This year’s German Unity Day (3rd October) happily fell on a Friday, which made for another long weekend to travel before winter set in. Five of us went for a trip through the Black Forest (Schwarzwald in German), including three of my Chinese friends and an Australian friend visiting me on his tour of Germany.
今年的德國統一日（10月3日）是星期五，那個長週末，趁嚴冬未至，我和另外三個中國人朋友決定到德國西南部的黑森林遊玩三天，來探我的澳洲朋友也有同行。
Of course we were not the only ones thinking of making use of the long weekend. Coupled with the amount of roadwork along the motorways (and it’s certainly quite a sight around Germany), it was no surprise that the first few hours of our journey was spent in traffic jams. The drive to our first destination of Baden-Baden took 5 hours – that’s excluding an hour of breakfast when we ended up in a service-station-cum-restaurant because the McDonald’s next door would not open till 9 a.m.! (I can get myself easily started on the topic of German opening hours …)
當然不少人也想把握那個長週末出門，加上公路沿途工程甚多（德國工程隨處是，永遠沒做完的一天！）所以未玩樂則先要忍受一個接一個的車龍，去到第一站巴登巴登（Baden-Baden），已花了五個多鐘頭——還未計中途停了一小時吃早餐，本想光顧M記但竟然九點才開門，幸好隔鄰油站有餐廳營業，真佩服德國的營業時間！（待我他日有空慢慢再寫寫這個話題吧。）
The German word Baden is not only cognate with the English words ‘baths’ or ‘to bathe’, but also refers to a region in south-western Germany. The original meaning of Baden-Baden can thus be construed as ‘Bath in Baden’ (like the British city of Bath). The supplies of the multitude of baths obviously came from the springs of the town, and there were places where one could taste the water which we found to be rather salty. Just as famous as the baths was the casino, which only invited entry for those who dress to impress, i.e. not lowly tourists like us. But there were enough to see in the park surrounding the casino, including the Trinkhall (Pump Room) which was home to two of the most ancient springs of the town. The first time in the Black Forest wouldn’t be complete without trying the Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwalder Torte) in a place to which it belongs.
巴登Baden此字，在德語名詞可解作溫泉，動詞可解作泡浴，亦是德國一個地區的名稱，所以Baden-Baden原意就是「巴登地區的溫泉」，既然可以泡浴，泉水源頭自然不少，我們都嘗了一兩口，味道有點鹹。在巴登巴登與溫泉齊名的是其賭場，祇限衣冠楚楚者進入，我們祇得在外面留連及到賭場旁的礦泉水大廳（Trinkhall）參觀。既然初次來到黑森林，我當然不放過品嘗正宗黑森林蛋糕的機會。
This hotel is not as bad as it sounds! 「壞酒店」？不是吧。
The Old Town of Baden-Baden
巴登巴登舊城區
Looking up to Bismarck - an honourary citizen of Baden-Baden.
令人「景仰」的俾斯麥——巴登巴登的榮譽市民
Take a bath (left) and have a drink (right)
泉水既可泡浴（左），又可飲用（右）
The Trinkhall 礦泉水大廳
The Kurhaus where the casino is located
溫泉療養館及裡面的賭場
The Oss river (left) and the garden of the Trinkhall (right)
礦泉水大廳附近的Oss河（左）和花園（右）
The Parish Church (Stiftskirche) of Baden-Baden (left) and the streets nearby (bottom two)
巴登巴登教區禮拜堂（左）及附近的街道（下二）
The Evangelist Church and the fountain in front
福音傳道會教堂及前面的噴泉
After Baden-Baden, we drove along the Black Forest Highway (Schwalzwalder Hochstrasse), which offered a variety of sceneries such as forests, valleys and small towns. The light traffic made our drive leisurely, and we could stop wherever we liked to take a few photos.
