Shallow Waters: Burkheimer See
Moss Green Waters
Whimsical Recycled Art
Rippling Waters
A Wishful Cellar Visit
Water Mirror
Whirlpools
Mistletoe and Swan
Gallery December 2022
Monthly Archives: December 2022
Walking in a Wonderland
I had hoped to walk in a winter wonderland, it being mid-December. What I hiked instead was a watery wander-land, crisscrossed by trails. But even without snow, it fulfilled the sense of mystery and magic inherent in every Christmas season, and ended up being one of the hikes whose sights and sounds I recall most vividly.
Wine Notes: Baden’s Kaiserstuhl
What I Learned
Within the German wine region of Baden lies the Kaiserstuhl wine district. With almost 4300 hectares (over 10,500 acres), it is the largest of all nine wine districts in Baden.
This district is the warmest site in Germany, with the highest average temperatures and the highest average hours of sunshine. In this district, the vines are planted mostly in terraces, mostly on south facing slopes of the Kaiserstuhl slopes.
The whole area looks and feels volcanic, as it was once one giant volcano. The volcano was active 16 to 19 million years ago, and since then, the terrain has eroded. Hence the underlying geology is volcanic. A layer of loess lies on top of what remains of the eruptions’ geological debris. The vines grow atop this geology in a series of terraces. The cuts in the terraces reveal the meters of depths (achieved over time) of this light-colored sediment. Two of Burkheim’s best known growth areas are Schlossgarten and Feuerberg (literally, “fire hill”).
Trail in a Nutshell: Rheinauen und Weinbergweg
Trail Name: Rheinauen und Weinbergweg
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; somewhat maintained with varied surfaces, tarmac to earthen (to include some wet ones), fairly good marking on the trail, but no trail-specific marking.
Length:
Total – 8.7 kilometers/5.4 miles
Convenient to: Freiburg, or Breisach, Germany
Marking: None specific to the trail, but all hiking trails in the area are marked with the generic yellow diamond on a white background trail signs.
Continue reading Trail in a Nutshell: Rheinauen und Weinbergweg