepping stones)

(We followed the stream up the hillside)
Every now and then there is a small waterfall. The main destination is the Stillensteinklamm (sorry, another tongue twister). This is where the stream disappears underground and reappears a little while later. You hear it, then you hear it not. Then you hear it again.

Here the rocks are overhanging the path, making it hard to believe that they keep hanging, rather than crashing down. I did not linger, Graham did.

As we walked on the top of the hills, hay gathering hay was in full swing.

The view of the Danube and Grein as we started our descent.

Home at last

In summary, do remember: It’s walk nr 9. In Grein.

Chris