離開巴登巴登後，我們便在黑森林公路（Schwalzwalder Hochstrasse）盤桓。駕車的好處，就是看到哪裡有好的風光，便可停下來拍個照。公路在山上迴旋，樹林、山谷、小鎮不停交替，叫人目不暇給，而且交通不算多，駕車也挺寫意。
The valleys of northern Black Forest
黑森林北部的山谷
The lake of Mummelsee
Mummelsee湖
Coming out of the Black Forest Highway, we tried our best to arrive in Strasbourg – where we stayed for the first night – before dusk set in. By the time we finished checking in, it was time to see the city under the lights. We spent time strolling around the old town on Grande Île (surrounded by tributaries of the Rhine) before and after dinner, as well as the next morning when we had a typical pastry breakfast there. The old town was an interesting mélange of cultures; while the wooden buildings with steep roofs boosted of German architectural style, the artistic décors and the bakeries in the streets displayed unmistakably French flair.
從黑森林公路出來，我們趁天還未黑，直奔往第一晚度宿的法國斯特拉斯堡（Strasbourg）。在酒店安頓過後，已是看夜景之時，晚飯前後我們都在大島（Grande Île ，四周被萊因河的支流包圍）的舊城區逛逛，在柔和燈光下欣賞市內各大建築物，翌晨再到舊城區吃早餐，那時正好讓我們見識舊城區的特色，其實那些一幢挨一幢、屋背斜斜、用木條搭建的平房，是不折不扣的德國風格，但一講到街上富藝術特色的佈置和蛋糕店，則顯然充滿法國氣息。
Le Barrage Vauban (Vauban fortifications, left) and some of the towers on Ponts couverts (covered bridges, right)
沃邦攔河壩（左）和蓋頂橋上的其中兩座塔（右）
Houses along the rivers of the Petite France region
小法國區沿河的房屋
Église Saint-Thomas (St. Thomas Church)
聖湯馬士教堂
Place Broglie
Broglie廣場
One of the many bridges between Grande Île and other parts of the city
連接大島及斯特拉斯堡其他地方眾多橋樑之一
Place Kléber, the central square of Strasbourg
斯特拉斯堡心臟地帶的Kléber廣場
The Cathedral by night and day 大教堂晚上和白天的景色
The interior of the Cathedral (top three), including the astronomical clock (left)
大教堂內部（上三圖）及其天文鐘（左）
A very traditional restaurant in terms of architecture as well as its cuisine (La Maison Kammerzell)
外貌和廚藝仍保留傳統的餐廳（La Maison Kammerzell）
Around the Place de la Cathédrale (Cathedral Square)
大教堂廣場
Rue des Orfevres (literally Goldsmiths Street) with its colourful wave of flags
旗海飄揚的Rue des Orfevres （金匠街）
Edible French art
吃得的法國藝術
Arts in the streets
街道上的藝術
This clash and fusion of French and German cultures are commonplace not only in Strasbourg but also the region of Alsace to which Strasbourg belongs. The Alsatians set themselves apart from both their fellow countrymen and the German cousins across the Rhine, and their distinctive culture was easily felt despite our brief encounter during our rushed stay. My dinner dish of choucroute no doubt sounded typically French, but the sauerkraut with boiled sausages, ham and bacon on the plate gave its true German heritage away! Our conversations in the restaurants and shops would often begin in French, switch to English after a short while, interspersed with the German from our friend who has lived in Germany for a long time as well as the Cantonese chatter by the four Chinese among us. It’s not so often that I get bombarded by so many languages in such short times! We deliberately chose to stay within French territory after leaving Strasbourg and drove along a road along the Rhine to our next destination back in Germany. But that little stretch of France really felt like Germany in disguise as the driving map and road signs were showing one ‘-heim’ after another. It was such a weird feeling still seeing and calling out so many German place names in French territory.
