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| At 8:38 on our balcony |
After breakfast, we took the bus to Finsterau. I enjoyed this first part of our tour, as I always like looking at houses and villages, see where and how people handle the world immediately around themselves, where they live.
Our reliable little tour book was of great help, and when signposts failed, OK used his mobile phone to navigate. We met plenty of other walkers/hikers and many cyclists, especially on the Czech side of the border, as the paths there were made on purpose so that bike rides were comfortable (no bikes are allowed on most of the hiking paths on the German side).
The National Park "Bayerischer Wald" (Bavarian Forest) stops at the border, but of course the forest itself does not; on the other side, it is also a National Park, much larger than on the German side. For the animals and plants living there, political borders are non-existent, and so I am truly glad that both countries cooperate on this.
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| Siebensteinkopf ("Seven Rocks Head"), named so because there are seven large rocks just below the summit |
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| Kay, this one is for you! |
After a while, we came to this remainder - and reminder! - of what the borders between Germany and Czechia once were like. Back then, the country was called Czechoslovakia, and part of the Eastern Block of countries in association with the USSR. Where there used to be watchtowers, barbed wire and guards with guns and dogs, nowadays there is only a sign telling you where you are. Isn't that a good thing, and something to be grateful for? And yes, Czechia is also part of the EU, and I am glad about that.
Walking back across the border, we discovered that we'd have to wait about an hour for the bus. We did not feel like waiting so long but were still fit enough to walk our way along the bus route for two more stops, until we reached a museum with a café and a shop. We had coffee and cake there and a look around the shop until the bus arrived and took us back to our village.
At the hotel, there was still enough time for a short stint in the spa until we dressed for dinner and enjoyed another great four courses of organic food and drink.
And to top things off, we went for a walk around the village to watch the most spectacular and beautiful sunset we'd seen this holiday. Before we finally retreated to our room, we had a G&T and a chat with our favourite waitress.
Looking back, I think this was my favourite day of our holiday - all days were great, but this one had so much in it, and that wonderful sunset made it all the more special.
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