Daily Distance – 16km
Daily Ascent – 625m
Daily Descent – 350m
Total Distance – 804km
Distance Remaining – 215km
Just when one is in danger of forgetting that one is in Bavaria, a troupe of five men in Lederhosen start playing alpine horns next to the lunch hut. Bayern, the Bundesland where they’ll be damned if they’ll let you forget that they’re the best. Football, traditional garb, impractical musical instruments, leaders in all areas, and everyone else just best get used to the idea.
After sleeping last night on a picnic table, Kenzenhütte seems particularly nice and may even be my favourite hut so far. The staff are relaxed and the guests good natured and friendly. There is also a waterfall only five minutes walk away, which was lovely to cool my feet in the waters flowing down. Despite the heat of the day, the longest time I was able to keep my feet immersed in the water was ten seconds. Later, I watched with amusement from a suitably distant bench as two German men climbed purposefully up, bared all and strode boldly under the cascade. I couldn’t hear over the roar of the water, but the body language was similar to the desperate flail of a cat who has fallen in a bucket of water. The ten second record of my feet still stands…
For the first time on this trip, I was in the final group to go to bed in a hut. I finally met some hikers who were doing various interpretations of the Maximiliansweg, which is broadly the route which I am currently following. It was really nice to finally have some multi-day hikers to talk with, all of whom wanted the hut breakfast earlier than usual in order to put in some miles before the heat of the day struck. Apologies are offered to the other people in the dormitory as I really wasn’t well prepared for bed, usually being among the first, so there was a certain amount of rustling and door opening as I sorted my things and washed up. For context though, when I say “last group to bed”, I am still only talking 22:00.
Taking advantage of today’s short stage, I visited Linderhof castle this morning. This is the only one of Ludwig the II’s castles to be completed (1886) in his lifetime, with Neuschwanstein and Hochschwangau being completed posthumously. While the tour of the interior was interesting and beautifully preserved, being able to wander into the grounds ahead of official opening meant I could enjoy them pretty much alone. That’s one perk of sleeping on a picnic table. I did find it a little difficult to get my hiking head back on after my morning’s touristing, but such is the perk of a short stage.
Just a thought – how do Barvarian horn players get their instruments on the bus. It must be worth the whole hike so far to see an ensemble of native Barvarians in Lederhosen.
Fancy wimping out on a lovely alpine waterfall shower.
Definitely a foreign castle. Look like gorgeous gardens, worth the touristy aside.
A good day then with lots of amusement. It was interesting to see the Bavarian musicians in their lederhosen with their unusual musical instruments. I suppose the sound carried.