這種法、德文化的互相沖擊、融合，在斯特拉斯堡所屬的阿爾薩斯地區（Alsace）不難感受到，那種獨特的文化，不論與一道萊因河之隔的德國，或是法國其他地區就是不一樣，匆匆一行已感受到。在斯特拉斯堡吃晚飯時，我點了一道看來是法國名字的Choucroute，但原來是酸椰菜搭配水煮香腸、火腿和煙薰肉，撇除水煮那元素，那根本就是德國菜！我們在餐廳和商店，跟服務員交談時，先說法語，不用多久便轉用英語，同行一人在德國已居住多年，又用得上德語與店員打交道，再加上幾個中國人自己交談用的廣東話，短短數分鐘內混雜了四種語言，夠特別吧！離開斯特拉斯堡後，我們繼續留在法國境內，取經沿萊因河的道路向下個德國目的地進發，沿途經過的小鎮名稱，盡是一個接一個的甚麼甚麼heim，明明是法國，為甚麼地名卻全是德國式，真令我這個負責看幫車長看路牌和行車地圖的，有種怪怪的時空錯亂的感覺。
The German-looking choucroute (left), and the more typical French red wine and escargot (right)
德國風味的choucroute（左）及法國馳名的紅酒和田螺（右）
The road along the Rhine
沿萊因河的道路
Right between the two countries 兩國之間
Back within the bounds of Germany, we headed to a much-celebrated wine-producing region of Kaisersthul (literally meaning ‘Emperor’s Seat’) and tried to catch a good drop or two during the wine festival there. Kaiserstuhl is an extinct volcano and is blessed by a soil that is so favourable for viniculture. No surprise, therefore, that vineyards have spread themselves throughout the rolling hills of the region. We stopped by the village of Achkarren for a scrumptious lunch and went for a walk uphill in the village to a hut which afforded a panoramic view of Achkarren itself and its surrounds. The white wine from lunch left us with such fond memories that we were keen to buy some for ourselves. We found some at a small wine-tasting session after our walk.
返回德國國境後，我們前往一個著名的釀酒區Kaiserstuhl（直譯是「皇帝椅」），趁那裡舉行酒節，一嘗當地的佳釀。Kaiserstuhl其實是個死火山，土壤養份特別好，所以連綿的山坡上，是一望無際的葡萄園，時值收成期，葡萄樹都果實纍纍。我們到了一個名為Achkarren的小村落，有幸到了一家不錯的餐廳午膳，飯後走上村內的山散步，走到半山的小屋停了下來，從高處欣賞村落及鄰近的景色。午飯時喝到的白酒確是出色，我們問侍應寫下名稱，散步後到一個小型品酒會搜購。
A sweet countryside
碩果纍纍的葡萄園
The village of Achkarren Achkarren村內
The restaurant (left) that gave us a couple of good treats with pfifferling (Chantarelle mushroom; see below)
我們午膳的餐廳（左），把地道的Pfifferling菇炮製得出神入化（下兩圖）
The vineyard on the hills of Achkarren
Achkarren漫山酒園
Looking downhill from the hut (also see the video clip below)
從半山的小屋俯視四周（亦可看以下短片）
Our next stop was Freiburg im Briesgau which is a major city in the southern Black Forest. After spending a couple of hours there, we took the Höllental highway (literally ‘Hell’s Valley’) lined with steep cliffs on both sides for quite a distance, stopped by in the town of Titisee im Neustadt to catch a glimpse of the lake of Titisee before it was too dark, and headed to the town to Blumberg in the south-eastern corner of the Black Forest for our second night’s stay.
之後來到黑森林南部的大城市弗萊堡（Freiburg im Breisgau），在其市中心逛了個多小時，然後取經兩旁不少懸崖峭壁的「地獄谷」公路（Höllental），中途在蒂蒂湖（Titisee im Neustadt）稍作停頓，趁天未全黑前看一眼湖景，再上路往在黑森林東南部小鎮Blumberg下塌的酒店進發。
Check the ground to make sure you're in the right place!
這是弗萊堡——有水渠蓋為證！
The Church (Münster) of Freiburg 弗萊堡的大教堂
Münsterplatz 教堂廣場
Traditional buildings, albeit also with modern infiltration (right)
右：故宮從前也有星巴克……
Around Freiburg University 弗萊堡大學四周
Titisee 蒂蒂湖
The morning of the third day, being a Sunday, was perfect for getting close with the nature side of the Black Forest in a relaxed mood. We set off to the Lotenbachklamm, a small stretch of the Wutachschlucht (Wutach Gorge) for a short hike. Our drive took us past hills and valleys with their endless meadows, a tranquil countryside without a trace of people of cars – a fitting way to start a Sunday morning.
