Black Forest Monday 27 June 2011

I must have been tired last night as I have just slept ten hours! Feel good this morning with another hot sunny day in prospect.
I enjoy a leisurely breakfast from the buffet before rounding everybody up for our walk today. The tme has been brought forward by 15 minutes so we are now departing at 09:45 and I manage to speak to all to inform them of the change.
Gerd is waiting for us and the plan is to walk to the clock makers, which is about 20 minutes downhill, see a demonstration of how a handmade and crafted cuckoo clock is made, and then walk to a nearby bus stop for a short bus ride into Triburg.
We all have guestcards with the hotels name on them and these entitle us to free bus travel, entrance into the waterfalls at Triburg and a free game of crazy golf near the hotel.
It is my day off today so this is all very helpful.
Gerd leads us on our way at 09:45. Two are not coming and one turns back so there is just 17 going to see the cuckoo clock being made.
The walk is gentle and all downhill to the clock makers. We are shown how the woodwork side of the clock is done - everything is all hand carved by a very talented young man. We are then shown how the cuckoo and mechanisms are made and added to the clock. Again very clever and a real talent.
Then we are shown the shop! Not cheap but when you have just witnessed the work and skill that goes into each one the price suddenly doesn't seem so expensive.
From here four of the group walk to Triburg while the rest of us catch the 7270 bus to this famous town. Gerd tells us to catch the 7270 back and when we reach Triburg I point out the bus stop for catching the bus.
I have a little walk around mainly to see where coaches now drop off and park before catching the 11:55 bus back. It is the same driver as we had on the way in and I sat at the front to see where the coach park is as we drove past. He asks if I am going back to where I got on but I tell him I am going on to the next stop close to the hotel. He seems to accept this and off we go.
Two stops up he tells me I will have to get off here as he is going a different way and not via Schonach! Why didn't he tell me before I got on? I could have waited with a cold beer in the bar opposite the bus stop. I now have a 20 minute wait in the middle of nowhere! Well not quite nowhere but the one pub/hotel/restaurant by the bus stop is in a bit of a derelict state! I start to walk but it is just too hot so I sit and wait for the next bus.
I catch this one and sit next to one of my passengers who seems surprised at where I have joined the bus! A bit embarrasing telliong her I caught the wrong one!!
Back at the hotel I have a nice lunch of bread, cheese and beer and sit outside doing some work before it becomes too hot and I go back to my room for a read.
I don't know what they put in the water here but I end up sleeping again for another hour and a half!
Talk to everybody at dinner and they all seem to have had a good day and are looking forward to going to Frieburg and Titisee tomorrow.