The week in Schliersee has come to an end once again. When I wake up it is still dark outside. As dawn breaks I decide to do one final walk. I soon get lost in thoughts as I circle the lake and my mind wanders back to the previous day.
The heavy rains continued throughout the night. I woke up early yesterday and there was nothing I could do as long as the downpour continued. So breakfast in bed and newspaper it was. It was almost eleven before the rain finally relented. The girl at reception told us that there is another small lake not too far from the hotel. We decide to walk to it. There is a connecting road from there to Schliersee lake.
When we reach the main road the smell of fresh manure hits me. Is it because of the rainfall or some other reason? I’m not sure. It soon passes. The mountains are shrouded with mist and it doesn’t show any signs of lifting. The air is still heavy with moisture. It doesn’t take us long to reach the lake. It is a little one with just two ducks in it. The water is murky because of the overnight rain and as we follow the path around it we discover that the water from the lake is mixing with another stream and is pouring into a downstream river. The path along this river takes us further into the thick of the forest. It looks inviting but I am not sure where it will lead us. We take a few photos, retrace our steps and join the road leading to our regular main lake.
Everything looks a shade of greyish green today. The sky is completely covered with grey clouds and it has no intention of letting the sun peak through. The lake is a dusky shade of jade. Despite all this there is nothing miserable or dreary about the place. We walk around the lake to Neuhaus. There is a restaurant here with rave reviews and we decide to try it out. They only have a German menu. We can translate the classic menus but in restaurants like this serving more upmarket food we are a bit lost. The waitress manages to find a menu which gives us a rough English translation and we order our food.
After lunch we still have plenty of time to kill. The Markus Wasmeier Museum is nearby and we decide to try it out. Markus Wasmeier is a local lad who went on to win Olympics gold medals for alpine ski competitions. He set up an open air museum to show how people in the bygone days lived in Bavaria. Buildings and houses from the past were reconstructed using materials, tools and techniques from the corresponding era. There is also a farm with sheep, pigs, ducks and hens to keep the children happy and a restaurant. There is not much information available in English and this makes it difficult to completely understand the museum. The guided tour is in German as well.
A wedding is taking place. The guests arrive in their finery. A couple of halls in the buildings are being decorated to hold the ceremony and for the celebrations which are to follow. The guests are taking their seats and the flower girls are walking into the hall as we are about to leave. We see the bride walk up the path with her bridesmaids. She is happily chatting away as if it is just another day in her life, which I suppose it is, albeit an important one.
From here we walk back to town. The sun is slowly making its presence felt and the grey clouds are receding. The lake refuses to part with it’s dusky hue. The fallen maple leaves are starting to dry up and regain their crispy texture as I step on them.
As I reach the main road the church bells chime and rouse me up from my thoughts. I am near the centre of the town and here some buildings and houses have colourful frescoes painted on the outside walls. These frescoes depict religious themes or life in the olden days. Some houses have decorations around the windows. These window decorations could be just paintings around the window sills or in addition to the colourful flower beds which adorn them. All this adds to the beauty of Bavarian towns and villages.
I pass the bakery. The doors are left open on a weekend as it gets very busy and the smell of freshly baked bread fills the air. When I reach the hotel my Nike app tells me that I have done just under 5 and a half miles. The timings are not bad either. It is time to do my packing. So once again it is goodbye Schliersee and I hope to see you again next year.
