It was time to farewell Cologne, and head south.  Thanks to train travel website The Man In Seat 61, I’d booked us onto the slightly slower but infinitely more scenic train to Karlsruhe via Koblenz, rather than via Frankfurt.  And I’d reserved two window seats on the side of the train that would maximise views of the Rhine.  A group of ladies who were out for a good time had commandeered our seats, and seemed reluctant to part with them, even though they agreed that they belonged to us.  The carriage clogged up with people waiting to get past, as our party ladies kept drinking their pre-lunch tipples and showing no signs of moving.  I was on the verge of enlisting the help of the conductor, when they finally moved and let us settle into our seats.

Our train stopped at Bonn, Koblenz (where the Moselle joins the Rhine), Mainz and Mannheim, hugging the river for a couple of hours.  We were glued to our window, looking out at castles, church towers, vineyards and barges.  I took a lot of photos of railway infrastructure and random foliage at high speed, but did manage to snap a few pictures.

All too soon we arrived in Karlsruhe, where we took a tram to the neat little suburb of Ruppurr, and collected our second rental car.  This one is an ordinary everyday Opel Astra, with lots of dents and scratches.  It doesn’t have the nice features of the MG, but it will be easier to park.  Ian took to the other side of the road, and we drove to our new home for the next five nights.

When we decided to come to the Black Forest, I chose the AirBNB here because it had nice views, and it was in a quiet village.  I had never heard of Gernsbach, which is not really on the tourist trail, and that suits us nicely.  We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room, kitchen, and wrap around balcony.  And there is a man cave for Ian, complete with large screen TV, which makes him happy.  I can look out at the castle on the other side of the valley from the balcony, which makes me happy.    

The weather was glorious this morning.  It gets dark “early” now, at 8.30pm, and the nights are cooler as it is now autumn.  Temperatures right through this trip have been mild, never warmer than mid 20s.  Rain has been scarce.  The scars left from last year’s 6 weeks of baking are slowly beginning to fade. 

Did I mention The Hill?  We live on a street that rejoices in the wonderful name of Lachenackerweg (I am not making this up. Every time Google tells us to turn onto it, we giggle). It is almost at the top of a very steep hill.  I refuse to walk anywhere from the house.  Pete and Ilze will remember the house on the hill in Omaru, NZ – it’s that level of steep.  So this morning we rolled down to the bottom, and parked at the railway station. 

From there we crossed the Murg River on the bridge decorated with huge, colourful floral baskets.  The Murg is shallow and very clear, and has several small islands and weirs.  There were once a number of water mills in the town, and the river has been channelled to flow through them. 

In the Old Town there are many half timbered houses and cobbled streets.  We found ourselves just outside the city wall, and followed them uphill.  Puffing and panting, we reached the church, cemetery, and stork tower, at the top.  Heading back down, we passed some of the town’s notable buildings.  A wedding at the Rathaus had just concluded, and we saw the bride and groom drive off in a red convertible.

Although it was a Saturday morning, Gernsbach was generally quiet, with just some locals going about their business.  We did see plenty of cyclists and motorcyclists, as Gernsbach is on the famous High Road through the Black Forest. 

Once more across the river, we found a lunch spot in a small but lovely park.  We sat in the shade of a pavilion, next to the river, and admired the meticulous placement of white and tan stones to form the centrepiece of the garden.  A sign pleaded with parents not to let their kids throw the stones around and disrupt the design.

A final riverside stroll brought us back to our starting point, to finish a gorgeous walk on a beautiful day.  It was time to point the car back up the hill and back to the house on Lachenackerweg.