Doing It Tough

Sigh … another 25-degree sunny day, another Bavarian forest to orienteer in, another drive through impossibly picturesque rolling hills punctuated by impossibly picturesque Bavarian villages … life’s tough.

The Merc purred down the gravel driveway. The electronic gate swung silently open. We turned left onto the main road, passing the Schloss, the first bridge, the church, the butcher shop, the pub, and the second bridge. Half an hour later we were in Sussenbach, another gorgeous little town. We were directed into a restaurant car park. From there it was a gently uphill walk to the competition centre. Just before arriving, Ian turned tail and sprinted back to the car. “Got to get the money!” he yelled. “The O-shop is here!”

Great excitement ensued as we dived on a pair of northern hemisphere compasses! Never has cash exchanged hands so quickly. I felt complete again. Next step was to negotiate my way onto a shorter, easier course. No problems – I was allowed to do “Open Short” which was the equivalent of the 12 year olds course. Things were looking up, especially as the swelling had all but disappeared overnight, and the ankle was feeling a lot better.

Today’s terrain was steep, rocky pine forest with lots of the usual indistinct tracks. The only problem I had was getting down the steeper slopes – but that was quite a problem, as I had to either do a crab crawl, or a bum slide. I discovered a pulled muscle behind my knee which protested whenever I tried to stand up again. It took me over an hour to get around 1.5 kms – needless to say, the under 12s were not threatened! Despite the downhill struggles, I enjoyed the forest and it was nice to complete a course.

But the best bit was the cake stall afterwards – for the princely sum of 1.5 euros, you got your choice of cake, crumble, cheesecake etc, all homemade, served on a china plate with a fork. Vic Junior Squad take note!

An afternoon of shopping and clothes washing followed, as we all felt the need for some down time. Ian and I went for a walk around Ramspau, inspecting “our” Schloss and the surrounds. We crossed the river twice, and meandered along the peaceful main street. I took a peek inside the rather elaborate church. The aroma emanating from the pub suggested that someone was roasting a pig. I have found my new home. I have to keep pinching myself every time I look out of the window.

As soon as I saw Schloss Ramspau on an accommodation website, I knew we HAD to stay here. I wasn’t wrong. The castle is over 300 years old, built in the early 1700s. The current owners bought the property in 1995. We are wondering how much of it is occupied – we haven’t been invited for a guided tour.

I am now going to put up lots of photos. Cos I’m living right next to a real Bavarian castle.