I love hiking...

After a week of city living in and around downtown Berlin, Bernhard and Barbara offered to drive us three hours south to the mountains for some hiking. Being self-proclaimed nature enthusiasts, Amy and I were all about spending a Saturday hiking and exploring some mountains of Germany...even if it meant we had to get up at 5:30 AM. So the plan was set, we would leave by 6 AM, spend the day hiking, and if time (and energy levels) allowed we would make a stop in Dresden on the way home. It was shaping up to be a action packed day...and when it arrived it did not disappoint. Yes, the 5:30 wake up call was early, but it was so worth it. After arriving in a small town near the base of the mountains (technically I think they were more like very large sandstone uplifts, that over the centuries have been eroded and carved down by rivers and other factors leaving magnificent outcroppings and peaks flanked by lush, forest filled valleys) we had a quick picnic breakfast and then boarded a trolly/train that would take us partway up to the base of a trail. It was a day filled with so many spectacular views that I finally had to stop taking pictures of them all because they were all so good. We hiked, zig-zagging our way up the steep mountain side, with another overlook of the surrounding valleys and farmlands around each corner. To add the beauty, the weather was kind of overcast and drizzly all day, so the forests, trees and plants on the way up all had a wonderful sheen from the slight moisture. The area in which we were for the day is a destination of rock climbers from around Germany. There are designated routes that you can climb using pre-set pins (to put your climbing ropes through) all with varying difficulty. At one point we came around a corner and Bernhard mentioned that there was a trail off to our right that technically wasnt for rock climbers, but because of its severe incline, usually only rock climbers with gear used it. Curious, I checked it out. To get to it you had to squeeze through a crevasse that was about a foot wide and went in for about 20 feet. Once in, there was a series of “steps” that had been inserted into the rock in the form of a twisting ladder. It went up farther than one could see. So again curious, Amy and I decided to start the ascent and see where it lead. It was a crazy climb up, and after about 50 feet I could see the “steps” veering off to the left, at which point I spotted a climber (in full climbing gear). I decided that if they were using climbing gear, that we should probably not go any further and risk falling...or death. If you are claustrophobic, afraid of heights, or not good at balancing, this would not have been a climb for you...ha hah! We hiked for a total of 5 hours I think, with stops along the way for water, and a longer one for lunch (for which we were situated on the edge of this breathtaking cliff). It had been a tiring but satisfying day of hiking and being in nature. As we got back into the car to head home, I figured we would not stop in Dresden as we all seemed a bit tired...but after about an hour, I woke up to find Bernhard parking the car in a parking lot in Dresden. And am I glad we stopped. We only spent about an hour and half in Dresden, but it is one of the coolest cities I have ever been in! During the war, the city was essentially flattened by British bombs, and not until the last 15 years has the city really started to build back up...but they did so using many of the original materials or building styles making it look like the buildings have been standing for centuries. It seemed that at every corner you could see another old, historic building, church, castle or spire. It was fascinating and a perfect way to end, in my opinion the best day of the trip so far.