We left Donaueschingen as the sun was lowering. Our next destination was Triberg, where we had made a hotel reservation for tonight–a town in the heart of the Black Forest. We set the GPS to the “economical route” and were on our way. Today it snowed in the Black Forest and soon we were seeing snow on the ground, then on the trees, then covering everything.
Our little route took us up and around and through little towns, and the road got smaller and smaller, until it was a single lane country road through the forests. We wondered where in the world it was taking us, but we stuck with it, after asking 2 girls jogging if the road we were on led to Triberg. They didn’t think so, but then decided it was one way of getting there. John was a little worried. I loved it. It was an adventure and it was like being in a completely different world.
We did eventually get there–I think it was a short-cut over a mountain on a back road. We came into Triberg as it was getting dark. This looks like a really fun town, also decorated with streamers in the streets. It’s a town in a steep valley with water running through the town. The tallest waterfall in Germany is here. And this is the heart of cuckoo clocks and wood carving in the Black Forest. It’s going to be fun tomorrow when we can look around.
It looks like many of the shops will be closed, or may close for Fastnacht. We found our Hotel –the Landgasthof zur Lilie, checked in at the big chalet building, then found our rooms were down the street and around a corner. We are in a little room in a nondescript building. It’s fine, but not the chalet experience we were expecting. It seems that in this off-season, most of the hotels and shops are taking a Winter Pause.
For dinner, we went to the hotel restaurant where we checked in and it was really amazing. Everything was decorated for Karnival.
I ordered Black Forest Ham served with a delicious green salad and German potato salad. Quite possibly the best German meal I’ve had! John got Brats one last time. Then we had Black Forest Cake with cherries and whipped cream. It was delicious.
Something really fun happened between our dinner and dessert–an entire troupe of musicians (all ages and in family groups) came into the restaurant, playing Fastnacht oom-pah-pah music with brass and drums and every fun and loud instrument. There were about 50-60 in the group, all dressed in red uniforms and traditional Fastnacht costumes. We thought we were so lucky to be there when they came in. Then after playing 5 or 6 big songs, they all took a seat and settled in to order meals. I was amazed that we just happened to be there, but the waiter said during Fastnacht, there are so many groups like this that go around playing music in restaurants. We just happed to be there too. It was really fun and festive.
The fellow with the big bells represents the devil, or the bad guy who goes around scaring children and annoying adults–but all in fun.
These fabric costumes were Amazing!
After the very fun music, we enjoyed some really delicious Black Forest Cake.
Then we walked around town a bit to get the lay of the land before heading back to our room. It was cold out, with a few flurries of snow falling down.
Our Frankfurt Germany Mission 