第三天早上到烏塔赫峽谷（Wutachschlucht）的其中一小段洛騰巴赫石泉（Lotenbachklamm）遠足，在星期日早上寧靜的環境和輕鬆的心情中感受黑森林自然的一面，駕車時沿途盡是田野風光，綠油油的山坡中，夾雜着片片農田，四周人煙和汽車稀少，正好配合週日早上的那種恬靜。
Just to give you a small taste of our drive ...
沿途的自然景色，要拍也拍不完！
After arriving at the Lotenbachklamm, we followed a rather damp and shady path along the creek. The ‘Black’ Forest really lived up to its name along this hiking trail as not much sunlight could pass through the thicket of trees despite the bright sunny outside! Following the gently descending terrain (which actually became more obvious to us on the way back!) the creek turned into small cascades at places, adding some variety to the landscape along the trail. The ambience opened up again towards the end of the trail, and there we reached the ‘pit stop’ of Schattenmühle where two or three houses stood. One of them was a restaurant which provided us a stopping point to recharge ourselves. We warmed ourselves up with hot drinks and some Black Forest cake. The cherry in the cake didn’t come laced with rum unlike what I had in Baden-Baden. Probably everyone had their own favourite ways of making that cake!
來到洛騰巴赫石泉，我們沿着溪澗旁有點濕滑的路徑走，儘管是大晴天，但到處大樹茂密，一路有點陰暗（尤其是起初的路段），「黑」森林果然一如其名！路徑緩緩向下斜（回程時才真正感受到那地勢！）溪流也在好幾處地方形成小瀑布。走到路徑盡頭的沙騰磨坊（Schattenmühle），環境變得豁然開朗，那裡有個「驛站」，有兩三家房屋，其中一家是餐室，那時大家都有點冷，都趕緊喝點熱東西、吃吃黑森林蛋糕暖暖身。這次吃的蛋糕，跟在巴登巴登那次不同，在於那層櫻桃醬沒有混了蘭姆酒（即香港稱的冧酒），同一種蛋糕，看來有不一樣的做法。
Go with the flow ... 乘流而下
More than a trickle ... 水向低處流
One of the many tall trees along Lotenbachklamm
沿途擎天高樹甚多
Finally the sun can penetrate through
不再陰森的路徑
Schattenmühle, but no mill to be seen (Mühle means mill in German)
磨坊不再的沙騰磨坊
The cuckoo clock in the restaurant
餐廳內的咕咕鐘
A short continuation of our walk from Schattenmühle before heading back
從沙騰磨坊繼續前行一小段路後方才折返
After the hiking, we came to the last stop in a town called Triberg in the Central Black Forest region. We were treated with more beautiful sceneries along the way.
行程還有一站，就是中部城市特里堡（Triberg），沿途的山路，風光同樣秀麗。
Triberg was famous for two things. Firstly it’s home to the two largest cuckoo clocks in the world – well, almost. They were actually located in a nearby town, but we didn’t have time to have a look. There were still plenty of cuckoo clocks to see in Triberg itself, however.
特里堡兩大出名之處，第一就是咕咕鐘，全世界兩面最大的咕咕鐘，就位於特里堡鄰近的小鎮，不過時間所限，緣慳一面。
The first glance of Triberg
特里堡的第一面
A cuckoo clock shop
一家咕咕鐘商店
Along the main street (Hauptstrasse) of Triberg, including yet another cuckoo clock shop
特里堡的大街，當然少不了更多的咕咕鐘商店
Triberg is also home to the tallest waterfall in Germany. More correctly speaking, it’s a series of cascades, and bridges were built at each cascade so that visitors could get close to the water, feel the full force of the current and enjoy the changing views across the cascades.
特里堡亦擁有德國最高瀑布，那座瀑布可不是一氣呵成、「飛流直下三千尺」的那種，是分層式的，但勝在每層都架了木橋，好讓遊人能沿路上山，近距離感受流水的氣勢，及從不同的高度欣賞瀑布區的景色。
From the lower cascades 較低層的瀑布
Higher up the waterfall 向瀑布高處進發
The highest part of the cascade 瀑布最高處
The view at the entrance of the waterfall area
瀑布區入口
So much to see in such a short time, two countries in three days – we’ve certainly worked hard for this trip!
三天行程，跑遍整個黑森林之餘，也踏足法國國土，大自然和人文景觀，不停在我們眼前變幻，令我們大開眼界。
The Black Forest is trying to keep us there with yet more beautiful views!
