Yellow Stages

I DID not intend going for a walk as, following a long game, I had a late lunch and thought I would just wander around town, enjoying a non-alcoholic beer or two.

Accordingly I had not bothered to put on any insect repellent, although I was still wearing sunscreen from having sat outside with an espresso for 30 minutes or so before breakfast (the sun is fairly strong here, even at 07.15).

But when I caught sight of a yellow-diamond waymark, I thought I would see where it (and more of the same) would take me.

The route took me past a modern village

Part of the way went along the local Marienweg

A fallen tree forming a crossbar with the help of three other trees

Although this is the Black Forest, there are many deciduous trees in these northern parts, and so there is none of the trademark blackness caused where it is all pine 

The result is some pretty weeds flowers

Much of the route was uphill and, thanks to not having repellent, I attracted more than my fair share of insects, including a horsefly that left a nasty bite on my right shin.

Eventually, having concluded the route was not circular, I retraced my steps, but somehow missed a turning and emerged on a deserted road.

There were no signposts, and I did not fancy walking back uphill to try to find the missing turn, and since the sun had been over my right shoulder for the previous 20 minutes or so, I decided to continue in the same general direction.

I fairly quickly came to what seemed to be the bottom part of the modern village in the first photo above, and, after following a no-through road in the centre of the village, reached several flights of stone steps, which took me back to the yellow-diamond route.

The only other 'drama' was seeing this snake slowworm