South to Switzerland through the Black Forest

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We have a fairly straight forward drive today through the Black Forest south to Switzerland.We have had a very pleasant stay here in Bad Peterstal as the apartment has been very well equipped and the location above the town has been very restful.We would have liked to have indulged in the Black Forest by taking some walks like we had hoped but perhaps today as we drive south today there may be an opportunity for us to do that.
The weather is sunny again and it should be a good day for driving and taking in the scenery as we travel route #500 which is the most popular of the roads through the Black Forest.
To avoid travelling on the road we arrived here on we took an unumbered road to Biberach where we joined the busy route #33 which runs in a northwest/southeast direction between Offenburg to Villingen Schwenningen.The road initially was quite narrow and winding but with little traffic on it we were able to enjoy the canopy of trees that make up the Black Forest.At one point we stopped for a photo and took in the amazing light and shadows of the trees.It is said that the forest is thicker in the north and from our stop we would say this was quite right.
There were a number of small settlements before we reached route #33 and we wonder what people do for an occupation living in what essentially are isolated settlements from a town of any reasonable size with industry or places of employment.
At Triberg we turned onto route #500 and the real Black Forest came alive.Every small town we came across had cuckoo clock shops very obvious on the roadside.Most were packed full of clocks with stock spilling out on display for passing traffic to take in and hopefully stop to buy!!We were not tempted!!Gretchen inherited her parents cuckoo clock and that is enough to be responsible for!!
The road climbed to run on ridges with some great views out over the forest from the areas that have been cleared for farming over the years.At the highest point of just on 1000mtrs above sea level we stopped for lunch in a roadside picnic area.What we hadn't noticed was that the mild weather of the morning had changed as we reached this altitude and the car temperature was only showing 14C requiring us to dig out a jersey and sweatshirt for the first time in weeks.
We were doing well for time so took a stop for an hour at Titisee where there is a glacial lake that attracts tourists in their droves.Here too it was still quite cool and we kept our extra clothing on for a walk around part of the lake to take photographs.Lining the road down to the lakes edge were dozens of shops selling tourist items relating to the Black Forest and people were buying up large.
A little further on just 20 or so kilometres we came across an autumn festival that was happening in a paddock next to the road.Local organisations had entered a competition to design straw sculptures and what was on display was very inventive and photogenic.There was also a huge collection of all different types and sizes of pumpkins for sale.There were types that we had never seen before and we assume they were grown especially for display as some didn't look big enough to be edible.
We drove down the last hill towards the Rhine which makes up the border between Germany and Switzerland only to be notice a large nuclear power plant on the Swiss side of the Rhine.Goodness knows what would happen to this famous waterway if there was some nuclear accident!!!
We passed into Switzerland without any fanfare and still didn't get to add to our passport stamps.Our passport could have been full by now had we been able to get stamps when we left one country to enter another!!
Our destination for tonight is Rottenschwil near Zurich where we are going to stay for a couple of nights with Di and Sebastion Goodrick(Di is the daughter of our flamingo friends Ruth and Owen of Tauranga).
Route #5 from the border was easy to follow but eventually we had to switch to a local road that was not on our atlas map but we were confident that the instructions we had taken down from good old Google Maps would get us to their home before dark!!And so it proved so,with one little diversion which we quickly overcame.We arrived just a few minutes before Di got home from work.Di is due to have a baby in early January and we gave her a big hug all the way from her Mum and Dad in Tauranga.
Sebastion had prepared a traditional Swiss dinner of raclette,melted cheese and other vegetables with whole potatoes.A delicious experience and one we would repeat again if we get the chance while we are in Switzerland.A friend of Sebastion and his girlfriend joined us late for dinner as they passed through from Stuttgart on their way to climb Mt Pilatus as part of training for a trip they are taking to Nepal shortly.Sebastion was a bit concerned that they were attempting the climb up the mountain in the dark even though the track was relatively well formed.

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[Rin]

Ad
Funny to see that the ad that pops up on the page when viewing this entry is for 'The Cuckoo Palace' advertising Original German Cuckoo Clocks!!

[O & R]

Thanks Heaps.
What, no cuckoo clock coming home, they are beautiful though, but also rather expensive ! Isn't that part of the world lovely and clean. We just love the straw sculptures, what a find. But most of all "Thanks Heaps" for delivering the big hug to Di, we sure do miss those. plenty of contact all the same.Sebastian certainly is a good cook. We always enjoy his German/Swiss goodies as well. We wont spill the beans, but how are the muscles. Really looking forward to your next blog