黑森林不斷以美景想留住我們！
今年的德國統一日（10月3日）是星期五，那個長週末，趁嚴冬未至，我和另外三個中國人朋友決定到德國西南部的黑森林遊玩三天，來探我的澳洲朋友也有同行。
Of course we were not the only ones thinking of making use of the long weekend. Coupled with the amount of roadwork along the motorways (and it’s certainly quite a sight around Germany), it was no surprise that the first few hours of our journey was spent in traffic jams. The drive to our first destination of Baden-Baden took 5 hours – that’s excluding an hour of breakfast when we ended up in a service-station-cum-restaurant because the McDonald’s next door would not open till 9 a.m.! (I can get myself easily started on the topic of German opening hours …)
當然不少人也想把握那個長週末出門，加上公路沿途工程甚多（德國工程隨處是，永遠沒做完的一天！）所以未玩樂則先要忍受一個接一個的車龍，去到第一站巴登巴登（Baden-Baden），已花了五個多鐘頭——還未計中途停了一小時吃早餐，本想光顧M記但竟然九點才開門，幸好隔鄰油站有餐廳營業，真佩服德國的營業時間！（待我他日有空慢慢再寫寫這個話題吧。）
The German word Baden is not only cognate with the English words ‘baths’ or ‘to bathe’, but also refers to a region in south-western Germany. The original meaning of Baden-Baden can thus be construed as ‘Bath in Baden’ (like the British city of Bath). The supplies of the multitude of baths obviously came from the springs of the town, and there were places where one could taste the water which we found to be rather salty. Just as famous as the baths was the casino, which only invited entry for those who dress to impress, i.e. not lowly tourists like us. But there were enough to see in the park surrounding the casino, including the Trinkhall (Pump Room) which was home to two of the most ancient springs of the town. The first time in the Black Forest wouldn’t be complete without trying the Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwalder Torte) in a place to which it belongs.
巴登Baden此字，在德語名詞可解作溫泉，動詞可解作泡浴，亦是德國一個地區的名稱，所以Baden-Baden原意就是「巴登地區的溫泉」，既然可以泡浴，泉水源頭自然不少，我們都嘗了一兩口，味道有點鹹。在巴登巴登與溫泉齊名的是其賭場，祇限衣冠楚楚者進入，我們祇得在外面留連及到賭場旁的礦泉水大廳（Trinkhall）參觀。既然初次來到黑森林，我當然不放過品嘗正宗黑森林蛋糕的機會。
This hotel is not as bad as it sounds! 「壞酒店」？不是吧。
The Old Town of Baden-Baden
巴登巴登舊城區
Looking up to Bismarck - an honourary citizen of Baden-Baden.
令人「景仰」的俾斯麥——巴登巴登的榮譽市民
Take a bath (left) and have a drink (right)
泉水既可泡浴（左），又可飲用（右）
The Trinkhall 礦泉水大廳
The Kurhaus where the casino is located
溫泉療養館及裡面的賭場
The Oss river (left) and the garden of the Trinkhall (right)
礦泉水大廳附近的Oss河（左）和花園（右）
The Parish Church (Stiftskirche) of Baden-Baden (left) and the streets nearby (bottom two)
巴登巴登教區禮拜堂（左）及附近的街道（下二）
The Evangelist Church and the fountain in front
福音傳道會教堂及前面的噴泉
After Baden-Baden, we drove along the Black Forest Highway (Schwalzwalder Hochstrasse), which offered a variety of sceneries such as forests, valleys and small towns. The light traffic made our drive leisurely, and we could stop wherever we liked to take a few photos.
離開巴登巴登後，我們便在黑森林公路（Schwalzwalder Hochstrasse）盤桓。駕車的好處，就是看到哪裡有好的風光，便可停下來拍個照。公路在山上迴旋，樹林、山谷、小鎮不停交替，叫人目不暇給，而且交通不算多，駕車也挺寫意。
The valleys of northern Black Forest
黑森林北部的山谷
The lake of Mummelsee
Mummelsee湖
Coming out of the Black Forest Highway, we tried our best to arrive in Strasbourg – where we stayed for the first night – before dusk set in. By the time we finished checking in, it was time to see the city under the lights. We spent time strolling around the old town on Grande Île (surrounded by tributaries of the Rhine) before and after dinner, as well as the next morning when we had a typical pastry breakfast there. The old town was an interesting mélange of cultures; while the wooden buildings with steep roofs boosted of German architectural style, the artistic décors and the bakeries in the streets displayed unmistakably French flair.
從黑森林公路出來，我們趁天還未黑，直奔往第一晚度宿的法國斯特拉斯堡（Strasbourg）。在酒店安頓過後，已是看夜景之時，晚飯前後我們都在大島（Grande Île ，四周被萊因河的支流包圍）的舊城區逛逛，在柔和燈光下欣賞市內各大建築物，翌晨再到舊城區吃早餐，那時正好讓我們見識舊城區的特色，其實那些一幢挨一幢、屋背斜斜、用木條搭建的平房，是不折不扣的德國風格，但一講到街上富藝術特色的佈置和蛋糕店，則顯然充滿法國氣息。
Le Barrage Vauban (Vauban fortifications, left) and some of the towers on Ponts couverts (covered bridges, right)
沃邦攔河壩（左）和蓋頂橋上的其中兩座塔（右）
Houses along the rivers of the Petite France region
小法國區沿河的房屋
Église Saint-Thomas (St. Thomas Church)
聖湯馬士教堂
Place Broglie
Broglie廣場
One of the many bridges between Grande Île and other parts of the city
連接大島及斯特拉斯堡其他地方眾多橋樑之一
Place Kléber, the central square of Strasbourg
斯特拉斯堡心臟地帶的Kléber廣場
The Cathedral by night and day 大教堂晚上和白天的景色
The interior of the Cathedral (top three), including the astronomical clock (left)
大教堂內部（上三圖）及其天文鐘（左）
A very traditional restaurant in terms of architecture as well as its cuisine (La Maison Kammerzell)
外貌和廚藝仍保留傳統的餐廳（La Maison Kammerzell）
Around the Place de la Cathédrale (Cathedral Square)
大教堂廣場
Rue des Orfevres (literally Goldsmiths Street) with its colourful wave of flags
旗海飄揚的Rue des Orfevres （金匠街）
Edible French art
吃得的法國藝術
Arts in the streets
街道上的藝術
This clash and fusion of French and German cultures are commonplace not only in Strasbourg but also the region of Alsace to which Strasbourg belongs. The Alsatians set themselves apart from both their fellow countrymen and the German cousins across the Rhine, and their distinctive culture was easily felt despite our brief encounter during our rushed stay. My dinner dish of choucroute no doubt sounded typically French, but the sauerkraut with boiled sausages, ham and bacon on the plate gave its true German heritage away! Our conversations in the restaurants and shops would often begin in French, switch to English after a short while, interspersed with the German from our friend who has lived in Germany for a long time as well as the Cantonese chatter by the four Chinese among us. It’s not so often that I get bombarded by so many languages in such short times! We deliberately chose to stay within French territory after leaving Strasbourg and drove along a road along the Rhine to our next destination back in Germany. But that little stretch of France really felt like Germany in disguise as the driving map and road signs were showing one ‘-heim’ after another. It was such a weird feeling still seeing and calling out so many German place names in French territory.
這種法、德文化的互相沖擊、融合，在斯特拉斯堡所屬的阿爾薩斯地區（Alsace）不難感受到，那種獨特的文化，不論與一道萊因河之隔的德國，或是法國其他地區就是不一樣，匆匆一行已感受到。在斯特拉斯堡吃晚飯時，我點了一道看來是法國名字的Choucroute，但原來是酸椰菜搭配水煮香腸、火腿和煙薰肉，撇除水煮那元素，那根本就是德國菜！我們在餐廳和商店，跟服務員交談時，先說法語，不用多久便轉用英語，同行一人在德國已居住多年，又用得上德語與店員打交道，再加上幾個中國人自己交談用的廣東話，短短數分鐘內混雜了四種語言，夠特別吧！離開斯特拉斯堡後，我們繼續留在法國境內，取經沿萊因河的道路向下個德國目的地進發，沿途經過的小鎮名稱，盡是一個接一個的甚麼甚麼heim，明明是法國，為甚麼地名卻全是德國式，真令我這個負責看幫車長看路牌和行車地圖的，有種怪怪的時空錯亂的感覺。
The German-looking choucroute (left), and the more typical French red wine and escargot (right)
德國風味的choucroute（左）及法國馳名的紅酒和田螺（右）
The road along the Rhine
沿萊因河的道路
Right between the two countries 兩國之間
Back within the bounds of Germany, we headed to a much-celebrated wine-producing region of Kaisersthul (literally meaning ‘Emperor’s Seat’) and tried to catch a good drop or two during the wine festival there. Kaiserstuhl is an extinct volcano and is blessed by a soil that is so favourable for viniculture. No surprise, therefore, that vineyards have spread themselves throughout the rolling hills of the region. We stopped by the village of Achkarren for a scrumptious lunch and went for a walk uphill in the village to a hut which afforded a panoramic view of Achkarren itself and its surrounds. The white wine from lunch left us with such fond memories that we were keen to buy some for ourselves. We found some at a small wine-tasting session after our walk.
返回德國國境後，我們前往一個著名的釀酒區Kaiserstuhl（直譯是「皇帝椅」），趁那裡舉行酒節，一嘗當地的佳釀。Kaiserstuhl其實是個死火山，土壤養份特別好，所以連綿的山坡上，是一望無際的葡萄園，時值收成期，葡萄樹都果實纍纍。我們到了一個名為Achkarren的小村落，有幸到了一家不錯的餐廳午膳，飯後走上村內的山散步，走到半山的小屋停了下來，從高處欣賞村落及鄰近的景色。午飯時喝到的白酒確是出色，我們問侍應寫下名稱，散步後到一個小型品酒會搜購。
A sweet countryside
碩果纍纍的葡萄園
The village of Achkarren Achkarren村內
The restaurant (left) that gave us a couple of good treats with pfifferling (Chantarelle mushroom; see below)
我們午膳的餐廳（左），把地道的Pfifferling菇炮製得出神入化（下兩圖）
The vineyard on the hills of Achkarren
Achkarren漫山酒園
Looking downhill from the hut (also see the video clip below)
從半山的小屋俯視四周（亦可看以下短片）
Our next stop was Freiburg im Briesgau which is a major city in the southern Black Forest. After spending a couple of hours there, we took the Höllental highway (literally ‘Hell’s Valley’) lined with steep cliffs on both sides for quite a distance, stopped by in the town of Titisee im Neustadt to catch a glimpse of the lake of Titisee before it was too dark, and headed to the town to Blumberg in the south-eastern corner of the Black Forest for our second night’s stay.
之後來到黑森林南部的大城市弗萊堡（Freiburg im Breisgau），在其市中心逛了個多小時，然後取經兩旁不少懸崖峭壁的「地獄谷」公路（Höllental），中途在蒂蒂湖（Titisee im Neustadt）稍作停頓，趁天未全黑前看一眼湖景，再上路往在黑森林東南部小鎮Blumberg下塌的酒店進發。
Check the ground to make sure you're in the right place!
這是弗萊堡——有水渠蓋為證！
The Church (Münster) of Freiburg 弗萊堡的大教堂
Münsterplatz 教堂廣場
Traditional buildings, albeit also with modern infiltration (right)
右：故宮從前也有星巴克……
Around Freiburg University 弗萊堡大學四周
Titisee 蒂蒂湖
The morning of the third day, being a Sunday, was perfect for getting close with the nature side of the Black Forest in a relaxed mood. We set off to the Lotenbachklamm, a small stretch of the Wutachschlucht (Wutach Gorge) for a short hike. Our drive took us past hills and valleys with their endless meadows, a tranquil countryside without a trace of people of cars – a fitting way to start a Sunday morning.
第三天早上到烏塔赫峽谷（Wutachschlucht）的其中一小段洛騰巴赫石泉（Lotenbachklamm）遠足，在星期日早上寧靜的環境和輕鬆的心情中感受黑森林自然的一面，駕車時沿途盡是田野風光，綠油油的山坡中，夾雜着片片農田，四周人煙和汽車稀少，正好配合週日早上的那種恬靜。
Just to give you a small taste of our drive ...
沿途的自然景色，要拍也拍不完！
After arriving at the Lotenbachklamm, we followed a rather damp and shady path along the creek. The ‘Black’ Forest really lived up to its name along this hiking trail as not much sunlight could pass through the thicket of trees despite the bright sunny outside! Following the gently descending terrain (which actually became more obvious to us on the way back!) the creek turned into small cascades at places, adding some variety to the landscape along the trail. The ambience opened up again towards the end of the trail, and there we reached the ‘pit stop’ of Schattenmühle where two or three houses stood. One of them was a restaurant which provided us a stopping point to recharge ourselves. We warmed ourselves up with hot drinks and some Black Forest cake. The cherry in the cake didn’t come laced with rum unlike what I had in Baden-Baden. Probably everyone had their own favourite ways of making that cake!
來到洛騰巴赫石泉，我們沿着溪澗旁有點濕滑的路徑走，儘管是大晴天，但到處大樹茂密，一路有點陰暗（尤其是起初的路段），「黑」森林果然一如其名！路徑緩緩向下斜（回程時才真正感受到那地勢！）溪流也在好幾處地方形成小瀑布。走到路徑盡頭的沙騰磨坊（Schattenmühle），環境變得豁然開朗，那裡有個「驛站」，有兩三家房屋，其中一家是餐室，那時大家都有點冷，都趕緊喝點熱東西、吃吃黑森林蛋糕暖暖身。這次吃的蛋糕，跟在巴登巴登那次不同，在於那層櫻桃醬沒有混了蘭姆酒（即香港稱的冧酒），同一種蛋糕，看來有不一樣的做法。
Go with the flow ... 乘流而下
More than a trickle ... 水向低處流
One of the many tall trees along Lotenbachklamm
沿途擎天高樹甚多
Finally the sun can penetrate through
不再陰森的路徑
Schattenmühle, but no mill to be seen (Mühle means mill in German)
磨坊不再的沙騰磨坊
The cuckoo clock in the restaurant
餐廳內的咕咕鐘
A short continuation of our walk from Schattenmühle before heading back
從沙騰磨坊繼續前行一小段路後方才折返
After the hiking, we came to the last stop in a town called Triberg in the Central Black Forest region. We were treated with more beautiful sceneries along the way.
行程還有一站，就是中部城市特里堡（Triberg），沿途的山路，風光同樣秀麗。
Triberg was famous for two things. Firstly it’s home to the two largest cuckoo clocks in the world – well, almost. They were actually located in a nearby town, but we didn’t have time to have a look. There were still plenty of cuckoo clocks to see in Triberg itself, however.
特里堡兩大出名之處，第一就是咕咕鐘，全世界兩面最大的咕咕鐘，就位於特里堡鄰近的小鎮，不過時間所限，緣慳一面。
The first glance of Triberg
特里堡的第一面
A cuckoo clock shop
一家咕咕鐘商店
Along the main street (Hauptstrasse) of Triberg, including yet another cuckoo clock shop
特里堡的大街，當然少不了更多的咕咕鐘商店
Triberg is also home to the tallest waterfall in Germany. More correctly speaking, it’s a series of cascades, and bridges were built at each cascade so that visitors could get close to the water, feel the full force of the current and enjoy the changing views across the cascades.
特里堡亦擁有德國最高瀑布，那座瀑布可不是一氣呵成、「飛流直下三千尺」的那種，是分層式的，但勝在每層都架了木橋，好讓遊人能沿路上山，近距離感受流水的氣勢，及從不同的高度欣賞瀑布區的景色。
From the lower cascades 較低層的瀑布
Higher up the waterfall 向瀑布高處進發
The highest part of the cascade 瀑布最高處
The view at the entrance of the waterfall area
瀑布區入口
So much to see in such a short time, two countries in three days – we’ve certainly worked hard for this trip!
三天行程，跑遍整個黑森林之餘，也踏足法國國土，大自然和人文景觀，不停在我們眼前變幻，令我們大開眼界。
The Black Forest is trying to keep us there with yet more beautiful views!
黑森林不斷以美景想留住我們！
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